Telescopic pick-up for moving containers in high-bay warehouses

Abstract

Telescopic pick-up (100) for picking-up and moving a container (4, 34) in a high-bay warehouse (1), preferably a transshipment facility of a sea port or inland port, with at least one displaceable telescopic arm (120) at which a pick-up (130) for holding the container (4, 34) by way of a support (140) is mounted, wherein the support (140) supports the pick-up (130) to be movable along at least one direction.

Claims

1.-17. (canceled)

18. A telescopic pick-up (100) for picking up and moving a container (4, 34) in a high-bay warehouse (1), comprising: at least one displaceable telescopic arm (120) at which a pick-up (130) for holding the container (4, 34) by way of a support (140) is mounted, wherein the support (140) supports the pick-up (130) to be movable along at least one direction.

19. The telescopic pick-up (100) according to claim 18, wherein the container (4, 34) can be picked up by the pick-up (130) to be suspended, and wherein the pick-up (130) comprises one or more twist-lock bolts (131) which are arranged to engage in corresponding openings at the container (4, 34) and to lock these to the pick-up (130).

20. The telescopic pick-up (100) according to claim 18, wherein the support (140) comprises at least one cylinder/piston device (141) with a cylinder (142) and a piston (143) received therein to be displaceable, wherein the cylinder/piston device (141) is mounted at one end on the displaceable telescopic arm (120) and at an opposite end on the pick-up (130) and is so arranged that the pick-up (130) is vertically movable relative to the displaceable telescopic arm (120).

21. The telescopic pick-up (100) according to claim 20, wherein in that the cylinder/piston device (141) further comprises a spring (144) so arranged that the cylinder/piston device (141) can be extended and shortened in resilient manner by displacement of the piston (143) in the cylinder (142).

22. The telescopic pick-up (100) according to claim 20, wherein two cylinder/piston devices (141) are provided spaced apart in a direction of displacement of the displaceable telescopic arm (120).

23. The telescopic pick-up (100) according to claim 18, wherein the support (140) comprises at least one pendulating rod which is mounted by way of at least one joint (145, 146) on the displaceable telescopic arm (120) and/or the pick-up (130) so that the pick-up (130) is movable relative to the displaceable telescopic arm (120) substantially in a horizontal plane.

24. The telescopic pick-up (100) according to claim 23, wherein the at least one pendulating rod is a cylinder/piston device (141) with a cylinder (142) and a piston (143) received therein to be displaceable, and wherein the cylinder/piston device (141) is mounted at one end on the displaceable telescopic arm (120) and at an opposite end on the pick-up (130) and is so arranged that the pick-up (130) is vertically movable relative to the displaceable telescopic arm (120).

25. The telescopic pick-up (100) according to claim 18, further comprising a displaceable outer telescopic arm (110), wherein the displaceable telescopic arm (120) is an inner telescopic arm which is mounted and guided by the displaceable outer telescopic arm (110) to be displaceable along a displacement direction of the displaceable outer telescopic arm (110) and relative thereto.

26. The telescopic pick-up (100) according to claim 25, wherein the displaceable outer telescopic arm (110) has along the displacement direction thereof one or more outer guide profiles (111) co-operating with guide rollers (112), which are rotatably mounted at a main housing (101) of the telescopic pick-up (100), for displacement of the displaceable outer telescopic arm (110), and the displaceable outer telescopic arm (110) further has along the displacement direction thereof one or more inner guide profiles (113) co-operating with guide rollers (122), which are rotatably mounted on the inner telescopic arm (120), for displacement of the inner telescopic arm (120).

27. The telescopic pick-up (100) according to claim 18, further comprising a rack drive (125) with at least one rack (126) and at least one pinion meshing with the rack (126), wherein the rack drive (125) is so arranged that a rotational movement of the pinion is converted into a linear movement of the rack (126), whereby the displaceable telescopic arm (120) is displaceable.

28. The telescopic pick-up (100) according to claim 18, wherein the support (140) comprises at least two strap elements (147, 148) which are arranged to interengage and to be movable relative to one another and which allow at least a movement in a first direction and in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

29. The telescopic pick-up (100) according to claim 28, wherein the at least two strap elements (147, 148) are detachably interconnectible by way of at least one bolt (149).

30. A storage and retrieval unit (7) for moving containers (4, 34) in a high-bay warehouse (1), comprising: a raisable and lowerable lifting bridge (22) at which at least one telescopic pick-up (100) according to claim 18 is mounted.

31. The storage and retrieval unit (7) according to claim 30, wherein the telescopic pick-up (100) is so arranged and equipped that the containers (4, 34) are held at the pick-up (130) of the telescopic pick-up (100) with a longitudinal side perpendicular to a displacement direction, whereby storage of the containers (4, 34) in a rack bay (3) of the high-bay warehouse (1) with the longitudinal side foremost can be realized.

32. The storage and retrieval unit (7) according to claim 30, wherein more than two telescopic pick-ups (100) are provided and/or wherein the at least one telescopic pick-up (100) is provided at the lifting bridge (22) to be adjustable, whereby containers (4, 34) of different formats can be handled by the storage and retrieval unit (7).

33. A high-bay warehouse (1), comprising: at least one travel lane (6) and at least one storage and retrieval unit (7) according to claim 30 which is movable along the travel lane (6) of the high-bay warehouse.

34. The high-bay warehouse (1) according to claim 33, further comprising a plurality of multi-level rack bays (3) arranged for storage of containers (4, 34), wherein the rack bays (3) are formed with corner point supports (5) for reception of the containers (4, 34).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] FIG. 1 is a perspective view which in schematic manner shows a high-bay warehouse with storage and retrieval units movable in travel lanes of the high-bay warehouse.

[0032] FIG. 2 is a perspective view which shows a storage and retrieval unit in schematic manner.

[0033] FIG. 3 shows a detail of the high-bay warehouse according to the embodiment of FIG. 1.

[0034] FIG. 4 is a perspective view which shows in schematic manner the lifting device of a storage and retrieval unit with a picked-up container, according to an embodiment.

[0035] FIG. 5 is a perspective view which shows in schematic manner the lifting device of FIG. 4, wherein a container with a smaller length dimension is picked up.

[0036] FIG. 6 is a perspective view which shows in schematic manner the lifting device of a storage and retrieval unit with a picked-up container, according to a further embodiment.

[0037] FIG. 7 is a perspective view which shows the basic construction of a telescopic pick-up for a storage and retrieval unit according to an embodiment.

[0038] FIG. 8 is a perspective view which shows the interior of a telescopic arm of a telescopic pick-up with a pick-up supported in floating manner.

[0039] FIG. 9 shows a longitudinal section of the telescopic arm according to the embodiment of FIG. 8.

[0040] FIG. 10 shows a cross-section of the telescopic arm perpendicularly to the extension direction, according to the embodiment of FIG. 8.

[0041] FIGS. 11a to 11e show in schematic manner the mode of functioning and degrees of freedom of the floating support of the telescopic arm according to the embodiment of FIG. 8.

[0042] FIG. 12 shows a perspective view showing the inner telescopic arm of a telescopic pick-up for a storage and retrieval unit according to a further embodiment.

[0043] FIG. 13 shows a perspective view of a further form of embodiment of a pick-up, which is supported in floating manner, at the head of a telescopic arm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] Preferred embodiments are described in the following with reference to the figures. In that case, the same, similar or equivalent elements in the figures are provided with identical reference signs and a repeated description of these elements is in part dispensed with so as to avoid redundancies.

[0045] FIG. 1 shows a high-bay warehouse 1 comprising storage modules 2 arranged in rows. A detail to enlarged scale of the high-bay warehouse 1 is illustrated in FIG. 3. It is evident therefrom that rack bays 3, which are arranged in the storage modules 2 at multiple levels, for storage and removal of storage of containers 4 are provided. The rack bays 3 are constructed with corner point supports 5 for reception of the containers 4.

[0046] Travel lanes 6 which extend over the entire length of the high-bay warehouse 1 and in which movable storage and retrieval units 7 are disposed are formed between the storage modules 2. According to the present embodiment, the storage and retrieval units 7 are movable from both sides 8 and 9 of the high-bay warehouse 7 into the travel lanes 6 and serve for storage, removal from storage and repositioning—generally termed “moving”—of the containers 4. For this purpose, the containers 4 are delivered at one or both ends 8, 9 of the high-bay warehouse 1 with the longitudinal container sides parallel to the high-bay warehouse 1 at the respective travel lanes 6, for example by transport vehicles 10 and/or intermediate transfer means (not illustrated). The containers 4 after being delivered are picked up by the storage and retrieval units 7 in suspended position and transported by way of the travel lanes 6 to a rack bay 3 of a storage module 2, in which they are stored with a longitudinal side 11 foremost. For removal of a container 4 from storage, the storage and retrieval unit 7 takes the corresponding container 4 out of a rack bay 3 and transports it along the associated travel lane 6 to a discharge point, which in accordance with the present embodiment is present at the end 9 of the high-bay warehouse 1. There the container 4 is transferred for further transport, for example to a transfer means, or deposited.

[0047] It may be mentioned that the arrangement of the travel lanes 6 as well as the locations of the delivery and discharge of the containers 4 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 are exemplifying and can be modified, for example for adaptation and integration of the high-bay warehouse 1 to the conditions of a container terminal. Thus, for example, the containers 4 can be delivered and/or discharged, alternatively or additionally, to the ends 8, 9 at the longitudinal sides of the high-bay warehouse 1.

[0048] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a storage and retrieval unit 7 according to an embodiment. The storage and retrieval unit 7 comprises a frame 15, the height of which is designed so that all rack bays 3 (as seen in height direction) of a multi-level storage module 2 are reachable. The frame 15 comprises two vertical posts 12, as well as a head beam 13 and a foot beam 14, which connect the two vertical posts 12 together.

[0049] The storage and retrieval unit 7 is movable by means of a travel drive 16 (cf. FIG. 3) along an associated travel lane 6, wherein in this case a driven gearwheel 17 is integrated in the end region 18 of the foot beam 14 and the rack 19 to be engaged is arranged in the floor 20 of the travel lane 6, as illustrated in FIG. 3. However, the movability of the storage and retrieval unit 7 can also be realised in a technically different way.

[0050] The vertical posts 12 of the storage and retrieval unit 7 are constructed with guides 21 in which a lifting bridge 22 of a lifting device 23 runs. The lifting bridge 22 has lateral posts 24, which widen upwardly in fork-like manner, and parallelly extending longitudinal beams 27 and 28, which connect the lateral posts 24 together at the two mutually opposite fork ends 25, 26 to form a frame. In order to stiffen the lifting device 23, parallelly extending foot struts 29 and 30 are provided at the lower end of the lateral posts 24 and bridge over the lateral posts 24 (cf. for that purpose FIGS. 4, 5 and 6).

[0051] The raising and lowering of the lifting bridge 22, illustrated by a double arrow 31 in FIG. 2, is realised in accordance with the present embodiment by a cable pull device, of which in FIG. 2 merely the cable pull drum 32 and the deflecting rollers 33 arranged at the head beam 13 of the storage and retrieval unit 7 are illustrated. It may be mentioned that the raising and lowering of the lifting bridge 22 can also be realised in a technically different manner.

[0052] Moreover, the storage and retrieval unit 7 comprises a platform construction 61 arranged at the vertical post 12 and the end region 18 of the foot beam 14. The platform construction 61 receives the equipment needed for the lifting device 23, for the travel drive 16 of the storage and retrieval unit 7 and for control of the telescopic pick-ups 100 (described in detail further below).

[0053] The length of the lifting bridge 22 or of the lifting device 23 is designed for picking up a container 4, which has the greatest existing container length of, for example, 1 FEU (Forty-foot Equivalent Unit, i.e. 40 foot ISO container). However, in addition containers 34 having the smallest existing container length of, for example, 1 TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit, i.e. 20 foot ISO container) shall also be able to be picked up and transported by the lifting device 23 (cf. for that purpose FIGS. 4 and 5).

[0054] FIG. 6 shows an embodiment in which for picking up a container 4, 34 two stationary inner telescopic pick-ups 100 for picking up the shorter container 34 and two appropriately further mutually spaced-apart outer telescopic pick-ups 100 for picking up the longer container 4 are provided at the longitudinal beams 27 and 28 of the lifting bridge 22. The stationary telescopic pick-ups 100 are attached by the main housings 101 thereof to the lower sides of the longitudinal beams 27 and 28 and, in particular, with the inner one offset in height relative to the outer one.

[0055] According to an embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, only two telescopic pick-ups 100 are provided, which pick-ups are movable in linear guides 42 of the longitudinal beams 27 and 28 and can thus be positioned in correspondence with the length of the container 34 or the container 4 by a movement towards or away from one another, as illustrated by a double arrow 43. The telescopic pick-ups 100 are, for example, held and moved by way of double rollers in the linear guides 42. The double rollers are rotatably mounted by support blocks 102, which can be mounted at a main housing 101 of the telescopic pick-up 100.

[0056] FIG. 7 shows in detail the construction of a telescopic pick-up 100 according to an embodiment, wherein components such as, for example, possible support blocks 102 with double rollers mounted thereon have been omitted for the sake of clarity. The telescopic pick-up 100 can be used as a movable telescopic pick-up 100 according to the embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5 or also as a stationary telescopic pick-up 100 according to the embodiment of FIG. 6.

[0057] The main housing 101 of the telescopic pick-up 100 receives an outer telescopic arm 110 and an inner telescopic arm 120. The outer telescopic arm 110 has along the length direction thereof two outer guide profiles 111 which co-operate with guide rollers 112 rotatably mounted on the base housing 101, whereby the outer telescopic arm 110 is movable in and out relative the base housing 101 substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the frame 15. The outer telescopic arm 110 further has along the length direction thereof two inner guide profiles 113 which co-operate with guide rollers 122, which are rotatably mounted on the inner telescopic arm 120, whereby the inner telescopic arm 120 is movable in and out relative to the outer telescopic arm 110 substantially perpendicularly to the plane of the frame 15.

[0058] Movement in and out movement of the outer and inner telescopic arms 110 and 120 take place respectively by way of rack drives 115 and 125. In the case of the rack drive 115 for the outer telescopic arm 110, two racks 116 are provided between the outer guide profiles 111. One or more pinions which mesh with the racks 116 are—although not illustrated—arranged at the upper side of the main housing 101. In the case of the rack drive 125 for the inner telescopic arm 120 two racks 126 are provided on the telescopic arm 120 itself. One or more pinions which mesh with the racks 126 are—although not illustrated—arranged between the outer guide profiles 11 of the outer telescopic arm 110. It may be mentioned that the telescopic mechanism can also be realised in a technically different manner.

[0059] According to the present embodiment, in order to hold a container 4 or 34 a pick-up 130 is provided at the lower side of the inner telescopic arm 120, which pick-up has so-called twist-lock bolts 131 for locking with the containers 4 and 34. The twist-lock bolts 131 are arranged so as to engage in corresponding openings of the container 4 or 34 and so lock that the container 4 or 34 can be reliably transported and, after storage, separated from the pick-up 130.

[0060] The pick-up 130 is supported to be movable or floating so as to provide compensation for production tolerances of the container 4 or 34, deformations and the like and to simplify precise positioning of the container 4 or 34. An embodiment of the floating support, which realises compensating movements in three dimensions, is described in the following:

[0061] The perspective schematic illustration of FIG. 8 allows a view into the interior of the inner telescopic arm 120 with pick-up 130 supported in floating manner, wherein the mechanisms for actuation of the twist-lock bolts 131 have been omitted for the sake of clarity. FIG. 9 shows a longitudinal section of the inner telescopic arm 120 inclusive of the mechanisms 132 for actuation of the twist-lock bolts 131. FIG. 10 shows a cross-section of the inner telescopic arm 120 perpendicularly to the direction of extension of the telescopic pick-up 100.

[0062] Two supports 140 at which the pick-up 130 is suspended at both ends in extension direction of the telescopic pick-up 100 are evident from FIGS. 8 to 10. For this purpose, the supports 140 are respectively mounted at the interior of the telescopic arm 120 and connected with the pick-up 130.

[0063] The supports 140 each comprise a respective cylinder/piston device 141, whereby vertical movability of the pick-up 130 is realised. For that purpose the cylinder/piston device 141 comprises a cylinder 142, a piston 143 displaceably mounted therein and a spring 144, which in the present embodiment is formed as a helical spring and is provided at the outside around the cylinder/piston device 141, the spring being so arranged that a resilient vertical flexibility is achieved. Movability along the vertical axis can obviously also be achieved in a different technical way, for example by a hydraulically or pneumatically actuable cylinder/piston device or a pure spring support.

[0064] According to a preferred embodiment the load at the pick-up 130, i.e. the vertical force, is measured by force cells (not illustrated) and monitored by means of a monitoring system. In this way it is possible for forces which act at, for example, different places of the telescopic pick-up 100 to be kept below a maximum loading so as to avoid excessive loading and damage.

[0065] According to the present embodiment, in order to make possible movability of the pick-up 130 also in the horizontal plane the cylinder/piston device 141 is mounted like a pendulating rod by way of a joint 145 at the inner telescopic arm 120. Alternatively or additionally thereto the pick-up 130 can also be mounted on the cylinder/piston device 141 by way of a joint 146. The joint 145 and/or the joint 146 is or are preferably a ball joint.

[0066] The mode of functioning of the above-described floating support of the pick-up 130, particularly the achievable degrees of freedom, is evident from the schematic illustrations of FIGS. 11a to 11e. Thus, for example, movability of the pick-up 130 along the vertical axis of up to +/−80 mm and pendulating movements in the horizontal plane of up to 20° are realisable. In addition, compensation can be provided for an angular offset as evident from FIG. 11e. The floating support is preferably so arranged that movability of the pick-up 130 of up to +/−30 mm along one axis or both axes in the horizontal plane and +/−80 mm along the vertical axis can be realised.

[0067] In the present embodiment the support is executed to be passive, i.e. like a pendulum or freely oscillating. However, according to a further embodiment the support can be executed in such a way that one or more degrees of freedom are actively controllable by means of appropriate actuators.

[0068] A storage procedure for a container 4 in the high-bay warehouse 1 is described in the following with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0069] The storage and retrieval unit 7 with fully retracted outer and inner telescopic arms 110 and 120 is moved by way of the travel drive 16 in the travel lane 6 up to the front end 8 of the high-bay warehouse 1 so as to pick up a container 4. The container 4 is delivered there with its longitudinal axis parallel to the high-bay warehouse 1 at a side near the travel lane 6. For picking up, the telescopic pick-ups 100 are adjusted in correspondence with the format of the container 4 to be picked up. The outer and inner telescopic arms 110 and 120 are subsequently extended by means of the rack drives 115 and 125 thereof over the container 4 and in a given case lowered over the container suspension points. The container is now locked to the pick-ups 130 of the participating telescopic pick-ups 100 by the twist-lock bolts 131.

[0070] After the locking, the outer and inner telescopic arms 110 and 120 together with the suspended container 4 are raised by lifting the lifting bridge 22 and retracted by way of the rack drives 115 and 125 into the storage and retrieval unit 7 or below the lifting bridge 22 until the container 4 adopts a suspended position or transport position, which is aligned in the plane with the travel lane 6, in the storage and retrieval unit 7.

[0071] The storage and retrieval unit 7 is thereupon moved by way of the travel drive 16 in the travel lane 6 to in front of a rack bay 3, which is to be occupied, of a storage module 2 and the lifting bridge 22 together with the suspended container 4 is positioned for the horizontal, telescoping handing process. The container 4 can now be telescoped into the rack compartment 3 by extension of the outer and inner telescopic arms 110 and 120 with its longitudinal side 11 foremost and be deposited thereat by lowering the lifting bridge 22 onto the corner point supports 5.

[0072] After the locking of the container 4 has been removed by unlocking the twist-lock bolts 131 the outer and inner telescopic arms 110 and 120 are raised and moved by way of the rack drives 115 and 125 into the retracted starting position thereof below the lifting bridge 22 so that the storage and retrieval unit 7 is ready for a new storage, removal from storage or transfer process.

[0073] In the case of removal of a container 4 from storage in a rack bay 3 by means of the storage and retrieval unit 7 the preferably fully automatically controlled travel, lifting, telescoping and locking movements are reversed with respect to the afore-described storage procedure, in which case the container 4 is then brought to the rear end 9 of the high-bay warehouse 1.

[0074] FIG. 12 shows an inner telescopic arm 120 which in distinction from the form of embodiment according to FIG. 8 has, as support 140, two straps 147, 148 which are connected in pendulating manner with the inner telescopic arm 120 by way of a joint 150. The straps 147, 148 are so suspended in interengagement at the joint 150 that they are movable in a first direction about the longitudinal axis of the joint 150 and in addition also in a pendulating movement perpendicularly thereto by virtue of the engagement of the strap 148 in the strap 147.

[0075] FIG. 13 shows a perspective view of a form of embodiment of the support 140 according to FIG. 13. The support 140 substantially consists of two substantially identical strap elements 147, 148 which are detachably connected together by way of two bolts 149a, 149b and which are each provided at their first end, which is remote from the bolts 149a, 149b, with a round bore for reception of a joint (see FIG. 12), which is not illustrated, and a joint arranged at a pick-up, which is not illustrated. Arranged at the respective other end of the straps 147, 148 are slots along which the straps 147, 148 are guided to be movable relative to one another in the longitudinal direction thereof or vertically. The strap 148 has a strap limb 148a at its second end, by way of which a pendulating movement of the strap 148 about the longitudinal axis of the strap limb 148a is made possible with respect to the strap 147. For that purpose, the strap limb 148a rests on the bolt 149a which connects the two longitudinal limbs of the strap 147a together.

[0076] Insofar as feasible, all individual features illustrated in the embodiments can be combined with one another and/or exchanged.

REFERENCE NUMERAL LIST

[0077] 1 high-bay warehouse [0078] 2 storage module [0079] 3 rack bay [0080] 4 container (40 FEU) [0081] 5 corner point support [0082] 6 travel lane [0083] 7 storage and retrieval unit [0084] 8, 9 end [0085] transport vehicle [0086] 11 longitudinal side [0087] 12 vertical post [0088] 13 head beam [0089] 14 foot beam [0090] frame [0091] 16 travel drive [0092] 17 gearwheel [0093] 18 end region [0094] 19 rack [0095] floor [0096] 21 guide [0097] 22 lifting bridge [0098] 23 lifting device [0099] 24 lateral post [0100] 25, 26 fork end [0101] 27, 28 longitudinal beam [0102] 29, 30 foot strut [0103] 31 double arrow (lifting/lowering directions of the lifting bridge) [0104] 32 cable pull drum [0105] 33 deflecting roller [0106] 34 container (20 TEU) [0107] 42 linear guide [0108] 43 double arrow (adjusting direction of the telescopic pick-up) [0109] 61 platform construction [0110] 100 telescopic pick-up [0111] 101 main housing [0112] 102 support block [0113] 110 outer telescopic arm [0114] 111 outer guide profile [0115] 112 guide roller [0116] 113 inner guide profile [0117] 115 rack drive [0118] 116 rack [0119] 120 inner telescopic arm [0120] 122 guide roller [0121] 125 rack drive [0122] 126 rack [0123] 130 pick-up [0124] 131 twist-lock bolt [0125] 132 mechanism for actuating the twist-lock bolt [0126] 140 support [0127] 141 cylinder/piston device [0128] 142 cylinder [0129] 143 piston [0130] 144 spring [0131] 144, 146 joint [0132] 147, 148 strap elements [0133] 148a strap limb [0134] 149 bolt [0135] 150 joint