JPH06271013A - Stacker crane for automatic warehouse - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a stcker crane, which can perform the delivery of a load with a load receiving shelf, even if any space for a fork device shifting back and forth is not set between mutually facing load receiving shelves. CONSTITUTION:A stacker crane 9 is composed of a traveling stage 10, which travels on a traveling rail 7 laid on the ground, a mast 1, which is erected on the traveling stage 10, and an elevation carriage 14, which is arranged capably of vertical motion to the mast 11. And, a pair of slid bars 19, one hand of which reciprocates in the same direction as the direction of traveling, are provided at the bottom inside of the elevation carriage 14. Furthermore, a pair of clampers 20, which reciprocate in the orthogonal direction to the direction of traveling, are attached to the inside of pair of the slid a bars 19.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a stacker crane for an automatic warehouse.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional stacker crane for an automated warehouse will be described with reference to FIGS. Shelf 4 in automated warehouse 40
1 are arranged side by side in front and behind with a predetermined interval (however, in FIG. 6, the shelf 41 located in the front part shows only the lowermost cargo receiving shelf 43). The shelf 41 is formed by a plurality of upright columns 42 and a cargo receiving shelf 43 provided at a predetermined height position, and the storage sections 44 are set by the columns 42 and the cargo receiving shelf 43. There is. Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the load W is supported by the load receiving shelves 43 facing each other in the left-right direction. In addition, one end of the lowermost stage of the one shelf 41,
A loading / unloading port 45 for loading / unloading the load W is formed.

A traveling rail 46 is laid on the floor surface between the front and rear shelves 41, and on the traveling rail 46,
The stacker crane 47 is set to reciprocate. The stacker crane 47 includes a traveling base 48, a pair of masts 49 extending on the traveling base 48, and a mast 4
And an elevating carriage 50 which is vertically movable between the upper and lower portions. A fork device 51 for transferring the load W between the lift carriage 50 and the load receiving rack 43 is provided on the inner upper surface of the lift carriage 50 so as to be reciprocally movable in the front-rear direction in FIG. That is, the elevating carriage 50 extends the fork device 51 to place the load W from the lower side, and retracts the fork device 51 on which the load W is placed to move the load W onto the elevating carriage 50.
Can be stored. Further, by performing the operation reverse to the above, the load W placed on the elevating carriage 50 can be stored in the load receiving shelf 43.

Therefore, when the load W brought in from the loading / unloading port 45 is stored in the predetermined storage portion 44, the stacker crane 47 first loads the load W at the loading / unloading port 45 to the fork device 51. It is received in the elevating carriage 50 through the reciprocating operation and the lowering operation of the elevating carriage 50. Then, it is conveyed to a predetermined storage section 44, and an elevating carriage 50.
The load W therein is stored in the load receiving shelf 43 of a predetermined storage portion 44 through the reciprocating motion of the fork device 51. On the contrary, when the load W in the predetermined storage section 44 is taken out, the elevating carriage 50 of the stacker crane 47 is guided to the storage section 44, and the reciprocating operation of the fork device 51 and the elevating operation of the elevating carriage 50 cause The load W is received in the elevating carriage 50 from the load receiving rack 43 of the predetermined storage unit 44, and the load W is conveyed to the loading / unloading port 45.

[0005]

However, the conventional stacker crane 47 has the following problems. In the conventional stacker crane 47, the fork device 51 attached to the inner upper surface of the elevating carriage 50 is reciprocated, that is, moved forward and backward, and the elevating carriage 50 is moved up and down. It is possible to transfer the load W between them. for that reason,
In order to transfer the load W, as shown in FIG. 7, a space S for allowing the fork device 51 to move in and out is set at the lower end portion of the accommodating portion 44, that is, between the load receiving shelves 43 facing each other. Will be needed. As a result, the load W having a width smaller than the space S cannot be accommodated, and the size of the load W that can be stored is extremely limited.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a space for moving a fork device back and forth between opposed load receiving shelves. It is to provide a stacker crane that can transfer a load to and from a receiving rack.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and is arranged so as to be movable up and down with respect to a mast which is erected on a traveling platform which travels on a rail laid on the ground. In a stacker crane provided with an elevating carriage installed, a pair of moving members at least one of which is reciprocable in the same direction as the traveling direction of the stacker crane is provided on the inner upper surface or the lower surface of the elevating carriage, and a pair of the moving members is provided. The gist of the present invention is that a pair of gripping members that can reciprocate in a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of the stacker crane are attached to the moving member.

[0008]

According to the present invention, at least one of the pair of left and right moving members provided on the inner upper surface or the lower surface of the elevating carriage can be reciprocated in the same direction as the traveling direction of the stacker crane of the automatic warehouse. The moving member can change the width interval.

By attaching a pair of gripping members that can reciprocate in a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of the stacker crane of the automatic warehouse to the pair of moving members for changing the width interval, The gripping member of (1) moves forward / backward in a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of the stacker crane with its width interval changed. Therefore, the load is clamped by the gripping member. As a result, the load sandwiched by the gripping members can be transferred between the shelf of the automatic warehouse and the lifting carriage.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which a stacker crane for an automated warehouse according to the present invention is embodied will be described below with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the automatic warehouse 1
Is provided with a pair of front and rear shelves 2 arranged side by side (however, FIG. 5 shows only the rear shelves 2) with a predetermined interval. The shelf 2 is composed of a plurality of upright columns 3 and a plurality of plate-shaped load receiving shelves 4 horizontally provided at a predetermined height position. Is supposed to be supported. Further, on the shelf 2, a storage section 5 having a different width (left and right direction in FIGS. 4 and 5) and a height is sectioned and formed by the support column 3 and the load receiving shelf 4, and a load W having a different width and height is loaded. It can be accommodated. A loading / unloading port 6 for loading / unloading a load is formed at one end of the lowermost stage of each of the front and rear shelves 2.

A traveling rail 7 parallel to the shelves 2 is laid on the floor surface of the passage formed between the pair of front and rear shelves 2, and similarly, an upper rail 8 is provided on the uppermost surface between the pair of shelves 2. Are extended (not shown in FIG. 4). A stacker crane 9 is provided between the traveling rail 7 and the upper rail 8.
Are placed. That is, the stacker crane 9 is set so as to travel back and forth along the traveling rail 7 and the upper rail 8 between the storage units 5 and the loading / unloading port 6.

FIG. 1 shows the side surface of the stacker crane 9. As shown in the figure, the stacker crane 9 includes a traveling platform 10 traveling on the traveling rail 7,
A pair of left and right masts 1 provided upright from both ends of the traveling platform 10.
1 and an upper frame 12 connecting the upper ends of the pair of masts 11. The upper frame 12 is installed so as to move along the upper rail 8. A traveling device 13 is provided at the base end of one of the masts 11 (the right mast 11 in FIG. 1), and a stacker is driven by a traveling motor (not shown) arranged in the traveling device 13. The crane 9 can travel on the traveling rail 7.

An elevating carriage 14 is provided between the pair of left and right masts 11 so that it can be moved up and down. A total of eight rollers 15 (four rear wheels are not shown) are rotatably provided on the outer sides of the left and right ends of the elevating carriage 14, and the rollers 15 sandwich the front and rear surfaces of the mast 11. They are arranged in contact with each other. Therefore, the elevating carriage 14 can move up and down along the mast 11 without rattling through the rolling of the rollers 15. Further, in the elevating carriage 14, an elevating motor (not shown) in an elevating device 16 provided above the traveling device 13 vertically moves a chain (not shown) disposed inside the pair of left and right masts 11. This allows it to move up and down.

The traveling device 13 for moving the stacker crane 9 and the elevating / lowering device 16 for elevating / lowering the elevating / lowering carriage 14 are provided on one of the masts 11 (see FIG. 1
Is controlled via a crane control panel 17 provided at the base end of the left mast 11).

Further, a clamp device 18 for loading / unloading the load W into / from the lifting / lowering carriage 14 is provided below the lifting / lowering carriage 14. This clamp device 18
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a slide bar 19 as a pair of moving members attached to the lower side of the elevating carriage 14 and a clamper 20 as a pair of gripping members attached to the inside of the slide bar 19. It consists of and.

On the lower surface of the elevating carriage 14, two roller grooves 21 each having a length corresponding to almost half of the elevating carriage 14 (right half surface in FIG. 2) are provided. In the left and right direction. A support arm 19a is fixedly provided at a position corresponding to the roller groove 21 on the upper surface of one of the pair of slide bars 19 (the right slide bar 19 in FIG. 2). The roller groove 2 is formed on each of the support arms 19a.
It is connected to a roller 22 rolling inside 1.

On the lower surface of the elevating carriage 14, a shaft 23 having a male screw is formed substantially parallel to the center of the two roller grooves 21 and is parallel to the two roller grooves 21. It is movably attached. The shaft 23 rotates on the lower surface of the elevating carriage 14 by driving a gripping motor 24 provided at the base end (left side in FIG. 2) of the shaft 23. The shaft 23 is screwed into a ball nut 25 fixed to the substantially central portion of the upper surface of the one slide bar 19. Therefore, the shaft 2 is passed through the gripping motor 24.
When 3 is rotated, the shaft 23 and the ball nut 25 mesh with each other, so that the slide bar 19 can move in the traveling direction of the stacker crane 9 through the rolling of the roller 22, that is, the horizontal direction in FIG. As a result, the distance between the pair of slide bars 19 can be changed. The other slide bar 19 (the left slide bar 19 in FIG. 2) is fixed to the lower surface of the elevating carriage 14.

The gripping motor 24 for rotating the shaft 23 is controlled via the crane control panel 17 based on a command from a remote operation panel (not shown). A roller groove 26 having the same length as the entire length (the length in the front-rear direction in FIG. 2) of the slide bars 19 is bored at approximately the center of the inner surfaces of the pair of slide bars 19.
Then, the clamper 2 is provided in a part of each roller groove 26.
The guide portions 20a protruding in the longitudinal direction of the central portion are fitted to the outside of 0, respectively. On the outer side surface of the guide portion 20a, a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of the stacker crane 9, that is, FIG.
In, a total of three rollers 27 arranged in the front-rear direction are rotatably provided. Then, the roller 27 is arranged in contact with the inside of the roller groove 26. Therefore, the clamper 20 moves through the rolling of the roller 27, and
You can move in the front-back direction. A rack 28 is formed on the upper surface of the guide portion 20a formed on the pair of clampers 20. On the other hand, a pair of left and right housing recesses 19b are formed on the upper surfaces of the front and rear sides of the roller groove 26 of each slide bar 19, and a small gear 29 that is screwed into the rack 28 is disposed in the recesses 19b. Each small gear 29 is connected to a guide motor 30 arranged on the slide bar 19 and rotated. Therefore,
When the small gear 29 is rotated by the guiding motor 30, the rack 28 is pushed in a direction following the rotation direction of the small gear 29. As a result, the pair of clampers 20
Is a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of the stacker crane 9,
That is, it can move back and forth in both directions in FIG.

The guide motor 30 for pushing the rack 28 forward is also controlled via the crane control panel 17 based on a command from a remote operation panel (not shown).

Further, load detecting sensors 20b are provided at both inner front and rear ends of the pair of clampers 20 to detect by pressure whether the load W is sandwiched between the pair of clampers 20, and the crane controller is provided. It is designed to output to 17. Based on the output signal, the crane controller 17 controls the one slide bar 19 to move to the position shown in FIG.
The movement control is performed by driving the motor 24 in the left-right direction in (1), and the width interval between the pair of slide bars 19 is changed. As a result, the pair of clampers 20 disposed inside the pair of slide bars 19 are provided.
The width interval of is also changed based on the output signal.

Next, the operation of the stacker crane 9 of the automatic warehouse constructed as described above will be described. When the stacker crane 9 stores the load W brought into the loading / unloading port 6 in the predetermined storage section 5 in the automatic warehouse 1 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the stacker crane 9 is operated based on a command from a remote operation panel (not shown). Acts like. That is, first, the stacker crane 9 drives the guide motor 30 at the loading / unloading port 6 under the control of the crane controller 17, and advances the pair of clampers 20 toward the loading / unloading port 6 by the pair of slide bars 19. . Then, after the load W placed on the loading / unloading port 6 is positioned between the pair of clampers 20, the gripping motor 24 is driven by the control of the crane controller 17, and the one slide described above is driven. The bar 19 is moved. At this time, the crane control device 17
Control is performed so that the distance between the pair of slide bars 19 is reduced, and the width distance between the pair of clampers 20 arranged inside is reduced. When the load W is sandwiched between the pair of clampers 20, the load detection sensor 20b detects it and the movement of one slide bar 19 is stopped via the crane control device 17. Finally, the pair of clampers 20 holding the load W are retracted toward the elevating carriage 14, so that the load W is received in the elevating carriage 14.

Then, the stacker crane 9 is transported to the place where the predetermined storage section 5 is located under the control of the traveling motor and the lifting motor (not shown) under the control of the crane controller 17, and at the same time stores the load W inside. The raising / lowering carriage 14 that is operating is also guided to a predetermined height of the storage section 5.

Under the control of the crane controller 17, the guide motor 30 is driven to advance the pair of clampers 20 holding the load W toward the storage section 5. Next, the gripping motor 24 is driven by the control of the crane control device 17, and the one slide bar 19 is driven.
To move. At this time, the crane control device 17
Controls the gap between the pair of slide bars 19 to be slightly enlarged, and finely enlarges the gap between the pair of clampers 20 arranged inside thereof. Then, the load W held between the pair of clampers 20 is placed on the load receiving shelf 4 and stored in the storage unit 5. Then, by retracting the pair of clampers 20 toward the elevating carriage 14, the pair of clampers 20 are housed in the elevating carriage 14 and the next cargo handling operation can be started.

When the stacker crane 9 takes out the load W from a predetermined storage section 5 and conveys it to the loading / unloading port 6, a procedure opposite to the above-described procedure based on a command from a remote operation panel (not shown). I do.

Therefore, in the stacker crane 9 of this embodiment, when the load W is transferred to the storage section 5, the load W is sandwiched and fixed by the pair of clampers 20 from the left and right directions. Therefore, unlike the conventional case, it is not necessary to set a space for moving the fork device in and out between the load receiving shelves 4 of the storage section 5, so that various storage sections 5 having different widths and heights can be set. it can. As a result,
Loads W having different widths and heights as shown in can be stored in the same automated warehouse 1.

Further, by using the stacker crane 9 of the present embodiment, it is possible to convey loads W of various sizes, so that the storage unit can be stored based on the size of the loads W and the quantity value thereof. It is possible to improve the storage efficiency of the automatic warehouse 1 by setting the stock management software so that the load W can be stored and taken out at an optimum position among the five.

For example, when the stacker crane 9 goes to the storage unit 5 for the load W, it is possible to know in advance which size of the load W is stored in which storage unit 5 and to store the load W in advance. Before reaching the portion 5, the distance between the pair of clampers 20 is controlled to be the optimum distance for holding the load W. Further, when the load W is stored in the storage unit 5, the width of the load W sandwiched between the loading / unloading ports 6 is automatically read by the measuring device, and the storage unit 5 that matches the width is selected and the selected storage unit is selected. You may make it accommodate the load W in 5.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, but may be configured as follows, for example, within the scope not departing from the gist of the invention. (1) In the above embodiment, the clamp device 18 is set on the lower side of the lift carriage 14, but it may be set on the upper side of the lift carriage 14. (2) In the above embodiment, the inside of the pair of slide bars 19 is Although the clamper 20 is arranged to reciprocate, it may be arranged to reciprocate outside the slide bar 19.

(3) In the above embodiment, only one of the pair of slide bars 19 is set to be moved in the left-right direction in FIG. 2, but both of the pair of slide bars 19 may be moved.

(4) Clamper 20 in the above embodiment
It is also possible to apply anti-slip processing such as attaching a locking claw or a rubber material to the inner part of, to further stabilize the load so that it can be clamped and fixed.

(5) In the above embodiment, the height of the elevating carriage 14 is the same both when the load W is stored and when the load is taken out.
The height of the load W may be set to be slightly higher, and the load W may be dropped for a minute distance after the load W is positioned in the storage section 5.

[0033]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, it is possible to transfer a load to and from a load receiving shelf without setting a space for the fork device to move back and forth between the load receiving shelves facing each other. You can

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a stacker crane embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a clamp device of a stacker crane embodying the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a clamp device of a stacker crane embodying the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an automated warehouse embodying the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing an automated warehouse embodying the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing an automatic warehouse in the related art.

FIG. 7 is a partial schematic front view showing a frame rack of an automatic warehouse in the prior art.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference numeral 7 ... Traveling rail, 9 ... Stacker crane, 10 ... Traveling platform, 11 ... Mast, 14 ... Lifting carriage, 19 ... Slide bar as moving member, 20 ... Clamper as fixing member

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A stacker crane for an automatic warehouse, comprising: a lifting carriage that is vertically movable with respect to a mast that is erected on a traveling platform that runs on rails laid on the ground. A pair of moving members, at least one of which can be reciprocated, is provided on the inner upper surface or the lower surface in the same direction as the stacker crane of the automatic warehouse, and the pair of moving members is arranged in the running direction of the stacker crane of the automatic warehouse. A stacker crane for an automatic warehouse, characterized in that a pair of gripping members capable of reciprocating in an orthogonal direction are attached thereto.