JPH11165812A - Automatic carrier for distribution and warehousing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize high-speed running by reducing the size and weight of a device and to easily detect load collapse during warehousing/shipping with a simple structure and at low costs. SOLUTION: A number of racks are vertically provided to form a frame along the deep direction X of a warehouse inside R, a vertically moving frame 3 is provided among rack groups for housing a plurality of articles W to be carried side by side in an opening direction so as to be controlled for the driving of its vertical movement, and a truck 5 is controlled to be driven for side traveling on the vertically moving frame 3. The carried article W is warehoused/ shipped in each rack of each stage of the rack groups in an opening direction by a driving fork 7 mounted on the truck 5. This device is provided with a first load collapse detecting means 8 for detecting a load collapse state in the deep direction of the carried article W warehoused/shipped by the driving fork 7 and a second load collapse detecting means 9 for detecting a load collapse in the opening direction of the carried article W.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic transfer device for a distribution warehouse facility, and more particularly to a small and light-weight automatic transfer device capable of performing high-speed operation stably with high accuracy. The detection means of the collapse state of the load is devised.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an automatic transport apparatus of this type of distribution warehouse equipment, racks are three-dimensionally framed along the depth direction on a floor in a building, and are installed in a plurality of rows in a frontage direction. A traveling rail is laid along the depth direction on the floor between the rack groups so that the traveling saddle can travel on the traveling rail, and a load receiving stand is provided on a support standing on the traveling saddle so as to be able to move up and down. At the same time, the traveling saddle and the loading tray are automatically moved by controlling the traveling / elevating drive of the rack group to which the code plate is attached to the target rack position. There is a configuration having a configuration that enables the rationalization of business procedures and the conversion of office procedures to EDP (computer information processing).

[0003]

However, in the above-described automatic transfer device having the conventional structure, the structure of the traveling saddle itself must be increased in size and weight in order to achieve stable traveling of the traveling saddle while reducing the swing of the load receiving table. In addition to the need to carry out the operation, since the traveling saddle is equipped with all the traveling / elevation drive control mechanisms, the weight of the entire device becomes heavy, which limits the high-speed operation and the The cycle time at the time of leaving the warehouse cannot be reduced, and the running rails and running wheels are severely worn.

In addition, since a large dead space corresponding to the height of the traveling saddle is formed at the lower part of the rack group installed in a plurality of rows, it is necessary to lift the entire rack group in accordance with the height of the traveling saddle. There is no effective use of the installation space.

[0005] In addition, the traveling saddle and the
Since the lifting drive control is performed by communication with the external control panel by the optical transmission means, real-time control cannot be performed.
Since it is necessary to separately adjust the operation between the control mechanism on the traveling saddle and the external control mechanism, it is troublesome to debug the automatic operation software on site.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to reduce the size and weight of a logistics warehouse by enabling high-speed operation and detecting the state of collapse of cargo during loading and unloading with a simple structure at a low cost. An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic transfer device for equipment.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a transport system in which a large number of racks are three-dimensionally framed in a depth direction in a warehouse and are arranged in parallel in a plurality of rows in a frontage direction. A rack group capable of storing objects, an elevating frame provided between the rack groups so as to be capable of elevating and lowering, a bogie controlled to be traversed along a depth direction on the elevating frame, and mounted on the bogie and A drive fork that allows a conveyed material to enter and exit the racks of each stage of the rack group in the frontage direction, and first and second collapsed loads that can detect a collapsed state of the conveyed material that is input and output by the drive fork. The first load collapse detecting means is provided in accordance with an outer shape of a conveyed material to be moved into and out of each rack arranged in the depth direction of each stage of the rack group. One end side is fixed and the lifting frame A detection wire continuously stretched along the depth direction of the detection wire, a weight member suspended from the other end of the detection wire to maintain the wire tension state, and installed in conjunction with the weight member The limit switch is configured to detect a lifting movement of the weight member due to a movement of the conveyed product in the depth collapsed state at the time of entering and exiting by the driving fork being caught on the detection wire. On the other hand, the second load collapse detection means includes a pair of light transmitting /
A photoelectric sensor for light reception, wherein the pair of photoelectric sensors for light emission and light reception can detect a collapse state of the load caused by the protrusion of the conveyed article from the elevating frame in the frontage direction. .

[0008] In this case, the detection wire of the first unloading detecting means is inserted through each of the circular rings arranged according to the outer shape of the conveyed article, and is stretched. While the movement can be adjusted according to the outer shape of the conveyed object, the second load collapse detection means is a pair of photoelectric sensors for light projection and light reception installed at both front and rear ends in the depth direction of the lifting frame. Are arranged on the left and right sides in the frontage direction of the lifting frame.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 schematically shows an entire configuration of an automatic transport apparatus in a distribution warehouse facility used for loading and unloading of goods as transported articles according to the present invention, and reference numeral 1 denotes a floor surface of an inside R of a building. A rack group is formed by arranging the individual racks 1A in a three-dimensional manner along the depth direction X on F and installing the racks in parallel in a plurality of rows in the frontage direction.

As shown in FIG. 2, an automatic transfer device 2 is provided between each of the rack groups 1 and 1. The automatic transfer device 2 is substantially the same length as the depth direction X of the rack group 1. L, and a lifting / lowering drive control means 30 which will be described later.
Upper and lower beams 3A, which can be raised and lowered in the height direction Z by
Elevating frame 3 framed by 3B and stay 3C
Running rails 4 laid along the depth direction (load traversing direction) X with respect to the lower beam 3B of the lifting frame 3;
And a carriage 5 on which a product W can be mounted. The carriage 5 can be traversed in the depth direction X by traversing drive control means 50 described later. The traveling wheels 6, 6 are provided, and a driving fork 7 is mounted on the upper surface thereof. The driving fork 7 is moved left and right in the frontage direction (loading / unloading direction) Y by a drive control mechanism (not shown). It can be driven in multiple stages.

That is, the bogie 5 is controlled by the vertical drive control means 30 to control the vertical position of the lifting frame 3 and the horizontal drive control means 50 to control the vertical position of each stage of the rack group 1 in the depth direction X. The racks 1A of the goods W mounted on the carriage 5 via the pallets P are controlled to move toward the target racks 1A arranged in
Storage by expansion and contraction of the drive fork 7 to the side, or
The product W stored in each of the racks 1A is taken out by the expansion and contraction operation of the drive fork 7, mounted on the carriage 5, and transported to the loading / unloading opening 1B formed on the frontage side of the lower part of the rack group 1. This makes it possible to automate the entry and exit work of the product W.

The lifting drive control means 30 of the lifting frame 3 has one end thereof in the depth direction X of the lifting frame 3.
And a pair of first wire ropes 31A and 31B fixed to upper ends of both ends of the first wire rope and a sheave 32 around which the first wire ropes 31A and 31B are respectively wound.
A, 32B, weight members 33 connected to the other ends of the first wire ropes 31A, 31B bridged over these sheaves 32A, 32B, and one end connected to the weight members 33. Book wire rope 31
Is connected to a rope winding rotary driving drum 34 connected to the other end through sheaves 32C and 32D. The rotary driving drum 34 includes a speed reducer, an electric motor, and a brake (not shown). By the reverse rotation drive control, the lifting frame 3 is moved in the height direction (the lifting direction) Z.
It is possible to raise and lower control.

On the other hand, the traversing drive control means 50 of the carriage 5
As shown in FIG. 3, both ends are in the depth direction X of the carriage 5.
The second wire rope 51 fixed to both ends of the
A sheave 52A, 52B, 52C around which the second wire rope 51 is looped, and a tension spring provided on the way of the second wire rope 51 between the sheaves 52A to 52C. A member 53;
The rotary drive drum 54 is wound around the second wire rope 51. The rotary drive drum 54 includes a speed reducer, an electric motor, and a brake (not shown). By the control, the carriage 5
In the depth direction (the cargo traversing direction) X.

The lifting frame 3 has a first load collapse detecting means 8 and a second load collapse detecting means 9 capable of detecting the collapse state of the goods W entering and leaving the drive fork 7.
And is installed. This first load collapse detection means 8
According to the shape of each rack 1A arranged in the depth direction X of each stage of the rack group 1, as shown in FIG. 4, both upper and lower beams 3A, A single thin wire (for example, having a diameter of 1 mm or less) of a detection wire 81 which is continuously meandered and stretched between 3B, and one end 81a of the detection wire 81 is provided.
Side is fixed to the lifting frame 3 while the other end 81
By suspending a weight member 82 on the b side, the detection wire 81 is maintained in a tensioned state, and a switching lever 84 of one limit switch 83 is arranged in contact with the weight member 82 in a contact state. Having a configuration.

Further, the second load collapse detecting means 9 comprises:
It comprises a pair of light transmitting / receiving photoelectric sensors 91 and 92 which are installed at substantially the center in the height direction Z so as to oppose both front and rear ends of the lifting frame 3 in the depth direction X. Photoelectric sensors 91 and 92 for light reception are arranged on both left and right sides in the frontage direction Y of the elevating frame 3.

That is, the first load collapse detecting means 8
As shown in FIG. 5, when the drive fork 7 is driven in the frontage direction Y at the time of entry and exit when the product W is in a collapsed state with respect to the depth direction (the cargo traverse direction) X as shown in FIG. , The product W is hooked on the detection wire 81, and the detection wire 81 is moved in accordance with the hooking operation of the product W on the detection wire 81, and the detection wire 81 is moved.
As shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 5, the weight member 82 is lifted and moved, and the lifting movement of the weight member 82 activates the switching lever 84 of the limit switch 83. The state of the collapse of the load in the direction X can be detected.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, when the goods W are in the collapse state in the frontage direction Y, the second cargo collapse detection means 9 is provided at the front and rear ends of the lifting frame 3 in the depth direction X. Light emitting unit 91 and light receiving unit 92 of the photoelectric sensor installed in the unit
The light path between the two is blocked so that the collapse state of the product W in the frontage direction (loading / unloading direction) Y due to the protrusion from the elevating frame 3 can be detected.

Incidentally, the detection wire 81 constituting the first load collapse detection means 8 is folded back and inserted into each of circular rings (doughnut-shaped wappers) 85 arranged according to the shape of the rack 1A. Each of these circular rings 85 is subjected to hard plating on its surface, and as shown in FIGS.
6 is welded and fixed to a slide plate 87 slidably provided on the slide plate 6 so that the slide plate 87 can be moved in a raceway manner along the depth direction X. By tightening and fixing at predetermined positions on the guide rails 86, the respective circular rings 85 can be positioned and adjusted according to the shape of the product W. Further, by using the circular ring 85, the detection wire 81 can be prevented from coming off, and by applying hard plating to the surface of the circular ring 85, the friction with the detection wire 81 can be reduced to ensure the reliability. An operating state can be obtained.

In the above-described embodiment, the pair of light emitting / receiving photoelectric sensors 91 and 92 constituting the second load collapse detecting means 9 are connected to the elevation frame 3 in the height direction Z.
Of the product W is detected at the center of the product W in the height direction Z to protrude from the elevating frame 3 to detect the collapse of the load. However, it is necessary to detect the upper and lower parts of the product W. In some cases, a pair of light emitting / receiving photoelectric sensors 91 and 92 may be added, or a zone sensor may be used, and various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Needless to say.

[0020]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, a large number of racks are three-dimensionally framed along the depth direction of the interior of a refrigerator, and a plurality of racks can be stored in parallel in the frontage direction. The lifting frame is provided between the rack groups so as to be able to control the lifting and lowering, and a trolley that can be controlled to traverse along the lifting and lowering frame. Since there is no need to move, the elevating frame, and consequently the entire device, can be reduced in size and weight, thereby enabling high-speed operation and shortening of the cycle time for loading and unloading. Can be planned.

Further, since the carriage is traversed on the elevating frame, the height of the carriage from the floor surface can be reduced, and the dead space as before can be reduced. On the other hand, it is possible to install the lifting drive control means of the lifting frame and the traversing drive control means of the bogie on the outside, and it becomes unnecessary to use the conventional optical transmission means. Control can be performed, and debugging of automatic operation software on site can be easily performed.

A first fork capable of detecting a state in which a load conveyed into and out of the rack in each stage of the rack group in the front-to-back direction can be detected by a driving fork which allows the conveyed material to be moved in and out of the rack.
, And a second collapse detection device capable of detecting a collapse state of the conveyed article in the frontage direction, so that the collapse state of the conveyed article at the time of entry and exit can be easily grasped. Can be.

Further, the first load collapse detecting means has one end fixed in accordance with the outer shape of the goods to be transferred into and out of each of the racks arranged in the depth direction of each stage of the rack group. One detection wire continuously stretched along the depth direction, a weight member suspended from the other end of the detection wire to maintain a wire tension state, and 1 is installed in conjunction with the weight member. In order to detect the lifting movement of the weight member due to the movement of the load on the detection wire when the load in the depth direction is collapsed by the drive fork, In addition, it is possible to detect the collapse state of the load with a simple structure, at a low cost, and with less malfunction.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view showing an overall configuration of an embodiment of an automatic transport device in a distribution warehouse facility according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a configuration of a lifting / lowering drive control unit of the lifting frame as viewed from the direction of arrows II-II in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a configuration of a traversing drive control unit of the bogie.

FIG. 4 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a first load collapse detection unit.

FIG. 5 is a schematic explanatory view of a load collapse state in the depth direction.

FIG. 6 is a schematic explanatory view showing a state in which a load collapses in a depth direction as viewed from the direction of arrows VI-VI in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a schematic explanatory view of a second load collapse detection unit.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing a movement adjustment mode of a circular ring in which a detection wire in the first load collapse detection means is inserted in a folded manner.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view as viewed from the direction of arrows IX-IX in FIG. 8;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Rack group 1A rack 1B Warehousing space 2 Automatic conveyance apparatus 3 Elevating frame 5 Cart 7 Drive fork 8 First load collapse detection means 9 Second load collapse detection means 30 Elevation drive control means 50 Traverse drive control means 81 Detection wire 81a One end 81b Other end 82 Weight member 83 Limit switch 84 Switching lever 85 Circular ring 86 Guide rail 87 Slide plate 88 Backup plate 89 Screw 91 Light emitting unit (photoelectric sensor) 92 Light receiving unit (photoelectric sensor) R Inside P pallet W Conveyance (Products) X Depth direction (load traversing direction) Y Frontage direction (loading / unloading direction) Z Height direction (lifting direction)

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A rack group capable of storing a plurality of racks arranged in parallel in a plurality of rows in a frontage direction by arranging a plurality of racks three-dimensionally in a depth direction in a warehouse, and capable of raising and lowering between the rack groups. A lifting / lowering frame provided on the lifting / lowering frame, and a trolley traversingly controlled along a depth direction on the lifting / lowering frame; A drive fork, a first load collapse detecting means capable of detecting the load collapse state in the depth direction of the conveyed material to be carried in and out by the drive fork, and a second load collapse detection means capable of detecting the load collapse state in the load / unload direction. An automatic transport device for distribution warehouse equipment, comprising: 2. The first load collapse detecting means, wherein one end side is fixed according to an outer shape of a conveyed material to be moved into and out of each rack arranged in a depth direction of each stage of the rack group, and A single detection wire continuously stretched along the depth direction of the frame, a weight member suspended from the other end of the detection wire to maintain the wire tension, and installed in conjunction with the weight member The limit switch detects the lifting movement of the weight member due to the movement of the load in the depth direction when the driving fork is caught on the detection wire when the load is collapsed. 2. The automatic transport apparatus of a distribution warehouse facility according to claim 1, wherein the automatic transport apparatus is enabled. 3. The detection wire of the first load-carrying detecting means is inserted through each of the circular rings arranged in accordance with the outer shape of the conveyed object, and is stretched. 3. The automatic transport apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the positioning is performed so that the movement can be adjusted according to the outer shape of the logistics warehouse. 4. The second unloading detecting means includes a pair of light emitting / receiving photoelectric sensors installed at both front and rear ends in the depth direction of the lifting frame. 2. The automatic transfer device of the distribution warehouse equipment according to claim 1, wherein a state of collapse of the load due to protrusion of the conveyed material from the lifting frame in the frontage direction can be detected. 3. 5. The second load collapse detecting means includes a pair of light emitting / receiving photoelectric sensors installed on both front and rear ends in the depth direction of the lifting frame on both left and right sides in the frontage direction of the lifting frame. 5. The automatic transport device for distribution warehouse equipment according to claim 4, wherein