WO2024148435A1

WO2024148435A1 - Hand stack slide deck assembly

Info

Publication number: WO2024148435A1
Application number: PCT/CA2024/050028
Authority: WO
Inventors: Ronald K. HARRISON
Original assignee: Harrison Ronald K
Priority date: 2023-01-12
Filing date: 2024-01-11
Publication date: 2024-07-18

Abstract

The hand stack slide deck assembly is formed of a deck plate with multiple independent slide arms installed on a set of horizontal load beams connected to frames on either side. Boxes rest on the slide arms of the slide desk assembly. To enable ease of access, slidable movement of the slide arms from the rear to the front of the assembly repositions boxes stored at the back of the deck plate to the front of the deck plate. In use, a top or bottom handle captured within the deck plate of the desired slide arm is pulled. This movement allows the boxes disposed on the slide arms to be moved to the front of the deck plate for safer and efficient picking. Slidable movement of the slide arms reduces product damage and improves pick rates, allowing easier access to the desired boxes without climbing and reducing injury risk.

Description

HAND STACK SLIDE DECK ASSEMBLY

FIELD OF INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates generally to the warehousing industry and specifically to the storage and retrieval of products from shelving and racking systems in warehouses.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] In warehousing, it is common for products to be stored on racking and shelving systems. These racking systems typically have wire mesh decking that are several levels high for vertical storage. This type of storage system allows for efficient use of space and easy access to products, but it can also present challenges when it comes to picking boxes that are stored in hard-to-reach locations, for example high locations or locations on a back end of a deep shelf relative to a warehouse worker.

[0003] One common problem faced by warehouse workers is that it can be difficult to reach boxes that are stored on various levels of the racks, especially if the racks are deep and the boxes are heavy. This can lead to safety issues, as workers may have to climb on top of the racks or use ladders to reach the boxes, which can be dangerous if the racks or products is unstable, or the worker loses balance. Additionally, it can be time-consuming and physically demanding for workers to constantly climb up and down the racks to retrieve boxes, which can lead to decreased productivity and increased risk of injury.

[0004] To address these challenges, warehouse workers often use pick sticks or other longhandled tools to retrieve boxes that are stored deep within the racks. While these tools can be effective in reaching boxes that are out of reach, they can also cause damage to the products being stored. One issue with using pick sticks is that they can scratch or dent the surface of the products being handled, which can reduce the value or appeal of the product. This can be particularly problematic for products that are sensitive to damage, such as fragile items or products with delicate packaging. In addition, using pick sticks can also increase the risk of product damage due to accidental drops or mishandling. [0005] Furthermore, there have been several inventions developed in the field of logistics that aim to make it easier to pick boxes that are stored in hard-to-reach or high locations. These inventions include carton flow systems, mechanical lifting devices, such as cranes or hoists, and automated systems, such as robotic arm pickers, that can retrieve boxes from the racks without requiring a worker to physically climb up and down. However, these solutions can be expensive to implement and may not be practical or feasible for all warehouse operations.

[0006] Overall, the challenges faced by warehouse workers in picking boxes that are stored deep within the racks present a significant issue in the field of logistics. There is a need for more effective and efficient solutions that can help to overcome these challenges and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of warehouse operations, while also minimizing the risk of product damage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a hand stack slide deck assembly for use with stored objects on a racking system. The assembly has a deck plate defined by a deck front end opposite a deck rear end and deck side ends therebetween to form a top face and a bottom face of the deck plate, for receiving stored objects on the top face. At least one slide arm is disposed on the deck plate for slidable movement between the deck front end and the deck rear end. The slide arm has an arm front end that corresponds to the deck front end. It also has an arm rear end that corresponds to the deck rear end. The slide arm has at least one handle for actuating slideable movement of the slide arm. Finally, the arm rear end has a tab for limiting rearward movement of stored objects.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] These and other features of the invention will become more apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the appended drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 shows a top perspective view or a prior art wire mesh deck.

FIGURE 2 shows a top plan view of an exemplary hand stack slide deck assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; FIGURE 3 shows a top perspective view of the hand stack slide deck assembly of Figure 2;

FIGURE 4 shows a front elevation view of the hand stack slide deck assembly of Figure 2;

FIGURE 5 shows a side elevation view of the hand stack slide deck assembly of Figure 2;

FIGURE 6 shows a bottom perspective view of the hand stack slide deck assembly of Figure 2;

FIGURE 7 shows an exploded top perspective view of the hand stack slide deck assembly of Figure 2;

FIGURE 8 shows a top perspective view of the hand stack slide deck assembly of Figure 2 with the slide arms in various stages of positioning;

FIGURE 9 shows a top plan view of the deck plate of the hand stack slide deck assembly of Figure 2 without the slide arms;

FIGURE 10 shows a side elevation view of the deck plate of Figure 9;

FIGURE 11 shows a front elevation view of the deck plate of Figure 9;

FIGURE 12 shows a top perspective view of the deck plate of Figure 9;

FIGURE 13 shows a top plan view of the slide arm of the hand stack slide deck assembly of Figure 2 without deck plate;

FIGURE 14 shows a front elevation view of the slide arm of Figure 13;

FIGURE 15 shows a side elevation view of the slide arm of Figure 13;

FIGURE 16 shows a rear elevation view of the slide arm of Figure 13;

FIGURE 17 shows a top perspective view of the slide arm of Figure 13;

FIGURE 18 shows a top plan view of the poly handle of the slide arm of Figure 13; FIGURE 19 shows a front elevation view of the poly handle of the slide arm of Figure 13;

FIGURE 20 shows a side elevation view of the poly handle of the slide arm of Figure 13;

FIGURE 21 shows a top perspective view of the poly handle of the slide arm of Figure 13;

FIGURE 22 shows a magnified view of the poly handle and slide arm of the hand stack slide deck assembly of Figure 3;

FIGURE 23 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the hand stack slide deck assembly in use with a racking system;

FIGURE 24 shows a perspective view of the hand stack slide deck assembly of Figure 23 with the slide arms in various stages of positioning;

FIGURE 25 shows an enlarged perspective view of the hand stack slide deck assembly of Figure 23 holding exemplary boxes with all the side arms in one position; and

FIGURE 26 shows an enlarged perspective view of the hand stack slide deck assembly of Figure 23 holding exemplary boxes with all the side arms in various stages of positioning.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0009] Figure 1 shows an example of a prior art wire mesh deck 50 that is the most common means of storing boxes for hand stack locations.

[0010] Figure 1 has multitude of horizontal 100 and vertical 200 wires that form a grid. The wires are secured together by spot welding. Additional support channels 400 are spot welded to add further strength to the deck. It is typical for return bends 500 to be added to the front and rear of the deck for added strength as well as allow it to be captured on the load beams.

[0011] An exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in Figures 2-32.

[0012] Figure 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of a hand stack slide deck assembly referred generally as reference numeral 1 for use with stored objects on a racking system. The hand stack slide deck assembly 1 as shown has a deck plate 6 defined by a deck front end 6a opposite a deck rear end 6b and deck side ends 6c therebetween to form a top face 6d and a bottom face 6e of the deck plate 6. The top face 6d of the deck plate 6 receives stored objects such as boxes. These stored objects can be seen in dotted lines, for example, in Figures 23-26. It may also have flanges extending downward. For example, the deck plate 6 may have side end flanges 15 extending downward from the deck side ends 6c for rigidity. Additionally, the deck plate 6 may have a vertical stop plate 9 at the deck rear end 6b. The vertical stop plate 9 provides for a physical stop for any objects being received such as boxes to limit their rearward movement off the deck 6 as well as the slide arm 7 (described more below). The deck plate 6 may be made of steel or any other material as will be known to one with skill in the art.

[0013] Referring specifically now to Figures 2-8, the hand stack slide deck assembly 1 has at least one slide arm 7 disposed on the deck plate 6 for slidable movement between the deck front end 6a and the deck rear end 6b. The slide arm 7 has an arm front end 7a corresponding to the deck front end 6a, and the slide arm 7 has an arm rear end 7b corresponding to the deck rear end 6b.

[0014] The slide arm 7 has at least one handle 17 on the slide arm for actuating slideable movement of the slide arm. The slide arm 7 also has a tab or vertical box plate 11 on the rear end 7b of the slide arm 7 for limiting rearward movement of stored objects such as boxes. The vertical box plate 11 captures or engages the back side of the stored object such as a box thus allowing the box to be pulled forward along with the sliding movement of the slide arm 7.

[0015] A slit 6f in the deck plate 6 receives a corresponding slide arm 7 for slidable movement. The slide arm 7 is received such that a portion of it stays above the slit 6f and on the top face 6d of the deck plate and a portion of it extends through the slit 6f.

[0016] The portion of the slide arm 7 that extends through the slit 6f is now described and can be seen more clearly in Figures 2, 3, 5-7, 8, 13, 15, 17, and 22. In the shown embodiment, a pair of parallel flanges 12 extend from the perimeter of the slit 6f beyond the bottom face 6e of the deck plate 6. The pair of parallel flanges can add strength and rigidity to the deck 6 as well as providing the slot necessary for the slide arm to travel along (as will be described below). The portion of the slide arm 7 that extends through the slit 6f extends beyond the pair of parallel flanges 12. The slide arm 7 has a vertical drop 20 in at least a first portion of the slide arm 7 to form an elongated arm 16 for being receivable by the pair of parallel flanges 12. The elongated arm 16 extends beyond the pair of parallel flanges 12 as can be seen more clearly in Figure 22. This extension of the elongated arm 16 beyond the pair of parallel flanges 12 helps to keep the operator’s hands away from the parallel flanges 12.

[0017] The portion of the slide arm 7 that extends above the slit 6f and stays on the top face 6d of the deck plate is now described and can be seen more clearly in Figures 3, 8, 15, 17, 25, and 26. The portion that rests on the top face 6d is a horizontal plate 10 that is formed by at least a second portion of the slide arm 7 that rests upon the top face 6d of the deck plate 6 for providing a surface area for receiving the stored objects. This horizontal plate 10 of the slide arm 7 functions to provide stability and surface area such that the slide arm 7 stays captured on top of the deck plate 6 when being transitioned between the deck front end 6a and deck rear end 6b.

[0018] The slide arm 7 can also have a protective plate 18 that is formed by at least a third portion of the slide arm 7 being wider than the pair of parallel flanges 12. This can be more clearly seen in Figure 22. The protective plate 18 serves to limit access to the pair of parallel flanges 12. In use, this protective plate 18 that extends over the pair of parallel flanges 12 can serve to protect the operator’s hands from coming into contact with the parallel flanges 12 when the operator pulls forward the slide arm 7.

[0019] The slide arm 7 is shown as one piece of steel formed in various locations to create the horizontal plate 10, vertical box plate 11, elongated arm 16, protective plate 18, vertical drop 20, and handle 17 (see for example, Figures 13-17). However, it may be multiple plates joined together such as by welding or another known way of joining for one or more of the plates. Alternatively, it may be multiple or a single piece of another suitable material as will be known to one with skill in the art. [0020] In use, an operator would pull the handle to initiate sliding movement of the slide arm 7 within the deck plate 6. In the embodiment described, the handle 17 extends below the bottom face 6e of the deck plate 6 and beyond the parallel flanges 12. This extension beyond the parallel flanges 12 provides ease of access for the operator to grasp a handle 17 while also limiting access to the parallel flanges 12.

[0021] A poly handle 8 may be secured to the handle 17. This poly handle 8 may be flush with the handle 17 beyond the parallel flanges 12 as shown more clearly in Figure 22. Although not shown, the poly handle 8 may also extend beyond the handle 17. As shown, the poly handle 8 may extend beyond the handle 17 toward the top face 6d of the deck plate 6 as shown more clearly in Figures 3, 8, 25, and 26. This enables grasping the poly handle 8 from the top or bottom of the deck plate 6. Additionally, the poly handle 8 should avoid extending beyond the top face 6d of the deck plate to avoid impeding the movement of stored objects or boxes when being loaded or unloaded.

[0022] As shown more clearly in Figures 7, 14, 19, 21, and 22, the poly handle 8 may be secured to the handle 17 by hardware. Thus, as shown, the handle 17 may have holes 19a and the poly handle 8 may have corresponding holes 19b to accept the hardware 13 that allows the poly handle 8 to be secured to handle 17 of the slide arm 7.

[0023] As shown in the accompanying figures, particularly, Figures 10, 21, and 22, the poly handle 8 engages with the parallel flanges 12. For example, as shown more clearly in Figures 10 and 22, each flange 12 has a horizontal slot 14 that runs lengthwise for releasably securing the poly handle 8 to the parallel flanges 12. This slot 14 essentially forms a track along which the poly handle 8 can travel. This horizontal slot 14, then, allows for the poly handle 8 to be captured. For example, this engagement can occur by a bolt and nut 21b that extends through a side hole 21a of the poly handle 8 (shown more clearly in Figure 21) and through the horizontal slot 14. The connection formed is a loose connection as the poly handle 8 has to be able to run freely to allow the slide arm 7 to be brought forward and returned. [0024] In the shown embodiment, the horizontal slot 14 runs from the front of the flange 12 to the mid point of the flange 12. However, the horizontal slot may run a different distance as will be known to one with skill in the art.

[0025] The hand stack slide deck assembly may be retrofit on existing shelving units or otherwise available as an independent unit.

[0026] One or more currently preferred embodiments have been described by way of example. It will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that a number of variations and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A hand stack slide deck assembly for use with stored objects on a racking system, the assembly comprising: a deck plate defined by a deck front end opposite a deck rear end and deck side ends therebetween to form a top face and a bottom face of said deck plate, for receiving stored objects on said top face; at least one slide arm disposed on said deck plate for slidable movement between said deck front end and said deck rear end; said slide arm having an arm front end corresponding to said deck front end and an arm rear end corresponding to said deck rear end; at least one handle on said slide arm for actuating slideable movement of said slide arm; and a tab on said arm rear end of said slide arm for limiting rearward movement of stored objects.

2. The hand stack slide deck assembly of claim 1, further comprising at least one slit in said deck plate for receiving said corresponding slide arm for slidable movement.

3. The hand stack slide deck assembly of claim 2, further comprising a pair of parallel flanges extending from the perimeter of said slit beyond said bottom face of the deck plate.

4. The hand stack slide deck assembly of claim 3, further comprising a vertical drop in at least a first portion of said slide arm to form an elongated arm for being receivable within said pair of parallel flanges.

5. The hand stack slide deck assembly of claim 3 or 4, further comprising a horizontal plate formed by at least a second portion of said slide arm resting upon said top face of said deck plate for providing a surface area for receiving stored objects.

6. The hand stack slide deck assembly of claim 3, wherein said handle extends below said bottom face of the deck plate and beyond said parallel flanges.

7. The hand stack slide deck assembly of claim 1, further comprising a poly handle secured to said handle wherein said poly handle extends beyond said handle toward said top face for grasping said poly handle from the top and bottom.

8. The hand stack slide deck assembly of claim 7, further comprising a horizontal slot running lengthwise along each parallel flange for releasably securing said poly handle to said parallel flange for forming a track along which said poly handle can travel.

9. The hand stack slide deck assembly of claim 3, further comprising a protective plate formed by at least a third portion of the slide arm being wider than the pair of parallel flanges to limit access to the pair of parallel flanges.

10. The hand stack slide deck assembly of claim 1, further comprising a vertical stop plate on said deck rear end for further limiting rearward movement of stored objects.

11. The hand stack slide deck assembly of claim 1, further comprising side end flanges extending downward from said deck side ends for rigidity.

12. The hand stack slide deck assembly of claim 7, wherein said poly handle is secured to said handle by bolting.

13. The hand stack slide deck assembly of claim 1, wherein the deck plate is made of steel.

14. An apparatus as substantially shown or described.