Movable storage unit controls
US4437711A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 28, 1982 |
| Grant date | Mar 20, 1984 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 28, 2002 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA47B53/02
- WIPO fieldFurniture, games
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
A plurality of movable storage units each have a reversible motor for driving them in the proper direction in response to a user command to open an aisle between selected units. There is a microprocessor-based programmable control module on each unit and there is a structurally similar module that acts as a system controller. Four control lines interconnect the modules. One line is for sending digital command data away from the system controller and another is for sending sensing data toward the system controller. Another line is for resync pulses transmitted from the system controller to the microprocessors simultaneously. The processor in each module responds to a resync pulse by initiating definition of a specific number of time slots for containing individual high or low bits to enable serial transmission of encoded data representative of commands and sensed conditions. The modules on each unit interpret or sense such conditions as to whether their start pushbutton has been pressed, whether their limit switches are closed to indicate proximity with another unit and whether a safety switch is open or closed. This and other sensed information is sent serially to the system contro…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.