Transport and handover system for storing and removing or resetting stored items in high rack warehouse, and storage and retrieval machine

Abstract

The invention relates to a transport and transfer system for storing and removing or resetting storage items (1) in a high-rack warehouse (2), in particular in a transport facility for storing standard containers at a sea mouth or an inland port, the high-rack warehouse (2) being composed of a plurality of storage modules (10), the storage modules (10) are arranged in rows in the longitudinal direction of the high rack warehouse (2) and in the width direction transverse to the longitudinal direction, and a plurality of rack compartments (12) are provided in the height, which rack compartments (12) are arranged one above the other and are separated from one another by lanes (11), the storage module (10) has a plurality of lanes (11) which extend parallel to the storage and removal side of the rack compartment (12) or of the storage module (10), at least one storage and retrieval machine (19) movable back and forth being arranged in each lane (11) for transporting and storing and removing or resetting the stored goods (1).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a transport and transfer system for storing and retrieving or relocating stored goods in a high-bay warehouse, especially in a transshipment facility for storing standard containers in a seaport or inland port, wherein the high-bay warehouse is composed of a plurality of storage modules, which are arranged in rows in the longitudinal direction of the high-bay warehouse and in the width direction transverse to the longitudinal direction, and have a plurality of support compartments in height, which are arranged one on top of the other and are separated from each other by lanes extending parallel to the storage and retrieval sides of the support compartments or storage modules, wherein each lane is provided with at least one storage and retrieval device that can be moved back and forth for transporting and storing and retrieving or relocating stored goods. Background Art

[0002] From WO 2015 / 124342 A1 an integrated, fully automated container transport system for a transshipment facility at a seaport or inland port is known, which, as stated in the introduction, is provided with storage and retrieval devices arranged in each lane.

[0003] The storage and retrieval device is narrow in size and stores and retrieves containers with its frontmost longitudinal side in the support compartment, and is movable in the longitudinal direction of the lane in a floor-bound manner. The lifting and lowering of the winch platform (equipped with a load receiving device) of the storage and retrieval device is performed by a cable traction device or winch (comprising a cable, a cable drum, a deflection roller, a motor and a transmission device). The load receiving device is arranged on the winch platform for suspended transport of the container, and is designed in a particularly space-saving manner as a telescopic fork or a telescopic table for gradually moving horizontally in and out together with the suspended container.

[0004] In order to transfer the containers to the delivery side (this is usually the side of the high-bay warehouse facing the ship) and to carry the containers away at the other end of the warehouse, suitable preparation stations must be provided in front of and behind each lane, from which the storage and retrieval equipment takes over the containers for storage or in which they can be deposited for retrieval. This also applies to the case of high-bay warehouses for storage and retrieval of, for example, strips wound into bundles (coils), in particular rolled metal strips, where the coils are taken over from the racks and deposited on substructures in the racks or support compartments.

[0005] In the case of a container terminal known from DE 4439740 C1, high transfer speeds can be achieved by means of a fully automatic container transport system in conjunction with a loading crane (such as can be ensured by using several loading or container loading and unloading bridges, for example on a ship). For this purpose, a number of track levels are arranged on a stepped support structure with a height offset, which are connected together by a plurality of brackets and are offset in height, and are provided with loading and unloading positions, wherein each level is provided with a track network with a plurality of transport pallets, which are operated by linear motors and can be moved thereon. In addition to the large number of transport pallets that need to be specially constructed with linear motor drives as contactless drive means, the track network inevitably has considerable expenditure on steel construction, because each level has several interconnected tracks for moving the transport pallets on the track network to the loading and / or unloading and / or confluence positions. The different or individual levels interconnected by the brackets are predetermined by the stepped support structure with a height offset.

[0006] When the transfer station on the uppermost level of the high-bay warehouse is integrated into the steel structure and the storage crane takes over the supplied containers and distributes them to the storage and retrieval equipment, a high-bay warehouse with elevated rails also requires the very large expenditure as described above and an additional fairly large steel structure, in which the storage crane is enclosed by the roof attachment and extends in aisles to serve all consecutive multi-story storage modules. Summary of the invention

[0007] The object of the present invention is to create a transport and transfer system according to category which is able to further speed up the transshipment of storage products such as flatbed containers, coils and especially standard containers (20TEU and 40FEU containers), or otherwise be used to handle suitable storage products by hanging pipes, with reduced costs and less steel structure.

[0008] This object is achieved according to the invention in that the high-bay warehouse is configured with at least one transverse conveyor which passes through at least some of the lanes and conveys supplied stock into and / or out of the high-bay warehouse.

[0009] Firstly, it is assumed that the lanes extend parallel to the long sides (i.e. the longitudinal sides of the high-bay warehouse), and that the transverse conveyor or several transverse conveyors (which can be arranged to be distributed at a distance from each other on the longitudinal sides) extend over the entire width of the high-bay warehouse and advantageously terminate outside the high-bay warehouse near its longitudinal sides. The transverse conveyor can, for example, consist of rollers, at least some of which are driven, on which standard containers stored in pallets, containers stored directly on the rollers or coils stored on shelves are advanced and can be placed for further processing. The delivered storage products can then be taken over by the storage and retrieval device and stored in the rack compartments or removed by the reverse movement sequence. Since the storage and retrieval device no longer has to cover a long travel path, this is because the transverse conveyor, which passes through all lanes or, in the case of a separate structure of the transverse conveyor, passes through at least some lanes, for example two or three lanes, takes over the provision or distribution of the taken-over storage products supplied from outside the high-bay warehouse (which is concentrated in the high-bay warehouse) and their storage and retrieval, the time of the storage and retrieval sequence can be greatly shortened.

[0010] A preferred embodiment of the present invention proposes to construct a transverse conveyor in the pit of the warehouse foundation. When the foundation is working, the underground passageway that the transverse conveyor is used can be directly set in a simple manner, which can help the production process like this.

[0011] It is possible to achieve a closed-circuit use of the device for receiving stored goods if a return path for the return transport of empty pallets, conveying brackets or substructures is advantageously arranged in a pit in the warehouse foundation below the transverse conveyor, in which case the return path combined with the transverse conveyor can similarly have, for example, roller rollers or a similar conveyor.

[0012] According to another slightly modified embodiment of the invention, the transverse conveyor can be constructed on the warehouse foundation at the lowest rack compartment level of at least one row of consecutive storage modules. In this case, the transverse conveyor is constructed on the existing foundation of the lowest rack compartment, so that it is possible to retrofit existing high-bay warehouses with transverse conveyors in a simple manner. In this case, the storage products are transported in and out of the high-bay warehouse from the longitudinal sides. In order to utilize the full storage capacity, the rack compartments of the lowest rack compartment level can still be used after all other rack compartments have been occupied.

[0013] Furthermore, in the case of this advantageous proposed variant according to the invention, a closed return path for the return transport of empty pallets, carriers or transfer carriages is provided in the warehouse foundation beneath the transverse conveying device.

[0014] The return path can optionally be arranged so that it extends parallel to the transverse conveyor, i.e. on the floor of the warehouse foundation or foundation pit adjacent to the lowest shelf compartment level. However, in the case of a return path that is deeper than the transverse conveyor, the transport flow takes place in two height levels - in this case, the problem of height differences in raising or lowering stored products or pallets, transport carriages, etc. can be solved by, for example, a lifting platform. In the case of an arrangement of the transverse conveyor and the return path extending in a parallel adjacent manner in one height level, the task of transferring empty pallets, transport carriages, etc. to the return path can be taken over by linear displacement devices, such as cylinders.

[0015] It is proposed to preferably utilize a storage and retrieval device comprising a frame consisting of vertical struts and top crossbars and foot beams interconnecting the vertical struts and the top crossbars, the frame corresponding to the height of the multi-layer storage module, provided with a winch platform, which is moved on the vertical struts by means of a drive device and is configured for servicing the rack compartments of adjacent storage modules on the left and right sides by means of vertically insertable aisle-type and retractable load receiving devices (known per se), wherein according to the invention the foot beams are constructed similarly to the frame with passage openings through which the stored goods are lifted. The passage openings are adapted to the maximum size of the stored goods and allow the stored goods to pass freely during lifting from a transverse conveyor arranged in a foundation pit or lowering onto the transverse conveyor. This also applies when using the lowest rack compartment level for the transverse conveyor. According to the invention, in this case, the storage and retrieval device is movable on two rails arranged in the lanes at a horizontal distance from each other and parallel to each other above the rack compartment level (i.e. at the transition from the lowest rack compartment level to the next rack compartment level above it). Such a storage and retrieval device with passage openings in the foot beams for passing the lifted stored items further allows the handling of stored items arranged in the lanes below the level of the running tracks.

[0016] If the vertical struts of the frame extend downwards beyond the foot beams and slightly into the lowest shelf compartment level, it is advantageously facilitated to manoeuvre the stored items below the travel level of the storage and retrieval device. This thus provides the possibility of guiding the lowering or raising of the winch platform of the storage and retrieval device in an intermediate position by means of this downwardly extending path, for example by means of rollers supported on the frame extension. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Other features and details of the invention will be readily apparent from the claims and the following description of an embodiment of the invention schematically shown in the accompanying drawings for standard container transshipment, in which:

[0018] Figure 1A cross-sectional partial view of a container transshipment facility is shown with a transfer table, located upstream of a high-bay warehouse, for taking over containers supplied from a ship (not shown) and conveying them to the front of the high-bay warehouse for storage by means of storage and retrieval devices movable in its lanes on elevated tracks in the lanes, or for removal in the case of retrieval with a reverse movement sequence, wherein the high-bay warehouse has transverse conveying means constructed in the lowest rack bay level in linear alignment with the transfer table, and a return path recessed or placed deeper in the warehouse foundation;

[0019] Figure 2 A cross section of a high-bay warehouse is shown as a detail of a container transshipment facility, where different Figure 1 The transfer table (not shown here) is upstream of the lane openings, and the transverse conveyor including the return path is arranged in a pit in the warehouse foundation and (not shown) outside the high-bay warehouse, close to its longitudinal sides;

[0020] Figure 3 As Figure 2 Detail showing a partial longitudinal view of a lane in which the storage and retrieval equipment is movable on a foundation;

[0021] Figure 4 The storage and retrieval device is shown as an overall view as seen from the longitudinal side facing towards the storage module or rack compartment;

[0022] Figure 5 As Figure 4 Details of the storage and retrieval equipment, mainly showing the foot beams or traveling frames, where the winch platform is lowered together with the suspended container to the lowest rack compartment level or the transverse conveyor arranged in the foundation pit (cf. Figure 2 ) above; and

[0023] Figure 6 Shows Figure 5 Floor plan.

[0024] Main component symbols:

[0025] 1 container / storage 2 high-bay warehouse

[0026] 3 docks and 4 transfer stations

[0027] 5 Feeding direction (arrow) 6 Take-over bracket

[0028] 7 distribution carrier 8 fixed storage place

[0029] 9 lifting platform 10 storage module

[0030] 11 lanes and 12 bracket compartments

[0031] 13; 113 Horizontal conveyor 14 Lowest bracket compartment level

[0032] 15 Warehouse foundation 16; 116 Return path

[0033] 17 (loading bridge) load receiving device 18 pallet

[0034] 19 Storage and retrieval equipment 20 Track

[0035] 21 winch platform 22 load receiving device

[0036] 23 foot beams / travel frame 24 channel openings

[0037] 25 vertical support 26 top crossbar

[0038] 27 frame 28 winch

[0039] 29 Cable 30 Extension (of vertical support)

[0040] 31 Pit I Upper Level

[0041] II Lower Tier DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] The following is a detailed description of the technical means used by the present invention to achieve the intended purpose of the invention with reference to the drawings and preferred embodiments of the present invention.

[0043] according to Figure 1 In front of the high-bay warehouse 2, on the side facing the quay 3, at least one transfer platform 4 is arranged for unloading containers 1 from ships and storing them in the high-bay warehouse 2, or vice versa, for taking and loading containers 1 onto ships or vehicles for further transportation. This includes a receiving bracket 6, a distribution carrier 7 that can be moved out of a line parallel to the high-bay warehouse 2, a fixed storage place 8 and a lifting platform 9 in a linear and continuous manner from the outside to the high-bay warehouse 2 in the feeding direction (arrow) 5 on the quay. The transfer platform 4 is adjacent to a transverse conveyor 13 in a line, which passes through all the lanes 11 extending in the high-bay warehouse 2 between the storage modules 10, which are arranged continuously in width at intervals from each other, wherein rack compartments 12 are arranged in them over the entire height, which rack compartments 12 are parallel to the longitudinal sides of the high-bay warehouse. The transverse conveyor 13 is arranged in the lowest rack compartment level 14 on the warehouse foundation 15. A return path 16 is constructed in the warehouse foundation 15 below the transverse conveyor.

[0044] The transfer platform 4 is arranged in a two-stage structure, i.e., the receiving bracket 6, the distribution carrier 7, the fixed storage place 8 and the lifting platform 9 have an upper level I and a lower level II, wherein the lifting platform 9 is used for the following purpose: to overcome the height difference between the upper level I and the transverse conveying device 13 of the transfer platform 4 and the lowest level II and the return path 16, and to ensure a corresponding linear path. This is because the container 1 lifted from the ship by the load receiving device 17 of the loading bridge (not shown) (optionally, two containers 1 can be directly lifted at the same time by the load receiving device 17 and transferred to the receiving bracket 6) is stored on the upper level I of the receiving bracket 6 and on the pallet 18 arranged therein, with the longitudinal side of the container 1 facing the feeding direction 5; is transported to the uppermost level 1 of the distribution carrier 7, and is transported to the front of the free fixed storage place 8 of one of the transfer platforms 4 by the movement of the distribution carrier 7 parallel to the high-bay warehouse 2, and is transported from here to the uppermost level I of the lifting platform 9.

[0045] The lifting platform 9 lowers the pallet 18 together with the container 1 to a position aligned with the transverse conveyor 13, and the transverse conveyor 13 then places the previously taken-over pallet 18 together with the container 1 in one of the lanes 11 to be taken over by the storage and retrieval equipment 19 arranged in each lane 11. The pallet 18 is empty after the storage and retrieval equipment 19 has taken over the container 1. The empty pallet 18 is lowered by the lifting device at the end of the transverse conveyor 13 onto the return path 16, which is arranged to be recessed and deeper in the warehouse foundation 15, and can similarly have, for example, rollers, etc. The pallet 18 is first transported to the lifting platform 9 in the direction opposite to the feeding direction 5, and the lifting platform 9 is adjusted so that its lower level II is aligned with the return path 13 of the transfer table 4. Then the lifting platform 9 is raised until its lower level II is aligned with the fixed storage 8, the distribution carrier 7 and the lower level II of the take-over bracket 6, so that the pallet 18 is transferred back to its starting position for reuse by the conveying device of the aforementioned transfer table unit. For this purpose, the take-over bracket 6 is similarly provided with a lifting device, which lifts the pallet 18 from the lower level II to the upper level I.

[0046] The storage and retrieval device 19 is responsible for storing and retrieving the container 1 from the rack compartment 12 of the storage module 10 or rearranging the container 1 into the rack compartment 12, and Figure 1 In the embodiment of the invention, the storage and retrieval device 19 can be moved on two rails 20, which are arranged at a horizontal distance from each other in the lane 11 between the lowest (first) rack compartment level 14 and the next (second) rack compartment level above it. In order to carry out storage, the container 1 placed in the lane 11 is lifted from its pallet 18, and for this purpose, a winch platform 21 (see Figure 4) (as known from WO 2015 / 123342 A1, which can include at least two gradually telescopic load receiving devices 22, wherein these gradually telescopic load receiving devices can be moved toward or away from each other in order to adapt to different lengths of the container 1) by lowering until the telescopic load receiving device 22 reaches above the suspension point of the container 1 through its locking device for locking. Thereafter, by raising the winch platform 21 and moving the storage and retrieval device 19, the locked and suspended container 1 is brought in front of any support compartment 12 adjacent to the storage module 10, and by gradually extending and retracting the load receiving device 22 (telescopic fork or telescopic table), the container 1 is stored in the desired support compartment 12. The movement sequence of the retrieval operation is the opposite.

[0047] like Figure 6 As shown in FIG, during storage in the next rack compartment level above, the frame-like construction of the foot beams 23 of the storage and retrieval device 19 with access openings 24 allows free passage of the containers 1 taken over from the lowest rack compartment level 14 .

[0048] The storage and retrieval device 19 is provided with space-saving lanes 11 which are very narrow due to the telescopic load receiving devices 22 and correspond to the width dimensions of the container, in particular from the Figure 4 (The winch platform 21 is shown with the suspended container 1 in the uppermost position and in the lowered position (refer to Figure 5 )) As can be clearly seen, the storage and retrieval device 19 has a frame 27 consisting of vertical struts 25 and top crossbars 26 interconnecting these vertical struts 25, as well as connecting foot beams 23, which are provided with passage openings 24 for the containers 1 or the stored goods, and which corresponds to the height of the multi-layer storage module 10. The raising and lowering of the winch platform 21 is performed by means of a winch 28 arranged on the foot beam 23 and a cable 29 deflected by rollers on the top crossbar 26. In particular, it is used according to Figure 1 In the case of a configuration of the transverse conveyor 13, the vertical struts 25 are provided with extensions 30 which protrude downwardly over a short travel path beyond the foot beam 23 (cf. Figure 4 ).

[0049] exist Figure 2 and Figure 3 In the transfer facility, a transverse conveyor 113 and a deeper return path 116 combined therewith are provided, which is completely recessed in the pit 31 of the warehouse foundation and passes under the high-bay warehouse 2. The storage and retrieval device 19 can thus be moved directly at ground level, i.e. on the warehouse foundation 15 (cf. Figure 3). The transfer platform 4 is arranged here on the side of the quay in a position aligned with the lane 11. The load receiving device 17 of the loading bridge is transferred from the container 1 fed by the ship to the receiving bracket 6 in the pallet 18, and is transferred to the distribution carrier 7 and from the distribution carrier 7 to the fixed storage place 8. If the container 1 is not facing the lane direction with its narrow end but with its wide side when the load receiving device 17 of the loading bridge feeds the container 1, a rotating table capable of determining the direction of the container 1 can be provided upstream of the fixed storage place 8 in the transfer platform. The container 1 arranged in this way to be placed in front of the lane is taken over by the storage and retrieval device 19 here to be stored in the support compartment 12 of the storage module 10, and the empty pallet 18 is lowered by the lifting platform 9 so as to return to the lower level II.

[0050] After the container 1 is lowered into the pit 31 through the passage opening 24 of the foot beam 23 of the storage and retrieval device 19, the retrieval of the container 1 is performed by means of the transverse conveyor 113, and the empty pallet 18 is transported back by means of the return path 116, wherein the transverse conveyor 113 and the return path 116 terminate outside the high-bay warehouse 1 near its longitudinal side outer wall, and the lifting platform and the empty pallet 18 for the container 1 are arranged here. The lifted container 1 can be taken over by a crane so as to be loaded on a truck or a ship, for example. The lowered empty pallet 18 is transported by the return path 116 or its conveyor so as to be lifted to a higher level of the transverse conveyor 113 and placed under the lane by these transverse conveyors 113 so as to be loaded with the container 1 to be retrieved.

[0051] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention in any form. Although the present invention has been disclosed as a preferred embodiment, it is not used to limit the present invention. Any technician familiar with this profession can make some changes or modifications to equivalent embodiments of equivalent changes using the technical contents disclosed above without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present invention. However, any simple modification, equivalent change and modification made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention still falls within the scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A transport and transfer system for storing and retrieving or relocating stored goods (1) in a high-bay warehouse (2), in particular in a transshipment facility for storing standard containers at a seaport or inland port, in, The transport and transfer system comprises a storage and retrieval device (19), The high-bay warehouse (2) is composed of any number of storage modules (10), wherein the storage modules (10) include a plurality of support compartments (12), which are arranged one above the other and arranged in rows along the longitudinal direction of the high-bay warehouse (2) and in a width direction transverse to the longitudinal direction, and are separated from each other by lanes (11) extending parallel to the storage and retrieval side of the support compartments (12) or the storage modules (10), wherein at least one storage and retrieval device (19) that can be moved back and forth is arranged in each lane (11) for transporting and storing and retrieving or resetting the stored products (1), in, The high-bay warehouse (2) has at least one transverse conveying device (13; 113), which passes through a plurality of lanes (11) and conveys the supplied stored products (1) into the high-bay warehouse (2) and / or out of the high-bay warehouse (2), in The storage and retrieval device (19) comprises a frame (27) consisting of vertical struts (25) and top crossbars (26) and foot beams (23) connecting the vertical struts (25) to each other and corresponding at least to the height of the multi-layer storage module (10), the frame (27) being provided with a winch platform (21) having an inserted and retracted load receiving device (22) which is moved perpendicular to the aisle (11) and on the vertical struts (25) by means of a drive device to maintain the support compartment (12) or the adjacent storage module (10) on the left and right sides, Features The foot beam (23) has a frame-like configuration with a passage opening (24) for lifting the stored goods (1) therethrough.

2. The system according to claim 1, Features The storage and retrieval device (19) is movable on two rails (20) which are arranged in the lane (11) above the lowest shelf compartment level (14), at a horizontal distance from each other and parallel to each other.

3. The system according to claim 2, Features The vertical support (25) of the frame (27) of the storage and retrieval device (19) extends downwardly beyond the foot beam (23).

Images