JP2003002405A - Automated storage and retrieval warehouse - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automated storage and retrieval warehouse having a three-way stacker crane having high safety in a storage and retrieval part. SOLUTION: Article carrying-in/out passages E provided in the storage and retrieval part D of articles C are provided with a foreign matter detecting means 19 for detecting a foreign matter lying in a predetermined region near the storage and retrieval part.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a three-way stacker crane for loading and unloading loads to be stored and a large number of loads along the traveling path of the three-way stacker crane in the horizontal and vertical directions. The present invention relates to an automated warehouse including a shelf provided with a storage section.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an automatic warehouse of this type, for example, one having a structure shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 has been proposed. As shown in FIG. 6, the outline of this technique is provided along both sides of a three-way stacker crane 1 that carries in and out a load C to be stored, and a traveling route R of the three-way stacker crane 1, and is arranged in a horizontal direction. And a shelf 2 provided with a number of load storage parts B along the vertical direction. Here, the three-way stacker crane is a crane capable of loading loads in the traveling direction of the vehicle and both sides thereof.

At the lower part of the three-way stacker crane 1, a traveling device 3 for horizontally reciprocating the three-way stacker crane 1 on the traveling route R and a standing device on the traveling device 3. Mast 4
And a fork 5 mounted on the mast 4 so as to be able to move up and down and carrying a load C. Note that FIG.
In FIG. 3, the fork 5 is shown in two positions, the highest position and the lowest position.

A lower guide rail 6 is provided on the traveling route R along the traveling direction of the crane 1, and the traveling device 3 is movably mounted on the lower guide rail 6. ing. Further, a plurality of connecting beams 7 are provided at intervals in the length direction of the traveling route R so as to connect the upper portions of the shelves 2, and the mast 4 of the mast 4 is provided between the connecting beams 7. An upper guide rail 8 that guides the upper end is provided. Then, a pair of guide rollers 9 provided on the upper portion of the mast 4 are rotatably abutted on both sides of the upper guide rail 8 so that the upper end portion of the mast 4 is shaken. It is designed to prevent it.

On both sides of one end of the transport path R,
As shown in FIG. 8, a loading / unloading section D for delivering the load C is provided. A loading / unloading path E through which a load C stored by a hand truck or the like is transported is provided in the loading / unloading section D along the length direction of the traveling path R.

In the conventional automatic warehouse having the above-described structure, for example, when the load C is loaded, the load C to be loaded is
However, it is sent to one of the loading / unloading sections D by a hand truck or the like to be in a standby state. As a result, the fork 5 is moved in the direction orthogonal to the transport path R and is raised by a predetermined distance, so that the load C waiting in the loading / unloading section D is transferred to the three-way stacker crane 1 Is taken into.

Then, the fork 5 is moved to the load storage portion B in which the loaded load C is stored by activating the traveling device 3 and the lifting device of the fork 5 and the like, and then the fork 5 is loaded into the load storage unit B. The load C is stored by moving the load C toward the load storage unit B. By the reverse operation, the load C is taken out from the load storage B, and
The load C is carried out of the loading / unloading section D by a hand truck or the like that is sent to the loading / unloading section D and moved in the loading / unloading path E.

[0008]

By the way, in such a conventional automatic warehouse, there are the following problems to be improved. That is, the one storage section D
(For example, when the load C stored in the upper storage section D in FIG. 8 is stored in the shelf 2 located on the opposite side of the traveling route R (for example, the lower shelf 2 in FIG. 8), After the load C of the one loading / unloading section D is lifted by the fork 5, the fork 5 is turned 180 ° to take the load C into the three-way stacker crane 1 as shown in FIG. By the above-mentioned operation, the load C is conveyed toward the predetermined load storage portion C of the shelf 2.

Here, when the fork 5 is rotated in the loading / unloading section D, the load C supported by the fork 5 moves in a region projecting from the shelf 2 as shown by a curve X in FIG. Then, the movement locus crosses the loading / unloading path E in the area Z shown by hatching in FIG. And there are workers in the area Z,
Alternatively, when the hand truck or the like is left unattended, it is assumed that they collide with the turning load C or the fork 5.

The present invention has been made in view of such conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic warehouse with improved safety in the loading / unloading section.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an automatic warehouse according to claim 1 of the present invention is provided with a three-way stacker crane and both sides of a traveling route of the three-way stacker crane. Provided, a shelf provided with a large number of load storage parts along the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, and provided on the three-way stacker crane,
A fork that can be horizontally swung between two positions facing each of the shelves, a loading / unloading section provided on one end side of the traveling path to transfer a load by the fork, and a loading / unloading section. An automatic warehouse comprising a load carrying-in / carrying-out path continuously provided, wherein foreign matter detecting means for detecting a foreign matter in an area where the load carrying-in / carrying-out path and a turning area of the fork overlap each other is provided. And

In the automatic warehouse according to claim 2 of the present invention, the detection area of the foreign matter detecting means according to claim 1 is overlapped with the movement area of the load swung by the fork in the loading / unloading section. It is characterized by

The automatic warehouse according to claim 3 of the present invention is characterized in that the foreign matter detecting means according to claim 1 or 2 is constituted by an optical sensor.

An automatic warehouse according to claim 4 of the present invention is characterized in that the foreign matter detecting means according to claim 1 or 2 is constituted by an infrared sensor.

The automatic warehouse according to claim 5 of the present invention is characterized in that the foreign matter detecting means according to claim 1 or 2 is constituted by an ultrasonic sensor.

The automatic warehouse according to claim 6 of the present invention is provided with a control means for controlling the movement of the fork according to any one of claims 1 to 5, and the control means is adapted to detect foreign matter by the foreign matter detecting means. Is detected, the turning operation of the fork is prohibited.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the automatic warehouse according to the sixth aspect, when the foreign matter is detected by the foreign matter detecting means, the traveling speed or the ascending / descending speed of the fork, or It is characterized in that the turning speed is set to be low.

[0018]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 indicates an automated warehouse according to this embodiment.

The automated warehouse 10 according to this embodiment is shown in FIG.
As shown in, the three-way stacker crane 11 for carrying in and out the load C to be stored, and the three-way stacker crane 11 are provided along both sides of the traveling route R,
It is composed of a shelf 12 provided with a large number of load storage parts B along the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, and at the predetermined height of the shelf 12, the traveling route R side (that is, the loading / unloading side of the load C).
Is provided with a guide rail 13 for guiding the horizontal movement of the crane 11, and the crane 11 is provided with a mast 14 and a mast 14 arranged in the vertical direction.
4, a fork 15 that can be moved up and down along with 4, a traveling device 16 that is provided at the lower end of the mast 14 and that causes the mast 14 to travel along the travel route R, and is integrally provided in the middle of the mast 14. , The guide rail 13
And a slider 17 that supports the mast 14 by being movably engaged along the lengthwise direction thereof and regulates the moving direction thereof.

Then, the traveling route R of each of the shelves 12
A loading / unloading section D for the load C is provided on both sides of one end of the loading / unloading section D, and a loading / unloading path E along the length direction of the traveling path R is provided in the loading / unloading section D.

On the other hand, safety fences 18 are provided on both sides of each loading / unloading path E in the vicinity of the loading / unloading section D so as to block both sides of the loading / unloading path E.
In the meantime, the foreign matter on the carry-in / carry-out path E, especially the carry-in / carry-out path E
There is provided a foreign matter detecting means 19 for detecting a foreign matter in a region where the turning regions of the fork 15 overlap each other.

The traveling device 16 is movably mounted on a lower guide rail 20 mounted on the traveling route R, and has a base 21 on which the mast 14 is erected.
It is configured by a traveling motor 22 that travels the base 21.

On the other hand, an elevating body 23 is attached to the mast 14 so as to be able to ascend and descend, and a movable base 24 movable along the horizontal direction is provided on the elevating body 23.
The fork 15 is attached to the movable base 24.

A horizontal movement mechanism 25 for reciprocating the movable base 24 in the horizontal direction is provided between the movable base 24 and the elevating / lowering body 23, and the movable base 24 and the fork 15 are provided. A swinging mechanism 26 for rotating the fork 15 back and forth within a range of 180 ° in the horizontal plane is provided between and.

Further, the slide base 27 to which the slider 17 is attached is provided with an elevating mechanism 28 for elevating the fork 15.

The elevating mechanism 28 includes an elevating motor 29 mounted on the slide base 27, a drive pulley 31 rotatably attached to a bracket 30 standing on the slide base 27, and The idle pulley 32 rotatably mounted at appropriate positions on the upper end portion, the lower end portion, and the intermediate portion of the mast 14, and the drive pulley 31 and a plurality of idle pulleys 32 are wound around the idle pulley 32, so that the mast 14 And a chain 33 fixed to the elevating body 23 that supports the fork 15 at both ends.

Further, in the present embodiment, the foreign matter detecting means 19 is composed of a light beam sensor consisting of a light projecting element and a light receiving element, and is installed at a height of about 50 cm from the floor surface. As shown in FIG. 2, a large number are provided so as to be detected in a predetermined area in the length direction of the traveling route R so as to be overlapped with the movement trajectory X of the load C when the fork 15 turns in the loading / unloading section D. is set up.

On the other hand, the foreign matter detection means 19 is connected to a control means (not shown). In this control means, the foreign matter detection means 19 causes foreign matter (such as an operator or a hand truck) to be present in the vicinity of the loading / unloading section D. When a carrying-in device) is detected, the turning operation of the fork 15, which is positioned to face the loading / unloading section D, is prohibited.

Next, the operation of the automatic warehouse 10 according to this embodiment having the above structure will be described. First,
Explaining the case where the load C is carried in, the load C is
It is transported on the loading / unloading path E by a hand truck or the like, and is fed to one deepest portion in the two loading / unloading sections D.

Further, the fork 15 is moved to a position facing the loading / unloading section D and is turned by the turning mechanism 26 to be directed to the load C sent to the loading / unloading section D. . As a result, the fork 15 is moved in the horizontal direction by the horizontal moving mechanism 25 to be inserted below the load C, and is raised by the elevating mechanism 28 by a predetermined distance, so that the load C is lifted. To be

Here, when the load C is to be stored in the shelf 12 on the side where the loading / unloading section D into which the load C is fed is provided, the horizontal movement mechanism 25 causes the fork 15 to be three-dimensionally moved. The load C is taken into the three-way stacker crane 11 by being drawn into the way stacker crane 11 side.

As a result, the three-way stacker crane 11 is moved and the fork 15 is moved.
Is moved to a predetermined height, so that the fork 15 is aligned with the intended load storage section B. Then, the fork 15 is moved by the horizontal movement mechanism 25.
After being sent to the load storage B, the lifting mechanism 36 lowers the load C for a predetermined distance to store the load C in the load storage B, and then the fork 15
Is returned to the mast 14 side, and the storage operation is completed.

On the other hand, when the load C is to be stored in the shelf 12 on the opposite side of the loading / unloading section D into which the load C has been sent, the fork 15 is swung by the turning mechanism 26 by 180 °. , The load C as shown in FIG.
Is taken into the three-way stacker crane 11,
Thereafter, the load C is stored in the target load storage portion B by the same operation as that described above.

When foreign matter such as a worker or a carrier is present in the moving area of the load C during the turning operation of the fork 15 described above, these foreign matter detecting means 19 detect the foreign matter, and the detection signal is obtained. In addition to being sent to the control means, the operation of the turning mechanism 26 is prohibited in this control means. Therefore, contact with foreign matter is prevented when the direction of the load C is changed.

When a foreign matter is detected by the foreign matter detecting means 19 described above, a quick post-processing can be performed by, for example, performing a leaving process such as issuing an alarm or lighting a warning lamp. .

As described above, in the present embodiment, in the automatic warehouse 10 equipped with the three-way stacker crane 11, during the turning operation of the load C in the loading / unloading section D,
The contact between the load C and the foreign matter is reliably prevented, and the safety thereof is significantly improved.

The shapes, sizes, etc. of the constituent members shown in the above embodiment are merely examples, and can be variously changed based on design requirements and the like.

For example, in the above embodiment, an example in which the foreign matter detecting means 19 is constituted by an optical sensor has been shown, but instead of this, as shown in FIG. An ultrasonic sensor 34 is installed on the upper side, and the ultrasonic sensor 34 detects foreign matter in a predetermined area on the carry-in / out path E near the loading / unloading section D, which is shaded in FIG. It is also possible to use an infrared sensor.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, even when another loading / unloading section F is provided in the front part of the transport route R, the moving area G of the load C from the loading / unloading section F is set to the moving area G. This can be dealt with by installing the foreign matter detection means 19 so as to cover it.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the turning of the fork 15 is prohibited at the time of detecting a foreign matter has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the time when the foreign matter enters the vicinity of the loading / unloading section D. Then, it is possible to reduce the traveling speed of the three-way stacker crane 11, the ascent and descent of the fork 15, and the turning speed. With such a configuration, it is possible to detect the invasion of foreign matter during the storage operation of the load C and take countermeasures against it with a margin.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the central safety fence 18 in FIG. 2 may be omitted, and the foreign matter detecting means 19 may be provided between the safety fences 18 on both sides.

[0042]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention.
According to the automatic warehouse according to claim 7, when a foreign matter enters the vicinity of the loading / unloading section of a load, the foreign matter can be detected by the foreign matter detecting means, and based on the detection result,
An emergency notification can be given, or the operation of the device can be controlled to prevent foreign objects and loads from being damaged.
Therefore, a highly accurate fuel safe function can be realized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, and is a view of an automated warehouse viewed from the width direction of a transport path with a part omitted.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the present invention and is a plan view showing a loading / unloading section of an automated warehouse with a part omitted.

FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the present invention, and is a view of the automated warehouse viewed from the width direction of the transport path with a part thereof omitted.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the present invention, and is a plan view showing a loading / unloading section of an automated warehouse with a part omitted.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the present invention, and is a plan view in which a part of the loading / unloading section of the automated warehouse is omitted.

FIG. 6 shows a conventional example, and is a view of an automated warehouse seen from one end of a transport path.

FIG. 7 shows a conventional example, and is a view of an automated warehouse viewed from the width direction of a transfer path with a part omitted.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a conventional example, in which a part of the loading / unloading section of the automated warehouse is omitted.

FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of the present invention, and is a plan view in which a part of the loading / unloading section of the automatic warehouse is omitted.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Three-way stacker crane 2 shelves 3 traveling devices 4 masts 5 forks 6 Lower guide rail 7 connecting beam 8 Upper guide rail 9 Guide roller 10 automatic warehouse 11 three-way stacker crane 12 shelves 13 Guide rail 14 masts 15 forks 16 Traveling device 17 Slider 18 safety fence 19 Foreign object detection means 20 Lower guide rail 21 base 22 Traveling motor 23 Lifting body 24 Movable base 25 Horizontal movement mechanism 26 Swivel mechanism 27 slide base 28 Lifting mechanism 29 Lifting motor 30 brackets 31 Drive pulley 32 idle pulley 33 chains 34 Ultrasonic sensor B load storage C load D storage section E loading / unloading route Z (intersection) area

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A three-way stacker crane, a shelf provided along both sides of a traveling path of the three-way stacker crane, and provided with a large number of load storage sections in horizontal and vertical directions, and the three-way stacker. A fork provided on the stacker crane and horizontally turnable between two positions opposed to each of the shelves; and a loading / unloading section provided on one end side of the traveling path for delivering a load by the fork. In the automatic warehouse, which comprises a loading / unloading path connected to the loading / unloading section, foreign matter detection means for detecting foreign matter is provided in an area where the loading / unloading path and the turning area of the fork overlap each other. An automated warehouse characterized by being 2. The automatic warehouse according to claim 1, wherein a detection area of the foreign matter detection means is overlapped with a movement area of a load swung by the fork in the loading / unloading section. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the foreign matter detecting means is composed of an optical sensor.
Automatic warehouse described in. 4. The automatic warehouse according to claim 1, wherein the foreign matter detecting means is composed of an infrared sensor. 5. The automated warehouse according to claim 1, wherein the foreign matter detecting means is composed of an ultrasonic sensor. 6. A control means for controlling the movement of the fork is provided, and the control means prohibits the turning operation of the fork when the foreign matter is detected by the foreign matter detecting means. The automated warehouse according to any one of claims 1 to 5. 7. The control means is adapted to decrease the traveling speed, the ascending / descending speed, or the turning speed of the fork when the foreign matter is detected by the foreign matter detecting means. The automated warehouse according to claim 6.