Such stock-and-picking device is known from eg EP-A1-0 722 894 that shows a stock-and-picking device comprising two oppositely arranged shelf- racks with carrier rails on which it is possible, in a displaceable and detachable manner, to locate drawers or trays with articles. Between the two shelf-racks a lift is provided that can be displaced vertically and that is configured for being able to transport a selected drawer from one of the shelf- racks to a service opening, where an operator is able to pick out the articles or objects that he needs.

Transport of the drawer is accomplished in the following manner: - the operator codes in which drawer he desires to have presented; - the lift moves up or down to the selected drawer; - the lift pulls out the selected drawer from one of the shelf-racks, whereby it is caused to be located on the lift ; - the lift moves up or down until the selected drawer is level with the position of presentation in the service opening; - the lift pushes the selected drawer out into the service opening to a position within one of the shelf-racks.

In the shown stock-and-picking device the service opening is located at an approximately ergonomically correct height in the one shelf-rack.

Such stock-and-picking devices are extremely economical from a space point of view compared to other storage shelf-racks and due to the automated advancement of a selected drawer, the picking out can be performed swiftly and efficiently.

For presentation of the selected drawer in these prior art stock-and-picking devices, the drawer is conveyed out to the service opening and remains in its horizontal position therein. The dimensions of the drawers of such stock-and- picking devices may vary, but they are typically comprised within the range of from 1220 mm by 650 mm to 2500 mm by 820 mm. Such dimensions presuppose that the operator who picks out articles from the selected drawer needs to reach comparatively far across the drawer if for instance he requires an article that is located far back in the drawer. This is undesirable, since the operator needs to perform a lifting movement far away from his body, in particular if the article is heavy, and thus the prior art stock-and-picking devices are not configured optimally form an ergonomic point of view.

Most often, each drawer is provided with lateral walls and optionally also with partition walls for dividing the drawer into compartments, and the height of such lateral and partition walls may render it difficult for the operator to see, which and how may articles that are present in a specific compartment in the drawer. In this context it should be noted that in the present specification the term'drawer'is used generally to designate drawers, trays, shelves, etc, on which the articles are sitting in the stock-and-picking device.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a stock-and-picking device by which improved accessibility is obtained to articles in a drawer that has been brought to the service opening.

This is obtained by configuring the stock-and-picking device mentioned above such that the selected drawer can be tilted from a substantially

horizontal position to an inclined position when it is located at the service opening within the at least one shelf-rack.

Hereby it is obtained, firstly, that the operator needs to reach a relatively shorter distance to seize the articles that are farthest back in the drawer and, secondly, that the operator obtains a vastly improved view of the articles in the drawer compared to the horizontal presentation of the drawer, in particular when the drawer is located with upwardly protruding lateral side or partition walls.

According to a preferred embodiment the selected drawer is located on a drawer carrier in the service opening, which drawer carrier is pivotally connected to a support around a hinge joint, such that it can be tilted relative to the support. The drawer carrier is advantageously configured in accordance with the same principles as the carrier rails provided in the shelf- racks, thereby allowing the lift to seize and deliver, in the same manner, a drawer to the drawer carrier.

For tilting the drawer carrier and thus the drawer, at least one hydraulic cylinder is preferably provided between the drawer carrier and the support. A hydraulic cylinder provides a very well-defined travelling and can be used for lifting heavy drawers, which is a point of interest in connection with a stock- and-picking device of the type that is relevant herein, where each drawer may weigh as much as eg 400 kg.

The drawer carrier and thus the drawer can be tilted upwards at different angles ; it being preferred, however, that it is tilted to an inclined position where the angle relative to the horizontal is comprised between 30° and 60°, more preferably between 40° and 50°, and preferably about 45°. Use of an angle of between 30° and 60° allows a reduction of the reaching depth of an operator of between 13% and 50%, and the preferred angle of 45° enables a reduction of the reaching depth of about 30%.

In order to further enhance the ergonomic aspects to the operator who is to pick out articles from a drawer in the service opening, the support and the drawer carrier can be configured for being adjusted essentially steplessly to various heights within the at least one shelf-rack. Hereby it is obtained that the individual operator is able to adjust the height of the drawer to the ergonomically most correct height for precisely this operator.

Preferably the drawer carrier is configured with carrier rails corresponding to the carrier rails in the shelf-racks, and preferably all the carrier rails are configured with roller ledges on which the drawers are located. By configuring all the carrier rails alike, simple and uniform manoeuvring is accomplished of the lift and its mechanism for receiving and depositing a drawer. The use of roller ledges, on which the drawers are caused to roll when they are moved from or to the carrier ledges by the lift, brings about a considerable reduction of the frictional resistance that occurs during the movement.

According to the preferred embodiment of the stock-and-picking device according to the invention, all movements are PLC-controlled, and preferably each drawer has programmed a specific angle at which this specific drawer is tilted when located in the service opening. Hereby optimal control is obtained of all the movements of the stock-and-picking device and of the tilting of the individual drawer.

The invention will now be explained in further detail with reference to the drawing, in which Figure 1 shows a stock-and-picking device according to the invention in a position in which a drawer has been brought to the service opening; Figure 2 is an enlarged scale view of a part of the stock-and-picking device shown in Figure 1, partially in section; and

Figure 3 shows the same part as Figure 2; however with the drawer being tilted for improved display of the articles contained therein.

Figure 1 shows a stock-and-picking device 1 that comprises two shelf-racks 2a, 2b that are each provided with an even number of carrier rails 3 on which are located drawers 4 with articles 5. The two shelf-racks are, in principle, built like commonly known storage shelf-racks with vertical posts 6 and horizontal lathes 7,8 and, at the top and at the bottom, they are connected to each other via a top frame 9 and a bottom frame 10. The carrier rails 3 are mounted on the posts 6 and are configured to carry, two-by-two, a drawer 4.

Roller ledges 11 are provided on the carrier rails 3 for minimising the frictional resistance when a drawer 4 is pulled away from or delivered to a pair of carrier rails 3, as will be described later. The vertical distance between the carrier rails 3 and thus between the drawers 4 can be varied as needed.

The rear shelf-rack 2b is provided with carrier rails 3 and drawers 4 throughout its entire height, whereas the front shelf-rack 2a is merely provided with carrier rails 3 and drawers 4 in a region above a service opening 12, wherein a selected drawer 4a can be displayed to an operator as will be described below.

Between the two shelf-racks 2a, 2b, a lift 13 is provided that can be moved up and down between the shelf-racks 2a, 2b, it being provided with a motor (not shown) that meshes, via a toothed wheel 14, with a rack 15 that extends from the bottom frame 10 to the top frame 9. The lift 13 is configured for being able to pull a selected drawer 4a out from one of the shelf-racks 2a, 2b and transporting it downwards or upwards to the service opening 12, where it is shifted outwards as shown in Figure 1. According to a preferred embodiment the lift 12 is provided with horizontal chain drives 16 that are provided with chain latches 17 that are able to engage with outwardly protruding, U-shaped pins 18 on the sides of the drawers 4. The functioning as such of the lift 12 and the way in which it engages with and transports a selected drawer 4a is commonly known and will not be described in further

detail herein.

The entire stock-and-picking device 1 is usually provided with cover plates 19, eg steel plates, as outlined on the front part of the stock-and-picking device 1 shown in Figure 1. These cover plates 19 ensure, on the one hand, that the space within the stock-and-picking device 1 can be kept reasonably free of dust, which means that there is less need for servicing and cleaning, and, on the other, that unauthorised access to the interior of the stock-and- picking device 1 is restricted.

Figure 2 shows a sectional view around the service opening 12 of the stock- and-picking device 1. Here, again, the lift 13 is shown that is, by means of a toothed wheel 14, in engagement with a rack 15 that can be moved up and down between the two shelf-racks 2a, 2b in the stock-and-picking device 1.

Besides, the lift 13 is provided with guide rollers 20 that ensure the stability of the lift 1. On the top face of the lift 13 the chain drive 16 is seen with the outwardly protruding chain latches 17 that are able to engage with the U- shaped pins 18 on the sides of the drawers 4.

Besides, Figure 2 shows the device underneath the service opening 12 according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. The device comprises a drawer carrier 21 that is, at each side, provided with a carrier rail 3 with a roller ledge 1 on which a selected drawer 4a can be located. At its front edge, the drawer carrier 21 is provided with a drawer stop 22 that protrudes in front of the selected drawer 4a and ensures that it is not displaced too far outwards. For the sake of overview, the selected drawer 4a is shown as if it were located on top of the carrier rail 3, but in practice it will typically be engaged in rails that protrude from the side of the selected drawer 4a.

The drawer carrier 21 is hinged to a support 23 around a hinge joint 24.

There is also provided at least one hydraulic cylinder 25 that is, at the upper end, connected to the drawer carrier 21 and, at the lower end, to the support 23. When the lift 13 has transported a selected drawer 4a to the service

opening 12 and by means of the chain drive 16 shifted it out on the drawer carrier 21, the hydraulic cylinder 25 is activated and the drawer carrier 21 with the selected drawer 4a is tilted upwards around the hinge joint 24.

Drawer stop 22 prevents the selected drawer 4a from sliding off the drawer carrier 21, and the position shown in Figure 3 is obtained. It is to be noted that the selected drawer 4a, when it is positioned at the service opening 12, essentially is still located within the horizontal expanse of the shelf-rack 2a.

As will appear from Figure 3, the drawer carrier 21 and thus the selected drawer 4a has been tilted to an angle a of about 45°. This angle a can, in the preferred embodiment, be adjusted individually for each separate drawer, as some drawers 4 may contain articles 5 that either do not permit that the drawer 4 is tilted or permit an angulation of more than or less than 45°. Tilting of the selected drawer 4a to 45° enables a reaching depth D for the operator that is approximately 30% less than in case of a horizontally selected drawer 4a as shown in Figure 2.

When the operator has picked out the article (s) he needs, the hydraulic cylinder 25 is once again activated and the selected drawer 4a is taken down to horizontal, leaving the situation shown in Figure 2. Then the lift 13 can, by means of the chain drive 16 with the chain latches 17, pull the selected drawer 4a onto the lift 13 and carry it upwards or downwards to its fixed position in the stock-and-picking device 1. Then the stock-and-picking device 1 is ready for renewed advancement of another drawer 4 to the service opening 12.

As will appear from Figures 2 and 3, there is-underneath the support 23- provided a lifting device that has, in the shown example, the shape of one or preferably more lifting columns 26. These lifting columns 26 can be activated by means of not shown push buttons and they can be driven by a not shown motor for adjusting the height of the support 23 and thus the drawer carrier 21 and the selected drawer 4a. The lifting columns 26 can be driven continually which means that the height of the support 23 can be adjusted

steplessly. Hereby the individual operator who is to pick articles 5 from the selected drawer 4a is able to pre-set the height of the selected drawer 4a in which the articles are located to such height as is most optimal and ergonomically correct to him. The lifting columns 26 are preferably configured with an internal spindle that will, by rotation, lift or lower the support 23 and hence the selected drawer 4a.

The tilting function as well as adjustments of height can of course be configured in other ways than the ones shown in Figures 2 and 3, and likewise the configuration of the stock-and-picking device 1 as such and the lift 13 can be varied without thereby departing from the inventive idea. For instance, the stock-and-picking device may comprise only one shelf-rack if the space where the stock-and-picking device is to be located is limited, and there may be provided more than one service opening at different levels and optionally at one or both shelf-racks.