Device for monitoring a storage height

Abstract

The present invention comprises a device (1100) for monitoring a storage height (2100) of a warehouse (2000), in particular a shelf warehouse, preferably a high-bay warehouse, comprising at least: a sensor (1110) that is in particular designed to be arranged in an upper region of the warehouse (2000), wherein the sensor (1110) is configured so as: to perform a distance measurement (D.sub.i, D.sub.N) of a distance (D.sub.i, D.sub.N) that is substantially horizontal with respect to the warehouse (2000) and that monitors a predefined maximum storage height (2120), and a measurement and/or control unit (1120) that is configured so as to output a message (F, W) in the event of an exceedance (Ü) of the predefined maximum storage height (2120) being detected by the sensor (1110).

Claims

1. A device for monitoring a storage height of a warehouse, comprising: a sensor that is designed to be arranged in an upper region of the warehouse, wherein the sensor is configured to perform a distance measurement of a distance that is substantially horizontal with respect to the warehouse and monitor a predefined maximum storage height, and a measurement and/or control unit that is configured to output a message in the event of an exceedance of the predefined maximum storage height being detected by the sensor; wherein the sensor is a rotation sensor.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotation sensor is configured to perform a laser distance measurement.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotation sensor has at least a vertical axis and is configured to perform a rotational movement of at least 90° about the vertical axis.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotation sensor has at least a vertical axis and is configured to perform a rotational movement about the vertical axis at a predetermined rotational speed, wherein the rotational speed is in the range from 1 to 90 revolutions per minute.

5. A device for monitoring a storage height of a warehouse, comprising: a sensor that is designed to be arranged in an upper region of the warehouse, wherein the sensor is configured to perform a distance measurement of a distance that is substantially horizontal with respect to the warehouse and monitor a predefined maximum storage height, and a measurement and/or control unit that is configured to output a message in the event of an exceedance of the predefined maximum storage height being detected by the sensor; wherein the measurement and/or control unit is coupled to a register, which is configured to store data sensed by the sensor in order to initialize the device for the first time within the warehouse and furthermore or as an alternative to compare a current distance with a previous distance and furthermore or as an alternative with an initialized distance.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the measurement and/or control unit is coupled to a register, which is configured to store data sensed by the sensor in order to initialize the device for the first time within the warehouse and furthermore or as an alternative to compare a current distance with a previous distance and furthermore or as an alternative with an initialized distance.

7. The device as claimed in claim 1, furthermore comprising: a computer program product able to be executed by the measurement and/or control unit and that comprises commands that, when they are executed on a computer: prompt the sensor to perform the distance measurement, and differentiate a detected exceedance using at least two timestamps including a fault message and a warning message.

8. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the measurement and/or control unit is furthermore configured to provide a timestamp associated with the message in the event of an exceedance of the predefined maximum storage height being detected by the sensor.

9. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the measurement and/or control unit is furthermore configured to trigger an alarm by the register including an optical alarm unit present in the warehouse, and/or to output a signal.

10. The device as claimed in claim 5, furthermore comprising: an optical alarm unit including a flashing light that is configured to output a warning message from the measurement and/or control unit within the warehouse in the form of an optically visible alarm.

11. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the measurement and/or control unit comprises a communication unit that is configured to transmit data to a further apparatus comprising a hub and/or a computer and/or a cloud server and/or a mobile terminal.

12. A firefighting system including a water extinguishing system for a warehouse, comprising an extinguishing fluid outlet including a nozzle and/or a sprinkler, and a device as claimed in claim 5.

13. The firefighting system as claimed in claim 12, furthermore comprising: a sprinkler monitoring hub and/or a fire detector and/or extinguishing control hub and/or a fault message hub that is connected to the device in order to trigger an alarm by a flashing light.

14. A hub of a firefighting system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the hub includes a sprinkler monitoring hub and/or a fire detector and/or extinguishing control hub and/or a fault message hub, and the device is configured to trigger an alarm including a fault or warning.

15. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the sensor is configured to perform a laser distance measurement.

16. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the sensor is a rotation sensor.

17. A device for monitoring a storage height of a warehouse, comprising: a sensor that is designed to be arranged in an upper region of the warehouse, wherein the sensor is configured to perform a distance measurement of a distance that is substantially horizontal with respect to the warehouse and monitor a predefined maximum storage height, a measurement and/or control unit that is configured to output a message in the event of an exceedance of the predefined maximum storage height being detected by the sensor; and a computer program product able to be executed by the measurement and/or control unit and that comprises commands that, when they are executed on a computer: prompt the sensor to perform the distance measurement, and differentiate a detected exceedance using at least two timestamps including a fault message and a warning message.

18. The device as claimed in claim 5, furthermore comprising: a computer program product able to be executed by the measurement and/or control unit and that comprises commands that, when they are executed on a computer: prompt the sensor to perform the distance measurement, and differentiate a detected exceedance using at least two timestamps including a fault message and a warning message.

19. The device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the sensor is configured to perform a laser distance measurement.

20. The device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the sensor is a rotation sensor.

21. The device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the measurement and/or control unit is coupled to a register, which is configured to store data sensed by the sensor in order to initialize the device for the first time within the warehouse and furthermore or as an alternative to compare a current distance with a previous distance and furthermore or as an alternative with an initialized distance.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention will now be explained in more detail below by way of example on the basis of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying figures, the same reference signs being used for functionally identical components.

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a firefighting system according to the invention comprising a device for monitoring a storage height of a warehouse according to the invention,

(3) FIG. 2 shows a schematic plan view of a sensor of a device for monitoring a storage height of a warehouse according to the invention, and

(4) FIG. 3 schematically shows a mode of operation of the measurement and/or control unit of a device for monitoring a storage height according to the invention, in particular the comparison of two distance measurements.

MODE(S) FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

(5) FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a firefighting system 1000 according to the invention comprising a device 1100 for monitoring a storage height of a warehouse 2000 according to the invention, wherein the warehouse 2000 has a maximum storage height 2100 and a predefined maximum storage height 2120 and furthermore comprises a shelf 2200 with a shelf height 2210.

(6) The maximum storage height 2100 is structurally defined and is governed by the design of the warehouse 2000, in particular the ceiling height or shelf height of the warehouse.

(7) The predefined maximum storage height 2120 is governed by the design of the extinguishing system, in particular the sprinkler 1200.

(8) The predefined maximum storage height 2120 is usually between the maximum storage height 2100 and the shelf height 2210, wherein the shelf height 2210 is less than the maximum storage height 2100.

(9) The firefighting system 2000 in this case essentially comprises the device 1100 for monitoring a storage height, a sprinkler 1200 and a hub 1300. The hub 1300 is preferably designed as a sprinkler monitoring hub that is connected to a fire detector and/or extinguishing control hub 3000. It is however also possible for the firefighting system 2000 to be connected directly to a cloud server.

(10) The device 1100 for monitoring the storage height comprises a rotation sensor 1110, a measurement and/or control unit 1120, a register 1130, a flashing light 1140, an interface 1150 and a computer program product 1160.

(11) The rotation sensor 1110 is configured so as to be arranged in an upper region of the warehouse 2000, that is to say for example below a warehouse ceiling or above the shelf 2200 or above the shelf height 2210.

(12) The rotation sensor 1110 is furthermore configured so as to operate with a laser distance measurement and to perform a distance measurement Di(αi), DN(αN) of a distance Di, DN that is substantially horizontal with respect to the warehouse 2000 and that monitors a predefined maximum storage height 2120, in particular as shown in FIG. 2.

(13) To this end, the rotation sensor 1110 has at least a vertical axis (V) and is furthermore configured so as to perform a rotational movement (R) of at least 360° about the vertical axis (V).

(14) The rotation sensor 1110 is thus configured so as to survey the entire warehouse 2000 in a plane in which the distance measurement Di(αi), DN(αN) is performed.

(15) In one preferred embodiment, the rotation sensor 1110 has for example at least a rotational speed of 360° per 10 seconds.

(16) The measurement and/or control unit 1120 is furthermore configured so as to output a message F, W in the event of an exceedance (Ü) of the predefined maximum storage height 2120 being detected by the rotation sensor 1110.

(17) To this end, the measurement and/or control unit 1120 is likewise configured so as to provide a timestamp TN associated with the message F, W in the event of an exceedance (Ü) of the predefined maximum storage height 2120 being detected by the rotation sensor 1110.

(18) The measurement and/or control unit 1120 is furthermore connected to the register 1130, which is designed to store data sensed by the rotation sensor 1110, in particular in order to initialize the device for the first time within the warehouse and furthermore or as an alternative to compare a current distance DN with a previous distance DN-1 and furthermore or as an alternative with an initialized distance Di. One possibility for this comparison is explained below with reference to FIG. 3.

(19) The measurement and/or control unit 1120 is additionally connected directly or indirectly to the sprinkler monitoring hub 1300, and thus to the flashing light 1140, via the interface 1150 in order to trigger an optical alarm A.

(20) The flashing light 1140 is thus also at least configured so as to output a message F, W, preferably a warning message W, from the measurement and/or control unit 1120 within a warehouse 2000 in the form of an optically visible alarm A.

(21) The interface 1150 is thus furthermore at least configured so as to exchange data between the measurement and/or control unit and a hub 1300 and furthermore or as an alternative thereto with a fire detector and/or extinguishing control hub 3000 and a sprinkler monitoring hub 1300 and furthermore or as an alternative a fire detector and/or extinguishing control hub 3000 and/or a cloud server/operator.

(22) One alternative to this solution is an embodiment in which the measurement and/or control unit 1120 has a communication unit that is configured so as to transmit the data from the measurement and/or control unit 1120 to a further apparatus, in particular a hub and/or a computer and/or a cloud server and/or a mobile terminal. If the data from the measurement and/or control unit 1120 are transmitted for example to the computer and/or cloud server by way of the communication unit, the corresponding comparisons between new values and actual values are performed in these units and an alarm, as described above, is then triggered if certain values are exceeded. The above-described solution may in this case replace a conventional hub such as a sprinkler hub or supplement it by performing certain comparisons and computing operations in the computer and/or cloud server and providing the results to the hub in order to perform appropriate measures, such as for example trigger an alarm. The design of the interface 1150 thus ultimately also depends on the technical unit to which the data are intended to be provided, for example the hub 1300 or the fire detector and/or extinguishing control hub 3000 or cloud server, the cloud or a computer or the like, and the interface is optimized and adapted with regard to the respective requirement and application purpose.

(23) The device 1100 additionally comprises a computer program product 1160 able to be executed by the measurement and/or control unit 1120 and that comprises commands that, when they are executed on a computer: prompt the rotation sensor 1110 to perform a rotational movement (R) about the vertical axis (V) and to differentiate a detected exceedance (Ü) using at least two timestamps TN, TN-1, in particular as a fault message F and a warning message W.

(24) FIG. 2 shows a schematic plan view of a sensor 1110 of a device 1100 for monitoring a storage height in a warehouse 2000 according to the invention, preferably as shown in FIG. 1.

(25) The rotation sensor 1110 is arranged below a ceiling of a warehouse and configured so as to perform a rotational movement (R).

(26) In a first step, the warehouse was surveyed in an exempted state and an initialized distance Di was stored.

(27) During ongoing operation, the rotation sensor 1110 rotates about its vertical axis (V) and in the process performs repeating distance measurements DN, DN-1 during its rotation.

(28) The values of the distance measurement DN, DN-1 obtained in this way are compared with the initialized distance Di.

(29) If the received or current value DN is less than the initialized distance Di, a fault message for an angle of rotation αN is initially present.

(30) This value may furthermore be compared with previous distance measurements DN-1.

(31) If the fault message was already present beforehand, for example one revolution of the rotation sensor beforehand, then it may be concluded that, in an angle of rotation direction αN, a shelf 2200 exhibits erroneous or excessively high loading, that is to say an obstacle H to the firefighting system.

(32) A warning message W is accordingly generated and for example transmitted to a sprinkler monitoring hub.

(33) FIG. 3 schematically shows a mode of operation of the measurement and/or control unit of a device for monitoring a storage height according to the invention, as shown preferably in FIG. 1, in particular showing the comparison of two distance measurements DN, DN-1.

(34) The exempted warehouse is first of all surveyed in a first step S1. To this end, the rotation sensor for example rotates once completely through 360° and gathers a corresponding distance Di for each angle of rotation αi.

(35) A corresponding dataset [Di(αi)] is thus obtained, this being indicated by step S2.

(36) The data obtained in this way are then stored in the register 1130, this being indicated by step S3.

(37) Method steps S1 to S3 thus form the actual initialization of the rotation sensor.

(38) The rotation sensor may then be put into regular operation, this being indicated by method step S4. In this case, the rotation sensor rotates about its own axis and surveys the warehouse.

(39) The distances DN(αN) thus received are transmitted to the measurement and/or control unit 1120. This is indicated by method step S5.

(40) In one embodiment, the rotation sensor additionally transmits its angle of rotation αN, and in another embodiment the angle of rotation αN is queried by the measurement and/or control unit 1120 at the rotation sensor or derived from control data. This is indicated by method step S5.1.

(41) The measurement and/or control unit 1120 queries the initialized value αi for the corresponding angle of rotation αN in the register, said initialized value corresponding to the same angle of rotation, that is to say αi(αN). This is indicated by method step S6.

(42) The measurement and/or control unit receives a corresponding distance Di(αN) from the register 1130. This is indicated by method step S7.

(43) The measurement and/or control unit 1120 then compares the measured distance DN(αN) with the initialized value Di(αN). This is indicated by method step S8.

(44) If the measured distance DN(αN) is less than the initialized value Di(αN), a fault is present. This fault is provided with a timestamp. This is indicated by method step S9.

(45) The fault is then stored as a fault message F in the register 1130. This is indicated by method step S10.

(46) The measurement and/or control unit 1120 furthermore checks whether such a fault F (TN, αN) was already present at a previous time TN-1. This is indicated by method step S11.

(47) If this is the case, the corresponding timestamp TN-1 of the previous fault F (TN-1, αN) is queried. This is indicated by method step S12.

(48) The measurement and/or control unit 1120 then decides, on the basis of a warning message criterion, whether it is necessary to output a warning message W that activates a flashing light, for example. By way of example, a time difference TD is determined for this purpose from the two fault messages F (TN, αN) and F (TN-1, αN). This time difference TD is then subsequently compared with a dead time TT and an acknowledgement time TQ. The dead time TT may for example be set to 20 seconds in order to exclude brief measures, and the acknowledgement time TQ may for example be set to 2 hours in order to exclude out-of-date fault messages. This is indicated by method step S13.

(49) If the warning message criterion is met, a warning message (W) is output, by way of which a flashing light in the warehouse is activated, for example. For the case of outputting a warning message (W), said warning message is also stored in the register in order to be able to be verified for a later inspection.

(50) It is however also conceivable for the warning message (W) to be transmitted for example to staff in the warehouse by way of the measurement and/or control unit, preferably comprising coordinates locating the fault. This may be performed for example using the above-described interface, which is preferably designed as a communication unit. The message may in this case for example be transmitted wirelessly to a cloud, a mobile telephone and/or to the operator of the warehouse.

LIST OF UTILIZED REFERENCE NUMBERS

(51) 1000 firefighting system 1100 device for monitoring a storage height 1110 rotation sensor 1112 monitoring segment 1120 measurement and/or control unit 1130 register 1140 flashing light 1150 interface 1160 computer program product 1200 sprinkler 1300 hub, in particular sprinkler monitoring hub 2000 warehouse 2100 maximum storage height 2120 predefined maximum storage height 2200 shelf 2210 shelf height 3000 fire detector and/or extinguishing control hub A alarm D, D.sub.i, D.sub.N distance D.sub.i(αi), D.sub.N(α.sub.N) distance measurement D.sub.i initialized distance D.sub.N-1 previous distance D.sub.N current distance F fault message H obstacle R rotational movement S.sub.1, S.sub.2, . . . , S.sub.N method steps T.sub.N, T.sub.N-1 timestamp T.sub.TOT dead time T.sub.MAX maximum time Ü exceedance V vertical axis W warning message α, α.sub.N, α.sub.N-1, angle of rotation