APPARATUS FOR MOVING TRANSPORT CONTAINERS BETWEEN A CONTAINER STACK AND A CONTAINER RACK

Abstract

An apparatus for moving transport containers (1) between a container stack (4) and a container rack (22) comprises a lifting device (2) that can be adjusted to a transport container (1) transversely to a lifting direction (H). For the apparatus to have a compact structure and reliably moves transport containers between a container stack and a container rack, irrespective of the fill level of said rack, and to be preferably suitable for manipulators of industrial robots, the lifting device (2) comprises a guide for moving the transport container (1) transversely to the lifting direction (H), and a sliding device (3), which is detachably translationally rigidly connectable to the transport container (1), is provided for moving the transport container (1) in the guide (19) between a lifting position and a position for being introduced into the rack.

Claims

1. An apparatus for moving transport containers between a container stack and a container rack, said apparatus comprising: a lifting device configured to set against one of the transport containers transversely with respect to a lifting direction; wherein the lifting device comprises a guide displacing the transport container transversely with respect to the lifting direction; and wherein a sliding device that is configured to be connected to the transport container in a detachable, tension-resistant and shear-resistant manner displaces the transport container in the guide between a lifting position and a rack insertion position.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, and further comprising a container receptacle configured to receive the transport container inserted therein in the lifting direction when the lifting device is open, and configured to receive the transport container inserted therein transversely to the lifting direction when the lifting device is set.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lifting device set against the transport container forms a spring-groove connection with the transport container extending transversely to the lifting direction.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lifting device has two lifting arms configured to be displaced relative to one another.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sliding device has at least one slider having a latching body, adjustable between a latching position and an open position, and configured to engage in a latching opening of the transport container.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the slider of the sliding device is displaceable between a transfer position in which there is a connection to transport container arranged in the container rack and a lifting position in which the transport container is received in the lifting device.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the sliding device comprises two sliders each mounted on a lifting arm so as to be displaceable transversely to the lifting direction.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, and an actuating device actuating a latching connection anchoring the transport container.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the actuating device comprises an actuating slider that is arranged at a free end of a chain drive guided in an actuating direction.

10. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the lifting device set against the transport container forms a spring-groove connection with the transport container extending transversely to the lifting direction.

11. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the lifting device has two lifting arms configured to be displaced relative to one another.

12. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the lifting device has two lifting arms configured to be displaced relative to one another.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the lifting device has two lifting arms configured to be displaced relative to one another.

14. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the sliding device has at least one slider having a latching body adjustable between a latching position and an open position, and configured to engage in a latching opening of the transport container.

15. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the sliding device has at least one slider having a latching body adjustable between a latching position and an open position, and configured to engage in a latching opening of the transport container.

16. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the sliding device has at least one slider having a latching body adjustable between a latching position and an open position, and configured to engage in a latching opening of the transport container.

17. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the sliding device comprises two sliders each mounted on a lifting arm so as to be displaceable transversely to the lifting direction.

18. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the sliding device comprises two sliders each mounted on a lifting arm so as to be displaceable transversely to the lifting direction.

19. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the sliding device comprises two sliders each mounted on a lifting arm so as to be displaceable transversely to the lifting direction.

20. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the sliding device comprises two sliders each mounted on a lifting arm so as to be displaceable transversely to the lifting direction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] In the drawing, the subject of the invention is shown by way of example, wherein

[0017] FIG. 1 shows a schematic front view of three container stacks lying next to each other with an apparatus according to the invention attached in the lifting direction with the lifting device open,

[0018] FIG. 2 shows a section along line II-II,

[0019] FIG. 3 shows a section along line III-III,

[0020] FIG. 4 shows a representation corresponding to FIG. 3 with the set lifting device,

[0021] FIG. 5 shows a partially exposed side view of an apparatus according to the invention having a sliding device in the lifting position in a first embodiment,

[0022] FIG. 6 shows a detailed view corresponding to FIG. 5 with a sliding device in the transfer position,

[0023] FIG. 7 shows a schematic oblique view of a slider according to the invention with a latching body in the latching position,

[0024] FIG. 8 shows a representation corresponding to Fig. with a latching body in the open position, and

[0025] FIG. 9 shows a schematic side view of a sliding device according to the invention in a further embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] An apparatus according to the invention comprises a lifting device 2 which can be set against a transport container 1 transversely to the lifting direction H, and a sliding device 3 which can be connected to the transport container 1 in a detachable, tension-resistant and shear-resistant manner. The transport containers 1 are arranged on adjacent container stacks 4, which in turn are placed on an exemplary pallet 5, as shown in FIG. 1. In the embodiment shown, the lifting device 2 has two lifting arms 7, 8 which can be displaced relative to one another via, for example, hydraulically actuated telescopic arms 6. In addition, the apparatus can also comprise an industrial robot, as indicated by the pivot arm on which the lifting device 2 is mounted.

[0027] To pick up a transport container 1, the lifting device 2 approaches the uppermost transport container 1 of a container stack 4 coming from the lifting direction H and is set against the transport container 1 via the lifting arms 7, 8 transverse to the lifting direction H. To enable the lifting device 2 to pick up a transport container 1 without difficulty despite the narrow gaps that form between adjacent container stacks 4, the width of the individual lifting arms 7, 8 can be less than the smallest gap between two transport containers 1 in adjacent container stacks 4.

[0028] With respect to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, it can be recognized that the transport containers 1 stacked on top of one another in the present case have latching devices 9 for releasable fastening to one another. The latching devices 9 have, for example, latching hooks displaceable along a direction of engagement for engagement in latching recesses of a transport container 1 located below it on the same container stack 4. As in the present case, the latching recesses can be provided, for example, by guide bodies 10, each of which is arranged on the container top of a transport container 1. Therefore, in order to enable a transport container 1 to be picked up from a container stack 4 without difficulty, an apparatus according to the invention can have an actuating device 11 for releasing a latching connection formed by the latching device 9. For applying force to the latching device 9, the actuating device 11 comprises, for example, actuating sliders 12 which are arranged on free ends 13, 14 of a chain drive 15 guided in the actuating direction. For a compact design, the chain drive 15 can be accommodated in a lifting arm 7, 8. As is also indicated in FIG. 2, the sliding device 3 can have at least one slider 16, which comprises a latching body 17 for engagement in a latching opening 18 of the transport container 1 in order to form a releasably tension-resistant and shear-resistant connection.

[0029] With a view to FIGS. 3 and 4, the lifting device 2 has a guide in the form of guide webs 19 and guide grooves 20 for displacing the transport container 1 transversely to the lifting direction H. In contrast, the transport container 1 has guide grooves 20, for example, so that the lifting device 2 set against transport container 1 as shown in FIG. 4 forms a tongue-and-groove connection 21 with the transport container 1 that extends transversely to the lifting direction H. This enables the transport container 1 to be displaced transversely to the lifting direction H relative to the lifting device 2 by sliding the guide webs 19 with respect to the guide grooves 20.

[0030] FIG. 5 shows a transport container 1 in the lifting position, which is picked up by the lifting device 2 and positioned on the infeed side of a container rack 22, and which is detachably connected to a sliding device 3 in a tension-proof and shear-proof manner. The sliding device 3 comprises two sliders 16, each mounted on a lifting arm 7, 8 so as to be displaceable transversely to the lifting direction H. The sliders 16 each have a latching body 17 for engagement in a latching opening 18 of the transport container 1. In addition, the sliding device 3 has an actuator 23 which is accommodated in a lifting arm 7, 8. As indicated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the actuator may be a double chain drive formed by a pair of double pinions 24. A double pinion comprises two pinions 25, 26, each with a different diameter, so that the pinions 25 with a smaller diameter and the pinions 26 with a larger diameter are each associated with a chain 27, 28, so that the chain 27 clearly has a lower running speed than the chain 28. A lever arm 29 is articulated both to the chains 27, 28 and to the slider 16. As a result, a displacement of the slider 16 from a lifting position according to FIG. 5 to a transfer position according to FIG. 6 can be effected via the actuating drive 23, so that the transport container 1 is in a rack insertion position as can be seen in FIG. 6. Furthermore, it can be seen in particular from FIG. 6 that the guide for the transport container 1 can simultaneously also form a guide for the sliders 16 for their displacement transversely to the lifting direction H.

[0031] FIGS. 7 and 8 each show a detailed view of a slider 16. If the latching body 17 of the slider is inserted into a latching opening 18 of the transport container 1, the latching body 17 can be moved into a latching position as shown in FIG. 7 to form a releasably tension-resistant and shear-resistant connection. For this purpose, the latching body 17 has, for example, two latching body halves 30 which are displaced relative to one another transversely to the direction of insertion and engage behind the latching opening 18 in a form-fitting manner and/or spread the latching body 17 in the latching opening 18 in a force-fitting manner. The actuating movement is initiated by a hydraulic cylinder 31, for example. FIG. 8 again shows the recessed latching body halves 30, so that the latching body 17 is in an open position and can be guided out of the latching opening 18.

[0032] Finally, FIG. 9 shows a further embodiment of an actuator 23. The actuator 23 can comprise a link 32, which has a vertically extending link guide 33 and a horizontally extending, arcuate link guide 34. The slider 16 is drive-connected to a drive unit 36 for the lifting arm 35, which is mounted in the link 32 on a vertical guide, via a lifting arm 35 articulated thereto. In addition, the lever arm 35 has a guide pin, not shown in more detail, which engages in the curved link guide 34. If a rotary movement is now applied to the lifting arm 35 via the drive unit 36, on the one hand the drive unit is displaced along the vertical link guide 33 and the section of the lifting arm 35 having the guide pin is displaced along the arcuate link guide 34. Consequently, the slider 16 is also displaced transversely to the lifting direction H.