FR3003066A1 - CABINET FOR STORAGE AND DISTRIBUTION OF SECURE ACCESS PRODUCTS - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a cabinet (10) for storing and dispensing products (P1, ..., P4) comprising means for controlling access (14) to at least a portion of the contents of said cabinet (10). , allowing said access based on an identification of a user requesting this access. According to the invention, said cabinet (10) comprises counting means (SDC1, ..., SDC4) of at least one category of products present in the cabinet (10), determining a variation in the number of products of each category of products, and management means (15) associating said variation of the number of products with the user identified by said access control means (14) in a database.

Description

1. Field of the invention The field of the invention is that of the storage of products.

More specifically, the invention relates to a storage cabinet and distribution of products with secure access. By "products" is meant in the present patent application: - the "consumables", that is to say the products that are distributed by the cabinet and finally come out of stocks, such as personal protective equipment ( helmets, workwear, safety shoes), hardware, office supplies, cleaning supplies, computer supplies, sensitive or dangerous products (medicines), spare parts; and - "equipment", that is to say products that are allocated by the cabinet but must be returned after use, such as tools (portable tools such as drills or screwdrivers, tightening keys, ...), autonomous equipment, for example electrical or electronic, for example video projectors, laptops, tablets, telephones, cameras, etc. 2. TECHNOLOGICAL BACKGROUND Special attention is paid to in the remainder of this document to describe an existing problem in the field of industry, which was faced by the inventors of the present patent application. The invention is not limited, of course, to this particular field of application, but is of interest for any secure storage and distribution technique that faces a similar or similar problem. In companies or public institutions (high schools, hospitals, local authorities), the management of consumables generates significant costs mainly due to overconsumption and indirect management time: restocking, ordering, availability, inventory tracking.

In addition, many portable equipment of relatively high value are used. The management of their assignment and their restitution is very time-consuming and few computer tools exist. There are known solutions to control and manage the dissemination and use of products in companies in particular. There are declarative cabinets, for which users declare (by entering) the quantities and references of the products they take from the cabinet. This is particularly disadvantageous for bulk products such as hardware, because in this case the manual counting of the sampled products can be tedious. There are cabinets of non-declarative type for which the users use without declaring, the system detecting the quantities and references of the products sampled. This assumes a dedicated electronic marking, for example by RFID (acronym for "Radio Frequency Identification" for "radio frequency identification"), products. The use of electronic tags, for example RFID type, poses many problems when these labels are in the presence of metal parts. Indeed, the electromagnetic field of reading of these electronic tags is disturbed by the metal parts and hinders the communication with the electronic tag. In addition, the electronic label must be positioned and have a dimension that does not disturb the ergonomics of the tool (that is to say, its grip), nor efficiency. Moreover, the fixing of the electronic tag must be durable. Another disadvantage of this solution is that management by RFID tag is relatively expensive and tedious to implement since it requires a marking of each article. OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION The invention, in at least one embodiment, has the particular objective of overcoming these various disadvantages of the state of the art.

More specifically, in at least one embodiment of the invention, an objective is to provide a solution for storing and distributing products that is secure and that aims at improving the management of stock, especially in the industrial environment. a wide variety of products.

At least one embodiment of the invention also aims to provide such a solution that allows controlling the use of equipment or the distribution of consumables so as to reduce costs. At least one embodiment of the invention also aims to provide such a solution that facilitates inventory tracking and replenishment. Another objective of at least one embodiment of the invention is to provide such a solution that is reliable, robust and requires little maintenance. 4. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION In a particular embodiment of the invention, there is provided a product storage and distribution cabinet comprising means for controlling access to at least a portion of the contents of said cabinet, authorizing said access based on an identification of a user requesting this access. According to the invention, the cabinet comprises means for counting at least one category of products present in the cabinet, determining a variation in the number of products of each category of products, and management means associating said variation of the product. number of products to the user identified by said access control means, in a database. Thus, this particular embodiment of the invention is based on a completely new and inventive approach to an autonomous and intelligent cabinet for storing and distributing products, such as consumables and / or equipment. This cabinet implements means for controlling the opening of one or more doors which may include an authentication device (for example by badge) of a user. In this case, the contents of the cabinet are accessible only to persons authorized to borrow or return a product.

It also includes weighing means, allowing the automatic management of the stock of a wide variety of products. This weighing solution allows precise indirect counting of the number of products borrowed or returned over a large weight range.

Such a cabinet makes it possible to overcome the constraint of electronic marking, for example by RFID products. It enables the control and management of the distribution and use of sensitive products of different shapes and sizes, especially in companies. The cabinet records each movement (input or output) of stock, the inventory status being searchable remotely (for the purpose of possibly restocking), as well as the management of users and the analysis of consumption. Such a cabinet is secure, easy to use and ensures traceability of products.

It requires little maintenance and reduces the consumption of consumables in particular, and therefore the costs for the company. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the counting means use means for weighing said products, for at least one of said product categories.

Advantageously, said weighing means comprise control means ensuring at least the following functions: setting, zeroing a counting measurement of the content carried by said weighing means; measuring the overall weight carried by said weighing means, after filling said content; receiving, via an operator, information representative of the number of products introduced during said filling; - determination of the variation of the number of products, in case of withdrawal or addition by a user, according to the overall weight and the number of products; - Delivery to said management means of an integer corresponding to said variation of the number of products. In a particular embodiment of the invention, said cabinet comprises at least two compartments for receiving products, each of the compartments being provided with a separate access door, means for selectively controlling the opening of said doors allowing selectively driving the opening of at least one of said doors, according to said user and / or a request thereof. Advantageously, said means for selectively controlling the opening control the movement of a plurality of parallel rods, provided with latches, so that they take a position permitting only the opening of the selected door, in which said latches are aligned with corresponding lights in said door. According to a particular implementation, the movement of said rods is provided by electromagnets. Preferably, said cabinet comprises means for returning to said user information relating to the variation of the number of products transmitted to said management means. Advantageously, the counting means transmit the variation of the number of products when a corresponding door is closed. In a particular embodiment of the invention, said cabinet comprises means for connecting to at least one fluid charging element and / or data transmission. Preferably, said management means implement storage management means and / or consumption monitoring by user or user group. 5. LIST OF FIGURES Other features and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the following description, given by way of indicative and nonlimiting example, and the appended drawings, in which: FIG. schematic a storage cabinet and secure product distribution according to a first embodiment of the invention; - Figure 2 schematically shows a secure storage cabinet and product distribution according to a second embodiment of the invention; - Figure 3 shows a diagram of the operation of the cabinet according to the invention; FIG. 4 schematically represents the implementation on a single site of a network of cabinets according to the invention; - Figure 5 is a block diagram of a weighing device implemented in the cabinet of the invention; - Figure 6 schematically shows a particular implementation of the means for selectively controlling the opening of the doors of the cabinet of the invention. 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION 6.1 First Embodiment FIG. 1 schematically represents a cabinet 10 for storing and dispensing products according to one embodiment of the invention. The cabinet 10 is fixed and comprises: - a storage area in the form of shelves 11A to 11D carrying bins B1 to B4 separate products P1 to P4 respectively. The number and positioning of the shelves 11A to 11D in the cabinet 10 can be easily modified by the user; a touch screen 12 forming a human / machine interface (HMI), or user interface. The screen 12 is robust to adapt industrial environment (that is to say, dustproof and waterproof, and adapted to industrial temperatures), of sufficient size for easy use, and visible during all standard operations, open doors and closed doors; - A sliding double folding door 13A, 13B with a secure opening control system. When the door is open (that is to say that the leaves 13A, 13B are folded), the user has access to all the products stored on the shelves; a device 14 for identifying the users in the form of, for example, an identification card reader (in the case of a badge access), a keyboard (for entering a password code); access) and / or a biometric sensor; a weighing device SDC1 to SDC4 associated with each tray B1 to B4 respectively placed on the shelves 11A to 11D, each weighing device SDC1 to SDC4 being intended to detect the inputs and outputs of products P1 to P4 of the cabinet; a management device which comprises a motherboard carrying a microcontroller / microprocessor connected to several memories, including a RAM type memory, a Flash type memory and an SD type memory card. This management device 15 is configured to manage the screen 12 to access the cabinet 10, store a database (not shown) of the products stored in the cabinet, product loans, weighings and accesses to the cabinet. the cabinet 10, and implement a product input and output management computer program. The management device 15 furthermore makes it possible to: o control the opening system of the sliding folding door 13A, 13B, which uses, for example, an electric strike or an electromagnetic lock and a door opening sensor, or, in the embodiment described below, a specific linkage; o control weighing devices SDC1 to SDC4; o control the lighting system (s) of the cabinet 10; o control the alarm system that can be triggered when the door 13A, 13B is open for a predetermined time; o communicate, the management device 15 implementing communication means to a remote terminal 20, such as a computer, a server or a computer system comprising a network, according to known techniques, via a wired or wireless support. A manager can thus remotely consult the database of the products stored in the cabinet 10, the history of borrowings and returns, etc .; a data bus 16 connecting the weighing devices SDC1 to SDC4 of the cabinet 10 (it is possible, for example, to provide four to fifty weighing systems in the cabinet 10), and the management device 15. The data bus 16 is sufficiently flexible and adaptive to allow to manage extensions made necessary by the functional evolution of the products stored in the cabinet 10. Although these aspects are not shown in Figure 1, the cabinet 10 may be provided with a power supply type 230V AC, at least one USB port on the front near the screen 12 directly accessible to include the history of weighing, a lighting control, and an alarm command .

Optionally, it can be provided that the cabinet 10 is equipped with at least one of the following devices: - a magnetic badge reader; - a bar code reader; - a contactless card reader; - a biometric sensor; - Wifi connection an Ethernet connection (such a network connection allowing remote access, for inventory management and update of the stock management software); - Edge / 3G connection - 230V AC outlets not supported; - extraction ventilation; - controlled interior lighting; - an inverter.

In the example of Figure 1, the cabinet 10 is of parallelepiped shape, a height of about 2m, width 1.25 m and depth of 54 cm. For the sake of clarity, four weighing devices SDC1 to SDC4 are shown, each associated with a tray B1 to B4 containing products P1 to P4 respectively. Of course, one or more shelf weighing devices 11A to 11D may be provided. The permissible weight per shelf 11A to 11D is, in this embodiment, of the order of 50 kg. This cabinet 10 can be placed in a factory workshop, and can manage two types of products, namely consumables type products (the products are distributed by the cabinet and finally out of stock) and equipment type products (Products are assigned by the cabinet but must be returned after use). The cabinet 10 is configured to withstand attempts to intrude or disassemble. 6.2 Second Embodiment In another embodiment schematically illustrated in FIG. 2, the product storage and distribution cabinet 100 comprises several bins 170 (ten in this example), each bin 170 being provided with a access door, full or transparent, with separate opening. In this embodiment, only four of the bins 170 of the cabinet 100 comprise a weighing device SDC1 to SDC4, each associated with a tray B1 to B4 containing products P1 to P4 respectively. Of course, one or more box weighing devices 170 may be provided. In some embodiments, each user or group of users has access to only a limited portion of the products stored in the cabinet 100. However, provide that one or more users have access to all products stored in the cabinet 100.

The opening of each locker door 170 is individually controlled but it remains possible to open all the doors of the lockers 170 in a single operation. Opening sensors make it possible to know the position of each door. The permissible weight per bin 170 is here of the order of 25 kg. The cabinet 100 according to this second embodiment implements all or part of the elements described in relation with the cabinet 10 according to the first embodiment, in particular an identification device 140, a management device 150, a bus of data 160, and a screen 120. The cabinet 100 may further communicate with a remote terminal 200. 6.3 Weighing device For each type of cabinet 10, 100, described above, the counting of the products added, removed or returned to the bins is made by weighing. To do this, the weighing device SDC associated with each tray B of products P is in the form of a weighing platform comprising a weighing sensor 57 and control means, illustrated schematically in FIG. 5, comprising a microprocessor 52 and data storage memories (ROM and RAM) 51 and 54. The control means implement a computer program which makes it possible to determine the number (in units) 56 of products taken or placed in the corresponding bin B of products from the signals from the weighing sensor 57. These control means provide at least the following functions: setting, zeroing a measurement of the contents of the tray B carried by the weighing device SDC; measurement of the overall weight carried by the SDC weighing device, after filling the contents in tray B (with fifty pairs of gloves for example); receiving, via an operator, information representative of the number of products introduced into the tray B during filling (fifty pairs of gloves in this case); determination of the variation of the number of products, in case of withdrawal or addition by a user, according to the overall weight and the number of products; delivery to the control device 15 of the cabinet of an integer corresponding to the variation of the number of products ("-1" if a glove was taken for example). The SDC weighing devices of a cabinet are connected to the data bus 16 so that the number of products removed or added is transmitted to the management device 15 of the cabinet. The SDC weighing devices therefore do not transmit to the management device 15 a weight value corresponding to the variation of the number of products delivered or withdrawn, but a number of units of products delivered or withdrawn. This solution makes it possible to automatically count the products taken or delivered by the user in one or more bins of the cabinet 10 and to deduct them from the stock (or credit them) without further intervention by the user.

This is particularly advantageous for bulk products since it is not necessary to manually count the products taken or returned to the cabinet 10. The measurement range of a weighing device ranges from 0 to up to 5 or 20 kg. The weighing sensors are chosen in such a way as to allow the consistency of measurement accuracies, which is less than 10 g, even under full load. A cabinet may be equipped in whole or in part with weighing devices. Each weighing device is configurable for any product weighing from a few grams to several tens of grams that it is intended to weigh. In alternative embodiments, the automatic counting of the products taken or handed over by the user in one or more bins of the cabinet is not implemented by weighing, but by means of one or more cameras, by detection. volumetric, by level detection or by any other suitable technique. 6.4 Operation of the cabinet The invention brings a great improvement to the existing solutions by providing an installation allowing to ensure in a simple and effective way the management of stock of products, whether consumables and / or equipment . In relation with FIG. 3, a borrowing and restitution scenario of a particular product is described below, it being understood that this scenario also applies when borrowing or restoring several products of a particular product. same reference or separate references. i) Borrowing When a user comes to open the cabinet, it identifies itself via the identification device 14 (by code, by magnetic or optical badge for example), step 50, and its identifier is stored, step 51, in a memory of the control device 15. The screen 12 informs him of the possible actions (sampling or return of product), step 52. The user makes the choice to take a product, step 52A, in the occurrence a product P1 in bin Bi. The lock of the cabinet 10 is unlocked and the leaves 13A, 13B of the door open, step 53. The user carries out the sampling of a product P1 in the tray B1 (step 54A), then the weighing device SDC1 detects a change in the weight of the tray B1 and communicates a quantity of products taken from the tray B1 to the management device 15 via the data bus 16. The management device 15 stores the quantity of products taken, in addition to the identifier of the user and timestamp information (step 55A). The database of products available in the cabinet is updated (step 55A). The user closes the doors of the cabinet 10 (step 56) which is then available for a new operation. ii) Restitution When the user makes the choice to return a product Pl, step 52B, the lock of the cabinet 10 is unlocked and the doors 13A, 13B of the door open, step 53. The user performs the restitution of the product P1 in the tray B1 (step 54B), then the weighing device SDC1 detects a change in the weight of the tray B1 and communicates a quantity of products returned to the tray B1 to the management device 15 via the data bus 16. management device 15 stores the quantity of products returned, in addition to the user identifier and a time stamping information (step 55B).

The user closes the doors of the cabinet 10 (step 56) which is then available for a new operation. The cabinet 10 can, in step 57, issue an alert when a product needs to be replenished, for example when a minimum number of products of a given reference is reached in the stock (ie when the weight of a tray reaches a predetermined value). The cabinet of the invention thus allows each user to access products and to return them easily. It allows optimized inventory management and also reduces the consumption of products made available to users.

For consumables in particular, a difficulty is the management of errors, as in the case, for example, where a user mistakenly takes a product and delivers it immediately to the corresponding bin. One solution is to count the number of products taken only when closing the door of the cabinet or the corresponding locker. Another solution is to provide a delay on the scale. In addition, for security reasons, and to avoid conflicts, it is preferable that the user is informed as soon as he has made a withdrawal of products. Thus, when closing the door of the cabinet or a locker, the screen 12 displays the withdrawal information that will be assigned to it and / or the user receives a ticket or an e-mail. If there is an error, it can challenge / report the error (either to a manager, or by pressing an "error" button on the screen for a period of time, after which the withdrawal is validated. there was no reaction from the user). 6.5 Management The manager of one or more cabinets of the invention can locally or remotely: - consult the stocks (inventory status) and the borrowing / return movements of the products; - do a restocking; - assign the locations; - configure the weighing devices and the counting computer program; - view user accounts; - modify the alert thresholds; - issue weekly and monthly reports on the activity of the cabinets (stock, alert, use in particular). The consultation of the stocks can be done locally by the visualization on the screen 12 or by the creation of state file downloadable on a USB key, or remotely via an Ethernet network, a wifi connection, and / or 3G (by through the terminal 20 for example). It is also possible for the manager, for personal protective equipment (PPE) in particular, to obtain the average and maximum consumption per group of users and per user over a given period, and to obtain forecasts of the need for restocking taking into account current stocks and consumptions. It must be able to receive alerts when a stock level is low, a part of the stock is not used, or during general over-consumption or for a user.

It is also possible for the manager, for equipment, to receive alerts on the non-return of equipment, to obtain an analysis of utilization rates and off-peak hours to optimize use equipment. The cabinets are also able to recharge and update equipment.

In case of general power failure of the cabinet, the system is configured to guard against any loss of information, including the database. If the power is turned off while an operation is in progress, the system is configured to at least: - Ensure the safety of the users, and prevent any uncontrolled automatic movement; - Save the state of the database before the start of the current operation; - Record in an event log, the start date of operation, the user ID and the duration of the decommissioning.

Excluding the current operation, the system is configured so that a power failure does not cause the loss of database information and does not allow doors to be opened by users other than managers.

In addition, after an electrical power failure, when the power is restored, the system automatically goes into operation without local or remote human intervention. A mechanical unlocking system using a tool or a key allows access to the entire stock of the cabinet in case of failure. This unlocking is secure and impossible with common tools or keys. 6.6 Set of Cabinets In an alternative embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, several cabinets 100, 101, 102 are placed in series and connected to a management station 200 via a wired or non-wired link 162 (radiofrequency link for example). The SDC weighing devices of each cabinet 100, 101, 102 are connected via a data bus to the management device 150, 151, 152 of the corresponding cabinet 100, 101, 102. The management devices 150, 151, 152 of the cabinets 100, 101, 102 are interconnected via the data bus 161.

Alternatively, the management station 200 can communicate with the management devices 150, 151, 152 of the cabinets 100, 101, 102 respectively via a radiofrequency link. The management station 200 provides a real-time centralized view of the products available in one or more of the cabinets, as well as the history of operations. In other words, it is possible to know remotely what the cabinets contain, where to find a particular type of product, a tool for example. If the desired tool is not in a cabinet, it is possible to know which user borrowed it and since when.

It is also possible to know which tools a user uses and how often, and how often a particular tool is used. Each cabinet 100, 101, 102 can perform, at regular intervals or on command of the management station 200, an inventory of its contents and send a message of its contents to the management station 200.

Each cabinet 100, 101, 102 can realize the borrowing history of a tool, the frequency of use of a tool, the history by user, by date, etc. 6.7 Means of selective control of the tool FIG. 6 schematically shows a linkage system for controlling the opening of one door among seven doors with a limited number of actuators, in this case three electromagnets E1 to E3 in this example. . For ease of reading, the three rods are shown next to each other but are actually arranged one above the other in the cabinet nvention.

Each rod is provided with latches adapted to cooperate with lights in each door. In the illustrated example, each rod is provided with seven latches (one for each door) and each door is provided with three lights (one for each rod). Each rod is secured to an electromagnet, the latter to move the rod up or down on command. The combination of movements of each rod allows to position the latches in front of the lights of the doors and thus unlock the door and allow the opening of the latter. The relative positioning of the latches of the rods and the lights of the doors is realized in such a way that a single door can not open for each position of the three rods. In the example shown, to open the door 6, it is necessary that the rods 2 and 3 move so that a latch of each of these rods is positioned in a light of the door 6 (a latch of the rod 1 being already positioned in a light of the door 6) so as to allow the opening of the door. In general, this linkage system makes it possible to control 2 "-1 doors, where n is the number of rods, for example, with four actuators and four rods, this system makes it possible to selectively control fifteen doors.

Such a solution requires few moving parts and is relatively compact. Indeed, the rods move, preferably, only a few millimeters. Moreover, the mechanical forces are distributed in an optimized way. If the user wishes to open a door other than the authorized one, the efforts are supported by the linkage, and not by the electromagnets. The doors are preferably identical and can be positioned one above the other or next to each other. At rest, all doors are blocked. 6.8 Other aspects and advantages The cabinet of the invention makes it possible to store sensitive equipment and / or consumables, to reduce costs by controlling the use of equipment or the distribution of consumables, and to facilitate the monitoring and replenishment of materials. stocks.

It also allows the remote management of all stocks by consultations or alarms, and the charging of wireless electrical equipment for example. The cabinet of the invention is, moreover, reliable, secure and easy to use. It is operational 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and can be used in companies or public institutions (high schools, hospitals, local authorities). The invention is not limited to the embodiments described. In particular, the size and the volume of the weighing trays may vary. The cabinet is also adjustable internally. In a variant, the cabinet comprises two hinged doors.

Furthermore, the doors of the cabinet are preferably provided with ergonomic handles (not shown) allowing their easy handling even for gloved hands.

Claims (10)

REVENDICATIONS1. A cabinet (10) for storing and dispensing products (P1, ..., P4) comprising means for controlling access (14) to at least a portion of the contents of said cabinet (10), allowing said access to according to an identification of a user requiring this access, characterized in that it comprises counting means (SDC1, ..., SDC4) of at least one category of products present in the cabinet (10), determining a variation in the number of products of each product category, and management means (15), associating said variation of the number of products with the user identified by said access control means (14), in a database of data. 2. Cabinet (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the counting means (SDC1, ..., SDC4) implement means for weighing said products, for at least one of said product categories. 3. Cabinet (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that said weighing means (SDC1, ..., SDC4) comprise control means (51, 52, 54) ensuring at least the following functions: taring, putting zeroing a counting measurement of the content carried by said weighing means (SDC1, ..., SDC4); measuring the overall weight carried by said weighing means (SDC1,..., SDC4), after filling said content; receiving, via an operator, information representative of the number of products introduced during said filling; determination of the variation of the number of products, in case of withdrawal or addition by a user, according to the overall weight and the number of products; supplying said management means (15) with an integer corresponding to said variation of the number of products. 4. Cabinet (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises at least two compartments (170) for receiving products, each of the compartments (170) being provided with a door d distinct access means selectively controlling the opening of said doors for selectively controlling the opening of at least one of said doors, according to said user and / or a request thereof. 5. Cabinet (10) according to claim 4, characterized in that said means of selective control of the opening control the movement of a plurality of rods (T1, T2, T3) parallel, provided with latches, so that they take a position allowing only the opening of the selected door, wherein said latches are aligned with corresponding openings in said door. 6. Cabinet (10) according to claim 5, characterized in that the movement of said rods is provided by electromagnets (El, E2, E3). 7. Cabinet (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it comprises means for rendering (12) said user information relating to the variation of the number of products transmitted to said management means (15). 8. Cabinet (10) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the counting means (SDC1, ..., SDC4) transmit the variation of the number of products when a corresponding door is closed. 9. Cabinet (10) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it comprises means for connection to at least one fluid charging element and / or data transmission. 10. Cabinet (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that said management means (15) implement storage management means and / or consumption monitoring by user or group of user.