The invention relates to a device for storing and dispensing articles, the device including

- a storage arrangement with a number of elongated stacking units for storing articles stacked,

- an arrangement for dispensing articles from the device,

- gripping means for picking the uppermost article of a stack from a stacking unit,

- a carrier arranged for the gripping means for moving an article from a stacking unit to a dispensing arrangement.

The invention also relates to a method for storing and dispensing articles from the device.

An automated device for dispensing articles is known from US patent 5,253,782. Its basic components include an access opening for dispensing articles from the device, a storage tower having a number of vertical adjacent channels adapted to be positioned in a circumferential arrangement, and carrier means for moving articles from the channel to the access opening. In the channels, articles are stored in stacks. However, the operating mechanism of this construction is quite complicated. The articles dispensed are at the bottom of the stacks. This limits the suitability of the automated device to articles with special materials and features. Moreover, it makes the practical implementation of the carrier means complicated and even unreliable.

Another automated device for dispensing articles is known from US patent 7,240,805 B2. In this solution, too, articles are stored stacked , in channels. The channels are now operated from the top. Trajectory means for a two-dimensional movement are located in the upper part of the device, for a gripper. The article picked with the gripper from the stack of a selected channel is retrieved from the top using a movement extending lengthwise of the channel. The object of this invention is to provide a device for storing and dispensing articles, the device being simple in its construction and operation. Another object of this invention is to provide a method for storing and dispensing articles from the device, the method making the operation of the device simple. The characteristic features of the device and the method according to the invention are set forth in Claims 1 and 11, respectively.

Owing to the invention, the construction of the device is simple and its operation is reliable. By arranging the carrier adjacent to the stacking units, parallel thereto, and by moving the gripping means lengthwise of the stacking units, articles are reliably picked up. Owing to the invention, the gripping means can be reliably taken to the vicinity of the uppermost article of a stack for picking it, since the support and force provided by the carrier to the gripping means affect the entire main storage length of the stacking units. Due to the simple and reliably operating carrier and its position, articles that are mechanically difficult to handle and dispense can also be stored in and dispensed from the device. An example of these is non-packaged articles.

According to an embodiment, the storage arrangement can include at least one storage tower. A number of vertical adjacent stacking units may be adapted to be positioned in it, in a circumferential arrangement. In this case the carrier may be composed of a supporting structure, located at the center of the storage tower, where the gripping means are adapted to move vertically up and down. With the carrier, the gripping means can be arranged to turn between the stacking units and the dispensing arrangement. Such a storage arrangement is particularly advantageous in terms of space utilization and therefore well suited to office and common rooms, for instance. Furthermore, the carrier is also simple in this embodiment, which increases its reliability. Besides the vertical up/down movement of the gripper, only the turning movement of the gripper needs to be implemented in the carrier. There are several possibilities for implementing this.

According to an embodiment, the operation of the gripping means may rely on suction, for example. This facilitates gripping and dispensing articles that are difficult to handle. A suction effect does not require moveable gripping elements, but suction can be simply controlled with valves, for example.

According to an embodiment, an article can be taken to the dispensing arrangement from the top. This also simplifies the operation of the device. The article can be released above the dispensing arrangement and then it drops, by gravity, to a dispensing opening, for example, to be picked by the user.

Other remarkable advantages are also achieved with the invention. The device includes only few moving components, and the movement mechanisms are additionally very straightforward and simple. The device and the method are also suited to storing and dispensing articles with special characteristics. The replenishment of the device is also simple. The other characteristic features of the invention are set forth in the appended claims and other advantages achievable with the invention are discussed in more detail in the description section .

The invention, which is not limited by the embodiments set forth below, is now described in more detail by making reference to the attached drawings, in which: Figures la - Id show the device as seen from different directions with the gripper located above the dispensing opening,

Figures 2a - 2d show the device as seen from different directions with the gripper located above a selected stacking unit ready to retrieve an article from the stacking unit,

Figures 3a - 3d show the device as seen from different directions with the gripper currently gripping an article within a stacking unit,

Figures 4a - 4d show the device as seen from different directions, with the gripper located above a stacking unit after having retrieved an article,

Figures 5a - 5d show the device as seen from different directions with the gripper located above the dispensing opening ready to drop an article to the dispensing opening,

Figures 6a - 6d show the device as seen from different directions with the gripper located above the dispensing opening and after an article has dropped to the dispensing opening, Figure 7 shows an embodiment of the method according to the invention in a flow chart, and

Figure 8 shows an exemplary embodiment of a stacking unit composed of elements with the gripper located within it.

Figures lc - 6c are oblique lateral views of an example of a device 10 for storing and dispensing articles 12 for use, without a casing. The basic form of the device 10 may include a storage arrangement 20, a dispensing arrangement 11, gripping means 30 and a carrier 16 for moving articles with the gripping means 30 between the storage arrangement 20 and the dispensing arrangement 11. In the storage arrangement 20, articles 12 can be stored within the device 10 placed, for example, on top of each other, i.e. stacked. For this, the storage arrangement 20 may include a number of elongated stacking units 14 for storing articles 12 stacked therein. In its simplest form, the storage arrangement can even be a base 15 adapted to be positioned inside the device 10, on which articles 12 are firmly stacked on top of each other self-supportedly without lateral support, at least in one stack. If the package of the article 12 is suitably designed, or if permitted by the shape and nature of the article itself, the articles 12 can stay stacked even without specific supporting structures around them. Thus, for example, the stacks may be so low that their staying in the upright position is not a problem. Moreover, in some cases, the stacks can even lean on each other.

The dispensing arrangement may include at least one access adapted to the shape of the dispensing opening 11, for example, for dispensing an article. From the dispensing opening 11, the article 12 can be dispensed from the device 10 to its user. The dispensing opening 11 may be located in the external shell of the device 10, on the side thereof, for example. The dispensing opening 11 may even be open or it can be closed by a flap. Furthermore, the device 10 also includes gripping means 30 and a carrier 16 arranged for the gripping means 30- The gripping means 30 can be used to pick the uppermost article 12 of a stack from a selected stacking unit 14. The article 12 picked with the gripping means 30 can be moved to the dispensing arrangement 11 from the stacking units 14 with the carrier 16.

To simplify and organize the storage arrangement 20 to suit stacks that are difficult to keep in the upright position, for example, the storage arrangement 20 can include at least one storage tower 13 according to the embodiment proposed. A number of vertical adjacent stacking units 14, already referred to above, are adapted to be positioned in the storage tower 13, in a circumferential arrangement. The number of circles formed by the stacking units 14 is only one in this embodiment, but the storage tower 13 can also include several circles. A storage tower 13 is a compact solution in areas where the availability of space, particularly the wall space, is limited for the device 10.

Here the stacking units 14 are adapted to form channel-like structures in which articles 12 can be arranged in stacks. Henceforth, the stacking units 14 can also be referred to as channels. With the carrier 16, an article 12 is adapted to be moved from a stacking unit 14 to the dispensing arrangement 11. In this embodiment, the carrier 16 is adapted to be positioned at the center of the storage tower 13, more generally, the storage arrangement 20. Thus, the entire circumferential storage arrangement 20 can be operated with a single carrier 16. In the case according to the embodiment, the carrier 16 is adapted to be positioned at the center of the storage tower 13 included in the storage arrangement 20, or more generally, in the center area of the storage arrangement 20 that is free of stacking units 14. Thus, operating all of the stacks of the storage arrangement 20 is possible with a single carrier 16. The carrier 16 is adapted to extend parallel to the stacking units 14. In addition, the carrier 16 is adapted to move the gripping means 30 up and down lengthwise of the elongated stacking units 14. When located parallel to the stacking units 14, the carrier 16 can be positioned adjacent to the stacking units 14 extending over their entire main storage length.

The carrier 16 includes a supporting structure 17 equipped with a trajectory for the gripping means 30. In the case according to the embodiment, the supporting structure is composed of a vertical pole structure 17. The vertical pole structure 17 may extend from the bottom 15 of the storage arrangement 20 to the top of the device 10, where a supporting structure 24 set transversely to the device 10 may be located. The trajectory for the gripping means 30, arranged in the vertical pole structure 17, can be implemented with slide bars adapted to be positioned in the vertical pole structure 17, or a similar track arrangement where the gripping means 30 can move back and forth lengthwise of the stacking units 14. According to an embodiment, the gripping means 30 can be equipped with a sledge assembly 18 or a similar transfer mechanism, by means of which they are adapted to move vertically back and forth along the vertical pole 17. Thus, the sledge assembly 18, more generally, the gripping means 30, is adapted to be moveable in the vertical pole structure 1 . For example, the sledge assembly 18 may be provided with a radially extending horizontal pole structure 19 or a similar protrusion. It can be integral, but a telescopic design is also possible, of course. It should be noted that the pole structure 19 need not necessarily be completely horizontal, but it is sufficient that it has a dimension allowing for it to extend to the area of the stacking units 14 in the radial direction of the storage arrangement 20. The horizontal pole 19 can also be curved downwards. In the horizontal pole structure 19, gripping means 30 are adapted to be positioned at its end for picking the uppermost article 12 of a stack from ^' the storage arrangement 20. Depending on the degree of integration, the limit between the subassemblies can be quite vague. For example, the sledge and the horizontal pole may form an integral construction.

In addition, in the case according to the embodiment, the carrier 16 also includes a turning mechanism for turning the gripping means 30 between the dispensing arrangement 11 and the stacking units 14. The turning mechanism can be implemented in several different ways. According to an embodiment, the vertical pole structure 17 is adapted to turn motorized via its axis circumferentially of the storage arrangement 20. It can be supported to the bottom of the device 10 on which it is turnably mounted with a bearing. According to another embodiment, the gripping means 30 itself can also turn while the vertical pole structure 17 remains in place. In this case the turning mechanism can be located in the sledge 18, for example. There are multiple possibilities for this, too.

The operation of the gripping means 30 can be based on suction or vacuum, for example. A suction effect can be created with suction or, alternatively, with a compressed air blow (ejector principle) . Suction is simple to arrange and it provides a simple means of gripping and releasing an article 12. Equipment providing suction (not shown) can be located in connection with the device 10. Compressed air generating the suction effect can also be taken from the operating environment of the device 10 (for example, the compressed air network in an industrial plant) . In the case according to the embodiment proposed, the gripping means include a suction head 30 adapted to be positioned at the end of an air hose. The material of the suction head can be plastic, for example. The nozzle of the suction head 30 can be round, for example, and its size can be adapted according to the article 12 to be gripped.

The stacking units 14 include an access 25 adapted to be positioned on the side of the carrier 16 lengthwise of the stacking unit 14 for the gripping means 30 (Figures Id and 8) . One way of arranging the access 25 is to cut the channels 14 in their vertical direction. Thus the channels 14 have at least one vertical cut 25 which cuts the channel 14 lengthwise at least starting from its upper part. Cutting 25 enables articles 12 to be picked from the channel 14 via the top using the vertically moving gripping means 30. With a horizontal beam 19, the gripper 30 can be lowered to the channel 14 along an elongated opening 25 created by cutting, down to the top of the uppermost article 12 of the stack. The picking of the article 12 to the gripper 30 takes place by means of suction. Correspondingly, the horizontal beam 19 can be used to lift the gripper 30 and the article 12 adhered to it upwards along the opening 25 created by the cut adapted to be made in the channel 14 and thus away from the channel 14. In other words, the horizontal beam 19 adapted to be positioned in the carrier 16 and, more generally, the gripper 30 enters the channel 14 via the elongated opening 25.

A carrier 30 described above is reliable in operation, fast and simple. The turning movement of the gripping means 30 guarantees its precise positioning relative to the stacking units 14 arranged in a circumferential arrangement and the dispensing arrangement 11. The vertical movement of the gripping means 30, that is, the movement lengthwise of the stacking units 14, which is provided by the carrier 30 adapted to be positioned adjacent to the stacking units 14, is reliable. Thus, the gripper 30 is affected by the force which moves it over the entire main storage length of the stacking unit 14. In addition to ensuring the contact of the gripper 30 with the article 12, this also accelerates the operation of the device 10. This is an advantage, for example, compared to operating the storage unit 20 via its top part.

One way of implementing the access 25 to the channel 14 is to arrange the channels to be formed of two opposing profile elements 14.1, 14.2, the channel 14 thus forming in the area between these. Profile elements 14.1, 14.2 are now C profiles 14.1, 14.2 and they can be made of sheet material, for example. The construction is very simple and economical to manufacture. In addition, it enables easy variation of the dimensions of the channels 14, which aspect is discussed in more detail later in this application. The storage tower 13 is located on a base 15 which can have installation openings for the elements 14.1, 14.2 forming the channel 14. The installation openings can also partly enable the dimensional variation of the channels 14.

Below is a stagewise description of the operation of the device 10 and, at the same time, of the method for storing and dispensing articles 12 from the device 10 serving as storage. For clarity, the device 10 is shown without the outer casing in the figures. Figures la to 6a are front views of the device seen from the direction of the opening 11, Figures lb to 6b are lateral views, Figures lc to 6c are oblique lateral views, and Figures Id to 6d are top views. Figure 7 shows a flow chart of an example of the method for storing and dispensing articles 12. Figures la to Id show an example of the initial condition of retrieving an article 12. Thus, the gripper 30 arranged in the carrier 16 can be positioned above the dispensing opening 11 in its home station. When the user of the device 10 has given information on the article desired via the user interface (not shown) of the device 10 - which articles are here gloves 12, to provide an example - it follows that the article 12 is dispensed from the device 10 by moving it from the selected stacking unit 14 to the dispensing opening arrangement 11. After receiving an order for an article, the vertical pole 17 included in the carrier 16 turns the horizontal pole 19 connected thereto above the correct channel 14 (step 701). During the turning process, the horizontal pole 19 is in its top position above the channels 14, thus capable of freely and unobs tructedly turning circumferent ially of the storage arrangement 20. This action leads to the arrangement shown in Figures 2a to 2d. Here the gripper 30 is above the channel 14 ready to retrieve the article 12 from the stack arranged in the channel 14, in which stacks articles 12 are stored within the device 10. Figures 3a to 3d illustrate the third sub-step. Here the gripper 30 has been lowered down in the channel 14 to retrieve the uppermost glove 12 of the stack (step 702). Lowering now takes place with a sledge 18, adapted to be positioned in the vertical pole 17, to which the arm 19 and the gripper 30 located at its end are fastened. This action leads to the arrangement shown in Figures 3a to 3d. An opening 25 in the channel 14, more generally an access, on the side of the inner edge, i.e. of the carrier 16, enables the gripper 30 to be lowered to the channel 14. Thus, when picking up an article 12, the gripper 30 is taken to the uppermost article 12 of the stack sideways relative to the stacking unit 14.

In the situation shown in Figures 3a to 3d, the uppermost article 12 of the stack is picked from the selected stacking unit 14 with the gripper 30. The gripper 30 is used to create a suction effect affecting the article 12, which makes the glove 12 adhere to the gripper 30 (step 703) .

Once the article 12 is firmly held by the gripper 30, the article 12 picked from the stack is dispensed by moving it from the stacking unit 14 to the dispensing arrangement 11. There the article 12 is moved to the dispensing station adapted to be positioned in the dispensing arrangement 11. Dispensing is started by lifting the gripper 30 in the channel 14 (step 704) . Lifting takes again place with the sledge 18 adapted to be positioned in the vertical pole 17 to which the arm 19 and the gripper 30 located at. its end are fastened. Again, the opening 25 in the channel 14, more generally an access, on the side of the inner edge, i.e. of the carrier 16, enables the gripper 30 to be lifted from the channel 14. This leads to the arrangement shown in Figures 4a to 4d where the gripper 30 has retrieved an article 12 from the stack of the channel 14 and is now positioned above the channel 14. When away from the channel 14, the gripper 30 is again free to turn circumferentially of the storage arrangement 20. In the subsequent step of dispensing the article 12, the gripper 30 is turned above a trough 11, serving as the dispensing arrangement, using the vertical pole 17, in which it returns to its home station, which can also be referred to as a 'dispensing station' (step 705) . This leads to the arrangement shown in Figures 5a to 5d. When the gripper 30 is located above the trough 11, the suction effect can be disconnected to release it from the article 12. From this follows that the hold of the gripper 30 from the glove 12 is released and the glove 12 drops down to the trough 11 for being dispensed; i.e. the article 12 moves to the dispensing arrangement 11 by gravity (step 706) . Thus, an article 12 can be taken to the dispensing arrangement 11 from the top thereof, which makes it safe since the carrier 16 does not operate in the area of the dispensing opening 11. This leads to the arrangement shown in Figures 6a to 6d. The user of the device can take the glove 12 from the trough 11, which can be open, and thus the operation can take place without obstacles. After this, the device 10 is immediately ready for retrieving the next glove 12 from the selected channel 14.

When it is desired to replenish the device 10; i.e. one wants to add further gloves to the channels 14 of the storage tower 13, this can be accomplished, for example, by opening the front wall, which can have a door-like design, of the casing of the device 10. Thus, the casing of the device 10 is adapted to be openable for filling it. For example, the front wall may be that wall of the device 10 which is provided with the dispensing opening 11 and the user interface of the device 10. Once the wall is opened, the storage tower 13 exposed behind it can be rotated like a carousel, manually, for example. Thus, the storage tower 13 is adapted to rotate for filling the channels 14. Articles 12 can be put to the desired channels 14 one channel 14 at a time. For filling the channels 14, the stacking units 14 may include an access 21 adapted lengthwise of the stacking units 14, on the opposite site relative to the carrier 16. Here, too, the access is formed with a cut arranged in the channel 14, with the opening 25 created by it essentially facilitating the replenishment. The elongated opening 21 is on the outermost side of the channel 14, on the outer rim (Figure Id) . Through the opening 21 formed by the cut, articles 12 can be placed in stacks in large bundles, for example, and the replenishment state of the channels 14 can be easily visualized at the same time. The casing of the device 10 can be provided with sound insulation.

The rotation of the vertical pole 17 can be operated with a motor, which may be located in the lower part of the device 10, for example. The vertical movement of the horizontal pole 19, more generally, the gripping means 30, can be operated with a motor 22 via a belt drive 23, for example, which motor 22 is located in the upper part of the device 10 (Figure 2a) .

Figure 8 shows a more detailed view of one method of implementing the modular stacking unit elements 14.1, 14.2 that form the channel 14, as well as the access 25 to the channel 14 arranged for the gripper 30. Now both stacking unit elements 14.1, 14.2 are adapted to be composed of several parts 31 to 36. The parts are connected to each other in such a way that they are adapted to move relative to each other for varying the dimensions of the stacking unit 14 to suit articles of various sizes, for example.

Opposing elements 14.1, 14.2, adapted to form the stacking unit 14, include sheet components 31, 32, adapted to form the vertical side wall of the stacking unit 14, which are disposed radially of the storage arrangement 20 in its assembled and installed state. A connection permitting the mutual movement of the sheet components 31, 32 is located between them. The connection is now implemented with pairs of a guidance opening and a pin 40 arranged in the top and bottom parts of the sheet components 31, 32. Thus, the sheet 31 may be provided with a pin which is adapted to fit in an elongated horizontal guidance opening arranged in the other sheet 32. The pairs of a guidance opening and a pin 40 enable the length of the stacking unit 14 to be varied radially of the storage tower 13.

Bend 42 may be present at the rear edges of the sheets 31 of the elements 14.1, 14.2, to which bends the inner end sheets 36 limiting the stacking unit 14 relative to the center direction of the storage tower 13 are fitted. A connection permitting mutual movement may also be present between the sheets 36 and 31, implemented in a similar way, using pairs of a guidance opening and a pin 41 arranged in the top and bottom parts of the sheet components 36, 31. Thus, the bend 42 of the sheet 31 may be provided with a pin which is adapted to fit in the elongated horizontal guidance opening arranged in the end sheet 36. Here the pairs of a guidance opening and a pin 41 enable the width of the stacking unit 14 to be varied in the circumferential direction of the storage tower 13. Similarly, the front edge of the side wall sheets 32 of the elements 14.1, 14.2 may also be provided with bend 43 to which the outer end sheets 33, limiting the stacking unit 14, are arranged. A connection permitting mutual movement may also be present between the sheets 32, 33, implemented in a similar way, using pairs of a guidance opening and a pin 39 arranged in the top and bottom parts of the sheet components 32, 33. Thus, the sheet 33 may be provided with a pin which is adapted to fit in the elongated horizontal guidance opening arranged in the bend 43 of the sheet 31. Here, too, the pairs of a guidance opening and a pin 39 enable the width of the stacking unit 14 to be varied in the circumferential direction of the storage tower 13 in a similar way as in context with the rear edge of the stacking unit 14. The width (in the circumferential direction of the base 15) and the length (in the radial direction of the base 15) of the stacking units 14 can be independently varied. Thus, the stacking unit 14 is adaptable to articles of varying sizes. The size of the elements 14.1, 14.2 may be lockable with locking screws (not shown) adapted to be positioned in the pairs of a guidance opening and a pin 39 - 41.

In their bottom parts, the elements 14.1, 14.2 are connected to each other with a connecting piece 37 adapted to be positioned in the lower part of the rear edge of the stacking unit 14 and a similar connecting piece adapted to be positioned in the lower part of the front edge of the stacking unit 14, which is not shown in Figure 8. The connecting pieces do not affect the mutual movement of the elements 14.1, 14.2. Bends 35, extending outwards from the stacking unit 14, may be present on the side walls of the element profiles 14.1, 14.2, at the bottom edge of the part 32, set against the base 15 of the storage tower 13 and enabling dimensional variation of the stacking unit 14 regarding its length and width.

The embodiment shown in Figure 8 of the profiles 14.1, 14.2 forming the stacking unit 14 additionally enables a clever connection of adjacent units 14 where, for example, the center line extending radially of the units 14 is retained, although the dimensions of the units 14 are steplessly changed. For this, the elements 14.1, 14.2 of the adjacent units 14 of the storage tower 13 can be synchronically connected to each other. An exemplary method for implementing this synchronization is to arrange a bend 34 extending laterally outwards from the unit 14 at the upper edge of the side wall component 32 of the elements 14.1, 14.2. In the assembled state of the storage tower 13, these bends 34 remain between the units 14. An elongated guidance opening 38 is arranged in the bend 34.

When the units 14 are on the base 15 in a circumferential arrangement, the elements 14.1, 14.2 of the adjacent units 14 are connected to each other via the bends 38. Thus the guidance openings 38 in the bends 34 are crossed, and a connecting element, such as a pin, adapted to be positioned in the intersection of the guidance openings 38, synchronizes dimensional changes of the units 14 in such a way that the center line of the units 14 is retained despite their 5 dimensional changes. Thus, synchronization facilitates and accelerates dimensional variation of the units 14, because it does not require repositioning the channels 14 on the base 15 or reprogramming the operation of the carrier 16, or component changes .

10

The device 10 can be equipped with an intelligent system, data connections and the necessary sensors and detecting switches, based on which it is always possible to keep track of the replenishment need of the device 10, for example. The carrier

15 16 may have its limit switches for controlling their movements.

The number of articles 12 present in the channel shafts 14 can also be determined based on the pulse signal information of the motors of the carrier 16. The adherence of the article 12 to the gripper 30 can be detected with a vacuum, and, if the 0 article 12 is released from the gripper 30, this can also be determined based on a pressure change.

Instead of gloves 12, the articles can be virtually anything. The method using suction and retrieval of articles 12 from the 5 top is very efficient, because it does not set limitations to the type of the article, as may be the case in solutions where the article dispensed is the lowermost one in the stack. For example, the device 10 is particularly useful for articles that are non-packaged and can therefore be difficult to bring to the0 hold of the gripper. Thus, an aspect of the invention is the use of the device 10 for storing and dispensing non-packaged articles 12, however, without excluding in any way other arts and types of articles from the scope of protection of the application.

5 It is understood that the above description and the figures related thereto are only intended to illustrate the present invention. The invention is thus not limited merely to the embodiments described above or those set forth in the claims, but many different variations and modifications of the invention, which are possible within the inventional idea specified in the appended claims, will be apparent for one skilled in the art.