Storage rack with position sensing

A storage structure comprising:

• a wall;
• a storage rack associated with said wall, said storage rack having a plurality of storage bays each of which is adapted to store a food-related bundle, said storage bays being disposed in a plurality of rows between a first end of said storage rack and a second end of said storage rack, said rows including an upper row and a lower row and said storage rack having a side disposed between said first and second ends;
• means for transmitting a beam of radiation, said transmitting means being associated with said first end of said storage rack and being positioned to transmit said radiation beam in a direction substantially parallel to said side of said storage rack at a distance of at least about eighteen inches from said wall and at an elevation coinciding with said lower row of said storage bays;
• means for receiving said beam of radiation from said transmitting means, said receiving means being associated with said second end of said storage rack;
• and
• means for generating an alarm when one of said food-related bundles is located on said storage rack in a position in which a portion of said one food-related bundle interrupts said beam of radiation transmitted from said transmitting means to said receiving means.

A storage structure comprising:

• a storage rack having a plurality of storage bays each of which is adapted to store a bundle, said storage bays being disposed in a plurality of rows between a first end of said storage rack and a second end of said storage rack, said rows including an upper row and a lower row and said storage rack having a side disposed between said first and second ends;
• means for transmitting a beam of radiation, said transmitting means being associated with said first end of said storage rack and being positioned to transmit said radiation beam in a direction substantially parallel to said side of said storage rack;
• means for receiving said beam of radiation from said transmitting means, said receiving means being associated with said second end of said storage rack;
• and
• means for generating an alarm when one of said bundles is located on said storage rack in a position in which a portion of said one bundle interrupts said beam of radiation transmitted from said transmitting means to said receiving means.

A method of storing a bundle in a storage structure having a storage rack with a plurality of storage bays each of which is adapted to store a bundle, said storage bays being disposed in a plurality of rows between a first end of said storage rack and a second end of said storage rack, said rows including an upper row and a lower row and said storage rack having a side disposed between said first and second ends, means associated with said first end of said storage rack for transmitting a beam of radiation, said transmitting means being positioned to transmit said radiation beam in a direction substantially parallel to said side of said storage rack, means associated with said second end of said storage rack for receiving said beam of radiation from said transmitting means, and means for generating an alarm when one of said bundles is located on said storage rack in a position in which a portion of said one bundle interrupts said beam of radiation transmitted from said transmitting means to said receiving means, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) aligning one of said bundles with respect to one of said storage bays of said lower row;
• (b) moving said one bundle into said one storage bay in a first direction until said one bundle interrupts said radiation beam causing an alarm to be generated;
• and
• (c) moving said one bundle in said one storage bay in a second direction opposite said first direction until said alarm ceases to be generated.

A storage structure comprising:

• a storage rack having a plurality of storage bays each of which is adapted to store a bundle, said storage bays being disposed in a plurality of rows between a first end of said storage rack and a second end of said storage rack, said storage rack having a side disposed between said first and second ends;
• a transmitter adapted to transmit a beam of radiation, said transmitter being associated with said first end of said storage rack and being positioned to transmit said radiation beam in a direction substantially parallel to said side of said storage rack;
• a receiver adapted to receive said beam of radiation from said transmitter, said receiver being associated with said second end of said storage rack;
• and
• an alarm generator adapted to generate an alarm when one of said bundles is located on said storage rack in a position in which a portion of said one bundle interrupts said beam of radiation transmitted from said transmitter to said receiver.