GB2143223A

GB2143223A - Fully automatic store

Info

Publication number: GB2143223A
Application number: GB08318851A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kenro Motoda
Original assignee: Motoda Electronics Co Ltd
Current assignee: Motoda Electronics Co Ltd
Priority date: 1983-07-15
Filing date: 1983-07-12
Publication date: 1985-02-06
Also published as: SE8304010L; DE3326017A1; SE8304010D0; FR2548882B1; GB8318851D0; DE3326017C2; FR2548882A1; SE442622B; CA1204677A; GB2143223B

Abstract

A fully automatic store has a storeroom 1 composed of one or more boxes 10 of a transportable size provided with racks for storing articles. The storeroom further comprises at least one article- transporter e.g. a travelling crane 2 which is capable of reaching any desired position of the racks and an operating station 5 for controlling the operation of the traveling crane. The store may further have a lift 4 which is moved vertically to receive or discharge the articles at the upper extremity of the store and to transfer the articles to or from the crane at a lower position. The store can be prefabricated in a factory, or is composed of several units which are prefabricated in the factory, and it can be easily set- up at the site where it is to be installed. The store can be installed underground to save space on the ground. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Fully automatic store This invention relates to a fully automatic store for the storage and retrieval of articles, and more particularly to a fully automatic store of a small scale which is suitable for use in homes or offices.

It is often the case in the general home that too much household stuff, such as furniture, kitchenware, clothes, books, bedclothes, etc, occupies so much of the space of the home that it is difficult to use the rooms effectively or to keep the rooms neat and comfortable, or to have easy access to desired articles. The same may be said of offices or stores.

To solve these problems, it may be proposed to utilise a multifloor automatic store which is usually used in a factory etc. However, this type of automatic store is, in general, fabricated on site where it is to be installed, and accordingly it is expensive.

Moreover, such a store is not suited in structure to personal use and it necessitates considerably large space to set it up.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a prefabricated fully automatic store which is capable of being massproduced in a factory (and therefore capable of being manufactured at a reasonabie cost) and which can be easily set-up at any desired place, for example, underground to save space on the ground otherwise required for installing the store.

According to the invention there is provided a fully automatic store comprising: a storeroom composed of one or more boxes of a transportable size which is or are each provided with racks for storing articles thereon; at least one mobile article-transporter disposed in said storeroom and operable to convey articles to be stored to the racks or to retrieve stored articles from the racks; and an operating station for controlling the movement of the article-transporter along the storeroom and the operation of the articletransporter in order to convey articles to and from a desired position on the racks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of one form of a fully automatic store according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the store taken along line ll-ll of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a partially cut-away plan view of the store of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the store of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an operating station of the store; Fig. 6 is a chart showing the positions of racks diagrammatically; Figs. 7 and 8 are perspective views of pallets to be placed on the racks; Fig. 9 is an explanatory view showing the installation of the store of Fig. 1; Fig. 10 is a perspective view of another form of a fully automatic store according to the present invention; Fig. 11 is a partially cutaway plan view of the store of Fig. 10;; Figs. 1 2 and 1 3 are similar partially cutaway plan views of further forms of fully automatic store according to the present invention; Fig. 14 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view of coupling portions of boxes constituting a storeroom; Fig. 1 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the store of Fig. 10; Fig. 1 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a box unit employable in the present invention; Fig. 1 7 is a partially cut-away side elevational view of another form of a fully automatic store according to the present invention; Fig. 18 is a perspective view of a still further form of fully automatic store according to the present invention;; Fig. 1 9 is a side elevational view of another form of fully automatic store according to the present invention; and Fig. 20 is a longitudinal sectional view of yet another form of fully automatic store according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODI MENTS Referring now to Figs. 1 to 9, there is illustrated one embodiment of the present invention.

A fully automatic store of this embodiment comprises a storeroom 1 which is formed of a box 10, a travelling crane 2, racks 3 and a lift 4.

The box 10 has a hermetically sealed structure with an opening 11, and has a size transportable for example by a truck. The size of the box 10 is for example about 2 m in height and width and about 6 m in length.

The framework of the box 10 preferably has a strength sufficient to resist pressure of the earth when buried under the ground as will be described later. For this reason, the box 10 is formed for example of a rectangular frame and panels of iron (steel) or polyvinyl chloride fixed thereto. The box 10 may have a doublewall structure with a heat insulator inserted between the walls.

Within the box 10, the traveling crane 2 such as a stacker crane is disposed in a space 1 3 defined by the racks 3 which are provided on the opposite sides of the box 10 so as to extend along substantially the length thereof.

The racks 3 open at the sides thereof adjacent to the space 1 3 to allow articles to be brought into the racks or taken out from the racks. The racks 3 may be divided into an appropriate number of sections 3a and may be partitioned with walls according to necessity.

The traveling crane 2 is adapted to run along a path formed within the space 1 3. In the embodiment as illustrated, the crane 2 runs in a longitudinal direction of the box 10 along guide rails 14, 1 4 provided centrally on a floor of the box 10 and a guide rail 1 5 provided centrally on a ceiling of the box 10.

The crane 2 has a base 21 which is adapted to move up and down along a frame of the crane 2. The base 21 has a clamp means 22 through which an article B held on the base 21 is transferred to the rack 3 or an article B on the rack 3 is transferred to the base 21 of the crane 2. These operations are automatically carried out in response to a signal from an instruction section of an operating station 5 as will be described in detail later.

At a longitudinal end of the box 10 is formed centrally a space 1 2 for allowing the lift 4 to move up and down. In the embodiment as illustrated, the space 1 2 communicates, at its upper end, with the outside. In this arrangement, the lift 4 is associated with the traveling crane 2 so as to meet it at predetermined vertical positions thereof. The lift 4 may be a crane having a base 41 which is adapted to move up and down to receive an article to be stored from the outside or to discharge an article from the storeroom 1 at the upper extreme end of the storehouse. The lift 4 further has a transfer means 42,for example a reach fork,to transfer an article on the base 41 to the base 21 of the traveling crane 2 or receive an article from the base 21 of the crane 2.

As described above, the traveling crane 2, the racks 3 and the lift 4 are preliminarily set in the box 10 to form the storeroom 1. Thus, the storeroom transportable for example by a truck can be prefabricated in a factory and mass-produced.

When it is required to set the store of the present invention underground and there is a considerable distance from the surface of the ground to the top of the box 10, another unit separate from the box 10 may be used, in combination, for forming an extension of the passage of the lift 4. This separate unit may include the operating station 5.

On the opposite sides of the space 12 are formed spaces 1 6 and 1 7 for installing pipework for air-conditioner, electrical devices, a ladder for emergency, wiring for the instruction section of the operating station 5, etc.

As can be seen from Figs. 1, 4 and 5, the operating station 5 is combined with the storeroom 1 to constitute a store. The operating station 5 includes an instruction section 51 for controlling the traveling crane 2 and the lift 4 and a port 52 for delivering or receiving articles.

When this operating station 5 is incorporated in the unit which is provided with the extension of the passage for the lift 4 as described above, this unit may be assembled, at the site where the store is set, with the box 10, for example, at the opening 11 of the box 10. The wiring, piping and connection of guide rails for the lift 4 may be carried out after such assemblage. Alternatively, the operating station 5 may be incorporated in the box 10 when the operating station is not so bulky.

The port 52 is used to deliver an article to the base 41 of the lift 4 or to receive an article therefrom as described above. The port 52 may have a hatch. The hatch may be so formed that it can be opened only by an instruction from the instruction section 51 of the operating station 52. In this case, the articles stored in the storeroom 1 can be protected from theft.

The instruction section 51 includes switches, a keyboard and a microcomputer, if necessary, for remote-controlling the traveling crane 2, the lift 4, the clamp means 22 and the transfer means 42.

The operation of the instruction section 41 for controlling the delivery of articles will now be described referring to Fig. 6.

The traveling crane 2 makes a horizontal movement from a first row to a tenth row of the racks 3 and a vertical movement from a first step to a fourth step of the racks 3. The lift 4 makes a vertical movement in a row 0 from the first step to the fourth step and further to a step E.

The lift 4 carries out the transfer of articles at a block O E, i.e., the intersection of the row 0 and the step E relative to the port 52 and at a block 0 4 relative to thc traveling crane 2 located at a block 1 4. The traveling crane 2, in turn, carries out the transfer of the articles relative to any desired block of the racks on either side.

More specifically, in order to convey articles to the racks 3, a carrying-in switch of the instruction section 51 is operated to move the traveling crane 2 to the block 1-4 and to call the lift 4 to the block O E so as to deliver the articles onto the base 41 of the lift 4. When a key associated with a block into which the articles are to be sent is depressed, the lift 4 is lowered to the block 0 4 so as to transfer the articles to the traveling crane 2 which is standing-by at the block 1 4. The transfer of the articles to the base 22 of the crane 2 is carried out, for example, by the transfer means 42. Thereafter, the traveling crane 2 moves to the desired block and stands before the desired section 3a of the rack 3. The articles on the base 21 of the crane 2 is held by the clamp means 22 and sent in or pushed into the section 3a of the rack. Thus, the storage operation is completed.

To take out the stored articles from the rack 3, first, a taking-out switch is operated and a key for a block (e.g. a block 9.3 as shown in Fig. 1) from which the articles are to be carried out is depressed. As a result, the traveling crane 2 is operated to position the base 21 before the desired section 3a of the rack 3. Then, the clamp means 22 draws the articles out of the section 3a and put them on the base 21.The crane 2 then moves horizontally to a block 1-3. The articles on the base 21 of the crane 2 is transferred by the transfer means 42 to the base 41 of the lift 4 which has been preliminarily moved to a block 0 3. After receiving the articles, the lift 4 ascends to the block O E, where the articles are picked up through the port 52 of the operating station 5.

The articles may be handled through a container 61 made for example of plastics which is put on an L-shaped pallet 6. This container 61 is suitable for containing ordinary clothes, bedclothes such as blankets etc., kitchenwares or the like. Small wares,(books or other articles which are needed frequently) may be stored through a pallet 6 having sectioned spaces 62.

The pallets 6 each have a coupling member (not shown) on the respective front faces thereof which is adapted to cooperate, for example, with a rod of the clamp means 22 extensible by a cylinder etc. The clamp means 22 and the transfer means 42 may be formed of a pincher member or an adsorber fixed to a tip end of the cylinder rod.

The pallet 6 may have rollers which are engaged with a guide rail or guide rails provided in each section 3a of the rack 3 to facilitate the insertion or drawing out of the pallet 6 into or out of the section 3a of the rack 3. The articles may, of course, be stored in each of the sections 3a without using the pallet 6 or container 61.

The box 10 has at its top surface a plurality of loops 1 8 which are engaged for example with hooks of a crane to carry the storeroom 1 prefabricated in the factory onto a truck or to unload the storeroom 1 to a place where the storeroom 1 is to be set.

To install the store of the present invention, for example, a hole is dug under a floor F of a house etc. and preferably lined with concrete to form an installing space 23 as illustrated in Fig. 9. The storeroom 1 is placed in the space 23 so as to locate the operating station 5 at an appropriate position in the house. The gaps around the storeroom 1, i.e., the box 10 are filled preferably with concrete. The passage for the lift 4 may be extended into a room etc. through an opening F, of the floor F from the box 10 as illustrated in Fig. 9. In this case, the box 10 can be fully buried under the ground and the operating station 5M can be above the floor F. Alternatively, the storeroom 1 may simply be put on the ground of a background etc.In this case, the operating station 5 may be provided within a room etc. through the wall of the house and a crane for the lift 4 may move in the horizontal direction.

Figs. 10 and 11 illustrate another embodiment of the present invention in which a fully automatic store is composed of a storeroom 1 formed of a plurality of boxes lOa, lOb and lOc, a unit 7 for containing a lift 4 and a unit for containing an operating station 5. The boxes 1 0a, lOb and 1 0c are each formed in a transportable size and each have openings at opposite ends in the horizontal direction and flanges 1 9 formed around the peripheries of the respective openings. These boxes 1 0a, 1 0b and 1 Oc are combined in the horizontal direction through the respective flanges 1 9 to form the storeroom 1.In this combined state, rails 14, 14 provided on floors of the respective boxes 1 0a, 1 0b and 1 Oc are aligned with one another and extend through the length of the storeroom 1. One end of the box 1 Oc is provided with a wall member to close the storeroom 1 and an opposite end of the box lOa is combined with the unit 7 to install the lift 4 in the storehouse. The operating station 5 is positioned on the unit 7. The so constructed storehouse has, as a whole, substantially the same formation as that of the first embodiment except that the storeroom 1 is formed of a plurality of boxes 10a, lOb and 10c and the lift 4 is disposed in the unit separate from the storeroom 1.

Fig. 1 3 illustrates a modification of the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 11 and 1 2. In this modification, a storeroom 1 is formed of boxes 10a and lOb and two units 7 each containing a lift 4 are coupled to the store- room 1 at the opposite ends thereof.

Fig. 1 3 illustrates another modification of the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12. In this modification, two traveling cranes 2, 2 and two sets of guide rails 1 4a, 1 4b are provided within a storeroom 1 which is formed of boxes 1 0a', 1 Ob', 1 Oc' and 1 Od' and three racks 3, 3, 3 are provided in association with the traveling cranes 2, 2. In this case, the center rack 3 may be accessible by either of the cranes 2. Two units 7, 7 are coupled to the storeroom 1 so as to be associated with the respective traveling cranes 2, 2.

In order to couple the boxes to form one storeroom 1 as described above, the coupling flanges may for example have a structure as illustrated in Fig. 14. In this example, the boxes 10 are firmly coupled to each other through a female flange 1 9a and a male flange 1 9b secured by a bolt 1 9c.

As illustrated in Fig. 14, walls of the boxes 10 may be each formed of an outer member 101, an inner member 102 and an intermediate member 103. Aggregate may also be employed in the wall. Racks 3, 3 provided within the boxes 10, 10 are combined by a bolt 31 as illustrated in Fig. 14. Guide rails (not shown) for a crane 2 may be coupled to each other in a similar manner.

Fig. 1 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the store of Figs. 10 and 11. 1 0e is a wall panel attached to the end of the box 1 Oc to close the storeroom 1. Instead of using the panel 1 owe, another type of box which has an end wall may be employed in place of the box 10c.

Fig. 1 6 shows a detailed structure of a box 10 used for example in the embodiment of Figs. 11 and 12. The box 10 has openings 11, 11 at the opposite ends in the horizontal direction and flanges 19, 1 9 around the peripheries of the respective openings 11, 11. A rack 3 may be sectioned by plates 3a, 3b in a way suited to the use of the rack 3. If necessary, such a larger space as provided at the left, lower portion of the box 10 in Fig.

1 6 may be reserved.

In Fig. 17, there is illustrated a still another embodiment of the present invention. A plurality of boxes 10a, lOb, 1 Oc and 10d are laid upon one another to form a storeroom 1.

The boxes may be locked relative to each other through appropriate means such as projections and recesses formed at the tops and the bottoms of the boxes, respectively. The boxes 10a to 10d each have an opening 11 which is communicated with the inside of a unit 7 for containing a lift 4. The unit 7 extends through at least the height of the storeroom 1 so that the lift 4 may have access to any of the boxes 10a to 1 Od and a traveling crane 2 provided in each of the boxes. In the embodiment illustrated in Fig.

17, an operating station 5 is provided at the bottom of the store which is set up on the ground or above the ground. Alternatively, the operating station 5 may be provided at the top of the store as illustrated in Fig. 1 8 so that the store may be installed under the ground. In the embodiment illustrated in Fig.

18, boxes of different heights are piled on one another to form a storeroom, so that, for example, small articles may be stored in a low box such as the box 1 Od and large articles may be stored in a high box such as the box 10a.

According to a still another embodiment of the present invention, plural boxes of smaller size may be combined in the horizontal direction to form a store having a desired length as illustrated in Fig. 1 9. In this case, the transportation of the units of the store can be facilitated.

In Fig. 20, there is shown a still another embodiment of the present invention, in which a box I Of is reserved for use as a retreat or a shelter. An air conditioner or an air cleaner may be provided in this space. Of course, a bed 8, a refrigerator, food, water, etc. may be provided or stored according to necessity.

Although the storerooms of the foregoing embodiments are formed of a rectangular box or boxes, they may be formed of a cylindrical member or members.

As described above, according to embodiments of the present invention, the store can be set up easily by using a prefabricated storeroom or prefabricated boxes or other units, so that the cost of the store can be reduced very much. When the storeroom is composed of prefabricated box units, a variety of formations and sizes may be obtained easily. In addition, the store of the present invention may be installed underground , leaving space on the ground free for other purposes.

Claims

1. A fully automatic store comprising: a storeroom composed of one or more boxes of a transportable size which is or are each provided with racks for storing articles thereon; at least one mobile article-transporter disposed in said storeroom and operable to convey articles to be stored to the racks or to retrieve stored articles from the racks; and an operating station for controlling the movement of the article-transporter along the storeroom and the operation of the articletransporter in order to convey articles to and from a desired position on the racks.

2. A fully automatic store as claimed in claim 1, which further comprises at least one lift which is adapted to move up and down under the control of the operating station to receive from or discharge to the outside the articles at the upper extreme end of the store and to transfer the articles between the articletransporter and the lift at a lower position.

3. A fully automatic store as claimed in claim 2, wherein said storeroom, operating station and lift are all provided in one box of a transportable size.

4. A fully sutomatic store as claimed in claim 2, wherein said storeroom and said operating station are formed respectively of units separate from each other.

5. A fully automatic store as claimed in claim 2, wherein said storeroom, operating station and lift are formed respectively of units separate from one another.

6. A fully automatic store as claimed in claim 2, wherein said storeroom is composed of a plurality of boxes of a transportable size which are combined in the horizontal direction, and said storeroom has a passage for the article-transporter which extends through substantially the length of the storeroom.

7. A fully automatic store as claimed in claim 2, wherein said storeroom is composed of a plurality of boxes of a transportable size which are combined in the vertical direction, each of said boxes contains therein a respective article-transporter, and said lift is adapted to move through the height of the store.

8. A fully automatic store as claimed in clairn 6, wherein each of said boxes has openings formed at opposite ends in the hori zontal direction and flanges formed around the peripheries of the respective openings, and said boxes are connected to one another through the respective flanges.

9. A fully automatic store as claimed in claim 2, wherein said article-transporter has a base on which the articles are held and a clamp member for transferring the articles between the base and the racks.

10. A fully automatic store as claimed in claim 2, wherein said lift has a base for holding the articles thereon and a transporter means for transferring the articles between the article-transporter and the base of the lift.

11. A fully automatic store as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein said storeroom is buried under the ground and .; the operating station is placed above the ground.

1 2. A fully automatic store as claimed in - claim 2, wherein said storeroom has a space functioning as a shelter.

1 3. A fully automatic store according to claim 1 and substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in any one of the embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings.