Lateral guidance transportation system

• US 7,891,931 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2004
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sew-Eurodrive GmbH & Company KG (BV Beteiligung GmbH & Company KG)
• Original Assignee: Sew-Eurodrive GmbH & Company KG (BV Beteiligung GmbH & Company KG)
• Inventors: Podbielski, Leobald, Schmidt, Josef, Laubenstein, Udo, Schneider, Bernhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATTON, SPENCER D
• Application Number:
  US10/562,783
• Publication Number:
  US 20070073479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,470 Days
• Field of Search: 104/288, 104/48, 104/50, 191/10, 701/19, 701/22, 701/50, 701/210, 414/631, 414/663, 414/279, 414/281, 414/282, 414/630, 361/159, 307/104, 700/213, 700/214, 700/217, 700/228
• US Class Current: 414/663
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/0414 provided with satellite cars adapted to travel in storage racks
• CPC Class Codes: B66F 9/072 Travelling gear therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment

Abstract

Lateral guidance transportation systems include at least one route, on which at least one transportation vehicle is guided as the main vehicle. The main vehicle is energized by a primary circuit having a contact wire arranged along the route, or contactlessly. The main vehicle includes a lifting platform that is drivable by a drive, and on which there is at least one satellite vehicle. The satellite vehicle also includes a drive for automatically moving along an additional route, and which is arranged for transporting goods. The additional route includes a satellite route section for the positioning and parking of the satellite vehicle. The satellite route section is truly alignable, by positioning the main vehicle on satellite routes arranged transversely to the route, on shelves. Satellite route sections and satellite routes include primary conductors energized contactlessly by the main vehicle.

Claims

1. A lateral guidance transportation system, comprising:

at least one route including carrier elements and lateral guidance elements; and

at least one transportation vehicle arranged as a main vehicle and including a device adapted to automatically move the transportation vehicle along the at least one route, energy transferred to the transportation vehicle one of (a) by a primary circuit having a contact wire arranged along the at least one route and (b) in a contactless manner, the transportation vehicle including a lifting platform driven by a drive, the drive provided with energy in a contactless manner from a primary line arranged vertically at a side of the main vehicle, the transportation vehicle including at least one satellite vehicle including a drive automatically movable along an additional route and adapted to transport goods;

wherein the additional route includes a satellite route section provided on the lifting platform for positioning and parking of the satellite vehicle on the lifting platform;

wherein the satellite route section is alignable by positioning the main vehicle on satellite routes arranged transversely to a main vehicle route, the satellite routes arranged on shelves; and

wherein the satellite route section and the satellite routes include primary conductors supplied with energy in a contactless manner from the main vehicle.

2. The transportation system according to claim 1, wherein the drive of the satellite vehicle is supplied with energy in a contactless manner.

3. The transportation system according to claim 1, wherein energy is transferable at at least one place in a contactless manner by the main vehicle to at least one primary conductor of at least one shelf of at least one side aisle.

4. The transportation system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one pick-up adapted to contactlessly transmit energy.

5. The transportation system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one pick-up, wherein the at least one pick-up includes one of (a) a U-shaped ferrite core, (b) a C-shaped ferrite core and (c) an E-shaped ferrite core.

6. The transportation system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one pick-up, wherein the at least one pick-up includes a flat winding.

7. The transportation system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one pick-up, wherein the at least one pick-up includes a flat winding arranged around a middle leg of an E-shaped ferrite core.

8. The transportation system according to claim 5, wherein the at least one pick-up has the E-shaped ferrite core, the legs of the E-shaped ferrite core are shorter than a distance of next nearest legs from one another.

9. The transportation system according to claim 1, wherein the main vehicle includes a power supply unit adapted to feed a primary line provided on the main vehicle inductively coupled to a pick-up connected to a terminal box adapted for impedance compensation and which feeds at least one primary line provided in the satellite route section.

10. The transportation system according to claim 1, wherein the main vehicle includes a primary line inductively coupleable, during alignment, to a pick-up arranged in a floor connected, for impedance compensation, via a terminal box, to at least one primary line arranged in a shelf.

11. The transportation system according to claim 1, wherein the lifting platform includes a primary line inductively coupleable, during an aligning orientation of the main vehicle and a vertical positioning of the lifting platform, to a pick-up provided at the shelf, which is connected via a terminal box to at least one primary line provided in a shelf, for impedance compensation.

12. The transportation system according to claim 1, wherein the main vehicle is adapted to supply current to the primary conductor of the respective shelf.

13. The transportation system according to claim 1, wherein the primary conductors are arranged one of (a) as an outgoing line and a return line and (b) as an outgoing line and an at least partially surrounding profile.

14. The transportation system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the drives includes at least one of (a) an electric motor and (b) a geared motor.