GB2389038A

GB2389038A - Rack system with movable racks and an anti-toppling safety device

Info

Publication number: GB2389038A
Application number: GB0310854A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tetsuro Yokota
Original assignee: Daifuku Co Ltd
Current assignee: Daifuku Co Ltd
Priority date: 2002-05-14
Filing date: 2003-05-12
Publication date: 2003-12-03
Anticipated expiration: 2023-05-12
Also published as: FR2839626A1; CN1457731A; CN1274267C; GB2389038B; GB0310854D0; DE10319915A1

Abstract

A rack system comprises: a rack frame; at least one extendable rack 40 which is supported and guided by a guide apparatus 10; an extendable anti-toppling safety device 60 which is provided in a lower part of the frame; and a clutch link 70 for operatively connecting the anti-toppling device 60 to the at least one movable rack 40. The clutch link 70 causes the anti-toppling safety device 60 to extend from the frame when a movable rack is extended thereby providing extra stability and allowing unbalanced loads to be accommodated. An engagement apparatus 80 may be provided which allows the rack to be extended/retracted in a stepwise manner. The engagement apparatus includes a shaft 81 mounted on the clutch link 70 and a pair of cam members 82,85 that are mounted on the shaft 81 and which engage a guide 90. A locking means 95 may be provided which allows only one movable rack 40 to be extended at a time. The locking means 95 comprises a pivotally mounted arm 99 which co-operates with the engagement means 80 to lock or release a latch 57 mounted on each movable rack 40.

Description

RACK SYSTEM EQUIPPED WITH MOVABLE RACK

TECHNICAL FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a rack system equipped with a movable rack that can move forward and backward between a position extended outward from a rack frame and a position retracted within the rack frame.

BACKGROUND ART

Conventional rack systems of this type have been provided with the structure disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application H4-30807, for example. Here, a pair of guide rails consisting of left and right guide rails are provided to a rack frame, and a slide table is provided that is supported and guided via guide rollers on these guide rails and is thereby able to extend and retract.

With this prior art, the slide table of the desired

rack is extended forward with respect to the front plane of the rack frame, allowing articles to be placed in or removed from the extended slide table.

However, with the conventional structured described above, if something heavy is placed on the extended slide table, an unbalanced load is exerted on the slide table-

equipped rack, resulting in an unstable state in which the system is apt to topple. The state is particularly unstable when nothing is stored on the other, retracted slide tables.

One way to deal with this is to fix the lower part of the rack frame to the floor with anchor bolts, as seen in Japanese Utility Model Publication S60-38905, for example,

( but there is always the danger that the anchor bolts will be installed improperly, and there are also situations in which anchor bolts cannot be used, such as in a rented warehouse. Another means that has been proposed for solving the above problem is to provide feet that extend forward from the bottom of the front support columns of the rack frame, as seen in Japanese Utility Model Publication H3-37445. In this case, though, the feet still extend forward from the front of the rack frame even when the slide table group is retracted, and these pieces cannot be extended far enough due to considerations such as the effective utilization of floor space. Furthermore, extension and retraction are accomplished by an expansion and contraction system, in which case there is an unbalanced load that can become unstable when the slide table is extended to its full length from the rack frame.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing, it is a first object of the present invention to provide a rack system equipped with a movable rack, which is able to adequately handle an unbalanced load when a movable rack is extended forward.

It is a second object of the present invention to provide a rack system equipped with a movable rack, which is able to adequately handle an unbalanced load when a movable rack is extended forward by being expanded.

It is a third object of the present invention to provide a rack system equipped with a movable rack, which

( is able to adequately handle an unbalanced load when any of several movable racks is extended forward by being expanded.

To achieve the above-mentioned first object, the first aspect of the present invention is a rack system equipped with a movable rack, wherein a movable rack that is supported and guided by a guide apparatus and is able to extend and retract forward and backward is provided to a rack frame, an anti-toppling safety that is able to extend and retract forward and backward is provided to the lower part of the rack frame, and a clutch link is provided for extending and retracting an anti-toppling safety in operative connection with the extension and retraction of the movable rack.

With the structure of the first aspect of the present invention described above, when the movable rack is extended forward by being supported and guided by the guide apparatus, the anti-toppling safety can be extended via the clutch link, and when the movable rack is retracted rearward, the anti-toppling safety can be retracted via the clutch link. Therefore, extending the anti-toppling safety to a sufficient length allows an unbalanced load to be adequately accommodated when the movable rack is extended forward, and thus the system is always in a stable state in which it is not apt to topple, regardless of the load it carries. This stable state can be maintained whether or not anchor bolts are used. Furthermore, floor space can be utilized more effectively by retracting the anti-toppling safety. In a first preferred embodiment of the rack system equipped with a movable rack of the first aspect of the

( present invention, a plurality of movable racks are provided in vertical tiers, and the anti-toppling safety is extended and retracted in operative connection with the extension and retraction of any one of these movable racks.

With this first embodiment, when any one of the movable racks is extended forward, the anti-toppling safety can be extended via the clutch link, and therefore the present invention can be easily employed in a rack system that is provided with a plurality of vertically tiered movable racks and can offer good storage efficiency.

In a second preferred embodiment of the rack system equipped with a movable rack of the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of movable racks are provided in vertical tiers, and when any one movable rack is extended or retracted, another movable racks are locked in their retracted positions by locking means.

With this second embodiment, when any one movable rack is extended forward, the other movable racks can be prevented from extending and retracting by locking means, which automatically prevents two racks from being pulled out (extended or retracted) at a time.

In a third preferred embodiment of the rack system equipped with a movable rack of the first aspect of the present invention, the clutch link has a vertical link member that is guided on the rack frame and is able to move forward and backward, and this link member is designed so that its lower part is linked to the anti-toppling safety, and an extended movable rack can be engaged with this link member.

5 Y:' With this third embodiment, when a movable rack is extended forward, this movable rack is engaged with the link member, allowing the antitoppling safety to be integrally extended, which allows a clutch link to have a simple configuration.

In order to achieve the second object listed above, the second aspect of the present invention is a rack system equipped with a movable rack, wherein a movable rack that is supported and guided by a guide apparatus and is able to extend and retract forward and backward is provided to a rack frame, this movable rack is formed so that it can expand and contract forward and backward, a distal end portion thereof is formed as a rack member used to support stored articles, an anti-toppling safety that is able to extend and retract forward and backward is provided to the lower part of the rack frame, and a clutch link is provided for extending and retracting the anti-toppling safety in operative connection with the extension and retraction of the movable rack.

With the structure of the second aspect of the present invention described above, when the movable rack is expanded and extended forward by being supported and guided by the guide apparatus, the anti-toppling safety can be extended via the clutch link, and when any one movable rack is contracted and retracted rearward, the anti-toppling safety can be retracted via the clutch link. Therefore, extending the anti-toppling safety to a sufficient length allows an unbalanced load to be adequately accommodated when the movable rack is extended forward, and thus the system is always in a stable state in which it is not apt

( to topple, regardless of the load it carries. This stable state can be maintained whether or not anchor bolts are used, and floor space can be utilized more effectively by retracting the anti-toppling safety. Furthermore, when the movable rack is expanded and extended, a rack member at a distal end thereof can be located sufficiently forward with respect to the rack frame, which allows articles to be loaded onto and unloaded from the racks more easily and quickly. In a first preferred embodiment of the rack system equipped with a movable rack of the second aspect of the present invention, a plurality of movable racks are provided in vertical tiers, and the anti-toppling safety is extended and retracted in operative connection with the extension and retraction of any one of these movable racks while these racks expand and contract.

With this first embodiment, when any one movable rack is expanded and extended, the anti-toppling safety can be extended via the clutch link, and therefore the present invention can be easily employed in a rack system that is provided with a plurality of vertically tiered movable racks and can offer good storage efficiency.

In a second preferred embodiment of the rack system equipped with a movable rack of the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of movable racks are provided in vertical tiers, and when any one movable rack is extended or retracted while expanding or contracting, the other movable racks are locked in their contracted positions by locking means.

With this second embodiment, when any one movable rack is expanded and extended, the other movable racks can be prevented from extending and retracting by locking means, which automatically prevents two racks from being pulled out (extended or retracted) at a time.

In a third preferred embodiment of the rack system equipped with a movable rack of the second aspect of the present invention, the clutch link has a vertical link member that is guided on the rack frame and is able to move forward and backward, and this link member is designed so that its lower part is linked to the anti-toppling safety, and a latch on the extended movable rack side can be engaged with this link member.

With this third embodiment, when a movable rack is extended forward, the latch is engaged with the link member, allowing the anti-toppling safety to be integrally extended, which allows the clutch link to have a simple configuration.

In order to achieve the third object mentioned above, the third aspect of the present invention is a rack system equipped with a movable rack, wherein a plurality of movable racks are provided to a rack frame in vertical tiers, the movable racks being supported and guided by a guide apparatus and being able to extend and retract forward and backward, the movable racks are formed so that they can expand and contract forward and backward, distal end portions thereof are formed as rack members used to support stored articles, an anti-toppling safety that is able to extend and retract forward and backward is provided to the lower part of the rack frame, and a clutch link is provided for extending and retracting the anti-toppling

( safety in operative connection with the extension and retraction of any one of the movable racks.

With the structure of the third aspect of the present invention described above, when any one movable rack is extended forward while expanding by being supported and guided by the guide apparatus, the anti-toppling safety can be extended via the clutch link, and when any one movable rack is contracted and retracted rearward, the anti-

toppling safety can be retracted via the clutch link.

Therefore, the present invention can be easily employed in a rack system that is provided with a plurality of vertically tiered movable racks and can offer good storage efficiency, and at the same time, extending the anti-

toppling safety to a sufficient length allows an unbalanced load to be adequately accommodated when the movable rack is extended forward. Thus, the system always stays in a stable state in which it is not apt to topple, regardless of the load it carries. This stable state can be maintained whether or not anchor bolts are used, and floor space can be utilized more effectively by retracting the anti-toppling safety. Furthermore, when the movable rack is expanded and extended, the rack member at a distal end thereof can be located sufficiently forward with respect to the rack frame, which allows articles to be loaded onto and unloaded from the racks more easily and quickly.

In a first preferred embodiment of the rack system equipped with a movable rack of the third aspect of the present invention, when any one movable rack is extended or retracted while expanding or contracting, the other movable

( racks are locked in their contracted and retracted positions by locking means.

With this first embodiment, when any movable rack is extended or retracted while expanding or contracting, the other movable racks can be prevented from extending or retracting by the locking means, which automatically prevents two racks from being pulled out (extended or retracted) at a same time.

In a second preferred embodiment of the rack system equipped with a movable rack of the third aspect of the present invention, the clutch link has a vertical link member that is guided on the rack frame and able to move forward and backward, the lower part of this link member is linked to the anti-toppling safety and designed to be able to abut against a stopper on the movable rack side from the front, and an engagement apparatus that expands or contracts the movable racks stepwise is located between the rack frame and the clutch link.

With this second embodiment, any movable rack can be extended forward while expanding stepwise via the engagement apparatus, and any movable rack can be retracted rearward while contracting stepwise via the engagement apparatus, thus allowing the movable racks to be expanded and contracted more regularly. Also, if vibration, an external force, or the like attempts to cause the anti-

toppling safety and the clutch link to retract integrally when a rack is extended, the link member will abut against a stopper on the extended movable rack side from the front, thereby to prevent retraction of the link member, that is, return movement.

( In a third preferred embodiment of the rack system equipped with a movable rack of the third aspect of the present invention, the engagement apparatus comprises a shaft provided at a specific location of the link member, a -

pair of cam plates consisting of front and back cam plates and provided separately to the shaft so as to be able to slide up and down, latches formed on the opposite sides of each cam plate, cam rollers provided to the cam plates, an = urging member for urging the cam plates swingingly in -

directions in which the cam rollers are brought to be closer to each other, and a guide member that guides these cam rollers, the guide member having a horizontal cam restrictor face is formed in the front-to-back direction thereof, wherein the cam rollers are guided by this cam -

restrictor face, causing the cam plates to swing against the urging force of the urging member to bring the latches to be positioned in front and rear of a latch member on the movable rack side, and when one of the cam rollers is -

disengaged from the front or rear end of the cam restrictor face, one of the cam plates is swung by the urging force of the urging member, causing the latch thereof to escape from the front or rear of the latch member. -

With this third embodiment, a movable rack can be -

expanded and contracted stepwise both automatically and reliably by actuating the various components of the engagement apparatus along with the extension and retraction of the movable rack.

In a fourth preferred embodiment of the rack system equipped with a movable rack of the third aspect of the -

present invention, each rack is provided with locking means

( for locking a contracted movable rack in its retraction position, the locking means comprises an anti-lift safety on which a downward-facing anti-lift surface is formed and a lock member provided vertically slidably at the front end -

of the anti-lift safety, the lower end of the lock member -

tilts rearward when the lock member has swung all the way down, the latch member on the movable rack side and a shaft = of the engagement apparatus abut against and act upon the = front surface of the lock member, and the latch member -

abuts against and acts upon the rear surface of the lock member. with this fourth embodiment, the movable rack side can be switched between being locked and unlocked, both = automatically and reliably, by actuating the various components of the locking means along with the extension and retraction of the movable rack.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a side view of a rack system equipped with a movable rack, illustrating a first example of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a front view of the rack system equipped -

with a movable rack; -

Fig. 3 is an oblique view of a guide apparatus in the rack system equipped with a movable rack; -

Fig. 4 is an exploded oblique view of the movable rack 5 in the rack system equipped with a movable rack; Fig. 5 is a partially cut-away side view of an -

essential part of the rack system equipped with a movable -

rack;

( Fig. 6 is a partially cut-away side view of the essential part of the rack system equipped with a movable rack; Fig. 7 is a vertical crosssectional front view of the essential part of the rack system equipped with a movable rack; Fig. 8 is a partially cut-away front view of a middle-

stage portion of the rack system equipped with a movable rack; Fig. 9 is a partially cut-away plan view of a support rail in the rack system equipped with a movable rack: Fig. 10 is a partially cut-away plan view of an anti-

toppling safety portion in the rack system equipped with a movable rack; Fig. 11 is a partially cut-away plan view of the guide apparatus in the rack system equipped with a movable rack; Fig. 12 is a partially cut-away plan view of a middle movable component in the rack system equipped with a movable rack; Fig. 13 is a partially cut-away plan view of a rack frame component in the rack system equipped with a movable rack; Fig. 14 is a partially cut-away side view of the movable rack system equipped with a movable rack when the movable rack is extended forward a little, illustrating an operation of the movable rack in the rack system; Fig. 15 is a partially cut-away side view of the movable rack in the rack system equipped with a movable rack when the middle movable component is extended forward

( a little, illustrating an operation of the movable rack in the rack system; and Fig. 16 is a partially cut-away side view of the movable rack in the rack system equipped with a movable rack when the movable rack and the anti-toppling safety are extended forward, illustrating an operation of the movable rack in the rack system.

EMBODIMENTS OF INVENTION

Examples of the present invention will now be described through reference to the drawings.

Figs. 1 and 2 are an example of when a rack frame l comprises a pair of front support columns 2 on the left and right sides, a pair of rear support columns 3 on the left and right sides, a lattice 4 that links the support columns 2 and 3 front to back, a brace 5 that links the rear support columns 3, a top frame (fixed table of the uppermost level) 6 that links the upper portions of the support columns 2 and 3, a lower support 7 located between the lower portions, and so forth. The rack frame 1 is fixed, for example, at specific points to a floor B by fastening anchor bolts 8 at the lower ends of the support columns 2 and 3.

A guide apparatus 10 with three vertical levels (may have one or more levels) is installed in the rack frame 1.

Specifically, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, 5 to 7, and 12, the guide apparatus 10 has a pair of guide rails 11 on the left and right sides, these guide rails 11 are U-shaped, the laterally-facing open parts thereof are disposed facing each other in the forward and backward direction, the

! upward-facing surfaces thereof form support surfaces lla, and the inward-facing surfaces form guide surfaces lib.

The guide rails 11 have attachment brackets 12 and 13 linked to their ends on the outside. The guide rails 11 are attached by latching latches formed on the brackets 12 and 13 from the front and rear onto to-be- latched members formed on the support columns 2 and 3. A middle stopper 14 and a rear stopper 15 are provided on the inside of each of the guide rails 11, and a rotating guide (such as a bearing) 17 is provided via a vertical pin 16 to the front end portion.

The guide rails 11 are linked to the attachment brackets 12 and 13 at their upper portions in the vertical direction, and receiving rollers 19 are rotatable provided via left and right direction shafts 18 to the lower position of the guide rails 11 with the front brackets 12.

The front bracket 12 on one side (the left) is provided with a shaft 21 that rotates to the left and right via a support member 20, a rotary control 22 is provided to the outer end of this rotating shaft 21, and an anti-reverse mechanism 23 is provided to the inner end. The above-

mentioned components 11 to 23, among others, constitute an example of the guide apparatus 10.

Support rails 30 are linked between the lower ends of the attachment brackets 12 and 13 in the lowermost of the various guide apparatus 10. These support rails 30 are U-

shaped, the laterally-facing open parts thereof are disposed facing each other in the forward and backward direction, the upward-facing surfaces thereof form support surfaces 30a, and the inward-facing surfaces form guide

surfaces 30b. Here, the support rails 30 are assumed to be long enough to extend slightly forward with respect to the front support columns 2, and foot members 31 are provided to the lower surface side thereof, which provide contact with the floor B. A movable rack 40 that is guided and supported by the guide apparatus 10 and able to extend and retract forward and backward is provided with the pair of left and right guide rails 11 in the guide apparatus 10 at each level, and this movable rack 40 is formed so that it can expand and contract forward and backward. Specifically, as shown in Figs. 4 to 6, 12, and 13, the movable rack 40 has a multi-

level expandable construction comprising one (or a plurality) middle movable component 41 and a rack member 51 forming the distal end portion and used for holding articles. The above-mentioned middle movable component (secondary table) 41 is in the shape of a flat frame, the bottom surfaces of the sides of which form supported surfaces 41a, and thus the middle movable component 41 is disposed between the guide rails 11 and rides on the receiving rollers 19 via the supported surfaces 41a.

Rotating wheels 43 are provided via left and right direction pins 42 on the outsides at the rear part of the middle movable component 41. The rotating wheels 43 are designed to rotate on the support surfaces lla of the guide rails 11 in between the stoppers 14 and 15 provided to these guide rails 11. Rotating guides 45 are provided via vertical pins 44 on the outsides of the middle movable component 41 near the rotating wheels 43. The rotating

guides 45 are designed so as to abut against the guide surfaces llb of the guide rails 11.

Support wheels 47 are rotatably provided via lef t and right direction pins 46 on the insides at the front of the middle movable component 41, and rotating guides 49 are provided via vertical pins 48 on the insides of the middle movable component 41 near these support wheels 47. Guides 50 composed of a pair of upper and lower plates are provided on the insides from the middle to the rear of the middle movable component 41.

The above-mentioned rack member (primary table) 51 is in the shape of a flat frame, the bottom surfaces of the sides of which form supported surfaces 51a, and thus the rack member 51 is disposed between the guide rails 11 and rides on the support wheels 47 via the supported surfaces 51a. Rotating wheels 53 are provided via left and right direction pins 52 on the outsides at the rear part of the rack member 51. The rotating wheels 53 are designed to rotate while fitted into the guides 50 between front and rear stoppers 50a and 50b provided to these guides 50.

Rotating guides 55 are provided via vertical pins 54 on the outsides of the rack member 51 near the rotating wheels 53.

The rotating guides 55 are designed so as to abut against guide surfaces 50c formed by the inward-facing surfaces of the guides 50.

A latching bar 56 is provided to the upper surface on one side (the left) of the rack member 51, the front end of this latching bar 56 is formed into an anti-extension latch S6a that allows the rear-facing anti-reverse mechanism 23

to latch on, and the rear end is formed into an anti-

retraction latch 56b that allows the anti-reverse mechanism 23, which has rotated around to face forward, to latch on.

A pin-shaped latch 57 protrudes from the top of the rotating guide 55 at the rear end portion on the other side (the right) of the rack member 51. The above-mentioned components 41 to 57, among others, constitute an example of each movable rack 40 provided at a plurality of levels one above the other.

An anti-toppling safety 60 that is able to extend and retract forward and backward is provided between the pair of left and right support rails 30 below the lowermost movable rack 40. Specifically, as shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 10, the main part 61 of the anti-toppling safety 60 comprises a pair of front-to-back direction members 61a on the left and right sides, a left and right direction member sib, and so forth, and is in the shape of a flat frame in a state in which a concave component 61d that is open at the front is formed at the front.

The forward and backward direction members 61a are U-shaped and disposed with their open section facing down, and rotating wheels 63 are provided via right and left direction pins 62 to the rear end portion on the inside of these members 61a. The rotating wheels 63 are designed so as to rotate on the support surfaces 30a of the support rails 30. Rotating guides 65 are provided via vertical pins 64 on the outsides of the forward and backward direction members 61a near the rotating wheels 63. The rotating guides 65 are designed so as to abut against the guide surfaces 30b of the support rails 30.

Feet 66 whose vertical position can be adjusted with a -

nut and bolt system are provided to the front end portions on the insides of the forward and backward direction members 61a. The feet 66 here are adjusted to be disposed above the support surfaces 30a with a gap therebetween.

The above-mentioned components 61 to 66, among others, 3 constitute an example of the anti-toppling safety 60.

Support and guidance means 33 of the anti-toppling -

safety 60 are provided to the front end portions of the support rails 30. Specifically, L-shaped brackets 34 are attached to the support surfaces 30a of the support rails 30, and support wheels 36 are rotatably provided via left and right direction pins 35 to these brackets 34. The support wheels 36 are located within the forward and backward direction members 61a, and are designed to support the downward-facing surfaces 61e of the forward and -

backward direction members 61a.

Rotating guides 38 are provided via vertical pins 37, etc., near the support wheels 36. The rotating guides 38 -

are also disposed within the forward and backward direction members 61a, and are designed to abut against the inward facing surfaces 61f of the forward and backward direction members 61a. The above-mentioned components 34 to 38,; among others, constitute an example of the support and guidance means 33.

As shown in Figs. 1, S. and 10, clutch link 70 are provided for extending and retracting the anti-toppling safety 60 in operative connection with the extension and retraction of the movable rack 40. The anti-toppling safety 60 is designed to extend and retract forward and ( backward in operative connection with the extension and retraction of

any movable rack 40 while the rack expands and contracts.

Specifically, a link member 71 in the form of a C-

shaped rail is disposed vertically on the inside of the lattice 4 between the support columns 2 and 3 on one side (the right). The lower end of the link member 71 is linked to the anti-toppling safety 60 via a bracket 72 and a fastener (such as a nut and bolt) 73. The components are linked toward the rear on the outer surface of the forward and backward direction member 61a. A guide roller 75 is provided via a vertical pin 74 to the upper end of the link member 71, and this guide roller 75 is engaged from underneath a forward and backward direction guide rail 76 provided between the upper ends of the support columns 2 and 3.

The clutch link 70 thus has the vertical link member 71 which is guided on the rack frame 1 side and is able to move forward and backward, and the lower part of this link member 71 is linked to the anti-toppling safety 60. The above-mentioned components 71 to 76, among others, constitute an example of the clutch link 70. A stopper 58 that protrudes laterally from the lower surface at the rear of the middle movable component 41 in the movable rack 40 is designed so as to be able to engage with (abut against) the rear surface 71a of the link member 71 from the rear.

As shown in Figs. 1, 5, 6, and 14, an engagement apparatus 80 that expands and contracts the movable rack 40 stepwise is provided between the rack frame 1 side and the clutch link 70 side. Specifically, a shaft 81 that

( protrudes sideways is provided at a specific place of the link member 71, and a front cam plate 82 and a rear cam plate 85 are attached to this shaft 81 so as to be able to swing up and down separately. Latches 82a and 85a are formed on mutually opposing sides of the lower surfaces of these cam plates 82 and 85, respectively, and cam rollers 84 and 87 are rotatably provided via horizontal pins 83 and 86 to the free end portions.

A coil spring Example of the urging member) 88 is fitted onto the shaft 81 between the cam plates 82 and 85, and the free ends of this coil spring 88 spread out and hit the cam plates 82 and 85, which urges the cam plates 82 and 85 to swing upward in the direction in which the cam rollers 84 and 87 move closer together. At the point when the cam rollers 84 and 87 are at their closest, the angle formed by the line connecting the axial center of the shaft 81 and the axial center of the horizontal pins 83 and 86 is substantially 100 degrees. When the cam plates 82 and 85 are swung down against the urging force of the coil spring 88, the latches 82a and 85a thereof are positioned in front and rear of the latch 57 of the rack member 51.

A guide 90 for guiding the cam rollers 84 and 87 is provided on the guide rail 11 side of the guide apparatus 10. Specifically, the guide 90 is in the form of a guide rail, the front end portion of which is linked to the front end portion of the guide rail 11 via a bracket 91, etc., and the rear end portion of which is linked to an anti-lift safety (discussed below). A horizontal cam restrictor face 90a is formed in the front-toback direction on the lower surface of the guide 90, a front end cam face 90b in the

( form of an upward protrusion is formed at the front end portion, and a rear end cam face 90c in the form of an upward protrusion is formed at the rear end portion.

When the cam rollers 84 and 87 are guided by the cam restrictor face 90a, the cam plates 82 and 85 swing downward against the urging force of the coil spring 88, and the latches 82a and 85a thereof are positioned facing each other in front and rear of the latch member 57 on the movable rack 40 side. When the front cam roller 84 comes out in front of the front end cam face gob, the front cam plate 82 swings upward against the urging force of the coil spring 88, and the latch 82a escapes upward from the front of the latch member 57. Similarly, when the rear cam roller 87 comes out to the rear of the rear end cam face 90c, the rear cam plate 85 swings upward against the urging force of the coil spring 88, and the latch 85a escapes upward from the front of the latch member 57. The above-

mentioned components 81 to 91, among others, constitute an example of the engagement apparatus 80.

Each level of the system is designed so that when any one of the movable racks 40 expands and extends or contracts and retracts, the other movable racks 40 are locked by locking means 95 at their contracted retraction position. Specifically, a downward-facing anti-lift safety 97 is provided via a bracket 96 or the like, to the top surface side at the rear end portion of the guide rail 11. A downward-facing anti-lift surface 97a is formed on this anti-lift safety 97, and the latch 57 of the rack member 51 faces this anti-lift surface 97a from below. A lock member

( 99 is provided via a left and right direction pin 98 to the front end portion of the anti-lift safety 97 so as to be able to swing up and down.

The lock member 99 is designed such that its lower end is tilted to the rear at the lower limit to its swing, where it abuts against the guide rail 11. In this tilted state, the front side is formed by a swing guide surface 99a and the rear side is formed by a lock surface 99b. The latch 57 on the movable rack 40 side or the shaft B1 of the engagement apparatus 80 abuts and acts upon the swing guide surface 99a, and the latch 57 abuts and acts upon the lock surface 99b. As mentioned above, the rear part of the guide 90 is linked to the upper part of the anti- lift safety 97. The above-mentioned components 96 to 99, among others, constitute an example of the locking means 95.

The operation of the working example given above will now be described.

Figs. 1, 2, and 5 illustrate a state in which all of the movable racks 40 and the anti-toppling safety 60 are retracted. Specifically, the middle movable component 41 of the movable rack 40 is in its retraction position in which it is supported at its front by the receiving rollers 19 via the supported surfaces 41a, and at its rear by the support surfaces lla via the rotating wheels 43, which is the retraction position. The rack member 51 of the movable rack 40 is in its retraction position in which it is supported at its front by the support wheels 47 via the supported surfaces 51a, and at its rear by the guides 50 via the rotating wheels 53. Further, the anti-toppling safety 60 is also in its retraction position in which it is

( supported at its front by the support wheels 36 via the downward-facing surface lie, and at its rear by the support surfaces 30a via the rotating wheels 63.

Because the downward-facing anti-reverse mechanism 23 is able to engage with the anti-extension latch 56a of the latching bar 56, the rack member 51 is prevented from extending accidentally. In the clutch link 70, the link member 71 thereof is retracted as far as it can, at which point the shaft 81 of the engagement apparatus 80 abuts against the swing guide surface 99a and causes the lock member 99 to swing up and to the rear.

The engagement apparatus 80 is designed so that the rear cam roller B7 comes out to the rear of the rear end cam face 90c, the rear cam plate 85 swings upward against the urging force of the coil spring 88, and the latch 85a thereof escapes upward from behind the latch member 57.

The front cam roller 84 is guided by the cam restrictor face 90a, the front cam plate 82 swings downward against the urging force of the coil spring 88, and the latch 82a thereof faces the latch member 57 on the movable rack 40 side from the front. The latch 57 passes through the lock member 99 portion and faces from below the anti-lift surface 97a of the anti-lift safety 97, which prevents the movable rack 40 from lifting accidentally.

To extend the lowermost movable rack 40, for example, in this retracted state, first the anti-reverse mechanism 23 is turned forward via the rotary control 22, which disables engagement with the anti-extension latch 56a.

Next, the user puts a hand on the rack member 51 and exerts a pulling force. This results in Just the rack member 51

( being pulled out, and in the latch 57 on the rack member 51 side passing under the anti-lift surface 97a, the rear cam plate 85, and the lock member 99.

When the rack is thus pulled out a little, the latch 57 that has passed under the lock member 99 engages from the rear with the latch 82a of the front cam plate 82 in the engagement apparatus 80, which results in the link member 71 being integrally pulled out via the shaft 81 of the engagement apparatus 80. During this movement, the cam roller 87 of the rear cam plate 85 is guided by the cam restrictor face 90a, which results in the rear cam plate 85 swinging down against the urging force of the coil spring 88, and the latch 85a thereof facing the latch member 57 from the rear. As a result, as shown in Fig. 14, the rack member 51, the link member 71, and the anti-toppling safety 60 are extended integrally.

The extension of the rack member 51 here proceeds stably and smoothly in a state in which the supported surfaces 51a are supported by the support wheels 47, the side surface 51b are guided by the rotating guides 49, the rear rotating wheels 53 are supported by the guides 50, and the rotating guides 55 are guided by the guide surfaces SOc.

Also, the extension of the link member 71 via the engagement apparatus 80 proceeds stably and smoothly in a state in which the guide roller 75 at the upper end is guided by the guide rail 76.

Furthermore, the extension of the anti-toppling safety 60 proceeds stably and smoothly in a state in which the downward-facing surfaces 61e thereof are supported by the support wheels 36, the inward-facing surfaces 41f are

( guided by the rotating guides 38, the rear rotating wheels 63 are supported by the support surfaces 30a, and the rotating guides 65 are guided by the guide surfaces 30b.

Because the concave component 61d is formed in the anti-

toppling safety 60 here, the anti-toppling safety 60 is prevented from coming into contact with the feet, etc., of the worker.

Once the rack member 51, the link member 71, and the anti-toppling safety 60 have been integrally extended a certain amount, the rotating guides 55 abut against the stoppers 50a, which results in the middle movable component 41 extending integrally. When the rack member 51 and the middle movable component 41 are then integrally extended a certain amount and the cam roller 84 of the front cam plate 82 comes out in front of the front end cam face 90b, as shown in Fig. 15, the front cam plate 82 swings upward against the urging force of the coil spring 88, and the latch 82a thereof escapes upward from the front of the latch member 57.

Therefore, any further extension is carried out in a state in which the rack member 51 and the middle movable component 41 are integrated, with the clutch link 70 still in place, and the middle movable component 41 moves with respect to the guide apparatus 10. The extension of the middle movable component 41 here proceeds stably and smoothly in a state in which the supported surfaces 41a thereof are supported by the receiving rollers 19, the side surfaces 41b are guided by the rotating guides 17, the rear rotating wheels 43 are supported by the support surfaces

( lla, and the rotating guides 45 are guided by the guide surfaces lib.

This extension of the middle movable component 41 is retracted by the striking of the rotating guides 45 against the middle stopper 14. As a result, as shown in Fig. 16, the movable rack 40 can be extended while expanding with respect to the middle movable component 41, during which the anti-reverse mechanism 23 that was turned forward is automatically engaged with the anti-retraction latch 56b, which prevents the movable rack 40 from retracting accidentally. When the lowermost movable rack 40 has thus been expanded and extended, work such as placing a storage article A on the rack member 51 at the distal end portion, removing the storage article A from the rack member 51, etc., can be carried out. If the rack system tries to fall forward at this time due to an unbalanced load, etc., the feet 66 of the anti-toppling safety 60 will hit the floor B and prevent this toppling. In the work discussed above, the storage article may also be temporarily placed on the flat-frame-shaped middle movable component 41, for example.

As discussed above, when the lowermost movable rack 40 is expanded and extended, the anti-toppling safety 60 is integrally extended via the clutch link 70, and the engagement apparatus 80 at the other levels of the system also move integrally along with the extension of the clutch link 70. Specifically, the engagement apparatus 80 at the other levels moves in the extension direction along with the link member 71 via the shaft 81, and this movement of the shaft 81 causes the lock member 99 to swing downward

( around the left and right direction pin 98, and the lower end thereof to abut against the top of the guide rail 11.

At this point, since the movable rack 40 is not extended, the latch 57 thereof is located below and across from the anti-lift surface 97a of the anti-lift safety 97, -

as shown at the top level in Fig. 16, and the lock surface -

99b of the lock member 99 faces this latch 57 from the front. Therefore, if the rack member 53 at any other level tries to extend accidentally, the latch 57 thereof will abut against the lock surface 99b and prevent this extension, the result being that the locking means 95 automatically prevents two racks from being pulled out.

As discussed above, if vibration, an external force, or the like attempts to cause the anti-toppling safety 60 and the link member 71 to retract integrally while a rack member 51 is extended so that various types of work can be performed, the rear surface 71a of the link member 71 will abut on the extended rack member 51 side from the front the stopper 58, which prevents the retraction (that is, return movement) of the link member 71 side, = As discussed above, to retract the movable rack 40 after the various types of work have been performed on the extended rack member 51, first the anti-reverse mechanism 23 is turned backward via the rotary control 22, which disables engagement with the anti-retraction latch 56b.

Next, the user puts a hand on the rack member S1 and exerts a pushing force. This first results in just the rack member 51 being pushed in, and then the rotating wheels 53 abut against the stoppers 50b, allowing the middle movable component 41 to be integrally pushed in.

( Before and after this integral pushing, the latch 57 on the rack member 51 side is engaged from the front with -

the latch mesa of the rear cam plate 85 in the engagement apparatus 80, which results in the link member 71 being integrally pushed in via the engagement apparatus 80. In other words, the anti-toppling safety 60 is integrally pushed in via the link member 71.

When the rack has been pushed almost all the way in, first the latch 57 abuts against the swing guide surface 99a of the lock member 99 and causes the lock member 99 to swing upward, which results in the latch 57 passing through the lock member 99 and moving to a position facing the anti-lift surface 97a of the anti-lift safety 97 from below.

Next, the shaft 81 of the engagement apparatus 80 abuts against the swing guide surface 99a of the lock member 99, -

causing the lock member 99 to swing upward. In the engagement apparatus 80, the rear cam roller 87 comes out to the rear of the rear end cam face 90c, which results in the latch 85a escaping upward from the rear of the latch -

member S7. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5, this results in a return to the initial state in which all of the movable -

racks 40 and the anti-toppling safety 60 are retracted. = In the example given above, the movable rack 40 is made to expand and contract by the middle movable component 41 and the rack member 51, but a movable rack configuration.

consisting of just racks that do not expand and contract, a multi-level expansion and contraction configuration that incorporates two or more middle movable components, or the like may be employed instead.

( In the example given above, a human pulled or pushed in order for the movable rack 40 to extend and retract backward and forward while expanding and contracting, but a configuration in which an electric motor or the like is used for mechanical extension and retraction may be employed instead.

In the example given above, the anti-toppling safety -

60 was configured such that the feet 66 with an adjustable vertical position were provided to the front end portion of the main part 61, but a configuration in which rotating wheels are provided to the front end portion of the main part 61 may be employed instead.

In the example given above, the rack frame 1 was fixed at a specific location on the floor B by using the anchor -

bolts 8 at the lower part of the support columns 2 and 3, but stable extension and retraction can still be maintained even if these anchor bolts 8 are omitted. In this case, the work of installing the anchor bolts is unnecessary, and the location where the rack system equipped with a movable rack is installed can easily be changed.

In the example given above, the clutch link 70 made use of the link member 71, but a configuration in which a wire, chain, or other such rope- like means is used for linking may be employed instead.

In the example given above, a plurality of movable racks 40 were provided one above the other, but a -

configuration in which only one movable rack 40 is provided may be employed instead.

In the example given above, the when any movable rack was extended or retracted while expanding or contracting,

i l the other movable racks 40 were locked in their retracted positions by the locking means 9S, but this locking means 95 may be omitted.

In the example given above, the latch 57 on the extended movable rack 40 side was engageable via the engagement apparatus 80 with the link member 71 of the clutch link 70, but when there is only one movable rack 40, for example, a variety of configurations can be employed for the clutch link 70, such as linking the movable rack 40 and the link member 71.

In the example given above, the guide 90 was installed above the movable rack 40, but a configuration in which the guide 90 is installed under the movable rack 40 may be employed instead.

Claims

/ Claims

1. A rack system equipped with a movable rack, characterised by comprising: a rack frame; a movable rack provided in the rack frame, the movable rack being supported and guided by a guide apparatus and being able to extend and retract forward and backward; an anti-toppling safety provided in a lower part of the rack frame and being able to extend and retract forward and backward; and a clutch link for extending and retracting the anti-toppling safety in operative connection with the extension and retraction of the movable rack.

2. The rack system equipped with a movable rack according to Claim 1, wherein a plurality of movable racks are located in vertical tiers, and the anti-toppling safety is extended and retracted in operative connection with the extension and retraction of any one of the movable racks.

3. The rack system equipped with a movable rack according to Claim I or 2, wherein a plurality of movable racks are located in vertical tiers, and when any one of the movable racks is extended or retracted, the other movable racks are locked in their retracted positions by locking means.

4. The rack system equipped with a movable rack according to Claim 1, wherein the clutch link has a vertical link member guided on the rack frame and being able to move forward and backward, the link member being designed so that a lower part thereof is linked to the anti-toppling safety and that an extended movable rack is engageable with this link member.

5. A rack system equipped with a movable rack according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein the movable rack has a distal end portion formed as a rack member for supporting stored articles.

(

6. The rack system equipped with a movable rack according to Claim 5, wherein a plurality of movable racks are located in vertical tiers' and the anti-toppling safety is extended and retracted in operative connection with the extension and retraction of any one of the movable racks, the extension and retraction accompanying the expansion and contraction of the movable rack.

7. The rack system equipped with a movable rack according to Claim 5 or 6, wherein a plurality of movable racks are located in vertical tiers, and when any one of the movable racks is extended or retracted while expanding or contracting, the other movable racks are locked in their contracted and retraced positions by locking means.

8. The rack system equipped with a movable rack according to Claim 5, wherein the clutch link has a vertical link member guided on the rack frame and being able to move forward and backward, and this link member is designed so that a lower part thereof is linked to the anti-toppling safety and that a latch on an extended movable rack is engageable with this link member.

9. A rack system equipped with a movable rack according to any one of claims I to 8 wherein: a plurality of movable racks are provided in the rack frame, the movable racks being supported and guided by a guide apparatus and being able to extend and retract forward and backward; each movable rack being able to expand and contract forward and backward and having a distal end portion formed as a rack member for supporting stored articles; and a clutch link for extending and retracting the antitoppling safety in operative connection with the extension and retraction of any one of the movable racks.

10. The rack system equipped with a movable rack according to Claim 9, wherein when any one of the movable racks is extended or retracted while expanding or contracting, the other movable racks are locked in their contracted and retracted positions by locking means.

11. The rack system equipped with a movable rack according to Claim 9 or 10, wherein the clutch link has a vertical link member guided on the rack frame and being able to move forward and backward, the link member having a lower part linked to the anti-toppling safety and being able to backwardly abut against a stopper on the movable rack, and an engagement apparatus for expanding or contracting the movable raclcs stepwise is located between the rack frame and the clutch link.

12. The rack system equipped with a movable rack according to Claim 11, wherein the engagement apparatus comprises a shaft provided at a specified location of the link member, a pair of cam plates consisting of front and back cam plates and provided separately to the shaft so as to be able to slide up and down, latches formed on opposite sides of each cam plate, cam rollers provided to the cam plates, an urging member for urging the cam plates swingingly in directions of bringing the cam rollers closer to each other, and a guide member for guiding the cam rollers, the guide member having a horizontal cam restrictor face formed in a front-to-back direction thereof, wherein the cam rollers are guided by the cam restrictor face, causing the cam plates to swing against the urging force of the urging member to bring the latches to be positioned in front and rear of a latch member on the movable rack side, and when one of the cam rollers is disengaged from a front or a rear end of the cam restrictor face, one of the cam plates is swung by the urging force of the urging member, causing the latch thereof to escape from the front or rear of the latch member.

13. The rack system equipped with a movable rack according to Claim 12, wherein each rack is provided with locking means for locking a contracted movable rack in its retracted position, the locking means comprising an anti-lift safety having a downward-

facing anti-lift surface formed thereon and a lock member provided vertically swingably at a front end of the anti-lift safety, the lock member assuming a tilted posture in which a lower end thereof comes rearward when the lock member has swung down lowermost, whereby the latch member on the movable rack side and a shaft of the engagement apparatus abut against and act upon a front surface of the lock member, and the latch member abuts against and acts upon a rear surface of the lock member.

14. A rack system with a movable rack, substantially as described herein with reference to, and as illustrated in, the accompanying drawings.