DE102010012855A1 - Storage and retrieval machine with vertical mast - Google Patents

Abstract

A storage and retrieval unit with a vertical mast (12) and a first driven chassis (3) assigned to the mast base (11), which is guided on a lower running rail (1), and a second driven chassis (3) assigned to the mast head (11), which is guided on an upper running rail (1), is characterized in that each running gear (3) has at least three wheels (2, 4) with vertical axes of rotation (14, 15) rolling on the two outer rail surfaces, two of the axes of rotation (14) are immovably connected to the chassis (3) at a distance from each other in the direction of travel, the axis of rotation (s) (15) of the remaining wheels or the remaining wheel (4) are mounted on the chassis and braced against the chassis, transversely to the rail (1), so that the wheels (2, 4) are pressed against the rail (1), at least one of the wheels (2, 4) per chassis being drivable.

Description

The invention relates to a rail-guided storage and retrieval unit for driving and positioning in a rack with a vertical mast and a lower and upper chassis, which are each guided on a lower and upper rail, which may consist of straight and curved rail sections in plan.

State of the art

Known stacker cranes use stationary or moving traction drives, which transfer the horizontal drive forces form-fit - by means of gear and rack or toothed belt - on the storage and retrieval unit. Thus, the chassis is space-saving short, the horizontal drive forces are usually initiated both at the mast base and the mast head.

These solutions require, especially if the track of the vehicle has several curves with alternating curvature and different curvature, a considerable effort.

The form-locking drives used are also a source of noise that can interfere with certain applications.

The publication DE 10 2004 007 411 A1 describes another solution for the drives of a storage and retrieval device by the trolleys on the foot and head of the mast are not form-fitting, but designed as a friction wheel drives. However, the described solution is not suitable to accurately move and position a storage and retrieval unit on a curved path without play.

When operating a storage and retrieval unit masses are constantly accelerated and decelerated again. The storage and retrieval performance of a storage and retrieval unit depends, among other things, on the achievable accelerations and speeds of the storage and retrieval unit. An increase in performance by means of higher accelerations and higher speeds thus means a higher energy input.

The object of the invention is to provide a curved storage and retrieval unit, which allows a lower positioning, lower noise and significantly lower energy consumption during operation accurate positioning of the storage and retrieval device along a respective lower and upper rail.

The problem underlying the invention is solved by a storage and retrieval device of the type specified in claim 1, advantageously extended by the features of claims 2 to 6.

Disclosure of the invention

In the storage and retrieval unit according to the invention, which travels and positions on straight and curved rail sections in a rack, the two running gears are provided with wheels rolling on vertical rail side surfaces, which are pressed against the rail and can transmit horizontal drive forces by friction. Furthermore, these trolleys are mounted transversely to the rail parallelverschastlich mast base and mast head, with mast base and mast head are both tied by their own side guide wheels to the rail center. Preferably, the entire weight of the stacker crane is removed via one or more wheels with congruent horizontal axis of rotation of the mast base on the lower rail.

An essential feature of the invention is that at mast base and mast head ever a chassis is articulated, which carries on both sides of the running rail wheels with vertical axes of rotation, which roll under pretension on the rail side surfaces. The axes of rotation of two of these wheels per chassis are firmly connected to the chassis, while the remaining wheels or the rest of the wheel are mounted transversely to the rail movable on the chassis or is. At least one of these wheels per chassis is driven and due to the bias can transfer horizontal driving forces tangentially by friction to a side surface of the rail. The vertical arrangement of the wheel axles has the advantage that when cornering neither friction nor wheel and rail wear occur by drilling friction in the Radaufstandsfläche, as would be the case with horizontal axles. While the immovable wheels determine the position of the chassis relative to the rail in plan, the sliding wheels can follow kinematic constraints, such as when cornering or thickness deviations of the rail.

Another preferred feature of the invention is that both suspensions are transversely displaceable relative to the rail relative to the mast base and mast head substantially parallel. This feature allows the trolleys, following a rail turn, to move across the rail without moving the mast foot or mast head also across the rail. Preferably, both trolleys relative to the mast base or the mast head in a normal plane on the mast axis transversely to the rail are approximately parallelverschieblich articulated by a sliding joint on the mast head or on Mastfuß.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the mast base and mast head are always guided centrally to the rail by a pair of side guide wheels. This ensures that the position of the lifting device in a shelf curve is approximately the same relative to the shelf as in a straight shelf section. This simplifies the shelf construction and allows better utilization of storage space in curves.

Advantageously, it is provided that the dead weight of the storage and retrieval unit is transmitted via one or more wheels directly from the mast base on the approximately horizontal surface of the lower rail, wherein the one or more wheels have a common horizontal axis. Advantageously, a plurality of narrow wheels are used instead of a wide impeller, because thereby the occurring during cornering bore friction is reduced in the Radaufstandsfläche. Also, the upper chassis may have a corresponding impeller.

In a particularly preferred manner, the storage and retrieval unit according to the invention has an electrical energy store, which can significantly reduce the operating and construction costs of a shelf storage with the storage and retrieval unit according to the invention. Due to the moving memory, a portion of the kinetic energy to be converted during braking can be temporarily stored on the storage and retrieval unit in order to then use the energy again for accelerating. In this case, the heat loss is minimized. This inventive concept of powering the vehicle with an electrical energy storage on the vehicle, which can be charged and discharged very quickly and is large enough to absorb a large part of the regenerated by the engine braking energy leads - reinforced by the applied lightweight construction - compared to known comparable storage and retrieval machines with comparable operation to an energy saving of more than 50%.

In addition to reducing energy consumption, the fast energy storage system smoothes the power demanded by the external power supply - power supply unit, emergency power supply or uninterruptible power supply as well as power lines. Therefore, all of these components can be sized for a much lower power output.

Advantageously, the not inconsiderable volume of the energy storage in otherwise unused cavities of the structure, for example, the mast, be accommodated so as to realize a particularly space-saving design.

• – Sie benötigt weder Zahnstangen noch Zahnriemen längs der wechselnd gekrümmten Fahrbahn.
• – Sie benötigt nur zwei anstelle von vier Schienen und kommt ohne Scharniergelenke zwischen Mast und Fahrwerken aus.
• – Die Übertragung der Antriebskräfte über Reibräder vermeidet Lärm.
• – Der Einsatz eines auf dem Regalbediengerät mitfahrenden flinken Speichers, der so bemessen ist, dass er die beim Bremsen rückgespeiste Energie weitestgehend aufnehmen kann, spart Kosten beim Bau und Betrieb eines vom Regalbediengerät bedienten automatischen Lagers.

The described solution according to the invention has the following advantages over known solutions:

• - It requires neither racks or timing belt along the alternating curved roadway.
• - It requires only two instead of four rails and comes without hinged joints between mast and chassis.
• - The transmission of driving forces via friction wheels avoids noise.
• - The use of a running on the stacker crane nimble storage, which is designed so that it can absorb the energy returned during braking as much as possible, saves costs in the construction and operation of an automatic storage operated by the storage and retrieval unit.

Description of exemplary embodiments

An advantageous embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings. The drawings illustrate plan views of a horizontal section through a single-mast stacker operating on a straight rail section (FIG. 1a and 1b ) and on a curved rail section ( 2a and 2 B ) moves. The upper and lower chassis are designed essentially the same. Therefore, the various elements of both suspensions are designated by the same reference numerals.

The illustration applies to the viewing direction downwards (lower rail, lower chassis, 1a . 2a ) and also for the viewing direction upward (upper rail, upper chassis, 1b . 2 B ).

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

straight or curved portion of the lower / upper rail;

2

Wheel, rolling on rail side surface, supported on the axis of rotation immovable in the chassis;

3

Undercarriage, lower / upper;

4

Wheel, rolling on rail side surface, mounted on the transverse axis to the rail slidable axis and braced with spring against the chassis;

5

prestressed spring;

6

Tensioning member for adjusting the biasing force;

7

Sliding articulated suspension of the chassis at the mast base / mast head;

8th

Side guide wheel with vertical axis of rotation fixed in the mast base / mast head;

9

Impeller, rolling on horizontal rail surface, with horizontal axis of rotation;

10

Handlebar, a wheel 4 horizontally movable with the chassis 3 links;

11

Mast / mast head;

12

Mast;

13

Energy storage in the mast;

14

Axis of rotation of the non-displaceably mounted wheels;

15

Rotary axis of the slidably mounted wheels.

The 1a . 1b . 2a and 2 B show how in the landing gear 3 non-displaceably mounted wheels 2 as a result of the prestressed springs 5 in the straight and in the curved rail section on the rail 1 abut and that the connecting line of their axle centers 14 parallel to the mast base 11 is aligned. Thus, the mast base, as well as the mast head and the mast rigidly connected to both 12 in the floor plan always the direction of this connecting straight line. In this way, when entering a curved rail section of the mast 12 from the chassis 3 steered into the curve. If both non-displaceably mounted wheels 2 Roll on a circularly curved rail section, then have mast base 11 , Mast 12 and mast head 11 in plan view, the direction of the tangent to a midpoint between the wheel axles point of the rail circle.

Advantageously, the impeller 9 with the side guide wheels 8th in the middle at the foot of the mast 11 and mast head 11 arranged to allow the rolling direction of the impeller 9 as little as possible deviates from the direction of movement of the mast.

The slidably mounted wheels 4 are also always in contact with the rail 1 , In the curved rail section give the biasing springs 5 something after, so that the axes of rotation 15 adapt the sliding wheels of the changed track geometry.

All pressed wheels 2 . 4 can be powered and horizontal drive forces between rail 1 and mast foot 11 whose size is limited by the set preload force and the coefficient of friction between the wheel and rail. If necessary, it is sufficient if only one or some of the wheels 2 . 4 are driven. With the clamping device 6 can the contact forces of the wheels 2 . 4 be adjusted so that even when driving faster into a curved path segment 1 a lift off one of the pressed wheels 2 . 4 is avoided.

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 102004007411 A1 [0005]

Claims (6)

Storage and retrieval machine with vertical mast ( 12 ) and a mast foot ( 11 ) associated first driven chassis ( 3 ) mounted on a lower rail ( 1 ) is guided, and a the mast head ( 11 ) associated second driven chassis ( 3 ) attached to an upper rail ( 1 ), characterized in that each landing gear ( 3 ) at least three rolling on the two outer rail surfaces wheels ( 2 . 4 ) with vertical axes of rotation ( 14 . 15 ), wherein two of the axes of rotation ( 14 ) in the direction of travel away from each other immovably with the chassis ( 3 ), the axis of rotation (s) ( 15 ) of the remaining wheels ( 4 ) or the rest of the wheel across the rail ( 1 ) are slidably mounted on the chassis and braced against the chassis, so that the wheels ( 2 . 4 ) to the rail ( 1 ) are pressed, wherein at least one of the wheels ( 2 . 4 ) per chassis ( 3 ) is drivable. Storage and retrieval unit according to claim 1, characterized in that a sliding articulated linkage ( 7 ) of the chassis ( 3 ) at the mast base or mast head ( 11 ) is provided. Storage and retrieval unit according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that mast base and mast head ( 11 ) one pair each on the approximately vertical rail side surfaces rolling, opposite Seitenführungsräder ( 8th ) whose vertical axes of rotation are immovable with the mast base or mast head ( 11 ) are connected and preferably all lie approximately in a plane. Storage and retrieval unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mast base ( 11 ) at least one impeller ( 9 ) associated with horizontal axis, which is preferably approximately in the of the axes of the Mastfuß-Seitenführungsräder ( 8th ) and mast head side guide wheels ( 8th ) spanned plane, wherein the at least one impeller ( 9 ) on an upper horizontal surface of the lower running rail ( 1 ) rolls while the weight of the stacker crane essentially carries. Storage and retrieval unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that on at least one of the chassis ( 3 ) a loadable and dischargeable electrical energy store ( 13 ) is provided, which can store at least a portion of the kinetic energy of the storage and retrieval device. Storage and Retrieval unit according to claim 5, characterized in that the electrical energy storage ( 13 ) inside a hollow structural part, in particular of the mast ( 12 ) is arranged.

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