DE102011002322B4 - Storage and retrieval device for a rack warehouse and method for operating a storage and retrieval device - Google Patents

Abstract

Shelf operating device (25) for a shelf warehouse (10), with an operating unit (26) which can be moved to a shelf (11) of the shelf warehouse via a shelf operating drive (27), wherein the operating unit (26) has a base part (35) with a storage surface (36) for depositing at least one package (13) from a shelf (11) of the shelf warehouse (10), wherein the operating unit (26) has a rotary drive (34) with a substantially vertical axis of rotation (D) on which the base part (35) is mounted, wherein the operating unit (26) has a transport element (51) which can be driven in a transport direction (R) via a transport drive (45), which is designed to move a package (13A, 13B, 13C) deposited on the storage surface (36) along the storage surface (36) in the transport direction (R), characterized in that the transport element (51) is assigned a positioning drive (50) designed as a rotary or swivel drive, which is designed to swivel the transport element (51) between a rest position (P) outside a storage area (54) above the storage surface (36) and a working position (A) within the storage area (54), wherein the swivel axis extends in the transport direction (R).

Description

The present invention relates to a storage and retrieval device for a storage warehouse, which serves to remove a package containing a product or products stored on one of the shelves of the storage warehouse from the storage warehouse and to transport it to a delivery point, from where the removed package can be transported further or picked up by an operator. The invention also relates to a method for operating such a storage and retrieval device.

A storage and retrieval device is, for example, from the EN 10 2005 051 759 A1 known. There, a shelf warehouse with several shelves is provided, to which a shelf operating device is assigned. The shelf operating device has an operating unit that can be driven both horizontally and vertically via a shelf operating drive. The operating unit can be positioned anywhere in front of each of the shelves. In the shelf warehouse, the packages are arranged in several rows, whereby each row can have several packages. Removing a package that is arranged on the edge of the shelf is relatively easy. The row of packages only has to be pushed forward using a slider until the front package is pushed from the shelf onto a storage surface of the operating unit. The operating unit can then be moved to the delivery point. It is more complicated if the package to be removed is only in second place or further back in a row when viewed from the front edge of the shelf.

In the described state of the art, several packages are then removed from the shelf, including the requested package to be removed. All of the removed packages are then moved to the delivery point, where only the requested package to be removed is delivered and transported further. The other packages are then transported back to the shelf by the operating unit and pushed back into the original row.

The time required for such a service process is very long. Such rack storage systems with a rack operating device are used in pharmacies, for example. The staff requests a medication, which is then taken from the rack storage system by the rack operating device and transported to a collection point in the sales area. In larger pharmacies, it is common for several people to request medication at the same time. From a business perspective, the time between requesting and receiving a pack of medication is crucial for a pharmacy. The time it takes to serve a single customer should be as short as possible so that the waiting time for customers is short and yet little staff is required.

DE 103 49 354 A1 describes a storage and retrieval device with a transport unit having a carrier carriage. The carrier carriage can remove a shelf with the goods arranged on it from the shelf and transport it. It can be designed as a turntable. A similar storage and retrieval device is also available in EN 10 2008 016 881 A1 described.

From EN 10 2004 058 216 A1 The known storage and retrieval device has an operating unit with a receiving surface that can be rotated about a rotation axis. A transport element for moving goods along the receiving surface can be part of the operating unit.

It can therefore be considered an object of the present invention to provide a storage and retrieval device with which the time required for the complete processing of a request for a package can be reduced.

This object is achieved by a storage and retrieval device having the features of patent claim 1 and a method having the features of patent claim 9.

For reasons of space, the packages are arranged in several rows on the shelves of the rack storage. At the front edge of a shelf assigned to the operating unit, only the frontmost package in a row of packages is directly accessible. The rack storage device has an operating unit that can be moved both horizontally and vertically using a rack storage drive. The operating unit can be moved to any point on any shelf of the assigned rack storage using the rack storage drive. The operating unit has a base part with a storage surface that is essentially aligned horizontally.

To take one or more packages from the shelf, the operating unit is positioned in front of the shelf so that the storage area is arranged at approximately the height of the shelf in a transport direction in front of the relevant row of packages. The package to be removed and possibly at least one other package to be temporarily stored can then be transported by pushing the row of packages in a transport direction from the shelf to the storage area of the operating unit. For this purpose, a slider can be provided, for example, which is assigned to the rearmost pack of the relevant row of packs. The slide can be operated by an actuating drive provided on the operating unit or by a rack drive on the rack storage system. At least one pack to be temporarily stored is understood to mean one or more packs that are not removed but are temporarily stored on the storage area in order to reach the requested pack.

The base part of the operating unit, which has the storage area, is mounted so that it can rotate about a vertical axis. This makes it possible to push several packages in a row onto the storage area from one side, then rotate the base part and push the packages that are not to be removed and have only been temporarily stored on the storage area back onto the shelf. For this purpose, the operating unit has a transport element that can be driven in the transport direction and with which packages arranged on the storage area can be pushed in the transport direction. The operating unit can then be moved to the delivery position, where the transport element can transport the requested package from the storage area. For example, the transport element can drop the package onto a conveyor belt, which ultimately transports the package to a removal point. Alternatively, other means of transport, such as a transport shaft or the like, can also be present to ultimately transport the package from the delivery point to the removal point. It is also possible for the delivery point to already correspond to the removal point.

After the pack has been handed over to the delivery point, the storage area is empty. The operating unit can be moved directly to the location from which the next pack is to be taken. The time between the time a pack is requested and its transport to the delivery point until the operating unit is ready to process the next request can be significantly reduced compared to the state of the art. There is no need to return unrequested packs temporarily stored at the operating unit from the storage point to the shelf storage.

The transport element can be designed as a linearly movable slider. Alternatively, the transport element can also be a conveyor belt. It is advantageous if the transport element also serves as a separating element in order to separate the requested pack to be removed and the at least one pack that is only temporarily stored on the storage surface.

A movable plate or conveyor belt can also be present for transporting the at least one temporarily stored package on the storage and retrieval machine. The at least one temporarily stored package can be located on the top of the plate. The requested package can be placed next to the plate on the base part. The narrow side of the plate running transversely to the transport direction can serve as a stop edge for the requested package. The requested package can be separated from the at least one temporarily stored package using the plate.

The transport element can be moved between several positions. The transport element is assigned a positioning drive which is designed to move the transport element between a rest position outside a storage area above the storage area and a working position within this storage area. The transport element can be pivoted between the pack to be removed and the adjacent intermediately stored pack via the positioning drive. In this way, the transport element can be used as a slider, depending on the rotational position of the base part of the operating unit, to push the only intermediately stored packs back into the shelf so that only the pack to be removed remains on the storage area of the operating unit. When using a conveyor belt as a transport element, an additional separating element can also be present to separate the pack to be removed from the at least one other, intermediately stored pack, so that the separating function and the transport function are carried out by two separate means.

The positioning drive carries the transport element, e.g. on a rotatable shaft. The positioning drive can in particular be arranged on a carriage that can be moved in the transport direction by a transport drive. The transport drive and/or the positioning drive are preferably located next to the storage area on the base part.

The storage area can be limited laterally by a guide flange when viewed in the direction of transport.

This prevents a package from accidentally slipping sideways off the storage surface when moving along the storage surface. In the embodiment, the storage surface is designed without projections at its two longitudinal ends in the transport direction, so that the packages can be pushed onto or off the storage surface at these longitudinal ends.

It is advantageous if a blocking element is assigned to each of the two longitudinal ends of the storage surface. The blocking element can be switched between a release position and a blocking position, for example with the help of a swivel drive. In the blocking position, the blocking element protrudes beyond the storage surface and thus prevents a package from accidentally falling off the storage surface. In the release position, the blocking element does not protrude beyond the storage surface, so that, for example, a package located on the storage surface can be pushed over the longitudinal end of the storage surface via the transport element. The two blocking elements can preferably be switched independently of one another.

In the preferred embodiment, the operating unit has an actuating element for actuating a slider of the shelf storage system, which can be moved in the transport direction via an actuating drive. This makes it possible to design the shelf storage system free of drive motors.

It is also advantageous if a control signal is generated as soon as the pack to be removed takes up the frontmost position adjacent to the front edge of the shelf. The control signal can be generated, for example, when the row with the pack to be removed has been moved by a predetermined sliding distance. Alternatively, the control signal can also be generated by a sensor that is assigned to the row. When the control signal is present, the transport element or alternatively another separating element is brought into the working position in the storage area. The transport of the row of packs in the transport direction can be briefly interrupted until the transport element or the separating element has reached the working position.

• 1 eine schematische, blockschaltbildähnliche teilgeschnittene Seitenansicht eines Regallagers mit einem Ausführungsbeispiel einer Regalbedienvorrichtung,
• 2 bis 6 jeweils eine perspektivische Darstellung eines ersten Ausführungsbeispiels einer Bedieneinheit der Regalbedienvorrichtung in unterschiedlichen Stellungen oder Zuständen während des Betriebs und
• 7 bis 10 jeweils eine perspektivische Darstellung eines ersten Ausführungsbeispiels einer Bedieneinheit der Regalbedienvorrichtung in unterschiedlichen Stellungen oder Zuständen während des Betriebs.
• 1 zeigt ein Regallager 10, mit mehreren vertikal übereinander angeordneten Regalböden 11. Die Anzahl der Regalböden 11 kann variieren. Die Regalböden 11 erstrecken sich im Wesentlichen in einer Horizontalebene. Die Länge und Breite der Regalböden 11 in der Horizontalebene kann ebenfalls abhängig von den örtlichen Gegebenheiten variieren.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention emerge from the dependent patent claims and the description. The description is limited to preferred embodiments of the invention and their essential features. The drawing is to be consulted in addition. They show:

• 1 a schematic, block diagram-like partially sectioned side view of a rack storage system with an embodiment of a rack operating device,
• 2 to 6 each a perspective view of a first embodiment of an operating unit of the storage and retrieval device in different positions or states during operation and
• 7 to 10 each a perspective view of a first embodiment of an operating unit of the storage and retrieval device in different positions or states during operation.
• 1 shows a rack storage system 10 with several shelves 11 arranged vertically one above the other. The number of shelves 11 can vary. The shelves 11 extend essentially in a horizontal plane. The length and width of the shelves 11 in the horizontal plane can also vary depending on the local conditions.

Several rows 12 of packages 13 can be arranged on the shelves 11. Each row 12 has at least one package 13. In the rack storage system 10 shown here as an example, two or more packages 13 are arranged one behind the other in each row 12 along a transport direction R.

Package 13 refers to containers, boxes or other packaging materials in which goods are contained, for example cardboard boxes. The embodiment described here concerns medicines packaged in packages 13.

The shelf storage 10 itself is designed to be passive, so to speak. It has no controllable drives. A slider 14 is used to move a row 12 of several packages 13 in a transport direction R, as is shown for example with two rows 12 in 2 is illustrated. The slider 14 is designed, for example, in the form of a rod. It extends transversely to the transport direction R from a push rod 15 and runs essentially parallel to the shelf base 11. The push rod 15 is mounted on the shelf base 12 adjacent to the associated row 12 so that it can be moved longitudinally in the transport direction R. In the exemplary embodiment, a guide rail 16 is provided for this purpose, which extends adjacent to the row 12 in the transport direction R. The guide rail also serves as a lateral support for the packages 13 during transport. At the end opposite the slider 14, the push rod 15 has a holding means 17. In the exemplary embodiment, the holding means 17 is formed by an end piece 18 of the push rod 15 which projects vertically from the guide rail 16 and has a notch 19 running transversely to the transport direction R. The push rod 15 can be moved along the guide rail 16 via the holding means 17. During such a displacement, the slider 14 acts on the rearmost pack 13 in the row 12 starting from the front edge 20 of the shelf 11, so that the entire row 12 with all packs 13 can be pushed in the transport direction R to the front edge 20 of the shelf 11.

Each row 12 is assigned a slide 14 with push rod 15 and guide rail 16, even if this is not the case in 2 is only shown by way of example using two rows 12. For reasons of clarity, the slides 14, the push rods 15 and the guide rails 16 have been omitted from the other illustrations or are shown only in a simplified and highly schematic manner.

A storage and retrieval device 25 is assigned to the shelf warehouse 10. The storage and retrieval device 25 has an operating unit 26 which can be moved in the vertical direction Z and in a horizontal direction Y. A storage and retrieval drive 27 is used for this purpose. This has a vertical drive 28 which is implemented, for example, as a belt drive with two deflection rollers 29 and a drive belt 30 guided around the deflection roller 29. At one point, a cross member 32 mounted in a vertical guide 31 in the vertical direction Z is attached to the drive belt 30. The cross member 32 extends in the horizontal direction Y across the entire width of the shelf warehouse 10. It carries a horizontal drive (not shown) which can be designed as a belt drive analogous to the vertical drive 28. A rotary drive 34 of the operating unit 26 is mounted on the cross member 32 via the horizontal drive so that it can be moved in the horizontal direction Y. The rotation axis D of the rotary drive 34 runs essentially in the vertical direction Z. The rotary drive 34 carries a base part 35 of the operating unit 26. The base part 35 is rotatable about the rotation axis D relative to the fixed shelf storage 10. In the preferred embodiment, the base part 35 can assume at least two predetermined rotational positions which are rotated by 180° relative to one another.

From the 2 to 6 details of the operating unit 26 with the base part 35 are shown. On its upper side, the base part 35 has a storage surface 36 which is delimited on both sides in the transport direction R by a guide flange 37 which protrudes transversely from the upper side of the base part 35. The storage surface 36 or the plate-shaped base part 35 according to the example has a first end edge 38 and a second end edge 39 located on the opposite side as seen in the transport direction R. The two end edges 38, 39 form the longitudinal ends of the base part 35 and thus of the storage surface 36. In the exemplary embodiment, the storage surface 36 is divided into a first surface section 36a and a second surface section 36b. The first surface section 36a is located on a plate 33 that can be moved in the transport direction R. This plate 33 is shorter in the transport direction R than the base part 35 and can be moved in the transport direction R via a plate drive, which can be arranged, for example, on the underside of the base part. The plate 33 is positioned in one end position adjacent to the first end edge 38 and in its other end position adjacent to the second end edge 39. A stop edge 42 is formed between the two surface sections 36a, 36b by the narrow side of the plate 33 running transversely to the transport direction R. The storage surface 36 is designed without projections on the two end edges 38, 39.

Instead of the movable plate 33, a conveyor belt running on the upper side of the base part 35 in the transport direction R could also be provided as a storage surface 36.

A blocking member 40 is assigned to each of the two end edges 38, 39 or longitudinal ends of the storage surface 36. The blocking member 40 is designed in the form of a pin in the embodiment. The blocking member 40 is between a 2 shown blocking position B and a release position F by a switching drive 41 and can be pivoted, for example. The pivot axis of the switching drive 41 runs in the transport direction R below the storage surface 36. The pivot drives 41 are, for example, fastened to the underside of the base part 35. In the blocking position B, the blocking members 40 protrude essentially upwards in the vertical direction Z and protrude over the storage surface 36, so that the transport of a pack 13 located on the storage surface 36 is prevented by the blocking member 40. A pack 13 cannot therefore accidentally slip off the storage surface 36 when the blocking members 40 are in the blocking position B. To switch to the release position F, the switching drive 41 pivots the blocking member 40 about its pivot axis until the blocking member 40 no longer protrudes upwards over the storage surface 36. In the embodiment, the blocking member 40 is in the release position F when it extends substantially in the horizontal direction Y and is thus located below the storage surface 36 or the base part 35.

Next to the storage surface 36, a transport drive 45 is arranged on the base part, which in turn is designed as a belt drive with two deflection rollers and a drive belt 47 guided around them. The drive belt 47 is connected at one point to a slide 49 that can be moved along a slide guide 48. The slide guide 48 is designed as a guide web that extends in the transport direction R on the top of the base part 35.

A positioning drive 50 is arranged on the carriage 49, which is thus mounted together with the carriage 49 so as to be displaceable in the transport direction R. The positioning drive 50 acts on a transport element 51, which, for example, can be pivoted about a pivot axis running in the transport direction R. is pivotably mounted on the positioning drive 50. The transport element 51 has a transverse leg 52 running transversely to the pivot axis and a longitudinal leg 53 running parallel to the pivot axis in the transport direction R.

The positioning drive 50 serves to switch or move the transport element 51 between a rest position P and a working position A. In the working position A ( 3 to 6 ), the transport element 51 is arranged at least partially within a storage area 54. The storage area 54 is the space above the storage surface 36 into which a pack 13 arranged on the storage surface 36 protrudes. At least the longitudinal leg 53 of the transport element 51 is located in the working position A in the storage area 54 in the embodiment.

In the working position A, the transport element 51 can act on a pack 13 arranged on the storage surface 36 and can be brought into contact with it via the transport drive 45. With continued movement of the transport element 51 by the transport drive 45, the transport element 51 can move one or more packs 13 along the storage surface 36 or push them off the storage surface 36. The transport element 51, which can be moved linearly in the transport direction R, thus serves to move a pack 13 on the storage surface 36 in the transport direction R.

The length of the longitudinal leg 53 in the transport direction R corresponds approximately to the length of the carriage 49 or the positioning drive 50. This ensures that a pack 13 can be pushed down from the storage surface 36 via the free end of the longitudinal leg 53, even if the carriage 49 is in its position closest to the second end edge 39. The longitudinal leg 53 thus extends in the transport direction R at the same height as the carriage 49 or the positioning drive 50. The longitudinal leg 53 prevents a pack 13 from lying next to the carriage 49 in the transport direction R.

Furthermore, an actuating element 60 is mounted on the base part 26 so that it can be moved in the transport direction R via an actuating drive 61 which is only shown schematically as a dot-dash line. A belt drive, such as is also used as the transport drive 45, can serve as the actuating drive 61. The actuating element 60 is also mounted so that it can be pivoted about a pivot axis running transversely to the transport direction R and, for example, in the horizontal direction Y via a pivot drive (not shown). The actuating element 60 is in 2 shown in a starting position. The actuating element 60 has a pivotable lever 62 and a pin 63 which is spaced apart from the pivot axis and runs parallel to it. Irrespective of the pivot position of the lever 62 or the pin 63, the actuating element 60 can be moved by the actuating drive 61 in the transport direction R along the base part 35.

A control unit 70 is used to control the storage and retrieval device 25. In particular, the control unit 70 controls all drives of the storage and retrieval device 25. Preferably, all drives of the storage and retrieval device 25 are driven by an electric motor, for example a stepper motor. Instead of belt drives, other drives could also be used to generate a linear movement, for example spindle drives.

In the exemplary embodiment, the storage and retrieval device 25 is also assigned a transport means 71 in the form of a conveyor belt. The transport means 71 serves to further transport a package 13 removed from the storage rack 10 by the operating unit 26 from a delivery point S to a removal point (not shown in more detail).

Optionally, each row 12 of packs 13 can be assigned a sensor 72 which generates a sensor signal which can serve as a control signal C and is transmitted to the control unit 70.

• In der Steuereinheit 70 ist die Position jeder im Regallager 10 befindlichen Packung 13 abgespeichert. Beispielsweise kann eine die Packung 13 identifizierende Kennzeichnung mit einem Lagerplatz im Regallager 10 verknüpft sein. Wenn durch das Bedienpersonal eine Packung 13 über die Kennzeichnung angefordert wird, kann die Steuereinheit 70 dieser Kennzeichnung dem Lagerplatz zuordnen.

The storage and retrieval device 25 operates as follows:

• The position of each package 13 located in the shelf warehouse 10 is stored in the control unit 70. For example, a label identifying the package 13 can be linked to a storage location in the shelf warehouse 10. If the operating personnel requests a package 13 via the label, the control unit 70 can assign this label to the storage location.

The requested pack 13 to be removed from the shelf storage 10 is referred to below as the requested pack 13C. After the requested pack 13C has been requested, the control unit 70 controls the storage and retrieval drive 27 and moves the operating unit 26 to the shelf 11 in front of the row 12 that contains the requested pack 13C. The operating unit 26 is positioned so that the storage surface 36 is arranged at the same height or slightly below the top of the shelf 11 in the transport direction R in front of the row 12 with the requested pack 13C. It is assumed that the blocking members 40 are initially in their blocking position B and the transport element 51 assumes its rest position P, as shown in 2 organize The first end edge 38 is arranged very close to the front edge 20 of the shelf 11, so that the gap between them is only so large that even the smallest package 13 cannot fall through the gap.

In the next step, the blocking member 40 associated with the first end edge 38 is switched to its release position F. In addition, the actuating element 60 is pivoted towards the holding means 17 so that it comes into engagement with the holding means 17. In the exemplary embodiment, this is done by pivoting the lever 62 about a horizontal pivot axis to bring the pin 63 into engagement with the notch 19 of the holding means 17. The plate 33 is brought into the end position adjacent to the first end edge 38, as shown in 2 is shown.

The actuating drive 61 can then move the actuating element 60 in the transport direction R away from the first end edge 38. The push rod 15 is moved with the slider 14 in the transport direction R and the row 12 with the requested pack 13C is pushed in the transport direction R along the shelf 11. This pushing process continues until the at least one pack arranged in front of the requested pack 13C starting from the front edge 20, which is referred to below as the pack 13A or 13B to be temporarily stored, is placed on the storage surface 36 and, for example, on the first surface section 36a or the plate 33 of the operating unit 26. If this is the case, a control signal C is generated. The control signal C can be generated, for example, by the sensor 72, which detects that the two packs 13A and 13B that were originally arranged in front of the requested pack 13C and are to be temporarily stored have been pushed from the shelf 11 onto the storage area 36. The sensor 72 can, for example, be formed by a light barrier and can detect the small gap that forms between two consecutive packs 13 when they are pushed down. Or the sensor 72 can detect or record a marking, for example a barcode, on the packs 13 pushed past. Alternatively, it is also possible to determine the control signal C based on the displacement path of the actuating element 60 or the actuating drive 61. The pack sizes of the packs 13 are known. This allows the control unit 70 to determine how far the actuating element 60 must be moved in the transport direction R in order to push the packages 13A and 13B to be temporarily stored down from the shelf 11 and to bring the requested package 13C to the frontmost position in the row 12.

As soon as the control signal C is present, the actuating drive 61 stops so that the slide 14 is stopped. Now the plate 33 with the two packages 13A, 13B to be temporarily stored is moved away from the first end edge 38 towards the opposite second end edge 39. This creates a free space to transfer the transport element 51 to the working position A ( 3 ).

Then, with the transport element 51 still in the working position A, the pack 13C to be removed is pushed from the shelf 11 onto the storage surface 36 by actuating the actuating drive 61 with the aid of the slider 14. The pack 13C to be removed is preferably pushed up to the stop edge 42. Then the blocking member 40 assigned to the first end edge 38 is brought back into its blocking position B. The actuating drive 61 moves the push rod 15 with the slider 14 back to its original position so that the holding means 17 is at the level of the front edge 20 of the shelf 11. The operating element 60 is then disengaged from the holding means 17.

The control unit 26 is now located in the 4 shown state. On the storage surface 36 there are both the packages 13A, 13B to be temporarily stored and the requested package 13C separated from them by the transport element 51. Now the rotary drive 34 rotates the base part 35 about the vertical axis of rotation D. To make this possible, the base part 35 can be moved a little in the vertical direction Z by the storage and retrieval drive 27 so that there is sufficient space for the rotation of the base part 35 between two vertically adjacent shelves 11. After the rotation, the base part 35 is brought into the position at the height of the shelf 11 or slightly above the associated shelf 11. Then the second end edge 39 of the base part 35 is arranged adjacent to the front edge 20 of the shelf 11. This position is in 5 illustrated. In this position, the blocking member 40 assigned to the second end edge 39 is first switched to its release position F. The transport element 51 is then moved in the transport direction R towards the second longitudinal axis or the front edge 20 of the shelf 11 via the transport drive 45, whereby the packages 13A, 13B to be temporarily stored are pushed back into the row 12 on the shelf 11. The operating unit 26 then only carries the requested package 13C.

After the packages 13A and 13B to be temporarily stored have been placed back in the rack storage 10, the operating unit 26 is then used to deliver point S moves, which in 6 is illustrated. At this delivery point S, the blocking member 40 associated with the first end edge 38 is switched to its release position F and the transport drive 45 pushes the requested pack 13C from the storage surface 36 with the aid of the transport element 51. In the exemplary embodiment, the requested pack 13C then falls onto a transport means 71 designed as a conveyor belt and is transported further from the delivery point S to a removal point (not shown). It is understood that the delivery point S and the removal point can also coincide with one another. At the removal point, the staff who requested the pack 13C can take over the pack, for example in a sales room, and finally hand it over to the customer.

At the delivery point S, the base part 35 can be rotated by 180 degrees again by the rotary drive 34, so that the first end edge 38 is now again assigned to the shelf storage 10. In a modification to the embodiment shown, it is also possible for the operating unit 26 to be moved between two shelf storages 10 that are spaced apart and aligned essentially parallel to one another. The rotational position about the rotation axis D of the base part 35 is then set at the start of a removal such that the first end edge 38 faces the shelf storage in which the pack 13C to be removed is located.

In the 7 to 10 a second embodiment of the operating unit 26 is illustrated. In this second embodiment, two transport elements 51 are provided on both sides of the storage surface 36. In contrast to the first embodiment, each transport element 51 has only one transverse leg 52 and no longitudinal leg. The transverse leg 52 is rotatably mounted on the positioning drive 50 and can be pivoted between the working position A, in which it projects into the storage area 54 above the storage surface 36, and the rest position P outside the storage area. Each transport element 51 is assigned to one of the two end edges 38, 39 and can be moved in and against the transport direction R essentially up to the assigned end edge 38, 39 by the transport drive 45. The transverse leg 52 simultaneously serves as a blocking member 40. The positioning drive 50 serves as a switching drive 41. The transport element 51 can thus also prevent a pack 13 from being pushed out of the storage surface 36. For the sake of clarity, the actuating element 60 and the actuating drive 61 are shown in the 7 to 10 omitted. To move the packages 13 stored in the shelf storage, an actuating element 60 and an associated actuating drive 61 can be present, analogous to the first embodiment.

The storage and retrieval device according to the second embodiment works in principle as described above. The differences are briefly discussed below.

As explained in the first embodiment, the operating unit 26 is positioned at the relevant location in front of the shelf 11. The plate 33 is arranged approximately flush with the first end edge 38, as shown in 7 The blocking member 40 associated with the first end edge 38 is in the release position ( 7 ) .

As in the first embodiment, the at least one pack 13A, 13B to be temporarily stored is now pushed onto the storage surface 36 and, for example, the first surface section 36a on the plate 33. The plate 33 is then pushed away from the first end edge 38 until it is approximately flush with the opposite second end edge 39. In this way, the second surface section 36b of the storage surface 36 is created on the base part 35 next to the plate 33 in the area of the first end edge 38, onto which the requested pack 13C can be pushed ( 8th ). The falling out of the packages 13A, 13B to be temporarily stored is prevented by the transport element 51 assigned to the second end edge 39, the cross leg 52 of which here also serves as a blocking element 40. This cross leg 52 can be located directly in the area of the second end edge 38 or at a distance therefrom above the plate 33 ( 8th ).

After the requested pack 13C has also been pushed onto the second surface section 36B, the base part 35 is rotated 180 degrees about its axis of rotation D, analogously to the first embodiment, so that the second end edge 39 is now assigned to the shelf 11. The transport element 51 assigned to the second end edge 39 is used to push the intermediately stored packs 13A, 13B back into the row 12 on the shelf 11. For this purpose, the cross leg 52 is pivoted between the requested pack 13C and the at least one intermediately stored pack 13A, 13B in the area of the stop edge 42 of the plate 33 into the storage area 54. The at least one intermediately stored pack 13A, 13B can then be pushed back onto the shelf 11. A pack 13' that protrudes beyond the front edge of the shelf can also be pushed completely back onto the shelf. The movable plate 33 also makes it possible to reduce the gap between the base part 35 and the shelf 11. For this purpose, the plate 33 can be mounted so that it can be moved beyond the first end edge 38 and/or the second end edge 39 ( 9 ). The swiveling between the The space required between the packs 13C, 13B can, if necessary, be created by slightly shifting the plate 33 towards the front edge 20 of the shelf, i.e. against the transport direction R.

As in the first embodiment, only the requested pack 13C is now located on the storage surface 36 and in particular on the second surface section 36b next to the plate 33. The operating unit 26 is then moved to the delivery point S. The transport element 51 assigned to the first end edge 38 can finally be used to push the requested pack 13C down to the delivery point S.

The present invention relates to a storage and retrieval device 25 and a method for operating it. The storage and retrieval device 25 has an operating unit 26 which can be moved in a horizontal direction Y and in a vertical direction Z with the aid of a storage and retrieval drive 27 along an operating side of an associated shelf warehouse 10. The operating unit 26 has an essentially horizontal storage surface 36 on a base part 35. A movable transport element 51 is arranged on the base part 35 next to the storage surface 36. The transport element 51 can be moved via a transport drive 45 in the transport direction R transversely to the horizontal direction Y and transversely to the vertical direction Z. In addition, a positioning drive 50 is used to switch or move the transport element 51 between a rest position P and a working position A. The base part 35 is rotatably mounted about a rotation axis D which is aligned in the vertical direction Z via a rotary drive 34 of the operating unit 26. With the help of such a storage and retrieval device 25, packs 13 arranged one behind the other in a row 12 in the shelf storage 10 in the transport direction R can be pushed onto the storage surface 36. The base part 35 can then be rotated and those packs 13A, 13B that are not to be removed and were only pushed onto the storage surface 36 for temporary storage can be pushed back into the shelf storage 10 via the transport element. The operating unit 26 can then be driven to a delivery point S with only the requested pack 13C to be removed and the requested pack 13C can be unloaded there.

List of reference symbols:

10

Shelving storage

11

Shelf

12

Row

13, 13'

pack

13A

Packing to be stored temporarily

13B

Packing to be stored temporarily

13C

requested package

14

Slider

15

Push rod

16

Guide rail

17

Holding devices

18

End piece

19

score

20

Front edge of the shelf

25

Storage and retrieval device

26

Control unit

27

Storage and retrieval drive

28

Vertical drive

29

Deflection pulley

30

Drive belt

31

Vertical guidance

32

Cross member

33

plate

34

Rotary drive

35

Base part

36

Storage area

37

Guide flange

38

first end edge

39

second end edge

40

Blocking link

41

Switching drive

42

Stop edge

45

Transport drive

46

Deflection pulley

47

Drive belt

48

Slide guide

49

Sleds

50

Positioning drive

51

Transport element

52

Cross leg

53

Longitudinal leg

54

Storage area

60

Actuator

61

Actuator drive

62

lever

63

cones

70

Control unit

71

Mode of Transport

A

Working position

B

Blocking position

D

Rotation axis

F

Release position

P

Rest position

R

Transport direction

S

Drop-off point

Y

Horizontal direction

Z

Vertical direction

Claims (13)

A shelf operating device (25) for a shelf warehouse (10), with an operating unit (26) which can be moved to a shelf (11) of the shelf warehouse via a shelf operating drive (27), wherein the operating unit (26) has a base part (35) with a storage area (36) for depositing at least one package (13) from a shelf (11) of the shelf warehouse (10), wherein the operating unit (26) has a rotary drive (34) with a substantially vertical axis of rotation (D) on which the base part (35) is mounted, wherein the operating unit (26) has a transport element (51) which can be driven in a transport direction (R) via a transport drive (45), which is designed to move a package (13A, 13B, 13C) deposited on the storage area (36) along the storage area (36) in the transport direction (R), characterized in that the transport element (51) is provided with a A positioning drive (50) designed as a rotary or swivel drive is assigned to it, which is designed to swivel the transport element (51) between a rest position (P) outside a storage area (54) above the storage surface (36) and a working position (A) within the storage area (54), wherein the swivel axis extends in the transport direction (R). Storage and retrieval device (25) according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the storage surface (36) is limited in the transport direction (R) on both sides by a guide flange (37). Storage and retrieval device (25) according to Claim 1 , characterized in that in the region of the two longitudinal ends (38, 39) of the storage surface (36) there is a blocking member (40) which can be switched between a blocking position (B) and a release position (F). Storage and retrieval device (25) according to Claim 3 , characterized in that the blocking member (40) in the release position (F) allows the transport of a package (13) from the storage surface (36), while in its blocking position (B) it blocks the transport of a package (13) from the storage surface (36). Storage and retrieval device (25) according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the positioning drive (50) carries the transport element (51) and is arranged on a carriage (49) which can be moved in the transport direction (R) by the transport drive (45). Storage and retrieval device (25) according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the transport drive (45) is arranged outside the storage surface (36) on the base part (35). Storage and retrieval device (25) according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the operating unit (26) has an actuating element (60) for actuating a slider (14) of the shelf storage (10). Storage and retrieval device (25) according to Claim 7 , characterized in that the actuating element (60) is movable in the transport direction (R) via an actuating drive (61). Method for operating a shelf operating device (25) for a shelf warehouse (10) with several shelves (11) on which the packages (13) are arranged in several rows (12) running in the transport direction (R), with the following steps: - selecting a package (13C) to be removed from the shelf warehouse (10), - positioning an operating unit (26) opposite the row (12) of packages (13) containing the package (13C) to be removed, - pushing the packages (13A, 13B) present between the operating unit (26) and the package (13C) to be removed onto a storage surface (36) arranged on a base part (35) of the operating unit (26), - pivoting a transport element (51) by means of a positioning drive (50) about a pivot axis extending in the transport direction (R) from a rest position (P) outside a storage area (54) above the storage surface (36) into a working position, in which is located within the storage area (54) above the storage surface (36) and next to the temporarily stored packages (13A, 13B) already located on the storage surface (36), - pushing the package to be removed (13C) onto the storage surface (36), - rotating the base part (35) about a substantially vertical axis of rotation (D), - pushing the temporarily stored packages (13A, 13B) back onto the shelf (11) using the transport element (51). Procedure according to Claim 9 , characterized in that finally the operating unit (26) is moved to a delivery point (S) and the package (13C) to be removed is pushed from the storage surface (36) by means of the transport element (51). Procedure according to Claim 9 , characterized in that a control signal (C) is generated as soon as the package (13C) to be removed assumes the first position adjacent to the front edge (20) of the shelf (11). Procedure according to Claim 11 , characterized in that the control signal (C) is generated when the row (12) with the pack (13C) to be removed has been displaced by a predetermined displacement path. Procedure according to Claim 11 , characterized in that the control signal (C) is generated by a sensor (72) associated with the row (12).

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