High-bay warehouse with guide structures for containers

Abstract

A high-bay warehouse (1) comprising a plurality of container racks (2) distributed along two sides of an aisle (9), each of the container racks (2) comprising a plurality of load-bearing uprights, the load-bearing uprights being provided with support sections (3) configured to support both ends of a floor surface of a container (4) or four corners of the floor surface of the container (4) to form a separate container storage space (5), a central part of the floor surface of the container (4) located at the independent container storage location (5) remaining free and forming a gap (10) between the containers (4) in a vertical direction, forming a push-in space, at least two support sections (3) of each independent container storage location (5), preferably each support section (3), being equipped with at least one guide structure (6),which extends upwards from the support section (3) and has at least one surface (6a) which is inclined with respect to the vertical direction and towards the upper surface of the support section,

Description

Technical area

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of container storage and in particular to a container depot, in particular in the form of a high-bay warehouse.

[0002] In a conventional container depot, containers are primarily stored by stacking them on top of each other. When a container needs to be removed, it is lifted using a warehouse-based crane or a mobile, independent crane and then placed on a container truck. However, the timing of container removal is limited by various factors and cannot be accurately predicted. If the container to be removed is not in the topmost layer of a container stack, but rather in the middle or even the bottom layer, the other containers on top must be removed one after the other and temporarily moved to an edge position. The container can only be lifted and placed on the container truck when the target container is free.The overall handling time is long, which greatly reduces the throughput capacity of the container depot; in addition, the additional temporary handling and placement is prone to safety accidents and can also easily disrupt the original container placement rules, resulting in inaccurate records of container storage positions, which in turn greatly affects the operational efficiency of the container depot.

[0003] In order to allow access to each individual container without having to remove each individual container located above the target container, high-bay warehouses are provided with container racks arranged in blocks between aisles, in which container stacker cranes run on rails, and which have separate container storage locations that allow access to each individual container stored in the high-bay warehouse. However, storage space is limited and the size of the supports within each separate container storage location is reduced to the necessary minimum. Exact positioning of the containers in each separate container storage location and in particular on the support components is therefore necessary and often results in the containers having to be lifted and positioned again after delivery to their separate container storage location, especially if the position of the container on the support components is not exact.This is both time-consuming and costly. Summary

[0004] In view of the problems of the prior art, the present disclosure aims to provide a container depot, in particular a container high-bay warehouse, that overcomes the difficulties of the prior art. The present disclosure can stack the containers, preferably standard sea containers such as 20-foot or 40-foot containers, in multiple layers without interaction with each other and ensure that the containers are independent of each other, resulting in better space utilization. Furthermore, the containers do not interfere with each other when being picked up or set down, thus improving the handling performance of the container depot. The high-bay warehouse according to the invention has a particularly lightweight structure and allows the containers to be supported only at the corners. To solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention provides a high-bay warehouse with the features of claim 1.Preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims as well as in the detailed description of the invention as set out below.

[0005] According to the invention, at least two support sections of each container storage location, preferably each support section, are equipped with a guide structure extending upward from the support section and having at least one surface inclined with respect to the vertical direction and in the direction of the support sections assigned to each container storage location. This enables the container corners to be guided toward the support sections when lowering the containers and enables the containers to be correctly aligned within each separate container storage location without the need for realignment or even repeated lifting. This goal is achieved by using simple and cost-effective structures within the high-bay warehouse.

[0006] If the guide structures enclose the corners of the container when it is stored in the separate container storage areas, the guide structures can reliably protect the container from shifting, especially in the event of a collision with another container or in strong winds.

[0007] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a high-bay warehouse is provided comprising an aisle and a plurality of container racks distributed along two sides of the aisle, each of the container racks comprising a plurality of load-bearing posts, the load-bearing posts being provided with limiting support portions configured to support both ends of a bottom surface of a container or four corners of the container to form a separate container storage location, each of the separate container storage locations being formed such that a central part of the bottom surface of the container located at the separate container storage location remains free, a gap between the containers in a vertical direction forming an introduction space.

[0008] According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the load-bearing post is provided with a plurality of horizontal connecting rods in different height directions, wherein the horizontal connecting rods are in surface contact with the two ends of the bottom surface of the container and support the container. Preferably, the load-bearing post is provided with a plurality of support sections in different height directions, wherein the support sections are in surface contact with four corners of the bottom surface of the container and support the container.

[0009] According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the container high-bay warehouse further comprises a diagonal connecting rod connecting the horizontal connecting rod and the supporting column. Preferably, the high-bay warehouse further comprises a container stacker crane that moves along a storage aisle, wherein the vertical, flat passage in which the aisle is located forms a handling space for the container stacker crane for handling the containers.

[0010] Preferably, the container stacker crane comprises a horizontal traveling unit that moves along the aisle, a stacker provided on the horizontal traveling unit, and a horizontal fork driven by the stacker for lifting and lowering in the vertical direction, and the horizontal fork enters and exits the insertion space on the basis of a side surface of the horizontal traveling assembly to lift or put down the container to transport the container between a container stacker crane and the independent container storage space, wherein the distance between the containers in the vertical direction is greater than the thickness of the horizontal fork of the container stacker crane.

[0011] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the high-bay warehouse further comprises a ceiling supported by the load-bearing column to cover the plurality of separate container storage locations and the at least one aisle. Preferably, the high-bay warehouse further comprises a lifting rail provided on an underside of the ceiling and cooperating with the floor of the aisle, preferably a rail, to guide the storage and retrieval machine to move rectilinearly along the aisle. Preferably, the load-bearing columns of the container racks are arranged in a direction parallel to the aisle.

[0012] According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the guide structures are designed to align a container lowered onto the support sections into a desired position within the separate container storage location. Particularly preferably, each guide structure comprises two inclined surfaces arranged perpendicular to one another, thereby forming an inclination in the direction of the desired position of the corner of the container on the support section. It is particularly preferred if the inclinations of each guide part are directed towards the geometric center of the support sections assigned to each separate container storage location. This enables correct alignment of the containers in the container storage locations even if the container storage and retrieval machine does not deliver the container exactly to the container storage location. The alignment of the containers takes place when the containers are lowered onto the support sections via the guide structures.

[0013] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the guide structures have a square cross-section when viewed from above, with the bevels extending diagonally across at least one half of the square cross-section. This allows the guide structures to be easily manufactured and to reliably exert their effect.

[0014] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the guide structures consist of at least two separate components that are fastened to the support section, preferably to all support sections of a storage location, particularly preferably to all storage locations. Particularly preferably, the guide structures consist of at least two separate components that are fastened to the support section such that their respective inclined surfaces are aligned perpendicular to each other. This enables a simple and reliable construction of the guide structures, for example, by individually fastening two or more separate components, in particular prefabricated sheets of a specific shape and size, to the support section.

[0015] In an even more preferred embodiment of the invention, the at least two separate components of the guide structures are attached to the support section parallel to one another, with one pair of parallel separate components preferably being aligned perpendicular to another pair of separate components. This provides a reliable guide structure that is easy to attach to the support part and can be easily replaced in the event of damage. Furthermore, the guide structures can still be used even if one of the separate components is severely damaged or broken off.

[0016] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the guide structures of each separate container storage location are attached to the support sections by enclosing the areas associated with the container corners to be placed on the support sections. This enables reliable alignment of the containers, as the inclined surfaces of the guide structures serve as guides for the container corners as they are lowered onto the support section. If the distance between the guide structures in each area associated with the container corners preferably corresponds to the dimensions of the container to be stored, the guides serve not only as channels for aligning the containers but also for securing the stored container, e.g., in the event of collisions with other containers or in the event of strong winds.

[0017] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the guide structures of the individual separate container storage locations are spaced apart by distances corresponding to the dimensions of the containers to be stored. This enables precise alignment of the containers to be stored within the separate container storage locations without requiring intervention by operating personnel and improves the degree of automation of the high-bay warehouse.

[0018] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the guide structures are made of metal and are detachably attached to the support sections, preferably by means of screws. This enables easy and simple manufacture of robust guide structures and allows for simple and cost-effective maintenance if the guide structures become damaged due to repeated contact with the containers.

[0019] The present invention aims to provide a unique high-bay warehouse. The present invention can stack containers in multiple layers without mutual interaction or obstruction and ensure that the containers are stored independently of one another, resulting in better space utilization. Furthermore, the containers do not interfere with each other when being picked up or put down, thus improving the handling performance of the container warehouse. Furthermore, the invention enables a higher degree of automation in the feeding of containers into the compartments and in the alignment of the containers on their respective support sections. The guide structures according to the invention serve not only as channels for the alignment of the containers but also for fixing the stored container, for example, in the event of collisions with other containers or under the influence of strong winds. Short description of the characters

[0020] Other features, objects and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of the high-bay warehouse according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of a guide structure used in a high-bay warehouse according to the invention. Detailed description of the characters

[0021] The implementations of the present application are explained in conjunction with specific examples, and those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present application with reference to the contents disclosed in the present application. The system of the present application can also be implemented or applied by other specific implementations. Various details in the present application can also be modified or changed in any way according to different aspects and application systems without departing from the spirit of the present application. It should be noted that the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present application can be combined with each other as long as this does not result in a conflict.

[0022] The embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the application. The present application can be implemented in various ways, but is not limited to the embodiments described here.

[0023] In the illustrations of the present application, illustrations with reference to the term "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "an example," "a particular example," or "some examples," or the like, mean that a particular feature, structure, material, or property illustrated in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. Furthermore, the particular feature, structure, material, or property illustrated may be combined in one or more embodiments or examples in any suitable manner. Furthermore, one skilled in the art may incorporate and combine various embodiments or examples and features of various embodiments or examples presented in the present application, as long as this does not constitute a contradiction.

[0024] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply a relative importance or the number of specified technical features. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly encompass at least one of the features. In the illustrations of this application, the term "plural" means two or more, unless expressly and specifically defined otherwise.

[0025] In order to clearly explain the present application, components that are not relevant to the explanation are omitted, and the same or similar components are identified by the same reference symbols throughout the description.

[0026] Whenever the description refers to a particular component being "connected" to another component, this includes not only the case of a "direct connection" but also the case of an "indirect connection" through the interposition of other elements. When a particular component is said to "include" a particular constituent element, this does not mean, unless otherwise stated, that it excludes other constituent elements, but rather that other constituent elements may be included.

[0027] When one says that a particular component is "above" another component, it can be directly above another component, but it can also be accompanied by other components between them. When one component is comparatively said to be "directly" "above" another component, there are no other components between them.

[0028] Although terms such as "first" and "second" are used in some cases herein to represent different elements, those elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are used merely to distinguish one element from another, for example, representations of a first interface and a second interface. Furthermore, singular forms such as "a," "an," "an," and "the" used herein should be construed to include a plural form unless the context indicates otherwise. It should further be understood that the terms "include" and "including" indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, elements, assemblies, items, types, and / or groups, but do not preclude the presence, occurrence, or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, assemblies, items, types, and / or groups.As used herein, the terms "or" and "and / or" are interpreted as encompassing or meaning any one or any combination. Therefore, "A, B, or C" or "A, B, and / or C" means "one of: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B, and C." Exceptions to this definition occur only when the combination of elements, functions, steps, or operations is mutually exclusive in some way.

[0029] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to be limiting of this application. The singular forms used herein include the plural forms unless the contrary intent is clearly expressed. The terms "include" and / or "including" are used in the description to specify particular features, ranges, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of other features, ranges, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components.

[0030] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are additionally interpreted to have a meaning consistent with the relevant technical literature and the present disclosure, and are not to be unduly interpreted to have an ideal or highly formulaic meaning unless defined.

[0031] Fig. Figure 1 is a schematic representation of the high-bay warehouse 1 according to the present disclosure. As shown, the high-bay warehouse 1 of the present disclosure comprises a plurality of container racks 2 distributed along two sides of an aisle or aisle 9, each of the container racks 2 comprising a plurality of load-bearing supports. The load-bearing supports are provided with support sections 3 configured to support both ends of a floor surface of a container 4 or four corners of the floor surface to form a separate container storage location 5.The container racks 2 are distributed along two sides of an aisle 9, each of the container racks 2 comprising a plurality of load-bearing posts, the load-bearing posts being provided with limiting support portions extending along a vertical direction and configured to support both ends of a bottom surface of a container 4 or four corners of the container 4 to form a separate container storage location 5.Each separate container storage location 5 is arranged in a single-layer matrix along a vertical plane on the base of the supporting stand, with a central part of the bottom surface of the container 4 located at the separate container storage location 5 being suspended, with a gap 10 between the containers 4 in a vertical direction forming an insertion space, wherein the container 4 at each separate container storage location 5 has an independent handling path for individually moving horizontally to reach a passage in the vertical plane where the aisle 9 is located. The multi-layer frame construction of the present disclosure provides a separate storage space for each container 4, so that the containers 4 are stored independently of each other.The target container 4 can be directly operated when picking up or putting down the containers 4, and the target container 4 does not interfere with the other containers 4; the vertical space of the warehouse can be better utilized by increasing the frame structure. The load-bearing stand is provided with a plurality of horizontal connecting rods in different height directions, the horizontal connecting rods being in surface contact with and supporting both ends of the bottom surface of the container 4. The load-bearing post is provided with a plurality of support sections 3 in different height directions, the support sections 3 being in surface contact with and supporting four corners of the bottom surface of the container 4. The container rack further includes a diagonal connecting rod connecting the horizontal connecting rod and the load-bearing post.The high-bay warehouse 1 further comprises a container stacker crane that moves along the aisle or lane 9. The vertical, flat passage in which the aisle 9 is located forms a handling space for the container stacker crane to handle the container. The container stacker crane comprises a horizontal travel unit, a stacker, and a horizontal fork. The horizontal travel unit moves along the aisle 9. The stacker is attached to the horizontal travel unit.The horizontal fork is driven by the forklift to be raised and lowered in the vertical direction, and the horizontal fork enters and exits the insertion space starting from a side surface of the horizontal travel unit to lift or lower the container 4, thereby handling the container 4 between a container transfer vehicle and the independent container storage space 5, wherein the distance or gap 10 between the containers 4 in the vertical direction is larger than the thickness of the horizontal fork of the three-dimensional handling device. The high bay warehouse 1 further includes a ceiling supported by the supporting post to cover the independent container storage spaces 5 and the aisles 9, wherein the ceiling is an integrated plate-like structure that can shield the sun and rain.The integrated construction of a ceiling rail and the structure of the freight yard ensures stable and reliable horizontal support of the horizontal wheels at an upper part of the stacker. The high-bay warehouse 1 also includes a lifting rail mounted on the underside of the ceiling, which cooperates with the aisle 9 to guide the three-dimensional handling device to move rectilinearly along the aisle 9. The supporting posts of the container rack are arranged in a direction parallel to the aisle 9. The high-bay warehouse 1 according to the invention can be used for stacking containers 4, and its multi-layer structure can ensure that the containers 4 are stacked in multiple layers without colliding with each other and ensure that the containers 4 are independent of each other, resulting in better space utilization and convenience in picking up and putting down the containers 4.Both ends of the racking structure protrude outward, and an upper part of the rack 2 is equipped with a ceiling rail, allowing the container stacker to move horizontally. The upper part of the rack 2 is equipped with a ceiling, which effectively protects the container 4 from direct sunlight and prevents the container 4 from getting wet due to rain, thus creating a comfortable storage environment for the container 4 stacking area 2.

[0032] Fig. Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of a guide structure 6 used in the high-bay warehouse 1 according to the invention. The guide structure 6 consists of three components 6.1-6.3, each having an inclined surface 6a that is vertically inclined to the base of the guide structure 6 or to a corner of a container 4 to be placed on the support section 3. Each support section 3 of each separate container storage location 5 has at least two, preferably four, guide structures 6 of similar shape and size. Fig.Figure 2 shows an embodiment in which the guide structure 6 consists of three elements 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3, wherein two of the guide structure elements 6.1 and 6.2 are aligned parallel to each other and attached to a first side of the support section 3, while the third guide structure element 6.3 is arranged on a second side of the support section 3, which is perpendicular to the first side. The three guide structure elements 6.1 to 6.3 thus surround the corner of a container 4 placed on the support section 3 and serve as three-dimensional guide elements for the corner of the container 4.

[0033] When a container is handled in the high-bay warehouse according to the invention, the target container can be moved directly without having to handle another container. This significantly accelerates the speed of container transport and outbound scheduling, reduces unnecessary handling operations, and improves the safety of unmanned quays in port environments. Furthermore, the alignment of containers in each separate container storage location can be achieved automatically using the guide structures on the support sections, which ensure mandatory guidance of the container corners onto the support sections when they are lowered by the container stacker crane.

[0034] The above content is a further detailed description of the present disclosure in conjunction with specific preferred embodiments, and the specific embodiments of the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited to these descriptions. Those skilled in the art of the present disclosure may easily make several derivations or substitutions without departing from the concept of the present disclosure, which are considered to fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

[1] High-bay warehouse (1) with a plurality of container racks (2) distributed along two sides of an aisle (9), each of the container racks (2) comprising a plurality of load-bearing uprights, the load-bearing uprights being provided with support sections (3) configured to support both ends of a floor surface of a container (4) or four corners of the floor surface of the container (4) to form a separate container storage space (5), a central part of the floor surface of the container (4) located at the independent container storage location (5) remaining free and forming a gap (10) between the containers (4) in a vertical direction, forming a push-in space, at least two support sections (3) of each independent container storage location (5), preferably each support section (3), being equipped with at least one guide structure (6),which extends upwards from the support section (3) and has at least one surface (6a) which is inclined with respect to the vertical direction and towards the upper surface of the support section, [2] High-bay warehouse (1) according to claim 1, characterized by that the load-bearing stand is provided with several horizontal connecting rods in different height directions, wherein the horizontal connecting rods are in surface contact with both ends of the base surface of the container (4) and support it. [3] High-bay warehouse (1) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized by that the load-bearing stand is provided with a plurality of support sections in different height directions, wherein the support sections are in surface contact with the four corners of the bottom surface of the container (4) and support them. [4] High-bay warehouse (1) according to claim 2, characterized bythat the container rack (2) further comprises a diagonal connecting bar connecting the horizontal connecting bar and the load-bearing stand. [5] High-bay warehouse (1) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one container storage and retrieval machine with a horizontal travel unit that moves along a rail (7) within the aisle (9), and a horizontal fork that is driven by the storage and retrieval machine for lifting and lowering in the vertical direction, and the horizontal fork enters and exits the insertion space on the basis of a side surface of the horizontal travel assembly to lift or lower the container (4) to move the container (4) between a container storage and retrieval machine and the separate container storage location (5), wherein the distance between the containers (4) in the vertical direction is greater than the thickness of the horizontal fork of the container storage and retrieval machine. [6] High-bay warehouse (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the guide structures (6) are designed to align a container (4) lowered onto the support sections (3) into a desired position within the separate container storage area (5). [7] High-bay warehouse (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that each guide structure (6) has at least one inclined surface (6a), whereby an inclination is formed in the direction of the desired position of the corner of the container (4) on the support section (3). [8] High-bay warehouse (1) according to claim 7, characterized by that the inclination (6a) of each guide structure (6) is aligned with the geometric center of the corner position of the container (4) on the support section (3) in each separate container storage location (5). [9] High-bay warehouse (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the guide structures (6) have a square cross-section in a plan view from above, wherein the bevels (6a) extend diagonally over at least one half of the square cross-section. [10] High-bay warehouse (1) according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized by that the guide structures (6) consist of at least two separate components (6.1, 6.2) which are fastened to the support section (3), preferably to all support sections (3), of a separate container storage location (5). [11] High-bay warehouse (1) according to claim 10, characterized by that the guide structures (6) consist of at least two separate components (6.1, 6.2) which are fastened to the support section (3) in such a way that their respective inclined surfaces (6a) are aligned perpendicular to one another. [12] High-bay warehouse (1) according to claim 10 or 11, characterized bythat at least two individual parts (6.1, 6.2) of the guide structures (6) are fastened parallel to one another to the support section (3), wherein preferably a pair of parallel individual parts (6.1, 6.2) is aligned perpendicular to at least one further individual part (6.3). [13] High-bay warehouse (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the guide structures (6) of each separate container storage location (5) are attached to the support sections (3) by enclosing the areas associated with the corners of the containers (4) to be placed on the support sections (3). [14] High-bay warehouse (1) according to claim 13, characterized by that the distance between the guide structures (6) in each corner area assigned to the container (4) is greater than or corresponds to the dimensions of the container (4) to be stored. [15] High-bay warehouse (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the guide structures (6) are made of metal and are detachably fastened to the support sections (3), preferably by means of screws.

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