JP2003034405A - Conveying mechanism and automated storage and retrieval warehouse equipped therewith - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the retrieving efficiency and the efficiency in using a space of a storage warehouse in an automated storage and retrieval warehouse using a circulation-type lift device. SOLUTION: A revolving shaft 46 of a lifter 44 in the circulation-type lift device 39 is extended in parallel with the longitudinal direction of shelves. A load W placed on the lifter 44 is sent onto a carrying conveyor 48 through a delivery conveyor 47. As end conveyors 37, 38, the lifter 44 and the carrying conveyor 48 are linearly arranged, the load W is discharged at a high speed. In the storage warehouse, as a lowermost shelf can be located at a height same as the carrying conveyor 48 and the delivery conveyor 47, the space of the storage warehouse can be effectively utilized.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vertical circulation type transfer mechanism and an automatic warehouse equipped with the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There are various types of automated warehouses, such as a stacker crane system for loading and unloading a shelf with a single stacker crane, and a trolley in which self-propelled trolleys are arranged horizontally for each shelf. There is a system or a free rack system in which a shelf is composed of a large number of rollers so that a load moves on the shelf.

In the case of the trolley system or the free rack system, a lift device for relaying is provided near the end of the shelving group, and the load is carried by the trolley or free rack and the transfer conveyor. Are transferred to and.

The lift device includes a reciprocating type device in which one lifter moves up and down, and a circulating type device in which a large number of lifters circulate in a fixed direction. Examples of the latter are, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 55-324. It is described in Japanese Patent Publication No.

The one disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 55-324 is
It circulates the lifter in the horizontal position,
The lifters are comb-shaped in plan view, while the discharge conveyors in each shelf are also comb-shaped in plan view.

Each lifter of the lift device is disposed so as to circulate around a line extending in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the shelf in plan view, and the lifter is put in and out on the side opposite to the shelf. There is a conveyor.

In the configuration of this publication, for example, in the case of warehousing, the load is loaded from the shelf in the lifting stroke of the lifter, once fully raised to the top and then lowered to the lower limit, and the load is transferred to the loading / unloading conveyor. Therefore, when looking at the movement of the load in a plan view, the load moves linearly between the shelves, the lift device, and the loading / unloading conveyor.

[0008]

By the way, in an automatic warehouse equipped with a vertical circulation type lift device, in order to maximize the capacity of the lift device and improve the efficiency of delivery or receipt, the load is placed on a lifter. You need to keep your time as short as possible.

However, if the load remains on the lifter's ascending stroke and the descending stroke as in the above-mentioned publication, the movement distance of the load by the lifter is long, and moreover, when the load makes vertical movement and horizontal movement. Since the moving speed cannot be increased so much that the lifter does not shake it off, there is a problem in that the efficiency of loading or unloading cannot be increased.

On the other hand, in the automatic warehouse, as a general request, it is required to effectively use the space of the hangar and to simplify the structure.

The present invention aims to improve the present situation.

[0012]

The invention according to claim 1 relates to a transfer mechanism. In this transfer mechanism, a large number of lifters (supports) are raised in one direction along a circulation path that is long in the vertical direction. The circulating lift device that descends, the discharging means that discharges the load to the lifter, and the transporting means that receives and transports the load from the lifter are provided.

The lifter of the circulation type lift device is arranged so as to circulate around a line extending substantially parallel to the discharging direction of the load by the discharging means, while the conveying means is provided with the lifter on which the load is placed. It is arranged on the opposite side of the discharging means with the sandwiching between the discharging means and the lifting means so that the load is received from the discharging means and is transferred to the conveying means during the descending stroke or the ascending stroke of the lifter.

According to the invention of claim 2, in claim 1,
The lifter includes a base that circulates along the guide means, and a plurality of support arms attached to the base so as to have a comb-like shape in plan view for loading a load, and each support arm has its axis. It is a roller system that can rotate around its center.

On the other hand, when the load is placed on the lifter from the discharging means, the load jumps out of the lifter near the transfer passage where the load descends or rises via the lifter. A stopper means is provided to prevent this.

A third aspect of the present invention relates to an automatic warehouse. In this automatic warehouse, a hangar in which shelves capable of accommodating a large number of loads are arranged in multiple stages, and end conveyors connected to the ends of the shelves in each stage respectively. And a circulation type lift device in which a large number of lifters (receptacles) circulate along a vertically long closed loop circulation path, and a transfer conveyor that transfers the load between the end conveyors through the lifters. It has and.

The group of the end conveyors, the transfer passage through which the load is placed on the lifter, and the transfer conveyor are arranged in a straight line in a plan view, and a circulation type lift is provided. The group of lifts in the device are arranged so as to circulate around a line parallel to the line connecting the end conveyor and the transfer conveyor, and when the lifter descends or ascends, loads are transferred to the lifter. It is designed to be discharged.

According to the invention of claim 4, in claim 3,
The lifter is used to unload from each shelf by a circulation type lift device, and the lifter includes a base that circulates along a guide body and a plurality of bases that are attached to the base so as to have a comb tooth shape in plan view for loading a load. A support arm is provided, and each support arm is a roller system that is rotatable around its axis.

On the other hand, the delivery conveyors for warehousing are arranged at almost the same height as the lowest shelf, and are arranged in a comb-like shape in plan view between the conveyors and the lowermost end conveyors. A payout conveyor having a plurality of feed rollers is arranged so as not to interfere with the support arm of the lifter. Further, stopper means for preventing the load from jumping out of the lifter when loading the load from each end conveyor onto the lifter is provided at a position higher than the lowest shelf in the vicinity of the load transfer passage.

According to the invention of claim 5, in claim 3 or claim 4, all the end conveyors except for the bottom end conveyor are tilted forward or backward or forward or backward toward the lifter. Is ready to go.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the fourth or fifth aspect, the base of each lifter is attached to an endless chain wound around an upper sprocket and a lower sprocket, while the support arm is It is attached to the base so that it can maintain a horizontal or substantially horizontal posture when descending, and is pivotable so as to be in a downwardly inclined posture when ascending.It is supported below the payout conveyor when the lifter changes from descending to ascending. A guide means for rotating the arm to the sleeping position is provided.

[0022]

According to the invention of claim 1, the lifter of the circulation type lift device circulates around the line extending substantially parallel to the discharging direction of the load by the discharging means, so that the lifter conveys the load from the discharging means. Delivery of goods to the means
It is possible to perform only the descending stroke or the ascending stroke of the lifter, and moreover, the load can be linearly moved from the discharging means to the conveying means.

Therefore, when the load is transferred from the discharging means to the conveying means via the lifter, the distance on which the load is placed on the lifter can be shortened and the lifter can be moved at high speed. As a result, the time during which the load is placed on the lifter can be shortened, and the efficiency of transfer and transfer can be significantly improved.

By the way, in the above publication, the lifter must be circulated in such a posture that the load-receiving surface of the lifter is always facing upward, so that there is a problem that the lifter circulation mechanism is complicated and the device becomes large.

On the other hand, in the present invention, since the load is transferred only by the descending stroke or ascending stroke of the lifter, the circulation mechanism of the lifter is, for example, a simple one such as being attached to an endless chain and rotating. A circulation mechanism can be adopted, and as a result, the structure can be simplified and the device can be made compact (of course, in the invention of the present application, it is possible to employ the circulation mechanism described in the above publication). ).

According to the second aspect of the invention, since the support arm of the lifter has a roller shape, it is possible to quickly transfer the load from the discharging means to the lifter, and further, due to the presence of the stopper means. The load never jumps out of the lifter. Therefore, the efficiency of transfer conveyance can be further improved.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, as in the first aspect, the load on the lifter can be shortened, and the load can be moved at a high speed. Since the time spent can be shortened, warehousing or warehousing using the circulation type lift device can be performed efficiently.

By the way, when the lifter circulates around a line orthogonal to the transfer direction of the end conveyor in a plan view, and the load is received and discharged to the lifter in the descending stroke or the ascending stroke of the lifter. Means that at least an end portion of the transport conveyor overlaps the shelf in plan view. That is, a dead space occurs in a part of the hangar that is at the same height as the end conveyor.

On the other hand, in the present invention, since the front part of the end conveyor is located outside the hangar, the same height position as the end conveyor in the hangar can be used as a shelf. The space can be used effectively.

In the invention of claim 4, the circulation type lift device is applied to the delivery section, but similarly to the case of claim 2, the load is transferred from the end conveyor of each shelf to the lifter at high speed. Therefore, the delivery efficiency can be further improved.

According to the present invention, even if the lifter is continuously moved, the end conveyor follows the movement of the lifter, so that the lifter is continuously moved at a high speed and the load is transferred to the lifter. Therefore, the delivery efficiency can be further improved. In addition, since the end conveyor of the lowermost shelf and the transfer conveyor are at the same height, it is possible to quickly leave the warehouse via the payout conveyor.

According to the sixth aspect of the invention, since the lifter only circulates by the circulation of the chain, the lift device has a simple structure and is compact. Then, since the lifter support arm switches from descending to ascending while lying down as much as possible, the lift device can be brought as close as possible to the ground (floor surface), and as a result, the lowest shelf in the hangar can be lowered as much as possible to reduce the hangar. The space can be used more effectively.

[0033]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings (FIGS. 1 to 21).

This embodiment is applied to the delivery section of an automated warehouse. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the automated warehouse as seen from the receiving section, and FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the automated warehouse near the receiving section. Then, first, based on these drawings, an outline of the automatic warehouse excluding the delivery section will be described.

(1). Overview The automatic warehouse comprises a hangar 2 provided with a plurality of shelves 1 on which loads W can be arranged side by side in the front direction, a trolley traveling unit 3 arranged so as to overlap the front of the hangar 2, and a hangar. 2 and the warehousing temporary placing section 4 arranged so as to be arranged in series in a plan view. Note that FIG. 1 shows a state in which two automatic warehouses are arranged back to back.

The hangar 2 comprises a large number of front and rear columns 5, and a main frame composed of a front frame 6 and a rear frame 7 arranged for each shelf. On the other hand, in each trolley traveling unit 3, a main skeleton is composed of the columns 5 and the front and rear rails 6 and 8 arranged for each shelf.
A self-propelled carriage 9 runs on a pair of rails 6 and 8.

The front frame 6 of the hangar 2 and the front rail 6 of the carriage running portion 3 are the same members, and are therefore designated by the same reference numerals.

The warehousing temporary storage unit 4 is mainly composed of front and rear stanchions 5 and front and rear rails 10 arranged for each shelf, and a temporary skeleton is provided for a pair of rails 10 at the second stage and above. A cart 11 (which may be referred to as a traverser or a mobile temporary storage shelf) 11 is movably arranged.

The trolley traveling unit 3 extends to a substantially middle portion of the warehousing temporary storage unit 4, so that the load W can be transferred from the temporary storage trolley 11 to the self-propelled trolley 9. The temporary storage section 4 is not limited to the carriage system, but may be a roller conveyor system or the like.

(2). Storage section A storage elevator (reservoir) 13 is lifted up and down via a pair of columns 12 at a site along the front surface of the temporary storage section 4 and to the side of the carriage running section 3. Arranged freely. In addition, below the temporary storage section 4 for storage, a temporary storage conveyor 15 for storage connected to the end of the conveyor 14 for storage is provided.

As shown in the schematic perspective view of FIG. 3, the warehousing elevator 13 includes a main body frame 16, and the main body frame 16 is provided with five sets of transfer units 17.
Each lifting unit 17 is equipped with a large number of forks 18, and the five transfer units 17 as a whole are
It moves forward in a descending state and then rises up and down, or moves forward in a rising state and then descends and retracts.

Elevating guide bodies 19 are provided at both right and left ends of the main body frame 16, and guide rollers 20 for ascending and descending along the columns 16 are provided on the elevating guide bodies 19.
The elevating guide body 19 is suspended on a chain 21 wound around a sprocket pivotally supported on the upper end of the column 12, and by driving the chain 21, the elevating / lowering table 13 for raising and lowering can be moved to an arbitrary height. You can

The temporary storage conveyor 15 is of a roller conveyor type like the temporary storage conveyor to be described later, and the fork 18 of the vertical elevator 13 for storage is inserted between adjacent rollers. There is. Therefore, by moving the transfer unit 17 forward in the lowered state, and then moving it upward and backward, the five loads W can be simultaneously transferred to the storage elevator 13.

(3) Temporary storage section and temporary storage carriage As shown in FIG. 4, the temporary storage carriage 11 is provided with a rectangular body frame 23 in plan view.
A support 24 formed by bending a pipe laterally into an L shape
Are installed in parallel.

Five loads W can be placed side by side on the temporary carrier 11. Then, the trolley 11 for temporary placement
Since the load carrying section of the above is comb-shaped with a large number of supporting bodies 24, after raising the warehousing lift table 13, each transfer unit 17 is advanced in the elevated state and then lowered to be retracted. As a result, the five loads W can be simultaneously transferred to the trolley 11 for temporary placement.

Although not shown, the body frame 23 is
A plurality of pairs of wheels that travel on the rails 10 of the temporary storage section 4 are provided. As shown in FIG. 2, the storage temporary storage unit 4
The sprocket 25 is attached to each of the columns 5 located at the ends of the sprocket and the bracket (not shown) provided on the rear rail 10.
Is rotatably attached, and a chain 26 is wound around both sprockets 25. The chain 26 is driven by a motor 27 arranged at the end of the warehousing temporary placement section 4.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the end portion of the vehicle body frame 23 is fixed to a part of the chain 26 via a bracket 28. Therefore, by rotating the motor 27 forward and backward, the trolley 11 for temporary placement can be moved forward or backward to the location of the trolley traveling unit 3.

The trolley 11 for temporary placement is not provided at the height position of the shelf 1 at the lowermost stage, and the temporary placing conveyor 15 for warehousing extends to a portion overlapping the traveling portion 3 of the trolley. The load W is transferred from 15 to the self-propelled carriage 9.

(4). Structure of Shelf As shown in FIG. 5, the shelf 1 is provided with a large number of support bodies 24 extending in the depth direction, similarly to the trolley 11 for temporary placement.

The front and rear ends of each support 24 have support frames 2
The front support frame 29 is fitted in the upward groove 6a of the front frame 6, and the rear support frame 29 is fixed to the inner surface of the rear frame 7.

(5). Self-propelled trolley As shown in FIG. 6, the self-propelled trolley 9 is provided with a main body frame 30 formed in a rectangular shape in plan view.
0, a pair of traveling wheels 32 driven by a motor 31
And five transfer units 33 having the forks 18 are provided.

Each transfer unit 33 has a drive motor 34. When the motor 34 is rotated in the normal direction, the transfer unit 33 moves forward in the lowered state, then turns upward and then moves backward. As a result, the load W can be transferred from the temporary storage trolley 13 for storage. On the contrary, when the motor 34 is rotated in the reverse direction, the transfer unit 33 moves forward in the ascending state and then descends and then moves backward. Thereby, the load W can be transferred to the shelf 1.

The reason why each transfer unit 33 can be independently driven in the self-propelled carriage 9 is that when the load W is stored in the shelf 1, there is not always a vacant space that can be collectively stored in the shelf 1.
Also, it is not always the case that five packages to be unloaded are lined up.

(6). Outline of Departing Section Next, an outline of the departing section to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 11. 7 is a plan sectional view, and FIG. 8 is FIG.
9 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 9, FIG. 9 is a view taken along line IX-IX, FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view, and FIG. 11 is a view taken along line XI-XI of FIG.

At the end of the hangar 2, a temporary shipping conveyor 36 for unloading is provided for each shelf, having a length such that five loads W from the self-propelled carriage 9 can be simultaneously transferred. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the temporary shipping conveyor 36 is a roller conveyor system driven by a chain, and the forks 18 of the self-propelled carriage 9 can move up and down between the adjacent rollers 36b. The space is empty.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 10, the end conveyors (ie, discharge conveyors) 37 for discharging the load W are provided on the opposite side of the shelf 1 with the temporary placing conveyors 36 for shipping. 38 is arranged, the end conveyor 37,
A circulation type lift device 39 is arranged at a position opposite to the temporary storage conveyor 36 for interleaving the group of 38.

The lowermost end conveyor 38 is of a roller conveyor type driven by a chain, and the end conveyors 37 of the second and higher heights are of a belt conveyor type. For this reason, both are given different reference numerals.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the circulating lift device 39 includes a pair of vertically extending guide frames 41 as an example of guide means, and sprockets rotatably attached to the upper and lower ends thereof. 42, a chain 43 wound around the upper and lower sprockets 42, and a large number of lifters 44 attached to the chain 43 at the same spacing dimension as the vertical spacing of the shelf 1.

The guide frame 41 is held by a support frame 45 so as not to fall down. Although not shown, a motor for driving the chain 43 is attached to the lower end of the guide frame 41.

As is apparent from FIGS. 7 and 10, the circulating lift device 39 is arranged such that the rotation shaft 46 of the sprocket 42 extends in the same direction as the feeding direction of the end conveyors 37, 38. Therefore, the lifter 44 revolves in a direction orthogonal to the feed direction of the end conveyors 37, 38 in a plan view.

Since the guide frame 41 is arranged in front of the truck traveling passage, no dead space is generated.

A comb-tooth type payout conveyor 47 is disposed at the same height position as the lowermost end conveyor 38 in the transfer passage through which the load W is lowered by the lifter 44. Further, the start end of the delivery conveyor 48 extends on the side opposite to the end conveyor 37 with the delivery conveyor 47 interposed therebetween.

Therefore, the load W on the shelf 1 of the second or higher stage is sent out to the transfer conveyor 48 via the lifter 44 and the payout conveyor 44. Also, the load W of the lowest shelf 1 is
It is sent to the transfer conveyor 48 via the end conveyor 38 and the payout conveyor 47.

The details of each part will be described below with reference to the drawings starting from FIG. 12 is a plan sectional view taken along the line XII-XII of FIG. 11, FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along the line XIII-XIII of FIG. 12, (A) is a sectional view taken along the line XIV-XIV of FIG. 13, and (B) is ( A)
FIG. 15 is a partial perspective view of the lifter, FIG. 16 is a view showing the posture of the lifter in the ascending stroke, and FIGS. 17 and 18 are plan views of the payout conveyor 47 at the height position. 19 is a sectional view taken along line XIX-XIX in FIG. 18, FIG. 20 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 19, and FIG. 21 is a sectional view taken along line XXI-XXI in FIG.

(7). End Conveyor As shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 12, the end conveyors 37 of the second stage and above have a pair of side frames 49, and drive pulleys mounted on both side frames 49. And the belt is wound around the driven pulley. The side frame 49 is configured to tilt around the rear portion on the temporary storage conveyor 36 for delivery.

That is, as shown in FIG. 19, it is possible to tilt the lifter 44 from the horizontal posture to the forward leaning posture by following the downward movement of the lifter 44. Therefore, while lowering the lifter 44 at high speed, the tip of the end conveyor 37 is moved to the lifter 44.
The height of the load W can be made uniform, and as a result, the load W can be quickly transferred in a stable posture.

Although not shown, the end conveyor 3
7 is provided with a sensor that detects the lifter 44.

As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the lowermost end conveyor 38 includes a machine frame 38a and a large number of rollers 38b.
It is a normal roller conveyor system that is supported by and is driven by a chain 51. In this example, the end conveyor 38 and the warehousing temporary placement conveyor 36 are driven separately, but it is also possible to drive both together.

Since the transport conveyor 48 is located outside the hangar, the hangar can be provided with the lowermost shelf 1 having the same height as the payout conveyor 47 and the transport conveyor 48, and therefore space can be effectively used. Can be used.

(8). Circulating lift device For example, as shown in FIGS. 12 to 13, the lifter 44 is
The guide frame 41 is provided with one (or a plurality of upper and lower) base body 50 that is inserted inside the machine.

On the other hand, the guide frame 41 is provided with a pair of annular guide grooves 52 located outside, and the base 5
0 includes a pair of upper, lower, left, and right first guide rollers 53 that enter the inside of the guide groove 40, and a pair of upper, lower, left, and right second guide rollers 54 that contact the inner surface of the guide frame 41 inside the guide groove 52. Is provided.

A first bracket 55 having a U-shape in plan view is fixed to the inner surface of the base 50.
An intermediate member 56 is attached to the shaft 43 by a shaft 57 so as to be vertically rotatable, and the intermediate member 56 is fixed to the chain 43.
Due to the presence of the intermediate member 57, the base 50 can be smoothly passed through the vertically curved portion of the guide frame 41 without being twisted.

The base 50 is in the shape of a box that opens rearward. Therefore, the mounting shaft 57 of the intermediate member 56 and the center of rotation of the first guide roller 53 can be brought close to each other, and as a result, the base 50 can be moved. Can be run smoothly.

A support plate 60 is rotatably attached to the base 50 via a pair of left and right second brackets 58 and a shaft 59. A plurality of support arms 61 having a comb tooth shape in a plan view are attached to the support plate 60.

Each support arm 61 is in the form of a roller, and is rotatably supported by a support plate 60 and a cantilever-shaped third bracket 62 fixed to the support plate 60. Although six support arms 61 are provided in this example, other numbers may be used. Further, the support arm 61 may have a rectangular bar shape or the like.

The second bracket 58 of the support plate 60 is arranged so as to be positioned above the base 50 in a state where the lifter 44 is lowered, and the support arm 61 is provided on the base 50 during the lowering stroke of the lifter 44. Is provided horizontally (the stopper may be provided on the support plate 60).

As shown in FIG. 16, in the ascending stroke of the lifter 44, the support arm 61 is in a posture in which it is tilted substantially downward due to its own weight. When it changes from ascending to descending, it takes a horizontal posture by its own weight.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 15, the chain 4 is attached to the tips of the third brackets 62 located at both ends.
A third guide roller 64 is provided which rotates about an axis parallel to the orbiting axis 46 of the third roller. The third guide roller 6
At least one 4 is enough, and the other third bracket 6
You may attach it to 2.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 12, the lifter 44
In a portion opposite to the end conveyor 37 across the descending passage of, as an example of the stopper means described in claim 4,
A cover plate 65 is provided to prevent the load W from jumping out. As shown in FIG. 19, the cover plate 65 is a shelf 1 having two cross sections.
Extends to the height of. The cover plate is not shown in FIG.

In the present embodiment, the cover plate 65 is formed in an L shape in plan view so as to cover the opposite side of the guide frame 41 with the load transfer passage interposed therebetween. Therefore, the load W falls off. It is possible to more reliably prevent the load W from falling off the lifter 44 in the event of an earthquake.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, on the outer surface of the cover plate 65, the first detection sensor S1 for confirming the position of the lifter 44 at the upper end, and the load W at the height position of each end conveyor 37. Second sensor S that detects the presence or absence
2 are provided. These sensors S1 and S2 are of a reflection type, and the projection light is emitted from a hole formed in the cover plate 65.

The cover plate 65 can also be manufactured with a perforated plate or a net. Further, as the stopper means, a frame extending vertically may be used instead of the cover plate 65.

(9). Dispensing Conveyor As shown in FIGS.
Is configured as a roller conveyor including a plurality of rollers 66 arranged in a comb shape in a plan view. Needless to say, the support arm 61 of the lifter 44 passes between the adjacent rollers 66.

Each roller 66 is rotatably supported by a pedestal 67 formed in a comb-like shape in a plan view, and is simultaneously driven by a chain 68. The payout conveyor 47 may be driven intermittently according to the arrival of the load W, or may be continuously driven at all times.

In the parts of the cradle 67 near the left and right ends,
As an example of the guide means described in claim 6, a guide body 69 with which the third guide roller 61 of the lifter 44 rotatably abuts is fixed.

As shown in FIG. 21, the guide body 69 is gently curved upward in a concave shape, and extends to a position directly below the sprocket 42 (may be formed symmetrically with the center line of the guide frame 49 interposed therebetween). ).

With this guide body 69, the third guide roller 61
Is guided, the lifter 44 pivots in a lying position as horizontally as possible when going from descending to ascending.

Therefore, the height dimension H from the ground (floor surface) to the lower end of the guide frame 41 can be reduced. As a result, the height of the lowermost shelf 1 in the hangar can be made as low as possible to effectively use the space.

(10). Delivery Operation In this embodiment, the delivery operation is performed in a state where the lifter 44 is continuously circulated at a constant speed without interruption.
Then, as described above, the load W on the shelf 1 of the second or higher tier
Is discharged to the lifter 44 via the end conveyor 36,
Then, it is sent out to the transfer conveyor 48 via the payout conveyor 47.

The load W on the shelf 1 at the lowermost stage moves to the payout conveyor 47 via the temporary placing conveyor 36 for discharging and the end conveyor 38, and is then sent to the transfer conveyor 48. In this case, the delivery of the load W by the delivery conveyor 47 is performed instantaneously so that the support arm 61 of the lifter 44 and the third bracket 62 do not interfere with the load W.

(11). Others The present invention can be embodied in various ways other than the above embodiment. For example, the end conveyor is not limited to the belt type, but may be a roller type or a chute type. The delivery conveyor is not limited to the roller system, but may be a system in which the loader is forcibly delivered to the transfer conveyor by a pusher that moves in the horizontal direction.

Further, the transfer device of the present invention can also be applied to the storage section of an automatic warehouse, in which case the load is transferred from the storage conveyor to the lifter, and then the end conveyor of the shelf of each stage. Will be transferred to. Further, it can be applied to handling equipment other than automatic warehouse. Needless to say, the delivery section, shelves, etc. can have various configurations.

It is also possible to apply the invention to the entry or exit section of an automatic warehouse equipped with a free rack type shelf.

(12). Reference Example (FIG. 22) FIG. 22 is a plan view of a lower end portion of an automatic warehouse in which the orbiting shaft 46 is arranged so as to extend in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the shelves. .

In this example, the load W placed on the lifter 44 and lowered is once transferred to the inside of the hangar by the comb-tooth-shaped payout conveyor 47, and then the transfer conveyor 48 via the first direction changing conveyor 71. Sent to.

Also in this case, the hangar 2 is provided with the lowest shelf 1 having the same height as the payout conveyor 47, and the second direction changing conveyor 72 conveys the load W on the lowest shelf 1. Can be sent to. However, the length of the lowermost shelf 1 may be shortened by the presence of the direction changing conveyors 71 and 72.

Instead of providing the second direction changing conveyor 72, the temporary shipping conveyor 36 and the transfer conveyor 48 may be connected by the inclined conveyor 73, as shown by the chain double-dashed line.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an automated warehouse according to an embodiment of the present invention viewed from a storage section side.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a portion of the automatic warehouse, which is close to the storage section.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of an elevator for warehousing.

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of a temporary storage part for storage.

FIG. 5 is a partially separated perspective view of the shelf.

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a self-propelled carriage.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a delivery section of the automatic warehouse.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a shipping temporary conveyor.

FIG. 9 is a view taken along line IX-IX in FIG.

FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a delivery unit.

11 is a view taken along line XI-XI of FIG. 7.

FIG. 12 is a plan sectional view of a circulation type lift device.

FIG. 13 is the XI of FIG. 13 with the guide frame omitted.
It is a II-XIII view.

14 (A) is a sectional view taken along line XIV-XIV in FIG. 13, (B) is (A).
FIG.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a tip portion of a support arm located at an end portion.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a posture of a lifter in an ascending stroke.

FIG. 17 is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the lower part of the shipping section.

[Fig. 18] Fig. 18 is a plan cross-sectional view of the lower portion of the delivery section with the lifter omitted.

19 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XIX-XIX in FIG. 18.

FIG. 20 is a side sectional view of a payout conveyor similar to FIG. 19.

21 is a sectional view taken along line XXI-XXI of FIG. 20.

FIG. 22 is a reference diagram.

[Simple explanation of symbols]

1 shelf 2 hangar 9 self-propelled cart 36 Outgoing temporary storage conveyor 37,38 End conveyor 39 Circulation type delivery device 41 guide frame 43 chains 44 lifter 47 Delivery conveyor 48 Conveyor (Outgoing conveyor) 50 base 61 Support arm

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A circulation type lift device in which a large number of lifters (stands) ascend / descend in one direction along a vertically long circulation path, a discharging means for discharging a load to the lifter, and a lifter from the lifter. A lifter of the circulation type lift device is arranged so as to circulate around a line extending substantially parallel to the discharging direction of the load by the discharging means, and The conveying means is arranged on the opposite side of the discharging means with the lifter on which the load is placed sandwiched, so that the receiving means receives the load from the discharging means and transfers it to the conveying means during the descending or ascending stroke of the lifter. The transport mechanism. 2. The lifter includes a base that circulates along the guide means, and a plurality of support arms attached to the base so as to have a comb tooth shape in plan view for loading a load. The support arm is a roller system that is rotatable around its axis, and is discharged to a portion in the vicinity of the transfer passage where the load descends or rises via a lifter, except for the height position of the transfer means. The transport mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising stopper means for preventing the load from jumping out of the lifter when the load is placed on the lifter from the means. 3. A hangar in which shelves capable of accommodating a large number of loads are arranged in multiple stages, end conveyors respectively connected to the ends of the shelves in each stage, and a large number along a vertically long closed loop circulation path. The lifter (reception base) of the circulation type lift device is circulated, and a conveyor that transfers the load to and from the end conveyor via each of the lifters, and a group of the end conveyors, The transfer passage on which the load is placed on the lifter and the transfer conveyor are arranged so as to be linearly arranged in a plan view, and a group of lifts in the circulation type lift device includes an end conveyor and a transfer conveyor. It is arranged so as to circulate around a line that is parallel to the line connecting to and, and in the descending stroke or ascending stroke of the lifter, the load is transferred to and discharged from the lifter. . 4. A circulation type lift device is used to move out from each shelf, and the lifter includes a base that circulates along a guide body,
It has a plurality of support arms attached to the base so as to have a comb tooth shape in plan view for loading a load, and each support arm is a roller system rotatable about its axis, while The shipping conveyor is located at almost the same height as the bottom shelf, and there are multiple feed rollers arranged in a comb shape in plan view between the conveyor and the bottom end conveyor. Is provided so as not to interfere with the support arm of the lifter, and further, in the vicinity of the load transfer passage, at a position higher than the lowest shelf, from each end conveyor to the lifter. The automatic warehouse according to claim 3, further comprising stopper means for preventing the load from jumping out of the lifter when the load is placed. 5. The method according to claim 3, wherein all the end conveyors except for the bottom end conveyor can be tilted forward, backward or forward and backward toward the lifter. Automated warehouse described in 4. 6. The base of each lifter is attached to an endless chain wound around an upper sprocket and a lower sprocket, while the support arm of each lifter maintains a horizontal or substantially horizontal posture when descending. The support arm is rotatably mounted so as to be in a downwardly inclined posture when rising, and the supporting arm is rotated to a sleeping position as much as possible when the lifter shifts from descending to ascending below the payout conveyor. The automatic warehouse according to claim 4 or 5, which is provided with guide means for making it.