Technical Field

The present invention relates to an automatic warehouse for window/door frames.

Background Art

Warehouses are known which are adapted to store and divide profiled elements intended for the production of window/door frames.

Warehouses of known type comprise at least one storage structure provided with a plurality of housing seats for profiled elements of window/door frames. Known warehouses comprise at least one loading area and at least one unloading area arranged on opposite sides of the storage structure.

In particular, the loading area is arranged at the point where the filling stations are located through which the profiled elements are brought towards the warehouse.

In the loading area, the profiled elements are divided into their respective seats in order to facilitate their picking up in the opposite unloading area.

The unloading area is positioned at the point where the machining stations are located and where the profiled elements are machined and assembled together to form the window/door frames.

Each of the seats extends between the loading area and the unloading area and comprises at least one loading opening, facing the loading area and through which the profiled elements are insertable into the seat, and at least one unloading opening, facing the unloading area and through which the profiled elements are removable from their seats.

The warehouses of known type allow an organization and division of the profiled elements in order to facilitate and speed up the assembly operations of the same by the operators in the machining stations.

The warehouses of known type do, however, have some drawbacks.

Generally, in fact, the unloading area is freely accessible by the operators, who can pick up the profiled elements from any seat. During loading, at the point where the opposite loading area is located, the profiled elements are pushed into their seats, from the loading opening towards the unloading opening.

This operation can be dangerous for the operators standing in the loading area. In fact, the profiled elements may accidentally come out of the unloading openings and hit the operators. It should be noted that, although the profiled elements for window/door frames are usually of low weight, they are generally machined at the ends and have pointed and/or sharp portions. Moreover, in some cases, the profiled elements may include a reinforcing body, such as e.g. a bar, made of metal material, which significantly increases the weight thereof.

In addition, the warehouses of known type do not allow the operator to selectively pick up the profiled elements according to a system production schedule, with the risk of making mistakes when manufacturing the frames.

Description of the Invention

The main aim of the present invention is to devise an automatic warehouse for window/door frames, which allows an easy loading of the profiled elements in the loading area and, at the same time, is extremely safe for the operators located in the opposite unloading area.

Another object of the present invention is to devise an automatic warehouse for window/door frames, which allows the profiled elements to be picked up only in the seats not involved in the profiled element loading.

Yet another object of the present invention is to devise an automatic warehouse for window/door frames, which allows a selective picking of the profiled elements according to the type of window/door frame to be made.

A further object of the present invention is to devise an automatic warehouse for window/door frames, which allows the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art to be overcome within a simple, rational, easy and effective to use as well as affordable solution.

The aforementioned objects are achieved by the present automatic warehouse for window/door frames having the characteristics of claim 1.

Brief Description of the Drawings Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of an automatic warehouse for window/door frames, illustrated by way of an indicative, yet non-limiting example, in the accompanying tables of drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a system provided with the automatic warehouse according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a plan detailed view of the automatic warehouse according to the invention;

Figure 3 is an axonometric view of the automatic warehouse according to the invention, with the closing means in an opening state;

Figure 4 is an axonometric view of the automatic warehouse according to the invention, with the closing means in a closing state;

Figure 5 is a schematic representation of the operation of the automatic warehouse according to the invention.

Embodiments of the Invention

With particular reference to such figures, reference numeral 1 globally indicates an automatic warehouse for window/door frames.

More specifically, the present automatic warehouse 1 can be installed in a system for manufacturing profiled elements of window/door frames and is adapted to house a plurality of profiled elements P intended to manufacture the window/door frames themselves.

The profiled elements P are made of a plastic material. Preferably, the profiled elements P are made of PVC.

It cannot, however, be ruled out that the profiled elements P be made of a heat- sealable plastic material other than PVC and/or of a plastic material loaded with a reinforcing material, e.g., in the form of fibers such as glass fibers or the like. Furthermore, it cannot be ruled out that the profiled elements P be partly made of a plastic material and partly made of a different material, in a way similar to some known type of materials which, e.g., are provided with a canopy, an external coating or an inner core made of metal, wood or the like. Again, the profiled elements P may be provided, inside them, with a reinforcing body, such as e.g. a bar, made of a metal material.

It cannot also be ruled out that the profiled elements P be made of a metal material, e.g. aluminum.

Each profiled element P extends along a relevant longitudinal direction and comprises at least one area to be sealed defined at the point where at least one end is located.

In particular, the area to be sealed is obtained by cutting the profiled element P, transversely to the longitudinal direction, according to an angle comprised between 10° and 80°.

The automatic warehouse 1 comprises: at least one storage structure 2 provided with a plurality of seats 3 for housing the profiled elements P for window/door frames; and at least one loading area 4 and at least one unloading area 5 arranged on opposite sides of the storage structure 2.

The storage structure 2 extends along a substantially horizontal direction of extension S.

In the loading area 4 the profiled elements P are placed in their respective seats 3, while in the unloading area 5 the profiled elements P are taken from their seats 3 for further machining operations.

In particular, the loading area 4 is arranged at the point where a filling station R of the profiled elements P is located. The unloading area 5, on the other hand, is positioned at the point where one or more machining stations L are located, wherein the profiled elements P are machined and assembled together, through the relevant areas to be sealed, in order to make the window/door frames.

Each of the seats 3 extends between the loading area 4 and the unloading area 5 and comprises at least one loading opening 6, facing the loading area 4 and through which the profiled elements P are insertable into their seat 3.

The seat 3 also comprises at least one unloading opening 7, facing the unloading area 5 and through which the profiled elements P are removable from the seats 3. According to the invention, the automatic warehouse 1 comprises restricted access means 8 associated with at least the unloading area 5 and adapted to regulate the access to the unloading area 5 by an operator.

The restricted access means 8 have the function of preventing the operator from accessing the unloading area 5 during the operations of positioning the profiled elements P in the storage structure 2 in the loading area 4.

The restricted access means 8 comprise at least one physical barrier 9 adapted to delimit at least one portion of the unloading area 5.

The physical barrier 9 is provided with at least one access gap 10, wherein at least one group of seats 3 is accessible by the operator through the access gap 10.

The access gap 10 is openable and closable by means of closing means 11 which may alternately be placed in at least one opening state and one closing state.

The closing means 11 comprise a closing body 12 associated with the physical barrier 9 in a movable manner and movement means 13 for moving the closing body 12 between the opening state and the closing state.

The closing body 12 is of the type, e.g., of a gate and is associated with the physical barrier 9 in a sliding manner.

Again with reference to the embodiment shown in the figures, the movement means 13 are of the type of guides and extend along a substantially horizontal direction.

It cannot, however, be ruled out that the movement means 13 extend along a substantially vertical direction.

It cannot also be ruled out that the closing body 12 be associated in rotation with the physical barrier 9 and the movement means 13 be of the type of hinges positioned between the closing body 12 and the physical barrier 9.

Conveniently, the closing means 11 comprise automatic locking means 14 operable to place the closing means 11 in the closing state and keep the access gap 10 closed.

The automatic locking means 14 are operable to keep the access gap 10 closed during the loading operations of the profiled elements P into their respective seats 3.

Advantageously, the automatic locking means 14 comprise at least one of either an electric lock or a pneumatic lock.

The restricted access means 8 also comprise signaling means 15 configured to signal to the operator either a state of accessibility or a state of inaccessibility to the unloading area 5.

The state of the signaling means 15 signals the state of the automatic locking means 14.

In the accessibility state, the automatic locking means 14 are deactivated and the closing means 11 are positionable in the opening state, either manually by the operator or by the automatic means.

Conversely, in the inaccessibility state, the automatic locking means 14 are activated and the closing means 11 are kept in the closing state.

The signaling means 15 may be of the luminous, visual and/or audible type.

For example, the signaling means 15 may comprise a pair of indicator lights, green and red, wherein the green indicator signals the accessibility state and the red indicator signals the inaccessibility state.

Advantageously, the restricted access means 8 comprise a plurality of physical barriers 9 adapted to divide the unloading area 5 into a plurality of unloading stations 16, each one arranged in the proximity of at least one of the seats 3.

The physical barriers 9 have the function of dividing the seats 3 into a plurality of groups of seats 3, each accessible through a respective unloading station 16. Specifically, each unloading station 16 comprises a respective access gap 10 which can be opened and closed by means of the closing means 11.

Each unloading station 16 also comprises relevant signaling means 15.

The restricted access means 8 allow, therefore, preventing the access by the operator to the unloading stations 16 whose group of seats 3 is involved in the loading of the profiled elements P at the point where the loading area 4 is located.

Advantageously, the automatic warehouse 1 comprises automated positioning means 17 arranged in the loading area 4 and adapted to position the profiled elements P in the seats 3, through the loading openings 6, according to a predetermined positioning pattern.

Conveniently, the automatic warehouse 1 comprises an electronic unit 18 operatively connected to the automated positioning means 17 and to the automatic locking means 14 and configured to selectively operate the automatic locking means 14 according to the predetermined positioning pattern.

The electronic unit 18 is, therefore, configured to close the access gap 10 when the automated positioning means 17 load the group of seats 3 accessible through the access gap itself.

Thanks to the predetermined positioning pattern, the electronic unit 18 detects which seats 3 are involved in the positioning of the profiled elements P in the loading area 4 and prevents the access thereof to the corresponding unloading station 16.

The electronic unit 18 is also operatively connected to the signaling means 15 and is configured to operate the latter depending on the state of accessibility or inaccessibility of the unloading stations 16.

Following loading, the access gap 10 may be kept closed until the actual need for the profiled elements P contained in the relevant seats 3 in the machining stations L.

In particular, the electronic unit 18 may be configured to store a system production schedule and to selectively control the automatic locking means 14 and the signaling means 15 depending on said production schedule.

More in detail, according to the production schedule, the electronic unit 18 will bring to the accessibility state only the unloading stations 16 whose profiled elements P must be used at a precise time for the manufacture of a specific type of window/door frame.

Advantageously, the automated positioning means 17 comprise at least one Cartesian robot 19 configured to pick the profiled elements P from a filling station R of the profiled elements P and to position them in their seats 3.

The Cartesian robot 19 comprises a first guidance unit 20 extending along a substantially horizontal first direction D and a trolley assembly 21 sliding along the first guidance unit 20.

The first direction D is substantially parallel to the direction of extension S.

The first guidance unit 20 is advantageously assembled on the ground and extends at least along the entire extension of the storage structure 2 along the direction of extension S.

The Cartesian robot 19 also comprises a second guidance unit which is mounted on the trolley assembly 21 and extends along a second substantially vertical direction.

The Cartesian robot 19 then comprises a gripping assembly 22 of the profiled elements P, which is movable along the second guidance unit and is configured to introduce the profiled elements P into the seats 3 through the loading openings 6.

More specifically, the gripping assembly 22 comprises, e.g., a pusher body adapted to push the profiled elements P inside their respective seats 3.

Conveniently, the automatic warehouse 1 also comprises detection means 23 arranged in the loading area 4 and configured to recognize different types of profiled elements P and to generate the predetermined positioning pattern depending on the types of profiled elements P detected.

The operation of the automatic warehouse 1 according to the present invention is as follows.

The profiled elements P reach the loading area 4 by means of the filling station R.

The detection means 23 recognize the profiled elements P and generate the predetermined positioning pattern.

The Cartesian robot 19 picks up the profiled elements P and transfers them to their respective seats 3 depending on the predetermined positioning pattern.

The electronic unit 18, depending on the predetermined positioning pattern, actuates the automatic locking means 14 of the unloading stations 16 whose group of seats 3 is involved in the positioning of the profiled elements P.

The signaling means 15 signal to the operator the inaccessibility state of the unloading station 16.

After loading is completed, the electronic unit 18 deactivates the automatic locking means 14 allowing the relevant closing means 11 to be opened.

The signaling means 15 signal to the operator the accessibility state of the unloading station 16.

It has in practice been ascertained that the described invention achieves the intended objects, and in particular the fact is emphasized that, thanks to the restricted access means, the present automatic warehouse for the profiled elements of window/door frames allows an easy loading of the profiled elements in the loading area and is, at the same time, extremely safe for the operators located in the opposite unloading area.

In addition, the present automatic warehouse allows picking only those profiled elements which are in the seats not involved in the loading of the profiled elements. Finally, the automatic warehouse for the profiled elements of window/door frames according to the invention allows a selective picking of the profiled elements depending on the type of window/door frame to be manufactured.