JP3537853B2 - Article transfer equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an article transfer device,
In particular, the present invention relates to an article transfer apparatus for sequentially stacking and storing thin articles such as a plurality of printed papers at predetermined positions on a sorting shelf.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a printer device connected to, for example, a computer at a center, it is necessary to continuously and mass-produce various types of print outputs in accordance with an instruction from a terminal device connected to the computer. Must be sequentially stored in a predetermined position such as a sorting shelf.

In a conventional sorting system for printed paper, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, printed paper M is stored in a predetermined position on a sorting shelf R by using a belt conveyor 2 and a pusher 1 while being sequentially sorted. Was.

[0004] However, many high-speed line printers capable of high-speed printing perform a large amount of printing processing for business use.
For example, there are many things that need to be automatically sorted and stored for each code number.

[0005] The printing output of various documents and computer software in government offices and the like, such as finance and insurance, requires that the printing output be superimposed in a predetermined order according to a predetermined code.

[0006]

In the configuration according to the prior art as shown in FIG. 9, the pre-printed paper receiving operation is performed on the premise that the sorting shelf is empty.

[0007] If articles such as printed paper previously stored on the same sorting shelf remain, the previously stored papers are pushed out and cannot be stored in an overlapping manner. There is.

Further, when the stored papers are manually taken out, if a shift occurs on the entrance side, the operation of the entrance device may be disturbed, which is not desirable.

The present invention relates to an article transfer apparatus for efficiently transferring articles, such as printed paper sheets, which are superimposed on each other, such as printed sheets, in a printer device, and sorting the articles into a predetermined position on a sorting shelf and entering the warehouse. The task is to provide

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a sorting shelf R as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. In the article transfer device having the storage device C, a gantry 10 for transferring target articles from the automatic storage device C to the sorting shelf R is formed in a fork shape, and the automatic storage device of the sorting shelf R is provided. The problem is solved by an article transfer device having at least two rod-shaped stoppers 12 at side ends.

The gantry 10 is formed so as to be able to enter and exit in the front-rear (Z) direction such that the fork-shaped tip portion enters a predetermined portion of the sorting shelf R.

[0012]

The article transfer apparatus according to the present invention has a sorting shelf (R) on which articles are mounted, and an automatic storage device C capable of transferring target articles to the sorting shelf R, The main body of the storage device C moves in the lateral direction of the sorting shelf R (hereinafter, referred to as X direction).

The fork-shaped gantry 10 is moved vertically (hereinafter referred to as Y) in the apparatus frame 16 of the automatic storage apparatus C.
Direction).

Further, the fork-like portion of the gantry 10 has a fore-and-aft direction (hereinafter referred to as a Z direction) with the direction of the sorting shelf R being forward.
Can go in and out.

The automatic warehousing device C configured as described above includes:
The X of the main body of the automatic transfer device C is
An article to be conveyed, for example, a printed sheet, is received at the position where the direction position and the Y direction position of the gantry 10 match.

After the automatic storage device C faces a position higher than the upper end of the bar-shaped stopper 12 on the end of the target sorting shelf, the fork-like portion of the gantry 10 keeps the printed paper as the article to be conveyed thereon. Then, a forward movement in the Z direction is performed in the corresponding sorting shelf.

After the fork moves forward and completely enters the sorting shelf, the gantry 10 is lowered to near the bottom of the sorting shelf, and then the fork moves backward in the Z direction.

By this operation, the printed paper as the article to be conveyed is securely stored in the sorting shelf of the address (X, Y).

The printed paper stored in the sorting shelf R is not disturbed by the action of the bar-shaped stopper 12 provided at the front end of the sorting shelf R and the fork-shaped pedestal 10 of the automatic storage device C.

Such a situation does not cause any problem even when the articles are stored on the articles stored earlier.
Further, even if an operation of partially removing the product manually is added, a situation in which the product is protruded to the automatic storage device C side is avoided.

[0021]

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an article transfer device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view.

On the storage side of the sorting shelf R, an automatic storage device C
Is arranged. The automatic storage device C travels in the X direction on a rail 14 arranged along the sorting shelf R.

In this embodiment, the automatic storage device C is run by the two rails 14 arranged on the floor, but one or two rails or the like arranged vertically are used. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the guide means supports and guides. It can be appropriately selected according to the weight, packing style, dimensions, and the like of the conveyed articles.

On the upstream side of the automatic storage device C, there is a relay transport mechanism 22, such as a conveyor, schematically shown.
Further, the article M conveyed from the upstream is relayed and transferred onto the fork-shaped gantry of the automatic storage device C.

During the relay, the sorting information of the articles is read from the identification means 26 such as a bar code reader, and the address (X: Y) of the sorting shelf is determined and stored.

The automatic storage device C is provided with a fork-like base 10 that can move up and down in the Y direction and can enter and exit in the Z direction.

A bar-shaped stopper 12 is provided upright at the storage-side end of the sorting shelf R which does not prevent the fork-shaped pedestal 10 from moving in and out. Although the number of the rod-shaped stoppers 12 is two in the present embodiment, the number of the stoppers is three in consideration of handling articles of different sizes.
It can be more than books.

Here, the articles M sorted on the sorting rack R
Can be taken out from the back opposite to the automatic storage device C.

In this embodiment, the rear door 18 is manually opened and taken out. However, an automatic unloading device which performs substantially the opposite operation to the automatic unloading device C can be provided.

In the present embodiment, when articles are stored in the sorting shelf R, the presence or absence of entry is displayed on the display unit 20 so that convenience can be obtained when the articles are sequentially taken out manually. It can simply be made visible through a viewing window.

In addition, the display unit 20 grasps and manages not only the presence / absence of the stored articles but also the contents of the target articles as a whole by a control unit (not shown), and completes the storage of all the target articles to be sorted. In such a case, when the identification code is input to the control unit, the display unit 20 of the sorting shelf storing the corresponding article can be configured to operate.

Further, through a control device (not shown),
When sorting by ID, the door of the sorting shelf corresponding to the ID is opened by inputting an ID code, and the stored contents can be taken out.

FIG. 3 shows a sorting shelf R and a fork-like base 1.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the relationship with 0, and FIG. 4 is a plan view.

In the sorting shelf R, two rod-shaped stoppers 12 are provided upright to prevent the article storage position from being disturbed and protruding outward.

The fork-shaped pedestal 10 is formed slightly narrower than the width of the sorting shelf, and is formed so as not to contact the stopper 12 described above.

As is apparent from the plan view of FIG. 4, the conveyed article M is moved to an appropriate position on the fork-shaped gantry 10 in a state where the automatic warehousing device C is stopped at the basic position.
It is placed by a relay transport mechanism (not shown).

The automatic warehousing device C having the articles M to be transferred placed on the gantry 10 moves to the row (X) and the row (Y) of the address determined in advance by the identification means, and performs the following article transfer cycle. Is performed, and an article transfer operation from the gantry 10 to the sorting shelf R is performed.

FIGS. 5 to 8 show that the articles to be conveyed are sorted by the shelf R.
1 shows a transfer cycle of the fork-shaped gantry 10 when the garbage is put in the warehouse.

As shown in FIG. 5, the fork-shaped base 10 can be moved up and down between an upper position U and a lower position L as shown by an arrow Y.

At the start of the transfer cycle, as shown in FIG. 6, the fork-shaped pedestal 10 on which the article to be transferred M is placed is placed at the upper position U located above the rod-shaped stopper 12.
, And moves forward in the Zf direction.

The fact that the gantry 10 is at the upper position U means that the gantry 1
It is detected by a sensor 24 attached below the zero.

After the article to be conveyed M placed on the gantry 10 completely enters the inside of the stopper 12 at the entrance end of the sorting shelf R, the gantry 10 is moved to the lower position L by an arrow Yd as shown in FIG. Drop like. Confirmation of lower position D also with sensor 24
Done by

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 8, the gantry 10 is retracted in the lower position L as shown by the arrow Zr. As a result, the article M is restricted by the stopper 12 and cannot be retracted, and is securely stored in the sorting shelf R.

In order to adopt such a transfer cycle,
Even when articles are stored on a shelf in which articles are already stored, they can be securely stored and stored without affecting the old and new articles M.

The lower position in this case is a position slightly above the top of the previously stored article, and is detected by the sensor 24.

[0046]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention,
When a transported article, such as printing paper, copy paper, printing paper, etc., which is a stack of many thin leaves, is stored at a predetermined position on the sorting shelf, it is ensured that the article is not disturbed and does not protrude outside. can do.

In this case, not only when the shelf is empty, but also when the goods are stored overlapping the already stored articles, the goods can be securely stored without any trouble.

Therefore, the sorting and warehousing work can be reliably and automatically processed in large quantities even though the article is originally difficult to handle.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an article transfer device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a configuration of an article transfer device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a relationship between a sorting shelf and a fork-shaped gantry.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a relationship between a sorting shelf and a fork-shaped gantry.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a storage cycle of the article transfer device according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing a storage cycle of the article transfer device according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a side view showing a storage cycle of the article transfer device according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a side view showing a storage cycle of the article transfer device according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a side view showing a configuration of an article transfer device according to a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Stand (fork-shaped stand) 12 stopper 14 rails 16 frames 18 doors 20 Display device 22 Relay transport mechanism 24 sensors 26 Identification means (bar code reader) C Automatic warehousing device R Sorting shelf M goods

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An assortment shelf on which articles are mounted, an automatic receiving device for mounting articles on the assorting shelf, and an advance and retreat to the assorting shelf, from the automatic receiving device to the assorting shelf. A fork-shaped base for transferring an object, and an opening of the sorting shelf on the automatic warehousing device side, at a position where the base does not come into contact with the tip of the base when moving forward with respect to the sorting shelf. And a stopper provided at a position joined to the lower end of the opening and not in contact with the upper end of the opening, and provided below the gantry base and above the stopper.
The presence of the gantry is detected as the upper position,
Slightly above the top of the goods previously delivered to the shelf
Based on the upper and lower positions confirmed by the sensors.
An article transfer device having an elevating mechanism for elevating and lowering .