MATERIAL CART AND METHOD FOR SUPPLYING WORK MATERIAL TO A MACHINE

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a material trolley for delivering work material, particularly consumable material, to a machine processing the work material. The invention also relates to a corresponding method.

[0002] Such trolleys are typically used to provide work materials to a user of a machine that processes the work materials. As part of work preparation, the trolleys are first loaded in a materials warehouse with the work materials required for the user's work shift—i.e., the shift quantity—and then moved to the immediate vicinity next to the machine, allowing the machine user to remove the work materials from the trolley and feed them to the machine. A material trolley according to the preamble of claim 1 is known, for example, from DE 20 2010 011 399 U1. The workshop trolley shown therein has a series of drawers that can be secured by means of a locking device to prevent unauthorized access to the contents of the drawers.

[0003] In addition, DE 10 2014 207 572 A1 discloses a material carrier for a workshop or a production facility, in the frame of which one or more shelves or drawers are arranged in which the work materials to be served are stored.

[0004] The problem with the trolleys known from the prior art, however, is that monitoring of access to the work materials contained in the material trolley is only possible to a limited extent. Thus, with the device known from DE 20 2010 011 399 U1, anyone in possession of the appropriate key can ultimately unlock the locking device and gain access to the work materials, regardless of whether they are authorized to do so. This therefore represents a significant safety risk, since, particularly when safety-relevant and / or valuable work materials are being delivered to a machine processing the work materials, it is important to ensure that access to the work materials by unauthorized persons is prevented.

[0005] US 2016 / 0307150 A1 describes a tool cart designed to detect whether a tool is present within the cart or whether it has been removed. This involves optical detection of RFID tags that are attached to the tools or can be detected in molds adapted to the tools within the individual drawers.

[0006] US 2014 / 350716 A1 describes a tool cart that monitors the fill levels of the battery packs it contains. The monitoring results can then be transmitted via a network to a higher-level server (inventory control server), which also monitors the presence or absence of tools contained in the tool cart.

[0007] US 2010 / 0039513 A1 describes a tool cart equipped with one or more cameras to detect the tools in the drawers. This tool cart also has an access control system to verify whether the user is authorized to remove certain tools from the toolbox.

[0008] If there is no authorization, the drawers of the tool trolley are kept in a closed position.

[0009] US 2012 / 0048878 A1 describes a permanently installed, i.e., stationary, tool dispenser. This machine allows individual drawers or front panels to be opened and closed by motor.

[0010] US 9,643,638 B1 describes a remote-controlled, motorized and self-propelled cart which is designed as a service cart, a tool box, a workstation or the like.

[0011] The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a material trolley and a method of the type mentioned at the outset, in which the control over access to the work material located in the material trolley is improved, while also preventing the production of rejects.

[0012] The problem concerning the material trolley is solved with a material trolley according to the features of claim 1.

[0013] The material trolley has a housing to which a plurality of wheels are assigned, enabling its movement. Furthermore, at least one material carrier for holding the work material is formed in the housing. The trolley is also assigned a manually or automatically operable trolley front, which allows access to the material carrier and is lockable by a locking device. According to the invention, the locking device can be adjusted by an electronic authentication device between a closed position, which prevents access to the material carrier, and an open position, in which access to the material carrier is permitted.

[0014] The authentication device makes it possible to identify the user who activates the authentication device. If the identified user has the appropriate authorization, the locking device is moved from the closed position to the open position. The user can then at least partially open the carriage front and remove the work material from or to the material carrier and feed it to the machine.

[0015] In this context, it has proven particularly advantageous if the authentication device is selected from a group that includes card readers, biometric data capture devices, and PIN entry fields. This makes it easy to clearly identify the user who wishes to remove the work material from the material trolley and to verify whether they have the necessary authorization to do so. Furthermore, the use of a biometric data capture device, such as a fingerprint scanner or an iris scanner, further reduces the risk of unauthorized persons gaining access to the work material.

[0016] To further hinder unauthorized removal of the work material during transport from the material storage area to the machine processing the work material, the invention provides for a communication module to be assigned to the authentication device for detecting a machine signal emitted by the machine that activates the locking device. This ensures that the user can only remove the work material from the material trolley when the material trolley receives the machine signal emitted by the machine, i.e., is coupled to it.

[0017] Thus, the invention provides that the machine processing the work material can be connected or coupled to the material carriage for communication purposes, and that the locking device is only moved to the open position when a communication module receives a machine signal emitted by the machine. This provides additional protection against the material stored in the material carriage being fed to the "wrong" machine for processing, thus preventing the production of waste.

[0018] According to the invention, it is provided that the locking device is only activated when the machine signal of a given, thus predefined or predetermined, in particular uniquely identifiable, machine is detected.

[0019] This coupling or communication connection can be implemented, for example, through a short-range radio connection, such as a Bluetooth or NFC connection. This ensures that the coupling, and ultimately access to the work material, is only possible when the material cart is located directly next to the machine. However, if the material cart is outside the "aura" of the machine, i.e., outside the range of the machine signal, the material cart is not coupled to the machine, and the locking device is deactivated. While the user can then activate the authentication device, this does not result in the locking device being moved from the closed to the open position. An exception to this is provided within the scope of the invention if the user has the appropriate authorization.In this case, the locking device is activated even if the communication module does not detect a machine signal.

[0020] In order to monitor and track the removal of materials, it has proven particularly advantageous if the authentication device includes a storage unit for recording and storing the information about the user who activated the authentication device. This makes it possible to always track who activated the authentication device and at what time. Alternatively or additionally, it is also possible in this context for the information about the user who activated the authentication device to be transmitted directly, for example, via radio, to a central storage device.

[0021] It has also proven advantageous to provide a fill level monitor to record the work material contained on the at least one material carrier. This allows the removed work material to be monitored. At the same time, the remaining amount of work material in the material trolley can also be recorded. If the fill level of the work material falls below a predetermined target value, a message can be issued, for example, indicating the need to replenish the material stock. The fill level monitor can be provided, for example, by a weighing device or an optical detection device. If several material carriers are arranged in the material trolley or if the trolley is further subdivided, each material carrier or the individual compartments can be assigned its own fill level monitor.

[0022] In this context, it has also proven particularly advantageous to provide a display device for outputting the fill level, which is coupled to the fill level monitor via a communication link. Thus, the amount of material still present on the material carriers can be constantly displayed on the display device, which is preferably designed as a display. In this context, it is also advantageous to provide a transmitter device for wirelessly transmitting the data acquired by the fill level monitor to a central processing unit.

[0023] Especially when using the material trolley in printing companies that produce identification documents such as passports or identity cards, it has proven particularly advantageous if the material carriers are designed to hold material sheets and / or material rolls.

[0024] It has also proven effective if the trolley front comprises a front selected from a group that includes drawer fronts, doors, and flaps. When doors and flaps are used as the trolley front or as parts thereof, the individual material supports in the housing are formed, for example, by inserts. If, on the other hand, the trolley front comprises drawer fronts, the corresponding drawer bottoms of the drawers form the material supports. In this context, it has proven particularly effective if the trolley front comprises at least one drawer front of a drawer that can be adjusted by an automatic drawer drive. This drawer drive ensures that the drawer containing the work material required for the next work step is always opened automatically, effectively reducing the risk of incorrect operation.It has proven particularly advantageous to provide a control unit that can be coupled to the machine and controls the opening and closing of the drawer drive associated with the drawer. This allows the control unit to receive corresponding signals from the machine, ensuring that the drawer containing the work material required for the next work step is always automatically opened and closed again after the work material has been removed.

[0025] It has also proven effective to have stops on the material supports to prevent the work materials in the drawers from slipping. In addition, the use of notches in the material supports facilitates the removal of work materials. In the case of drawers, these notches can also be located in one or both side walls of the drawer.

[0026] For the handling of the material cart according to the invention, it has also proven advantageous if a drive device is provided for driving the material cart. The drive device can drive one or more of the wheels. Alternatively, however, it is also provided within the scope of the invention that the drive device has an additional drive wheel with which the material cart can be driven.

[0027] In this context, it has also proven advantageous if the drive device is present and configured to move the material carriage with motor support between a first position, thus preferably starting from a material storage area, and a second position, thus preferably to the machine processing the work material, in an at least partially automated, preferably fully automated manner. In the latter case, the material carriage is designed to be self-propelled.

[0028] It is also possible for one or more travel commands to be transmitted to the material trolley via a higher-level central processing unit, and for the material trolley to be self-propelled in such a way as to execute the one or more travel commands. This allows for a high degree of automation in the supply of work material to the machine.

[0029] The object of the method is achieved by a method according to claim 11. It comprises the following steps: Recording the fill level of the work material on a material carrier of the material trolley; if necessary, filling the material carrier by an authorized user if the fill level of the work material falls below a target value; moving the material trolley to a machine processing the work material; identifying a user on an authentication device of the material trolley; adjusting a locking device, which closes a trolley front allowing access to the material carrier, from a closed position to an open position; removing the work material required for the respective work step from the material carrier; and feeding the work material to the machine.

[0030] The method according to the invention ensures that, in particular, the removal of the work material from the material trolley and also its filling can only be carried out by an authorized user, thereby making unauthorized removal or theft of work material from the material trolley more difficult.

[0031] It has also proven beneficial to send a message, preferably to the central processing unit, when the fill level of the work material falls below a target value. Refilling is then initiated. This ensures that the required amount of work material is always available. The material cart is then configured as an automated KANBAN system.

[0032] In order to prevent the work material from being stolen from the material trolley on the way to the machine, the invention provides that the locking device is only activated, and thus moved into the open position, when the material trolley or a communication module of the material trolley detects or receives a machine signal emitted by the machine.

[0033] It has proven advantageous if the material trolley is moved to the machine at least partially automatically by means of a drive device, based on a travel command or on the basis of several travel commands that are transmitted to the material trolley or its communication module by a higher-level central processing unit.

[0034] In the following, the invention is explained in more detail using an embodiment shown in the drawing; in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a material trolley according to the invention and Fig. 2 is an exemplary flow diagram of the supply of work material to a machine with a material trolley.

[0035] Figure 1shows a perspective view of a material trolley 1 with a housing 2, on the underside of which a plurality of rollers 3 with wheels 4 are arranged in order to be able to move or displace the material trolley 1. The housing 2 consists of a frame 2.1 made of aluminum profiles, to which panels 2.2 are attached. On a manually or automatically operated trolley front 5 of the housing 2, a plurality of drawer fronts 6 can be seen, which are formed as part of drawers 7. The drawer bottoms of the drawers 7 form material carriers 8, on which the work material 9 to be served is held. The drawer fronts 6 or the drawers 7 are each secured by a locking device 10, which can be adjusted by an electronic authentication device 11 between an open position allowing access to the material carrier 8 and a closed position in which access to the material carrier 8 is prevented.In the closed position, the drawers 7 cannot be opened, and thus the user cannot remove any work material 9 from the material carrier 8. Only when the user, who has the appropriate authorization, has identified themselves at the authentication device 11 is the locking device 10 moved from the closed position to the open position, which is done electronically in the illustrated embodiment. The user can then open the drawer 7 and remove the work material 9 from or in the material carrier 8. The authentication device 11 is designed here as a fingerprint scanner 12, which is integrated into a display device 13 arranged on an upper side 14 of the material trolley 1.In order to identify himself, the user simply has to place his finger on the fingerprint scanner 12 integrated in the display device 13, which checks whether the user has the appropriate authorization to remove the work material 9 located in the material trolley 1.

[0036] In the illustrated embodiment, the authentication device 11 is assigned a communication module 15, which can detect a machine signal emitted by the machine in order to activate the locking devices 10. Therefore, if the material carriage 1 approaches the machine sufficiently close to the machine for the machine signal to be detected by the communication module 15, the locking devices 10 are activated. Therefore, only when the material carriage 1 is in the immediate vicinity of the machine is it possible—after successful identification at the authentication device 11—to open the drawers 7 and remove the work material 9 from the material carriers 8, since only then does successful identification lead to an adjustment of the locking devices 10 from the closed position to the open position.In order to record and store the user activating the authentication device 11, a storage unit 16 is also provided, which, in addition to the identity of the user, also records the exact time at which the user activates the authentication device 11.

[0037] In the Figure 1The material trolley 1 shown also features fill level monitors 17, each of which is integrated into the drawers 7 and continuously records the amount of work material 9 contained on the respective material carriers 8. The fill level monitors 17 are coupled to the display device 13 via a communication connection in order to display the respective fill level there. Furthermore, a transmitting device 19 is arranged on the top side 14 of the housing 2, with which the data recorded by the fill level monitors 17 and also by the authentication device 11 and stored in the memory unit 16 are wirelessly transmitted to a central processing unit. The fill level can also be checked visually, since in the illustrated embodiment, the trolley fronts 5 and / or the material carriers 8 are at least partially transparent.An embodiment not shown in detail provides transparent carriage fronts 5 and / or transparent material carriers 8.

[0038] The adjustment of the drawers 7, which simultaneously comprise the drawer fronts 6 as part of the carriage front 5 and the material carriers 8, is each carried out by an automatic drawer drive 20 that opens and closes the drawers 7. To control the locking device 10 and the automatic drawer drives 20, a control unit 21 is provided, which is coupled to the machine and controls the respective locking device 10 and the automatic drawer drives 20 of the drawers 7. Thus, the drawer 7 containing the work material 9 required for the next work step is always opened automatically so that the user can remove the work material 9 from it and feed it to the machine. Preferably, the locking device 10 blocks those drawers 7 or compartments in which work material 9 is stored that is not required for the next work step of the machine.

[0039] While the drawers 7 are designed to hold sheets of material, on a side wall 22 of the housing 2, essentially horizontally arranged receiving tubes 23 and a balcony 24 are arranged for holding additional roll material. Figure 1 As can also be seen, recesses 25 are formed on the drawer fronts 6 instead of handles, which facilitate the removal of the work material 9 from the rear area of ​​the drawers 7. Also not shown in the drawing is an energy source serving to supply electrical energy, which is designed, for example, as an accumulator and, in addition to supplying voltage to, among other things, the display device 13 and the authentication device 11, also supplies electrical energy to a drive driving the wheels 4. Handles 26 are also attached to the side walls 22 to facilitate moving or displacing the material trolley 1.

[0040] In the following, the method according to the invention is described in more detail using Fig. 2described. The starting point is a material trolley 1 located in a materials warehouse in which work materials 9 are centrally stored. First, the individual fill levels of the work materials 9 on material carriers 8 of the material trolley 1 are recorded by fill level monitors 17 (step: fill level query 201). If the fill level of one of the work materials 9 falls below a specified target value (target value undershoot 202), which corresponds to the amount of material required within a work shift, the respective material carrier 8 is refilled by a user, for example, by a picker (optional step: material refill 203). This ensures that the work material 9 located in the material trolley 1 is sufficient for the duration of a work shift. Otherwise, the fill level query 201 should show that the target value has been reached or exceeded (target value fulfillment 204).In order to gain access to the respective material carriers 8 during material filling 203, the user must first identify themselves using an authentication device 11 (optional step: (re-)filling authorization check 205). If the user has the appropriate authorization, locking devices 10, which secure and lock the drawers 7 and in particular their drawer fronts 6, are moved from the closed position to the open position, so that the user is now able to open the drawers 7 and fill the material carriers 8 with the work material 9 until the fill level of the work material 9 reaches or exceeds the specified target value. The locking devices 10 are then moved back from the open position to the closed position, and the material carriage 1 is moved—preferably motor-assisted—to a machine processing the work material 9 (step: carriage movement 206).At this time, the locking devices 10 are deactivated, so that even if the authentication device 11 is actuated, the respective locking device 10 cannot be moved from the closed position to the open position. At this time, removal of the work material 9 from the material carriers 8 is ultimately not possible without special authorization. As soon as the material carriage 1 approaches the machine, a communication module 15 assigned to the authentication device 11 can receive a machine signal emitted by the machine. If the specified machine signal matches the material carriage 1, the locking device 10 of the material carriage 1 is activated (error-free signal 208). If an incorrect or faulty signal 209 is received by the communication module 15, the locking device 10 is kept inactive (step: deactivating or keeping the locking device 214 inactive).Upon receipt of an error-free signal 208, the machine is thus coupled to the material carriage 1, and the user can identify themselves using the authentication device 11 (step: removal authorization check 210). After successful identification (error-free identification 211), the activated locking device 10 is moved from the closed position to the open position (step: material release 213) to enable access to the drawers 7 or the drawer fronts 6. If the identification is unsuccessful (incorrect identification 212), the locking device 10 is deactivated, meaning that no material can be removed.

[0041] According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the work material 9 required for the respective upcoming work step is automatically provided to the user from the corresponding drawer 7. For this purpose, automatic drawer drives 20 are provided, which are automatically adjusted by a control device 21 coupled to the machine. The user therefore only needs to remove the required work material from the open drawer 7 and feed it to the machine (step: material removal 215).

[0042] Another embodiment of a material trolley 1 provides that the respective locking device 10 is designed as a time lock, so that the user removing the material only has a predefined time to remove the work material 9 from the specified drawer 7 or from the specified material carrier 8. This not only allows for a limitation of the removal quantity but can also specify a cycle for the delivery process to the machine.

[0043] If the fill level of the work material 9 falls below a specified target value, an automatic message is issued and the work material 9 is refilled accordingly. To ensure continuous monitoring of the work material 9 used, the respective user is recorded when filling the material carrier 8 and / or removing the work material 9 from the material carrier 8. This allows the path of the work material 9 used to be fully traced. List of reference symbols

[0044] 1Material trolley 2Housing 2.1Frame 2.2Panel 3Roller 4Wheel 5Trolley front 6Drawer front 7Drawer 8Material carrier 9Working material 10Locking device 11Authentication device 12Fingerprint scanner 13Display device 14Top 15Communication module 16Storage unit 17Fill level monitoring 19Transmitting device 20Drawer drive 21Control unit 22Side wall 23Receiving tube 24Balcony 25Recess 26Handle 201Fill level query 202Setpoint undershoot 203Material filling 204Setpoint fulfillment 205Fill authorization check 206Trolley movement 207Machine signal reception 208Error-free signal received 209Error-correct signal received 210Removal authorization check 211Error-free check / identification 212Incorrect check / identification 213Material release 214Deactivating / keeping the locking device inactive 215Material removal

Claims

1. A material car (1) for delivering work material (9) to a machine processing the work material (9), having a housing (2) with which a plurality of wheels (4) enabling the material car (1) to move are associated, having at least one material carrier (8) arranged in the housing (2) for receiving the work material (9), and having a front (5) which can be actuated manually or automatically and which can be locked by a locking device (10), whereas the locking device (10) is able to be actuated by an electronic authentication device (11) between a closed position, in which access to the material carrier (8) is denied, and an open position, in which access to the material carrier (8) is granted, characterized in that a communication module (15) is assigned to the authentication device (11), in that the machine processing the work material (9) can be communicatively connected or coupled to the material car (1) in order to detect a machine signal emitted by the machine, and in that the locking device (10) is only moved into the open position when the communication module (15) receives a machine signal emitted by the machine, wherein upon receipt of a machine signal matching to the material car (1) in the form of an error-free signal (208), the machine is coupled to the material car (1) and the locking device (10) of the material car (1) is activated, wherein a user can identify himself at the authentication device (11) upon receipt of the error-free signal (208), and wherein, after successful identification by the user, the activated locking device (10) is moved from the closed position to the open position.

2. The material car (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the authentication device (11) is selected from a group comprising card readers, biometric data capture devices and PIN input fields.

3. The material car (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the authentication device (11) comprises a storage unit (16) for recording and storing the user operating the authentication device (11).

4. The material car (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a fill level monitoring device (17) is provided for detecting the work material (9) contained on the at least one material carrier (8).

5. The material car (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that a display device (13) is provided for outputting the fill level, which is coupled to the fill level monitoring device (17) via a communication link.

6. The material car (1) according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that a sender (19) is provided for wireless transmission of the data recorded by the fill level monitoring device (17) to a central computing unit.

7. Material car (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the at least one material carrier (8) is designed to receive material sheets (22) and / or material rolls (23).

8. The material car (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the front (5) comprises at least one drawer front (6) of a drawer (7) which is preferably adjustable by an automatic drawer slide (20).

9. The material car (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a drive device is present and is designed to move the material car (1) between a first position and a second position in an at least partially automated manner with motor support.

10. The material car (1) according to claim 9, characterized in that one or more moving commands can be transmitted to the material car (1) by means of a higher-level central computing unit, and in that the material car (1) is designed to be self-propelled in such a way as to execute the one or more moving commands.

11. A method for delivering work material (9) stored in a material car (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10 to a machine processing the work material (9), comprising the steps of: - detecting the fill level of the work material (9) on a material carrier (8) of the material car (1); - if necessary, filling the material carrier (8) by an authorized user if the fill level of the work material (9) falls below a setpoint value; - moving the material car (1) to a machine processing the work material (9), wherein the processing machine is communicatively connected to the material car (1) for detecting a machine signal emitted by the machine, wherein upon receipt of a machine signal matching to the material car (1) in the form of an error-free signal (208), the machine is coupled to the material car (1), wherein a locking device (10) of the material car (1) is activated, and wherein a user can identify himself at an authentication device (11); - identifying the user at the authentication device (11) of the material car (1); - after successful identification by the user at the authentication device (11), actuating the locking device (10), which secures a front (5) allowing access to the material carrier (8), from a closed position to an open position, the locking device (10) only being moved to the open position when the communication module (15) receives a machine signal emitted by the machine; - taking the work material (9) required for the respective work step from the material carrier (8); and - adding the work material (9) to the machine.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the material car (1) is moved at least partially automatically to the machine by means of a drive device on the basis of a moving command transmitted to the material car (1) by a higher-level central computing unit.