Motorization kit for a storage system with mobile cabinets

1. A motorization kit for a storage system with mobile cabinets ( 2 ) sliding along support guides ( 3 ), comprising a box-like body ( 7 ) which is designed to be fixed to a lateral side ( 8 ) of a mobile cabinet ( 2 ) to be moved and in that it further comprises:

an electric motor ( 9 ) held within said box-like body ( 7 );

a driven pinion ( 5 ) held in said box-like body ( 7 ) and designed to be keyed to the drive shank ( 4 ) of a mobile cabinet ( 2 ) to be moved,

mechanical drive means supported in said box-like body ( 7 ), said drive means rotatably connecting the rotating shaft of said electric motor ( 9 ) and said driven pinion ( 5 ), to transfer the torque of said motor to said driven pinion ( 5 );

electronic adjustment and control means ( 15 ) for managing the operation of said motor ( 9 ), which are held within the box-like body;

actuation means ( 16 ) supported by said box-like body ( 7 ) for providing an enable signal to said electronic adjustment and control means, for rotary actuation of said motor in a predetermined direction of rotation;

safety means ( 12 ) supported by said box-like body ( 7 ), for causing said motor to stop in response to a signal emitted as an obstacle is found along the path of the mobile cabinet ( 2 ) with the motorization kit fixed thereto;

first sensor means ( 13 , 14 ) for detecting contiguous cabinets/control devices kits, and for adjusting or stopping the operation of said motor according to the distance from a contiguous cabinet/motorization kit detected by said first sensor means;

wherein said first sensor means include proximity sensor means ( 14 ) for detecting the distance of said motorization kit from a cabinet/motorization kit next to it, and configured to cause a reduction of the rotation speed of said motor to a value greater than zero when said detected distance is lower than a preset threshold value; and

storage batteries held within said box-like body ( 7 ) for powering said electric motor, said electronic adjustment and control means ( 15 ), said actuation means ( 16 ), said safety means ( 12 ) and said first sensor means ( 13 , 14 ),

wherein said box-like body has no external wiring means for permanent connection to the mains and/or other motorization kits.

2. A motorization kit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said safety means and/or said first sensor means ( 13 , 14 ) include photocell sensors ( 12 ).

3. A motorization kit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said electric motor ( 9 ) is a stepper motor controlled by said electronic adjustment and control means ( 15 ).

4. A motorization kit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said electric motor ( 9 ) is a 24V or 12V electric motor.

5. A motorization kit as claimed in claim 1 , comprising wireless communication means for interfacing said electronic adjustment and control means ( 15 ) with an electronic central control unit designed to manage and supervise the operation and control of a plurality of said motorization kits.

6. A motorization kit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said actuation means ( 16 ) designed to provide an enable signal to said electronic adjustment and control means ( 15 ), for rotary actuation of said electric motor in a predetermined direction of rotation, comprise switches that are mounted on board said box-like body ( 7 ) and can be manually operated from outside said motorization kit.

7. A motorization kit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said mechanical drive means comprise a torque regulator device, which is adapted to stop torque transfer when the value of the resistant torque applied to said driven pinion ( 5 ) exceeds a preset threshold value.

8. A motorization kit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said mechanical drive means supported by said box-like body comprise a mechanical plug-in member, whose disengagement can release the rotation of said driven pinion ( 5 ) relative to the shaft of said motor ( 9 ).

9. A storage system comprising one or more mobile cabinets ( 2 ) positioned for sliding along support guides ( 3 ), and further including a motorization kit comprising a box-like body ( 7 ) which is fixed to a lateral side ( 8 ) of a mobile cabinet ( 2 );

wherein the mobile cabinet fixed to the motorization kit comprises a front side, a rear side, two opposed lateral sides, sliding means for sliding along support guides ( 3 ), and mechanical actuation means driveably engaged to a drive shank ( 4 ) for causing the mobile cabinet to move along the support guides ( 3 );

wherein the motorization kit further comprises:

an electric motor ( 9 ) held within said box-like body ( 7 );

a driven pinion ( 5 ) held in said box-like body ( 7 ) and keyed to the drive shank ( 4 ) of the mobile cabinet ( 2 ) to be moved,

mechanical drive means supported in said box-like body ( 7 ), said drive means rotatably connecting a rotating shaft of said electric motor ( 9 ) and said driven pinion ( 5 ), and adapted to transfer torque of said motor to said driven pinion ( 5 );

electronic adjustment and control means ( 15 ) for managing the operation of said motor ( 9 ), and which are held within the box-like body;

actuation means ( 16 ) supported by said box-like body ( 7 ) for providing an enable signal to said electronic adjustment and control means, for rotary actuation of said motor in a predetermined direction of rotation;

safety means ( 12 ) supported by said box-like body ( 7 ), for causing said motor to stop in response to a signal emitted as an obstacle is found along the path of the mobile cabinet ( 2 ) with the motorization kit fixed thereto;

first sensor means ( 13 , 14 ) for detecting contiguous cabinets/control devices kits, and for adjusting or stopping the operation of said motor according to the distance from a contiguous cabinet/motorization kit detected by said sensor means;

wherein the first sensor means include proximity sensor means ( 14 ) for detecting the distance of said motorization kit from an adjacent cabinet/motorization kit, and is adapted to cause a reduction of the rotation speed of the motor to a value greater than zero, when the detected distance is lower than a preset threshold value; and

storage batteries held within said box-like body ( 7 ) for powering said electric motor, said electronic adjustment and control means ( 15 ), said actuation means ( 16 ), said safety means ( 12 ), and said first sensor means ( 13 , 14 );

wherein said box-like body has no external wiring means for permanent connection to other motorization kits or other cabinets.

10. A mobile cabinet ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 9 , wherein:

said mobile cabinet ( 2 ) has opposed electric contact means jutting out in both directions of movement to contact corresponding electric contact means of contiguous mobile cabinets, when said mobile cabinets ( 2 ) lean against each other, to establish an electric communication between the mobile cabinets leaning against each other and

said electric contact means are in electric communication with the storage batteries held in the box-like body ( 7 ) of the motorization kit ( 6 ).

11. A storage system with mobile cabinets comprising a plurality of mobile cabinets ( 6 ) as claimed in claim 9 , which are slideably mounted to common slide guides ( 3 ).

12. A storage system with mobile cabinets ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 11 , comprising an electronic central control unit which is designed to manage and supervise operation and control of a plurality of said motorization kits ( 6 ), wherein communication between said electronic central control unit and the electronic adjustment and control means ( 15 ) of each motorization kit is obtained by wireless communication means, the mobile cabinets ( 2 ) of said plurality of mobile cabinets ( 2 ) not being connected together by wires.

13. A storage system with mobile cabinets ( 2 ) as claimed in claim 11 , wherein only the electric contact means of one or both of the head mobile cabinets ( 2 ) are in electric communication with the mains.

14. A method of using a motorized mobile cabinet ( 2 ) defined by a front side, a rear side and two opposed lateral sides, said mobile cabinet comprising:

sliding means for sliding along slide guides ( 3 ), and

mechanical actuation means for causing the mobile cabinet to move along said slide guides ( 3 ), said mechanical actuation means comprise a shank/rotating input shaft ( 4 ) rotatably supported by said mobile cabinet ( 2 ) in such a manner as to jut out of a first lateral side ( 8 ) of said mobile cabinet ( 2 ) and be accessible for rotatably actuating said shank/rotating input shaft ( 4 ) in a first direction of rotation or in the direction opposite thereto, thereby causing said mobile cabinet ( 2 ) to move in a first direction or in a direction opposite thereto relative to the slide guides ( 3 ), and

a motorization kit as claimed in claim 1 fixed to said first lateral side ( 8 ) of said mobile cabinet ( 2 ), so that said driven pinion ( 5 ) held in said box-like body ( 7 ) is rotatably engaged with said shank/rotating input shaft ( 4 ),

sensor means ( 14 ) for detecting the distance of said motorization kit from a cabinet/motorization kit next to it,

wherein the method comprises the steps of:

moving the mobile cabinet ( 2 ) and the attached motorization kit along the slide guides ( 3 ) towards an adjacent second cabinet/motorization kit;

detecting the distance of said motorization kit from the second cabinet/motorization kit;

reducing the speed of motion of the mobile cabinet ( 2 ) towards the second cabinet/motorization kit to a reduced value greater than zero when the distance between such mobile cabinet ( 2 ) moving towards said second cabinet/motorization kit next to it is lower than a predetermined value, and

stopping said mobile cabinet when a front side of said mobile cabinet substantially contacts the back side of said second cabinet/motorization kit next to it.

15. A method of motorizing a mobile cabinet according to claim 14 , wherein said speed of said mobile cabinet is reduced by at least 30%, relative to the speed at which the mobile cabinet is typically moved along said rails before coming close to said second cabinet/motorization kit next to said mobile cabinet.

16. A method of motorizing a mobile cabinet according to claim 14 , wherein said speed of said mobile cabinet is reduced by at least 50%, relative to the speed at which the mobile cabinet is typically moved along said rails before coming close to said second cabinet/motorization kit next to said mobile cabinet.