EP2239226A1 - Automated stacker crane system - Google Patents

Abstract

The system (1) has a storage and retrieval machine (10) assembled between an upper guiding rail (21) and a lower guide rail (22). The machine has a vertical mast (11) equipped with an upper guiding system (14). Stabilization units (18) comprise stabilization elements (181a, 181b) i.e. rotary rollers, cooperating with complementary stabilization elements (23a, 23b) of a storage system transversely displaced with respect to a median longitudinal displacement plane of the vertical mast in order to maintain a constant distance between the mast and the complementary stabilization elements.

Description

The present invention relates to an automated storage system, for high storage furniture, comprising a stacker crane.

The stacker cranes are handling devices mounted generally on one or more guide rails and moving between the storage furniture of the handling area to deposit or remove loads.

The known type of stacker cranes conventionally comprise a base on which is mounted a vertical mast, upper and lower guiding systems cooperating with upper and lower guide rails to guide the stacker crane along a longitudinal axis of displacement, drive means for moving the stacker crane according to the axis of longitudinal displacement, and a lift truck slidably mounted along the vertical mast along a vertical axis and equipped with means for gripping and depositing loads able to move along a transverse axis during the gripping operations or depositing loads in the storage cabinets.

This type of structure makes it possible to produce stacker cranes with low heights, of the order of 10 meters. For higher heights and an identical footprint, this type of implementation does not guarantee a stable behavior of the structure, especially during the operations of setting and depositing loads in the storage cabinets, which operations are generating transverse excitations.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple storage system design, reaching high heights, stable and robust, especially during the phases of setting and depositing loads in storage cabinets.

For this purpose, an automated storage system is proposed according to the invention in which the dynamic behavior of the stacker crane according to the transverse axis is modified at least during the mechanical excitation phases.

Indeed, the stacker crane generally has an oscillation frequency along the longitudinal axis of displacement, called longitudinal natural frequency, and a frequency of oscillation along the transverse axis, said transverse eigenfrequency. These eigenfrequencies vary in particular according to the structure and height of the mast, the position of the on-board weight and the connections between the guide means and the guide rails.

During the operations of setting and depositing loads in the storage cabinets, the actuation of the gripping and depositing means of the stacker crane according to the transverse axis causes a mechanical excitation of the structure of the stacker crane and creates an oscillation thereof along the transverse axis. If the frequency of this excitation is close to the transverse eigenfrequency of the stacker crane, the structure of the stacker crane can then resonate and vibrate dangerously. This is the case when the transverse natural frequency of the system is N Hertz and the duration of one of the phases of the cycle of setting or depositing charges is close to 1 / N seconds.

Also, according to the invention, there is provided an automated storage system in which the mast of the stacker crane is stabilized especially during the picking and depositing phases of the loads to change the transverse internal frequency of the stacker crane.

To this end, the invention relates to an automated storage system for high storage cabinets comprising a stacker crane mounted between a fixed upper guide rail and a fixed lower guide rail, said stacker crane comprising a vertical mast equipped, preferably in upper end, an upper guide system, a base equipped with a lower guide system, on which is mounted said vertical mast, said lower guide system and said upper guide system respectively cooperating with said lower guide rail and said upper guide rail for guiding the stacker crane according to a first axis of displacement, said longitudinal axis, said lower guide system and / or said upper guide system being equipped with drive means for moving the stacker crane according to said first axis of displacement, and a forklift slidably mounted along the mast tical along a second axis of displacement, said vertical axis, substantially perpendicular to said axis longitudinal, and equipped with means for gripping and depositing loads able to move along a third axis of displacement, said transverse axis, substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis and vertical axis, during operations of taking or depositing loads in the furniture storage. According to the invention, the stacker crane is furthermore equipped with stabilization means mounted on the vertical mast and positioned between said lower guide system and said upper guide system, said stabilizing means comprising at least one stabilizing element capable of cooperating with at least one fixed complementary stabilizing element of the storage system shifted transversely to the median longitudinal plane of movement of the vertical mast at least during operations of setting or depositing loads in the storage cabinets when said stacker crane is at the stopping along said longitudinal axis of movement to maintain a substantially constant distance between the vertical mast and said complementary stabilizing element and stabilize said vertical mast.

The stabilizing element cooperates with the complementary stabilizing element with or without contact. According to a non-contact embodiment, the complementary stabilizing element acts at a distance on the stabilization element mounted on the vertical mast, or vice versa, to maintain a substantially constant distance between the mast and the fixed complementary stabilizing element. The stabilizing element and the complementary stabilizing element form, for example, an electromagnetic system, one of the two elements exerting a magnetic force on the other element as soon as the distance between the two elements differs from a predetermined reference distance. .

According to another embodiment, the stabilizing element cooperates by contact with the complementary stabilizing element. The complementary stabilizing element is then a fixed support element and the stabilizing element comes into contact with said complementary stabilizing element in order to modify the transverse natural frequency of the mast and stabilize it at least during operations of setting or depositing loads in the storage cabinets.

When the stabilizing element is in contact with the fixed support element, it increases the transverse internal frequency of the stacker crane so that it is different from the excitation frequency caused by the operation of setting or depositing charges in the storage cabinets and thus avoiding the resonance of the structure of the stacker crane subjected to mechanical excitations, in particular during operations of taking or depositing loads in storage furniture.

According to a preferred embodiment, the stabilizing means comprise two stabilizing elements disposed substantially symmetrically along said median longitudinal plane and able to come into contact respectively with two associated bearing elements also arranged substantially symmetrically along said median longitudinal plane, each element support member comprising a bearing surface against which the associated stabilizing element bears, the bearing surfaces being arranged vis-à-vis. When these two stabilizing elements are in contact with the two fixed support elements, they block, at their points of attachment to the mast, the movement of the mast in both directions along the transverse axis.

Advantageously, at least one stabilizing element is equipped with an actuating means for moving transversely, along the transverse axis, said stabilizing element between a retracted position and an active position in which said stabilizing element is in contact with the associated support element.

Preferably, the two stabilizing elements are equipped with actuating means for moving transversely, preferably synchronously, said stabilizing elements between a retracted position and an active position in which each stabilizing element is in contact with the element. associated support.

The actuation of the stabilizing elements may be in a rectilinear or non-rectilinear trajectory, comprising at least one transverse component, for example circular.

Thanks to these actuating means, the stabilizing elements are preferably brought into contact with the associated support elements only when stabilization of the mast is necessary, ie during the operations of setting and depositing loads in the furniture of storage, so as not to transmit to the storage cabinet the excitations along the longitudinal axis or the vertical axis generated by the stacker crane when moving along the longitudinal axis or by the forklift when sliding along the vertical mast.

According to a particular embodiment, the actuating means comprise an electric or pneumatic jack for each stabilizing element.

According to an advantageous embodiment, each stabilizing element comprises a rotary roller with vertical axis and each support element comprises a rail having a substantially flat and vertical bearing surface with which the associated stabilizing element is able to come into operation. contact. In this embodiment, said rail constitutes a tread preferably extending over the entire length of the storage cabinets. The roller can thus roll on said rail during the phases preceding and immediately following the operations of taking or depositing loads in the storage cabinets even if the stacker crane is not stopped.

In one embodiment, the support member is an insert that is attached to the storage furniture. Alternatively, the support element is a structural element of the storage cabinets.

According to a particular embodiment, the support element is further equipped with adjustment means for transversely adjusting its position relative to said median plane of the vertical mast.

According to a particular embodiment, the stacker crane further comprises control means able to control the actuating means for moving the stabilizing element or stabilizing elements from the retracted position to the active position, before stopping the stacker crane in order not to increase the operating cycle time of the stacker crane.

The stabilizing elements are brought into active position before stopping the stacker crane along the longitudinal axis. As soon as the operation of taking or depositing charges is complete, the control means control the actuating means to return the stabilizing elements in the retracted position before or after the stacker crane moves again along the longitudinal axis .

• la figure 1 est un schéma de principe d'un système de stockage automatisé conforme à l'invention;
• la figure 2 est une vue de dessus des moyens de stabilisation du système de l'invention selon un premier mode de réalisation, avec les éléments de stabilisation en position rétractée;
• la figure 3 est une vue de face des moyens de stabilisation de la figure 2;
• la figure 4 est une vue analogue à la figure 2, avec les éléments de stabilisation en position active;
• la figure 5 est une vue analogue à la figure 3, avec les éléments de stabilisation en position active;
• la figure 6 est une vue de dessus d'une variante de réalisation des moyens de stabilisation de l'invention; et
• la figure 7 est une vue analogue à la figure 6, avec les éléments de stabilisation en position active.

The invention will be better understood, and other purposes, details, features, and advantages will become more apparent during the course of the following detailed explanatory description of particular embodiments currently preferred of the invention, with reference to the appended figures, among which:

• the figure 1 is a block diagram of an automated storage system according to the invention;
• the figure 2 is a top view of the stabilization means of the system of the invention according to a first embodiment, with the stabilization elements in the retracted position;
• the figure 3 is a front view of the stabilization means of the figure 2 ;
• the figure 4 is a view similar to the figure 2 , with the stabilizing elements in the active position;
• the figure 5 is a view similar to the figure 3 , with the stabilizing elements in the active position;
• the figure 6 is a top view of an alternative embodiment of the stabilization means of the invention; and
• the figure 7 is a view similar to the figure 6 , with the stabilizing elements in the active position.

Referring to Figures 1 to 5 , the system of the invention, referenced 1, comprises a stacker crane 10 mounted between two parallel guide rails, an upper guide rail 21 and a lower guide rail 22. The guide rails are oriented along a longitudinal axis of movement X represented on the figures 2 and 4 . The stacker crane moves along the X axis between storage cabinets represented in dotted lines on the figure 1 . In the remainder of the description, the axis X designates the longitudinal axis of movement of the stacker crane between the storage cabinets, the axis Y designates the vertical axis perpendicular to the axis X and the axis Z designates the axis perpendicular to the X and Y axes.

The stacker crane 10 comprises a vertical mast 11 mounted on a base 12 provided with drive means 13 known per se for moving the assembly on the guide rail 22 along the X axis. upper guide 14 known per se, disposed at the top of the mast 11, cooperating with the guide rail upper 21 and a lower guide system 15 known per se, disposed on the base 12, cooperating with the lower guide rail 22.

A forklift truck 16 is slidably mounted along the axis Y along the mast 11. This truck is equipped with a gripper 17 for gripping and depositing loads. During a setting operation or removal of loads, the gripper 17 is deployed along the Z axis towards the storage cabinet to take or deposit a load in the storage cabinet.

According to the invention, the stacker crane further comprises stabilization means 18 fixed to the mast 11 and positioned between the lower guide system 15 and the upper guide system 14. These stabilizing means are intended to modify the vibration behavior according to the invention. Z axis (ie the transverse internal frequency) of the stacker crane at least during the operations of setting and depositing charges.

In the illustrated embodiment, the stabilization means 18 comprise two stabilization elements 181a and 181b arranged substantially symmetrically along the median longitudinal plane P of movement of the mast and able to come into contact respectively with two fixed support elements 23a and 23b shifted transversely to said median longitudinal plane, at least when the stacker crane is stationary along the X axis, especially during operations of setting or depositing loads in the storage cabinets.

The stabilizing elements 181a and 181b are able to be actuated along the Z axis and are equipped for this purpose with actuating means, 182a and 182b respectively, to move them between a retracted position illustrated in FIGS. Figures 2 and 3 wherein said stabilizing elements are spaced apart from the support members 23a and 23b and an active position illustrated at Figures 4 and 5 wherein said stabilizing members 181a and 181b are in contact with the support members 23a and 23b.

As indicated above, the stabilizing elements 181a and 181b are brought into contact with the support elements 23a and 23b at least during the operations of setting and depositing loads when the stacker crane is stationary along the X axis.

In the embodiment illustrated by the Figures 1 to 5 , the stabilizing elements 181a and 181b are rotary rollers with a vertical axis and the support elements 23a and 23b are rails or rails each having a vertical planar bearing surface, respectively 230a and 230b, on which the associated roller when in active position, said bearing surfaces being arranged vis-à-vis. These rails or rails preferably extend over the entire length of the storage cabinets.

The actuating means 182a and 182b of the rollers are cylinders, each roller being rotatably mounted on the free end of the rod of the associated jack. The cylinders are for example electric or pneumatic cylinders. As can be seen on the Figures 2 to 5 , the body of the cylinders is fixedly mounted on the mast 11 by means of a support 183. The two cylinders 182a and 182b are also preferably coaxial to avoid the generation of a torsion torque on the mast when the rollers are in the active position.

The support members 23a and 23b are preferably inserts attached to the storage cabinets. Alternatively, the support elements are constituted directly by structural elements of the storage cabinets.

In order not to increase the duration of an operating cycle of the stacker crane comprising an X-axis displacement phase and a load-setting phase, the stabilizing elements 181a and 181b are controlled to deploy, preferably synchronously, along the Z axis before stopping the stacker crane so that the stabilizing elements 181a and 181b arrive in the active position before the end of the phase of displacement along the axis X. The rails 23a and 23b constitute then treads on which the rollers 181a and 181b respectively roll at the end of the displacement phase along the X axis. The rollers are preferably brought into the active position just before stopping the stacker crane so that the excitations generated by the displacement along the X-axis and transmitted to the storage cabinets are attenuated. As soon as the operation of taking or depositing charges is completed, the actuating means are controlled to bring the elements of stabilization in the retracted position before the stacker crane moves again along the X axis.

Advantageously, each support element, when it is in the form of a rail attached to the storage cabinet, is equipped with adjustable fixing means distributed along the rail to take into account possible variations in the spacing. between two storage cabinets of great length and allow a precise adjustment of the position of the rail along the Z axis relative to the longitudinal median plane P. The two support elements 23a and 23b are advantageously adjusted so that the distance between the support member 23a and the median plane P and the distance between the support member 23b and the median plane P are substantially equal throughout the storage cabinet. Thus, the cylinders 182a and 182b can be simultaneously controlled and controlled so that they both exert the same predetermined force F respectively on the elements 23a and 23b.

The stabilization means 18 are advantageously positioned on the portion of the mast for stiffening, at best, the mast in the transverse direction. This positioning may vary in particular according to the height of the mast, the onboard weight and the type of guidance system used at the upper and lower guide rails. In the example of the figure 1 the stabilizing means 18 are positioned on the upper half of the vertical mast 11.

Of course, other embodiments are possible. According to one variant, the stabilization means do not comprise actuating means. The stabilizing elements are then fixed and in permanent contact with the support elements. According to another variant, the stacker crane comprises only one stabilizing element with or without actuating means.

According to another embodiment illustrated by the Figures 6 and 7 , the stabilizing element 181a is provided with actuating means 182a while the stabilizing element 181b is fixed. The stroke of the cylinder 182a between the retracted position and the active position is calculated so that, when the cylinder 182a is deployed in the active position, the stabilizing elements 181a and 181b are in contact with the bearing elements 23a and 23b respectively. In this mode of realization, the mast 11 is deformed slightly so that the two stabilizing elements can come into contact with the two support elements.

According to one embodiment, said storage system furthermore comprises at least one input / output station for the loads, the stacker crane taking the loads at this station for depositing them in the storage cabinets and / or taking the loads in the storage cabinets to drop them at this station. According to the invention, each stabilizing element of the stacker crane is able to come into contact with at least one fixed support element of said station shifted transversely with respect to the median longitudinal plane of movement of the mast of the stacker crane at least during operations. taking or depositing charges in said input / output station.

According to one embodiment, the input / output station is disposed at the end of the two storage cabinets and comprises an input conveyor and an output conveyor disposed on either side of the lower rail. During load transfer operations of the stacker crane to the conveyors or vice versa, the stabilizing elements are brought in abutment against treads arranged laterally on said conveyors

Although the invention has been described in connection with various particular embodiments, it is obvious that it is not limited thereto and that it comprises all the technical equivalents of the means described and their combinations if they are within the scope of the invention.

Claims (11)

An automated storage system (1) for storage cabinets, comprising a stacker crane (10) mounted between a fixed upper guide rail (21) and a fixed lower guide rail (22),
said stacker crane (10) comprising a vertical mast (11) equipped, preferably at the upper end, with an upper guide system (14), a base (12) equipped with a lower guide system (15), on which said vertical mast is mounted, said lower guide system (15) and said upper guide system cooperating respectively with said lower guide rail (22) and said upper guide rail (21) for guiding the stacker crane along a first axis of travel (X), said longitudinal axis, said lower guide system (15) and / or said upper guide system being equipped with drive means (13) for moving the stacker crane according to said first axis of displacement, and a forklift truck (16) slidably mounted along the vertical mast along a second axis of displacement (Y), said vertical axis, substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis (X), and equipped with gripping means and depositing loads (17) able to move along a third axis of displacement (Z), said transverse axis, substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis and vertical axis, during operations of setting or depositing charges in the storage cabinets,
characterized in that the stacker crane is further provided with stabilizing means (18) mounted on the vertical mast and positioned between said lower guide system (15) and said upper guide system (14), said stabilizing means comprising at least a stabilizing element (181a, 181b) capable of cooperating with at least one complementary stabilizing element (23a, 23b) of the storage system offset transversely relative to the median longitudinal plane (P) of displacement of the vertical mast at least during operations of taking or depositing loads in the storage cabinets in order to maintain a substantially constant distance between the vertical mast and said complementary stabilizing element. System according to claim 1, characterized in that said complementary stabilizing element is a support element and in that the stabilizing element (181a, 181b) is able to come into contact with said support element (23a, 23b) at least during operations of setting or depositing loads in the storage cabinets in order to stabilize the vertical mast. System according to claim 2, characterized in that the stabilization means (18) of the vertical mast (11) comprise two stabilizing elements (181a, 181b) disposed substantially symmetrically along said median longitudinal plane of the vertical mast and able to come into contact with each other. respectively with two associated bearing elements (23a, 23b) arranged substantially symmetrically along said median longitudinal plane, each support element comprising a bearing surface against which the associated stabilizing element bears, the bearing surfaces being arranged vis-à-vis. System according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that at least one stabilizing element (181a, 181b) is provided with actuating means (182a, 182b) for transversely displacing said stabilizing element between a retracted position and a active position in which said stabilizing element is in contact with the support element. System according to Claim 4, characterized in that the two stabilizing elements (181a, 181b) are equipped with actuating means (182a, 182b) for transversely displacing, preferably synchronously, said stabilizing elements between a retracted position. and an active position in which each stabilizing element is in contact with the associated support member. System according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the actuating means (182a, 182b) comprise an electric or pneumatic jack for each stabilizing element. System according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that said at least one stabilizing element (181a, 181b) comprises a rotary roller with a vertical axis. System according to any one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that said at least one support element (23a, 23b) comprises a rail having a bearing surface (230a, 230b) substantially flat and vertical, with which the stabilizing element is able to come into contact. System according to any one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that the support element (23a, 23b) is fixed to the storage cabinet. System according to claim 9, characterized in that the support element (23a, 23b) is equipped with adjusting means for transversely adjusting the position of said support element with respect to said median longitudinal plane of the vertical mast. System according to one of claims 4 to 10, characterized in that the stacker crane further comprises control means adapted to control the actuating means for moving the stabilizing element or stabilizing elements from the retracted position to the active position, before stopping the stacker crane.

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