Out-processing facility for individual goods

• US 6,843,632 B1
• Filed: 05/26/2000
• Issued: 01/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dynamic Systems Engineering BV
• Original Assignee: Dynamic Systems Engineering BV
• Inventors: Hollander, Rudolf
• Primary Examiner(s): Lillis, Eileen D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fox, Charles A.
• Application Number:
  US10/130,634
• Time in Patent Office: 1,698 Days
• Field of Search: 414/268, 414/276, 414/273, 414/278, 198/347.1, 198/347.4, 198/570
• US Class Current: 414/276
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/06 with means for presenting articles for removal at predetermined position or level B65G1/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 13/07 having endless driving elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/54 at least one of which is a roller-way

Abstract

A picking store for piece goods is disclosed, which comprises a storage area (1), with a number of storage racks (7), for the goods to be picked, arranged parallel to each other, whereby only goods of the same type are found in each rack, a placing area (2), at one end of the storage racks (7), with a means for depositing new goods in the appropriate storage rack (7) and a picking area at the other end of the storage racks (7) with a withdrawing device (4) for computer controlled transfer of individual items from the storage racks to the serial conveyor. Each storage rack comprises a roller conveyor (8), whose rollers or cylinders may be set in rotation by a common drive system (16) and each storage rack (7) has its own, independently operable withdrawing device (4). The drive system (16) for the roller conveyer is preferably a drive belt.

Claims

1. An out-processing facility for piece items,

comprising:

a storage area having a plurality of storage passages for items that are to be out-processed, wherein said storage passages extend parallel to one another in said storage area, and wherein each of said storage passages comprises a roller conveyor having rollers or cylinders, wherein the rollers or cylinders of a given storage passage are rotatable via a common drive means;

a loading area disposed at a first end of said storage passages and including means for in-loading items into said storage passages; and

an out-processing area disposed at a second end of said storage passages and including removal apparatus for a computer-controlled transfer of individual items out of said storage passages onto conveyor devices disposed downstream thereof, wherein each storage passage is provided with its own one of said removal apparatus that is actuatable independently of the rest of said removal apparatus, wherein each of said removal apparatus comprises a horizontal conveyor, and wherein said horizontal conveyors associated with a plurality of said storage passages are drivable via a common drive shaft as soon as an item is to be removed out of one of such storage passages via a pertaining removal apparatus.

2. An out-processing facility according to claim 1, wherein in addition to said common drivable removal apparatus, the pertaining storage passages are also drivable via said common drive shaft as soon as items are to be conveyed in one of such storage passages or are to be removed out of such storage passages via said removal apparatus.

3. An out-processing facility according to claim 1, wherein said common drive means is an endless drive belt.

4. An out-processing facility according to claim 3, wherein said drive belt is guided between said rollers or cylinders and a pressure support.

5. An out-processing facility according to claim 3, wherein said drive belt drives an element that is preferably embodied as a sleeve and that is rotatably mounted on said roller or cylinder.

6. An out-processing facility according to claim 5, wherein a coefficient of friction between roller or cylinder and said element is less than a coefficient of friction between said element and said drive belt.

7. An out-processing facility according to claim 3, wherein a reversing of said drive belt is effected via reversing rollers that are disposed in or under at least one of said loading area and said out-processing area.

8. An out-processing facility according to claim 7, wherein a reversing roller is disposed below said out-processing area and is driven.

9. An out-processing facility according to claim 1, wherein movement of said drive means of said roller conveyor is derived from rotational movement of said common drive shaft.

10. An out-processing facility according to claim 1, wherein said roller conveyors are inclined in a direction toward said removal apparatus.

11. An out-processing facility according to claim 10, wherein said angle of inclination is 2.5 to 6%.

12. An out-processing facility according to claim 1, wherein a preferably continuously driven transport conveyor is provided for items removed with the aid of said removal apparatus and extends along said removal apparatus, and wherein each of said removal apparatus, in addition to said horizontal conveyor, includes an actuatable retaining element that projects into a conveying path of said roller conveyor, wherein a conveying speed of said horizontal conveyor is greater than a conveying speed of said roller conveyor.

13. An out-processing facility according to claim 12, wherein said conveying speed of said horizontal conveyor is at least 25% greater than said conveying speed of said roller conveyor.

14. An out-processing facility according to claim 12, wherein a controlled, switchable coupling is provided for a periodically delimited derivation of an unblocking movement, of said retaining element, which movement releases a conveying path, and is derived from a rotational movement of said common drive shaft, and wherein said coupling of each of said removal apparatus is separately controllable from the rest of said couplings.

15. An out-processing facility according to claim 14, wherein said retaining element is provided with restoring means that via a restoring force acts upon said retaining element in a direction of a blocking movement thereof.

16. An out-processing facility according to claim 14, wherein said coupling annularly spans said common drive shaft, and wherein a drive component of said coupling is a cam that upon actuation of said coupling pivots against said retaining element.

17. An out-processing facility according to claim 16, wherein said cam is mounted on an axis that is coaxial to a shaft that drives said horizontal conveyor.

18. An out-processing facility according to claim 12, wherein said horizontal conveyor comprises a driven first belt pulley, at least one further belt pulley that moves therewith, as well as an endless belt that is guided via said belt pulleys, wherein said driven belt pulley defines a front end of said horizontal conveyor, and said second belt pulley defines a rear end of said horizontal conveyor.

19. An out-processing facility according to claim 18, wherein said first belt pulley is seated on a drive shaft that, via an interposed gear, is in a continuous rotational connection with said common drive shaft that drives the plurality of roller conveyors.

20. An out-processing facility according to claim 1, wherein a transport conveyor is provided for items that are to be in-loaded, wherein said transport conveyor extends in said loading area transverse to said storage passages, and wherein a transverse conveyor is provided in said loading area.

21. An out-processing facility according to claim 20, wherein said transverse conveyor is common for a plurality of said storage passages, and wherein said transverse conveyor is adjustable along a transport path into a position upstream of each of said storage passages.

22. An out-processing facility according to claim 21, wherein said transverse conveyor is provided with belt pulleys via which is guided an endless drive belt or a drive chain, and wherein two pick-up elements for items are disposed on said drive belt or said drive chain.