The invention relates to a storage system comprising a plurality of carrier shelves moveable along a conveying track.

Such storage systems are known in a wide variety of embodiments. For example vertical Paternoster storage systems are known which comprise a large number of horizontal carrier shelves which are circulating along an oval track. Such a Paternoster storage system presently is sold by applicant for amongst others to be used for the sorting of washed textile articles during folding and just before bringing them back to where they came from in batches of washed, sorted and folded articles wrapped in suitable hygienic wrappings. For this a stationary shelf is arranged as loading and unloading station along the track. An employee is then able to each time scan a bar code of a washed article in front of a bar code scanner and then start to fold it up. Instead of using a bar code it is also known to use other types of identification means. During the folding, the storage system in

correspondence to the scanned bar code or other identification code, starts rotating until a compartment on a particular carrier shelf which corresponds to the scanned bar code is lined up with the stationary shelf. Subsequently a lamp above the respective compartment lights up and the employee is able to place the folded article in the correct compartment. At some point in time, for example when the storage system is fully loaded or when there are no more washed and folded articles to be placed therein, the employee can start unloading the entire system. For this, each batch of folded articles in a particular compartment is taken out and placed on a conveyor belt organ which transports this batch to a wrapping installation. There the batch gets wrapped up in a plastic cover. This repeats itself until each of the compartments has been unloaded. Then all the batches are ready for transportation in a hygienic manner back to where they came from, for example a hospital, a nursing or rest home or the like. For example WO 2011/1558212 shows such a storage system.

A disadvantage with this known vertical Paternoster storage system is that its loading and unloading processes leave to be improved. Both the loading and unloading takes up a lot of time for an employee, particularly because it is performed manually by one and the same person. In order to be able to easily reach all of the compartments during loading and unloading, the operator mostly is taking a standing position behind the shelf of the system. Together with the other actions to be taken behind the shelf, like the folding of the articles, this long-lasting standing behind the shelf makes it a demanding and heavy task to perform. For having the operator being able to keep on concentrating on the job, and not starting to make mistakes because of starting to get tired, it is important that the working conditions are as optimal as possible. However for example lengths of operators may differ considerably. Also sometimes it may occur that the operator for a specific task wants to sit down behind the shelf. In order to prevent the operators from getting back pains or other kinds of injuries because of the shelf being too high or low for them, it is now common to use some kind of platform, mostly a wooden pallet, to stand upon. Such a pallet however is not always available, has a specific limited height, is heavy to lift and displace, and has openings inside which a foot of the operator easily can get trapped. If the operator then chooses a smaller platform which is less heavy, then this may cause the danger for him or her to accidentally fall of.

The present invention aims to overcome one or more of the abovementioned disadvantages or to provide a usable alternative. In particular the invention aims to provide a user-friendly and efficiently operating storage system.

This aim is achieved by a storage system according to claim 1. The storage system comprises a frame and a plurality of carrier shelves. Each carrier shelf has a supporting surface, in particular a substantially horizontal supporting surface, on top of which a number of articles can be placed such that they can be stored (temporarily) in the system. The carrier shelves are positioned moveable one behind the other at fixed intervals along a vertically oriented conveying track. At least one loading and/or unloading station is arranged along the track. The loading and/or unloading station comprises a working platform with which the respective one of the carrier shelves connects during a stop. This working platform is provided sideways in front of the conveying track. For the loading station this working platform makes it possible for the user to perform some kind of action, like folding, to the articles before placing them onto an aimed carrier shelf or carrier shelf compartment.

Furthermore, conveying means are provided for moving the plurality of carrier shelves along the track and with those movements passing the shelves along the working platform of the loading and/or unloading station. This makes it possible to each time have a respective one of the carrier shelves stop in front of the working platform of the loading and/or unloading station in between movements of the carrier shelves along the track. A housing is provided which covers a front side part of the frame and carrier shelves. An inlet and/or outlet opening is provided in this housing where the loading and/or unloading station is foreseen. This inlet and/or outlet opening is dimensioned such that substantially merely one of the carrier shelves is accessible during a stop. According to the invention the working platform of the at least one loading and/or unloading station is arranged height adjustable relative to the frame. The inlet and/or outlet opening is also arranged height adjustable. The fact that the opening also can be positioned at different heights has the advantage that it is possible to shield of remaining parts of the system and only give access to the carrier shelf stopped in front of the station. This improves the safety of the system as well as that it helps to minimize mistakes by the operator. Control means are provided which on the one hand are operable for having the working platform of the loading and/or unloading station positioned at a selected operating height. The control means are also designed for automatically having the inlet and/or outlet opening positioned at the selected operating height. On the other hand the control means are designed for controlling the conveying means in such a way that during a stop the respective one of the carrier shelves gets to automatically fit up to the working platform of the loading and/or unloading station in dependence of the selected operating height.

Thus the invention is based on the insight that it is not necessary to have the operators use different heights of wooden pallets to stand upon in front of the system, and that it is neither necessary to displace the entire system of frame, carrier shelves and track upwards or downwards in order to have it adjusted each time to a specific length of an operator. Advantageously, the invention offers a combined height adjustability option of not only the working platform of the loading and/or unloading station but also of the inlet and/or outlet opening as well as for a suitable controlling/programming of the conveying means to have the carrier shelves stop at other positions along the track when the station is adjusted to another height.

It is noted that DE 197 49 396 discloses a Paternoster for guiding products through a cleaning bath. With this the products need to be accurately positioned in troughs of the Paternoster. For this an angled conveyor belt is used together with some kind of guiding partition floating there above. The guiding partition slowly translates in a longitudinal direction along a stopped trough such that the products get to be positioned interspaced therein. For having the Paternoster being able to function between manufacturing machines of varying heights, it is possible for the conveyor belt to be mounted height adjustable. A control of a drive of conveying means of the Paternoster then can take care of a

corresponding height adjustment of the respective trough which needs to take over the products.

The conveying track according to the present invention preferably is a closed loop shaped track with vertically directed longitudinal track parts along which the carrier shelves can be moved. The conveying means can then be designed to move the plurality of carrier shelves in one direction only or both clockwise and counter clockwise if desired. Thus a storage system of the Paternoster type can be obtained. It is also possible to use the invention in combination with other kinds and shapes of tracks. For example the conveying track may only comprise a substantially vertically directed track along which the plurality of carrier shelves including their conveyor belt organs can be moved up and down along the loading and/or unloading station. The carrier shelves preferably are of a longitudinal shape, and each comprise a set of partition walls positioned above the supporting surface. The partition walls subdivide each carrier shelf in a plurality of compartments along its longitudinal direction. The compartments make it possible to use the storage system not only for storing articles but also to sort them out by type, seize, colour, end user, or the like. It is possible to have each of the carrier shelves comprises a driveable conveyor belt organ as its supporting surface as is described in WO 201 1/155821 which was filed in the name of the same applicant. The conveyor belt organ as supporting surface then advantageously makes it possible to automate the loading and/or unloading process. Each time that it is for example desired to unload one of the carrier shelves it suffices to position it in front of the unloading station and then start driving the conveyor belt organ of that carrier shelf. Any articles stored on top of that conveyor belt organ can then automatically be transferred from out of that carrier shelf onto the unloading station by driving the conveyor belt organ in rotation. In a similar manner it is also possible to even automate the loading process if desired. The provision of the plurality of driveable conveyor belt organs moveable at fixed intervals as an assembly along the conveyor track makes it possible to save both costs and time for a user.

The inlet and/or outlet opening preferably extends over substantially an entire length of a carrier shelf, that is to say has a length which substantially corresponds to a length of a carrier shelf in a longitudinal direction. Furthermore the opening preferably extends over substantially the entire height of a carrier shelf, that is to say has a height which substantially corresponds to a height of a carrier shelf.

The working platform can be set manually into its aimed height. The same goes for the inlet and/or outlet opening which also can be set manually into its aimed height.

Preferably however the control means are then designed for automatically having the working platform and/or the opening positioned at the selected operating height. For example the working platform can be supported by one or more operable telescopingly extendable supports, which in particular are extendable by means of an electric drive and/or are formed by hydraulical cylinders.

The inlet and/or outlet opening can be provided in various ways in the housing. Preferably a fixedly arranged shielding segment and an adjustably arranged door segment are provided. The door segment then delimits the inlet and/or outlet opening and is adjustable into the selected operating height, whereas the fixedly arranged shielding segment keeps covering the remaining part of the front side of the system.

In a further embodiment the door segment at its lower and upper sides then may have overlaps with the fixed shielding segment, in such a way that during height adjustments, the door segment slides with its lower and upper sides along the fixed shielding segment while maintaining some amount of overlaps therewith. Advantageously the door segment can be connected to the working platform in such a way that they automatically move up and down together as an integral assembly during height adjustments.

In a variant complementary sensor means can be provided on the door segment and carrier shelves. Those sensor means connect to the control means and can be designed and positioned such that they send out a signal to the control means as soon as an aimed one of the carrier shelves has reached a certain position relative to the opening and working platform. The control means then can have the conveying means stop such that the respective one of the carrier shelves has gotten neatly lined up with the opening and working platform. Those sensor means can be of all kinds of types, but preferably comprise a photocell.

In a variant the door segment then may comprise two parts which on the one hand are adjustable together into the selected operating height while leaving the inlet and/or outlet opening open therebetween. On the other hand the two door segment parts then may be adjustable relative to each other. This makes it possible to not only position the opening at the selected operating height, but also to fully shut the inlet and/or outlet opening whenever this is desired. This may for example be desired during a relative long stand-still of the system, or when a cleaning operation of the environment is desired.

The height adjustability of the loading/unloading station, the working platform and/or of the inlet/outlet opening may be stepped, but preferably is of the infinite type. As part of the control means a switch button can be provided via which an operator can automatically and with one common operation adjust the heights of the station, platform and/or opening until respective heights are reached which correspond to his or her optimum working height when standing or sitting in front of the system. It is also possible that the system comprises an automated scanning system for scanning a personal/individual information carrier, which comprises or is linked to specific height info about that individual which can be fused by the control means for having it adjust the various heights.

Further embodiments are stated in the subclaims.

The storage system can be used for all kinds of purposes. In particular it is used for sorting of textile articles, in particular washed textile articles to be folded and packaged.

The invention also relates to a method according to claim 14.

The invention shall be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 schematically shows a front and a cross sectional side view of a Paternoster type storage system according to the invention at a selected operating height;

Fig. 2 is a view according to fig. 1 adjusted to a lower operating height; and Fig. 3 is a view according to fig. 1 adjusted to a higher operating height.

In fig. 1-3 the entire storage system has been given the reference numeral 1. The system 1 comprises a plurality of storage/carrier shelves 2 (merely three of which are shown) mounted at fixed intervals to a chain 3 of a vertically orientated loop-shaped conveying track 4. Each shelf 2 has a longitudinal direction along which a number of compartments 5 are positioned, ten in the shown example. The compartments 5 are separated from each other by means of partition walls 6. At the bottom side of each shelf 2 a bottom plate 7 is provided. A motor is provided for driving the chain 3 in rotation taking the shelves 2 along and guiding them one behind the other along the track 4. As is typical for storage systems of the Paternoster type, each of the shelves 2 is mounted to the chain 3 in such a way that all along their movement along the track 4, they are all able to maintain a position in which their bottom plate 7 is able to maintain such an orientation that articles stored in the shelves 2 do not fall of, preferably this is a substantially horizontal orientation.

The rotatable assembly of conveying track 4 and shelves 2 mounted thereto is placed inside a housing 10 supported by a suitable frame 1 1. The housing 10 is

substantially closed and is provided with a longitudinal inlet/outlet opening 12 at a position of a loading/unloading station 14. The opening 12 of the station 14 is provided at a height which makes it well possible for an operator to place articles in the compartments 5 of the shelves 2 via the opening 12.

The station 14 is provided with a height adjustable working platform 17 at the outside of the housing 10. The working platform 17 is destined to be used by the operator for performing actions to articles which are to be placed in the storage system 1.

During loading a user each time has a particular compartment 5 of a particular shelf 2 stopping in front of the working platform 17. He is then able to place a certain article which is linked to that particular compartment 5. This action is repeated until there are no more articles to be stored in the various compartments 5 and/or if all the compartments 5 have become fully loaded with articles. In the embodiment shown the operator places washed garments in the compartments 5, with which each specific compartment 5 has been linked to a specific end user of some of those garments. Each time the user has the storage system 1 rotate the assembly of shelves 2 in order to have a particular compartment 5 of a particular shelf 2 stop in front of the station 14. During this rotating of the system, the operator has time to neatly fold up the garment which is linked to that specific compartment 5. Thus the operator is able to efficiently and quickly fold up and sort out a batch of washed garments and store them temporarily in the system 1. With this the operator places the garments stacked on their aimed compartments 5 on top of the bottom plate 7 or other suitable supporting surface of that shelf 2. According to the invention the station 14 is adjustable in height such that a particular operator can accurately adjust the system to his/her wishes. For this a control means (not shown) is provided which is operable for having the station 14 positioned at a selected operating height. In particular the working platform 17 is adjustable in height in this manner and for this is placed upon two telescopingly extendable supports 18. With this the telescoping parts can be extended by means of a hoist cable connected thereto, which is hoistable by means of an electric drive with a winding shaft such that the parts start to move outwards relative to each other in a longitudinal direction. In fig. 1 the height H1 of the platform 17 has been adjusted to approximately 1000mm, whereas in fig. 2 the height H2 has been adjusted to approximately 850mm. and in fig. 3 the height H3 has been adjusted to approximately 1 150mm. As soon as the platform 17 gets positioned at a specific operating height H by means of a suitable operation of the control means, those same control means are programmed to automatically control the motor for driving of the chain 3 in such a way that during each stop an aimed shelf 2 gets automatically lined up to that specific operating height at which the working platform 17 has gotten positioned into. In other words the respective shelf 2 then each time gets automatically stopped in front of the platform 17 with its bottom plate 7 at substantially the same height h as the height H at which the working platform 17 has been adjusted into. In the drawings this is about 30mm higher, so for a working platform height H 1 of 1000mm, the bottom plates 7 each time get to be stopped at heights hi of about 1030mm.

The housing 10 at its front side has a fixed shielding segment 20, and a height adjustable door segment 21 . In the door segment 21 the longitudinal inlet/outlet opening is left open at the position of the loading/unloading station 14. Since the door segment 21 is height adjustable, the inlet/outlet opening 12 therein is also height adjustable. The door segment 21 comprises a plate-shaped shield which at its lower and upper sides has overlaps with the fixed shielding segment 20. During height adjustments, the door segment 21 slides with its lower and upper sides along the fixed shielding segment 20 in such a way that the overlaps are maintained. The door segment 21 is connected to the platform 17 and moves up and down with it during height adjustments. Thus the supports 18 form common driving means for adjusting the height of the platform 17 as well as for the door segment 21 with its inlet/outlet opening 12.

A flexible shield 25 is provided along an upper edge side of the inlet/outlet opening. The shield 25 can be unrolled downwards for covering the opening when the system is not in use. Driving means can be provided for driving a rolling axis of the shield 25. In the alternative it can also be manually operated.

An arm 28 is connected to the door segment 21. The arm 28 projects inwards into the housing 10 and extends sideways of the track 4 and sideways of the shelves 2. A first sensor means 29 is provided at an outer end of the arm 28. Each of the shelves 2 is provided with a second sensor means 30 which are complementary to the first sensor means 29. Each time a particular one of the second sensor means 30 passes by the first sensor means 29, a corresponding signal is sent out to the control means. Thus the control means is able to keep track of the position of the shelves 2 relative to the opening 12 and working platform 17. Since the first sensor means 29 automatically move up and down together with a height adjustment of the working platform 17 and opening 12 respectively, this makes it possible to have the control means automatically stop a respective one of the carrier shelves 2 just in front of the opening 12 and lined up with the working platform 17, whatever height that platform 17 and opening 12 have been adjusted to.

Besides the embodiment shown many variants are possible. For example the numbers of shelves, the dimensions and shapes of the various parts can be varied. Also it is possible to use other types of height adjustment mechanisms and drive units. For example instead of the electrically driven telescopingly extendable supports it is also possible to use at least one operable hydraulic cylinder. The garments to be sorted out may be provided with suitable tags, barcodes or the like which the user can scan at the position of the working platform so that the control unit can then automatically steer the conveying means such that the corresponding shelf is stopped in front of the loading station at the adjusted operating height. Partition walls are not necessary. The various articles stored on top of the various shelves can also be separated in another manner from each other, for example by means of the bottom plates being provided with suitable partition ribs or by the articles being placed in suitable trays on top of the supporting surfaces of the shelves. The loading and/or unloading station can be equipped with a conveyor belt organ, or other suitable type of transportation device, with which a carrier shelf stopped in front of this station is able to connect. If, for example this station is the unloading station, then this stationary conveyor belt organ can lead to another type of handling apparatus, for example a wrapping installation for wrapping the various batches of articles transported thereto. The loading station and the unloading station can be located at one and the same position along the track. They can also be arranged at different positions. This makes it possible to at the same time perform a loading and an unloading operation. Also it makes it possible to provide the loading station at a height which is well reachable for a user to place articles manually onto the aimed carrier shelf or carrier shelf compartment, while the unloading station can then be provided along any other part of the track, for example an upper part, where it does not stand in the way to the user or other personnel.

Thus according to the invention a storage system is provided which makes it able to easily and quickly adjust the loading/unloading process in dependence of aimed working conditions and in dependence of different operators without those operators first having to perform all kinds of adjustment actions. Besides the sorting of washed garments, the invention can also be used for the sorting or temporarily storing of any other kinds of articles.