JP2019119541A - Automatic warehouse system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an automatic warehouse system capable of shielding with a shield wall.SOLUTION: An automatic warehouse system 100 is an automatic warehouse system for storing a cargo 12. A rail 40 extends in an X-axis direction. A slave truck 14 comprises a plurality of wheel units travelling on the rail 40 and is movable with the cargo 12 loaded in the X-axis direction. A control section is controlled in a manner operating the slave truck 14 and storing the cargo therein. A shield wall 32 can shield a prescribed area by a movement in a height direction. The rail 40 is provided with a spacing in an area where the shield wall 32 passes through when shielded by the side wall 32. The slave truck 14 has a plurality of wheels per one wheel unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic warehouse system capable of loading and unloading loads.

  As a warehouse system capable of efficiently receiving and delivering a large number of loads in a small space, there is known an automatic warehouse system which uses a truck to transport loads to a three-dimensionally configured automatic warehouse. For example, in Patent Document 1, a storage rack capable of storing a plurality of articles is disposed, and a traveling rail accessible to the accommodation rack is laid, and articles are carried in using a transport carriage capable of self-traveling the traveling rail. The warehouse for unloading is described. The transport carriage of Patent Document 1 includes a liftable mounting table for mounting and supporting articles on a vehicle body, and is configured such that a traveling rail can be self-propelled by a rechargeable battery built into the vehicle body.

JP, 2015-157683, A

The inventors examined an automatic warehouse and obtained the following recognition. It is desirable that the automated warehouse be provided with movable shielding walls that shield the fire compartments in order to prevent the expansion of the fire area when a fire occurs. Such a shielding wall is, for example, a fire protection shutter. However, for example, when a shutter for shielding a section is installed in the automatic warehouse of Patent Document 1, it is conceivable that the lowered shutter collides with the traveling rail and can not be closed sufficiently. Moreover, when the feeder which feeds a trolley | bogie is provided along the traveling path of a trolley | bogie, it is possible that the shutter which descent | falls abuts on a feeder and is not fully closed. Such a problem may occur not only for the shutter but also for other types of shielding walls.
From this, the inventors recognized that there is room for improvement in the automated warehouse in terms of enabling shielding by the shielding wall.

  The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an automatic warehouse system capable of shielding by a shielding wall.

  In order to solve the above problems, an automatic warehouse system according to an aspect of the present invention is an automatic warehouse system capable of storing loads, which travels on a first rail extending in a first direction and the first rail. A plurality of wheel units are provided, and a first carriage movable in the first direction with a load placed thereon, a control unit that controls the first carriage to operate and store the load, and movement in the height direction And a shielding wall capable of shielding a predetermined area. The first rail is provided with a first gap in a region through which the shielding wall passes when shielding by the shielding wall is performed, and the first carriage has a plurality of wheels per one wheel unit There is.

  Another aspect of the present invention is also an automatic warehouse system. This automatic warehouse system is an automatic warehouse system capable of storing loads, comprising: a first carriage movable in a first direction; and a feeder provided along the first direction for feeding power to the first carriage And a control unit that controls the first carriage to operate and store the load, and a shielding wall capable of shielding an area in which the first carriage moves by moving in the height direction. The feed line is provided such that the gap is not open when the shielding by the shielding wall is not performed, and the gap is open when the shielding by the shielding wall is performed.

  It is to be noted that any combination of the above-described constituent elements, or one in which the constituent elements and expressions of the present invention are mutually replaced among methods, apparatuses, systems, etc. is also effective as an aspect of the present invention.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the automatic warehouse system which can be shielded by a shielding wall can be provided.

It is a top view of the automatic warehouse system concerning an embodiment. It is sectional drawing cut | disconnected along the BB line of the automatic warehouse system of FIG. It is a front view which shows the periphery of the shielding wall of the automatic warehouse system which concerns on a comparative example. It is a front view which shows the periphery of the shielding wall of the automatic warehouse system of FIG. It is a top view which shows the child trolley of the automatic warehouse system of FIG. It is a front view of the child trolley of FIG. It is a front view which shows the example which installed the shielding wall in the multi-tiered accommodation line of the automatic warehouse system of FIG. It is a side view which shows the periphery of the shielding wall of FIG. It is a front view which shows the example which provided another clearance gap mechanism in the rail of the automatic warehouse system of FIG. It is a front view which shows the periphery of the shielding wall of the automatic warehouse system of FIG. It is a top view which shows the parent trolley | bogie of FIG. It is a top view which shows the periphery of the clearance gap mechanism of the feeder of the automatic warehouse system of FIG. It is a front view which shows the periphery of the clearance gap mechanism of FIG. It is a rear view which shows the current collection unit of FIG. It is a front view which shows the periphery of another clearance gap mechanism of the feeder of the automatic warehouse system of FIG. It is sectional drawing cut | disconnected along the JJ line of the feeder of FIG. It is a block diagram of the automatic warehouse system of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of retraction | saving operation | movement of the sub dolly of FIG.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. In the embodiment, the comparative example, and the modification, the same or equivalent constituent elements and members are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted as appropriate. In addition, dimensions of members in each drawing are shown appropriately enlarged or reduced for easy understanding. In each drawing, a part of members which are not important in describing the embodiment is omitted and displayed.
Also, although terms including first and second ordinal numbers are used to describe various components, this term is used only to distinguish one component from another component, and this term The constituent elements are not limited by

Embodiment
The configuration of an automatic warehouse system 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view of an automatic warehouse system 100 according to the embodiment. FIG. 1A shows a child carriage 14 and a parent carriage 16 which will be described later. FIG. 1 (b) shows the arrangement of storage shelves 20 described later. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the automatic warehouse system 100 in a front view. FIG. 2 shows a longitudinal section taken along the line B-B of FIG. FIG. 2A shows a child carriage 14 and a parent carriage 16 which will be described later. FIG. 2 (b) shows the arrangement of the storage racks 20 described later.

  The following description is based on the XYZ coordinate system. The X-axis direction corresponds to the left-right direction in FIG. 1 and FIG. The Y-axis direction corresponds to the vertical direction in the drawing of FIG. 1, and corresponds to the direction perpendicular to the drawing in FIG. The Z-axis direction corresponds to the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 1, and corresponds to the vertical direction on the paper surface in FIG. The Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction intersect with the X-axis direction. The positive direction of each of the X axis, Y axis, and Z axis is defined in the direction of the arrow in each drawing, and the negative direction is defined in the direction opposite to the arrow. Also, the positive direction side of the X axis may be referred to as "right side", and the negative direction side of the X axis may be referred to as "left side". Also, the positive side of the Y axis is referred to as "front side", the negative side of the Y axis as "back side", the positive side of the Z axis as "upper side", and the negative side of the Z axis as "lower side". is there. Such a notation of directions does not limit the configuration of the automatic warehouse system 100, and the automatic warehouse system 100 can be used in any configuration depending on the application.

  The automatic warehouse system 100 includes an outer wall 28, a partition wall 30, a shielding wall 32, and a shielding wall 34 in order to partition the interior space 10s in the warehouse. The outer wall 28 surrounds the outer periphery of the inner space 10s. In this example, the internal space 10 s is a substantially rectangular space in a plan view surrounded by the four outer walls 28. The partition wall 30, the shield wall 32, and the shield wall 34 divide the internal space 10s into a plurality of partitions. The partition wall 30 is a fixed wall that does not open and close, and includes a first partition wall 30 b extending in the Y-axis direction and a second partition wall 30 c extending in the X-axis direction.

  The shielding wall 32 and the shielding wall 34 are openable / closable wall mechanisms, and in this example are shutters. The shielding wall 32 extends in the Y-axis direction and is provided between the plurality of first partition walls 30 b. The shielding wall 34 extends in the X-axis direction and is provided between the plurality of second partition walls 30 c. When the shielding wall 32 and the shielding wall 34 are collectively referred to, they are simply referred to as a shielding wall. In this example, the shielding wall is configured to be closed by lowering its lower end to the floor 10g and to open by raising its lower end.

  The automatic warehouse system 100 is a system including a storage rack capable of storing a large number of loads 12. In the embodiment, an example is shown in which the load 12 includes an article and a pallet 12p on which the article is placed. Note that including the pallet 12p is not essential. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the automatic warehouse system 100 includes a storage rack 20, a child carriage 14, a parent carriage 16, a control panel 18, rails 40 and 42, and feeders 50 and 51. Including.

(Storage cabinet)
The storage rack 20 is a storage space for storing a large number of loads 12. The configuration of the storage rack 20 is not particularly limited as long as a plurality of loads 12 can be stored and stored. In this example, the storage rack 20 includes a plurality of (for example, three) storage stages 22 layered in the vertical direction. Each accommodation stage 22 includes a plurality of (for example, three) accommodation rows 24 aligned in the Y-axis direction, and each accommodation row 24 includes a plurality (for example, five) accommodation portions 26 connected in the X-axis direction. . At the end of each accommodation row 24 on the rail 42 side, an inlet / outlet portion 24 b for taking in and out the load 12 is provided.

  The rails 40 extend in the X axis direction at the receiving row 24. The rail 42 extends in the Y-axis direction near the entrance 24 b of the housing row 24. When the rails 40 and the rails 42 are collectively referred to, they may be simply referred to as rails. The child carriage 14 travels the rail 40 in the X-axis direction in the storage row 24 with the load 12 loaded thereon. The parent carriage 16 travels along the rail 42 in the Y-axis direction with the child carriage 14 mounted thereon. When the child carriage 14 and the parent carriage 16 are collectively referred to, they may be simply referred to as a carriage. The control unit 36 controls the operation of the child carriage 14 and the parent carriage 16. The configuration of the control unit 36 will be described later.

  The child carriage 14 travels along the rail 40 in the X-axis direction, and takes the load 12 in and out of the storage unit 26. The parent carriage 16 travels along the rail 42 in the Y-axis direction, and conveys the child carriage 14. The parent carriage 16 transports the child carriage 14 in an empty state or in a state in which the load 12 is loaded. The child carriage 14 cooperates with the parent carriage 16 to transport the load 12 from one storage unit 26 to another storage unit 26. The configurations of the child carriage 14 and the parent carriage 16 will be described later.

(Comparative example)
Here, the comparative example will be described first. FIG. 3 is a front view showing the periphery of the shielding wall 32 of the automatic warehouse system 500 according to the comparative example. The automatic warehouse system 500 of the comparative example is different from the automatic warehouse system 100 according to the embodiment in that a rail 540 is provided instead of the rail 40, and a carriage 514 is provided instead of the carriage 14; It is similar. In the automatic warehouse system 500, the rails 540 extend continuously in the X-axis direction, and are supported by the floor 10g via the rail support members 40s. The carriage 514 travels on the rail 540 in the X-axis direction with the load 12 loaded. In this example, the carriage 514 travels in the direction of arrow E. The shielding wall 32 extends parallel to the YZ plane.

  In the automatic warehouse system 500 configured as described above, as shown in FIG. 3, when the shielding wall 32 is lowered, the lower end 32 d thereof collides with the rail 540 and stops. In this state, a relatively large gap is created between the shielding wall 32 and the floor 10g, and the shielding wall 32 can not function as a fire protection shutter.

  Based on the operation of the comparative example, the automatic warehouse system 100 according to the embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a front view showing the periphery of the shielding wall 32 of the automatic warehouse system 100. As shown in FIG. FIG. 4 corresponds to FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the rail 40 extends in the X-axis direction and is supported by the floor 10 g via a rail support member 40 s. The rail support member 40s may be a spacer.

(Nipple mechanism)
The rail 40 is provided with a gap mechanism 40m configured such that a gap 40g is opened in a region through which the shielding wall 32 passes when the shielding by the shielding wall 32 is performed. The clearance mechanism 40m may have no clearance during normal use, and may be configured to have a clearance 40g when shielding by the shielding wall 32 is performed. In the example of FIG. 4, the gap mechanism 40m is configured to always have the gap 40g open, including during normal use.

  The distance X1 in the X-axis direction of the gap 40g is a size obtained by adding a sufficient amount of margin to the dimension X2 in the X-axis direction of the shielding wall 32 so that the shielding wall 32 can pass without interfering with the end of the rail 40 It is assumed. That is, the distance X1 is set larger than the dimension X2. This makes it possible to lower the shielding wall 32 to the floor 10 g without being disturbed by the rails 40. The baby carriage 14 travels on the rail 40 in the X-axis direction with the load 12 loaded. In this example, the baby carriage 14 travels in the direction of arrow E.

(Child carriage)
Next, the baby carriage 14 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 as well. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an example of the baby carriage 14. FIG. 6 is a front view showing an example of the baby carriage 14. The child carriage 14 mainly includes a vehicle body 14b, a mounting portion 14c, a lift mechanism 14d, a plurality (for example, four sets) of wheel units 14f, and a current collection unit 56. The vehicle body 14 b has an outline of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that is flat in the vertical direction. Inside the vehicle body 14b, a motor (not shown) for driving the plurality of wheel units 14f and a control circuit (not shown) for controlling the motor are mounted. The small carriage 14 may be configured to incorporate a battery and drive the motor by the power of the battery. In this example, the child carriage 14 is provided with a current collecting unit 56, and is configured to drive the motor by the power received from the feeder 50 through the current collecting unit 56. The configurations of the feed line 50 and the current collection unit 56 will be described later.

  The placement unit 14 c is a portion that lifts and holds the load 12. The lift mechanism 14d is a mechanism that raises and lowers the placement unit 14c. FIG. 6 shows a state in which the lift mechanism 14d raises the placement portion 14c. The lift mechanism 14 d can lift the load 12 from the storage unit 26 by raising the placement unit 14 c. The lift mechanism 14 d can lower the loading unit 14 c to lower the load 12 into the storage unit 26. The plurality of wheel units 14 f travel on the rail 40.

  When the clearance 40g is open in the rail 40, it is conceivable that the wheel of the baby carriage 14 is fitted in the clearance 40g and hinders the traveling of the baby carriage 14. For this reason, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the child carriage 14 is provided with four sets of wheel units 14f disposed on the front left, right and rear left and right, and each wheel unit 14f is plural (for example, two) Wheel 14g is included. In other words, the child carriage 14 is provided with a plurality of wheels 14g per wheel unit 14f. Since a plurality of wheels 14g are provided for one wheel unit 14f, when one of the plurality of wheels 14g passes over the gap 40g, the other wheels can support the baby carriage 14. For this reason, the baby carriage 14 can travel on the rail 40 where the gap 40g is open.

  A distance between rotation centers of the plurality of wheels 14g is defined as a distance X3. If the distance X3 in the X-axis direction of the plurality of wheels 14g is too small, it is conceivable that the wheel unit 14f swings up and down when passing through the gap 40g. If the wheel unit 14f swings, the child carriage 14 and the load 12 may also swing and adversely affect them. For this reason, in this example, as shown in FIG. 4, the distance X3 between the plurality of wheels 14g of each wheel unit 14f is set to be longer than the distance X1 of the gap 40g. Since the distance X3 is large, it is possible to reduce the swing when the wheel unit 14f passes through the gap 40g.

  Next, the case where the housing row 24 is provided in N (N ≧ 2) or more stages in the height direction will be described. In the case where the number of the storage rows 24 is two or more, the gaps 40g may be provided on the rails of each step, or may not be provided on the first rail. In this example, the rail 40 corresponding to the Nth housing row 24 is provided with a gap 40g, and the rail 40 corresponding to the first housing row is not provided with the gap 40g. FIG. 7 is a front view showing the periphery of the shielding wall 32. As shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a side view showing the periphery of the shielding wall 32. As shown in FIG. FIG. 8 shows the shielding wall 32 as viewed from the direction of arrow F in FIG. In this description, the rails of the first storage row 24 are the rails 40 (A), the rails of the second storage row 24 are the rails 40 (B), and the rails of the third storage row 24 are the rails 40. It is written as (C). As shown in FIG. 7, the clearance mechanism 40m is provided in the second and third rails 40 (B) and (C), and the clearance mechanism is provided in the first rail 40 (A). 40m is not provided. In this case, the first stage rail 40 (A) may be continuous in the area where the shielding wall 32 is lowered.

  In order to lower the shielding wall 32 to the floor 10g, as shown in FIG. 8, the shielding wall 32 is provided with an interference avoiding portion 32h for avoiding interference with the rail 40 (A). The configuration of the interference avoidance unit 32h is not particularly limited as long as interference with the rail 40 (A) can be avoided. In this example, the interference avoidance portion 32 h is a recess that is retracted upward in the Z-axis direction in the lower portion of the shielding wall 32. The shape of the recess of the interference avoiding portion 32 h may be a shape obtained by adding a margin to the outer contours of the rails 40 (A) and the rails 40 (A). By lowering the shielding wall 32 to the floor 10 g, the effect of reducing the infiltration of the flame in that portion can be expected.

  Next, an example in which a gap mechanism 40n of another configuration is provided instead of the gap mechanism 40m will be described. FIG. 9 is a front view showing an example in which the opening and closing type clearance mechanism 40 n is provided on the rail 40. 9 (a) shows a state before the shielding wall 32 contacts the gap mechanism 40n of the rail 40, and FIG. 9 (b) shows a state where the shielding wall 32 contacts the gap mechanism 40n. c) shows the state where the shielding wall 32 has passed through the gap mechanism 40 n. The gap mechanism 40 n includes a movable portion 40 r which is a part of the rail 40. The movable portion 40r is rotatably attached to the end 40b of the rail 40 about the hinge portion 40c.

  As shown in FIG. 9A, in the steady state, the movable portion 40r is continuously disposed on the extension of the end portion 40b, and the gap mechanism 40n is closed. When the shielding wall 32 descends and pushes the movable portion 40r downward, the movable portion 40r pivots and opens the gap mechanism 40n. When the shielding wall 32 is further lowered, the movable portion 40r is further rotated to open the gap mechanism 40n more widely and pass the shielding wall 32. Thus, the gap mechanism 40 n is configured such that the gap 40 g is open in the area through which the shielding wall 32 passes when the shielding by the shielding wall 32 is performed. The movable portion 40r may be biased by biasing means (not shown) such as a spring so as to close the gap mechanism 40n in a steady state. The gap mechanism 40 n may be opened by the output of a power source (not shown) such as a motor when the shielding wall 32 passes, or may be opened by the gravity of the shielding wall 32. When the clearance mechanism 40 n is used, the rail 40 is continuous, so that the swing when the child carriage 14 passes is also small. Therefore, it is not necessary to use a child carriage 14 provided with a wheel unit 14f consisting of a plurality of wheels 14g as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. That is, even in the case of a small carriage provided with a wheel unit consisting of one wheel, it is possible to reduce the vibration when passing through the gap 40g. However, it is necessary that the clearance mechanism 40n is not opened by the pressure of the wheel when the baby carriage 14 passes.

(Shield wall)
Next, the shielding wall 34 will be described. FIG. 10 is a side view showing the periphery of the shielding wall. FIG. 11 is a plan view of the parent carriage. As described above, the automatic warehouse system 100 has the rail 42 extending in the second direction intersecting the first direction, and the main carriage 16 movable in the second direction with the child carriage 14 mounted thereon. doing.

  The rail 42 is provided with a gap mechanism 42m configured such that a gap 42g is opened in a region through which the shielding wall 34 passes when the shielding by the shielding wall 34 is performed. The clearance mechanism 42m may be configured such that there is no clearance during normal use, and the clearance 42g is open when the shielding by the shielding wall 34 is performed. In the example of FIG. 10, the gap mechanism 42m is configured to always have a gap 42g, including during normal use.

  The distance Y1 in the Y-axis direction of the gap 42g is a size obtained by adding a sufficient amount of margin to the dimension Y2 in the Y-axis direction of the shielding wall 34 so that the shielding wall 34 can pass without interfering with the end of the rail 42 It is assumed. That is, the distance Y1 is set larger than the dimension Y2. This makes it possible to lower the shielding wall 34 to the floor 10 g without being disturbed by the rails 42. The parent carriage 16 travels on the rails 42 in the Y-axis direction with the child carriages 14 loaded.

(Parent car)
The parent truck 16 mainly includes a vehicle body 16 b, a loading unit 16 c, a plurality of wheel units 16 f, and a current collecting unit 57. The vehicle body 16 b has an outline of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that is flat in the vertical direction. Inside the vehicle body 16b, a motor (not shown) for driving each wheel unit 16f and a control circuit (not shown) for controlling the motor are mounted. In this example, as with the child carriage 14, the parent carriage 16 also has a current collecting unit 57, and is configured to drive the motor by the power received from the feeder line 51 via the current collecting unit 57. The configurations of the feed line 51 and the current collection unit 57 will be described later. The loading portion 16 c is formed so as to be recessed downward from the upper surface of the vehicle body 16 b in order to load the child carriage 14. The size of the loading portion 16c is set to a size obtained by adding a sufficient amount of margin to the size of the baby carriage 14 so that the baby carriage 14 can travel in the X-axis direction without interfering with the periphery of the carriage portion 16c. . The wheel unit 16 f travels on the rail 42.

(Wheel unit)
When the clearance 42g is open in the rail 42, it is conceivable that the wheel 16g of the parent carriage 16 fits into the clearance 42g and the traveling of the parent carriage 16 is hindered. For this reason, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the parent carriage 16 includes four sets of wheel units 16f disposed on the front left, right and rear left and right, and each wheel unit 16f is plural (for example, two) Wheel 16g is included. In other words, the wheels 16g of the parent carriage 16 are provided with a plurality of wheels 16g per wheel unit 16f. Since a plurality of wheels 16g are provided for one wheel unit 16f, when one of the plurality of wheels 16g passes over the gap 42g, the other wheel can support the parent truck 16. Therefore, the parent carriage 16 can travel on the rail 42 in which the gap 42g is open.

  A distance between rotation centers of the plurality of wheels 16g is defined as a distance Y3. If the distance Y3 in the Y-axis direction of the plurality of wheels 16g is too small, it is conceivable that the wheel unit 16f may swing up and down when passing through the gap 42g. When the wheel unit 16f swings, there is a concern that the parent truck 16 and the load 12 also swing and adversely affect them. For this reason, in this example, as shown in FIG. 10, the distance Y3 between the plurality of wheels 16g of each wheel unit 16f is set longer than the distance Y1 of the gap 42g. Since the distance Y3 is large, it is possible to reduce the swing when the wheel unit 16f passes through the gap 42g.

  In order to avoid interference with the first stage rail, the shielding wall 34 may be provided with an interference avoiding portion having the same configuration as the interference avoiding portion 32 h of the shielding wall 32. In this case, the clearance mechanism 42 m may not be provided on the first stage rail. The rail 42 may be provided with an open / close gap mechanism having the same configuration as the gap mechanism 40 n of the rail 40 instead of the gap mechanism 42 m.

(Feed line)
Next, the feeder 50 and the feeder 51 will be described. Although only the feed line 50 is described here for simplicity, the feed line 51 also has the same configuration as the feed line 50. The automatic warehouse system 100 includes a feeder 50 for feeding power to the child carriages 14. The feed line 50 extends in the X-axis direction in the vicinity of the rail 40 and functions as a contact wire for feeding the child carriage 14 through the current collection unit. The feed line 50 may be referred to as a trolley line. The feed line 50 is provided such that the gap is not open when the shielding by the shielding wall 32 is not performed, and the gap is open when the shielding by the shielding wall 32 is performed.

  FIG. 12 is a plan view showing the periphery of the gap mechanism 50 m of the feeder line 50 of the automatic warehouse system 100. FIG. 13 is a front view showing the periphery of the gap mechanism 50m. FIG. 13 (a) shows a state in which the gap mechanism 50m is closed, and FIG. 13 (b) shows a state in which the gap mechanism 50m is open. In addition, although the clearance gap of the movable part 50r vicinity and the clearance gap of the edge part 50b vicinity are exaggerated and described for simplicity, it is actually a short space | interval. This interval is preferably as short as possible for the stability of the feed. FIG. 14 is a rear view showing current collection unit 56 which receives power supply from power supply line 50. FIG. 14 shows the current collection unit 56 as viewed from the direction of arrow H in FIG. In these drawings, the description of attachment members such as wires for power transmission and a support for supporting the feeder 50 is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the feed line 50 includes a holding portion 52 and a conductor portion 54. The conductor portion 54 has a conductor base 54 b and a plurality of (for example, five) convex portions 54 c projecting in the Y-axis direction from the conductor base 54 b. The convex portion 54 c is a portion in contact with the current collection unit 56 to supply power. The holding portion 52 covers the conductor portion 54 from the back surface, the upper surface and the lower surface, and holds the conductor portion 54 in an insulated state. The holding portion 52 has a main body portion 52b extending in the Z-axis direction on the back surface side of the conductor portion 54, and a side portion 52c extending in the Y-axis direction from the upper and lower ends of the main body portion 52b. The holding portion 52 is fixed to, for example, the floor 10 g by a support (not shown) or the like.

  The feed line 50 is provided with a gap mechanism 50m configured to have a gap 50g in a region through which the shielding wall 32 passes when the shielding by the shielding wall 32 is performed. In other words, the feeder 50 is configured such that the gap 50g is not empty when the gap mechanism 50m is closed, and the gap 50g is opened when the gap mechanism 50m is open. The gap mechanism 50m includes a movable portion 50r which is a part of the feed line 50. The movable portion 50r is rotatably attached to the end 50b of the feeder 50 around the hinge 50c.

  In a steady state in which the shielding wall 32 is not in contact with the gap mechanism 50m of the feed line 50, as shown in FIG. 13A, the movable portion 50r is continuously disposed on the extension of the end 50b, and the gap mechanism 50m is Is closed. When the shielding wall 32 descends and pushes the movable portion 50r downward, the movable portion 50r pivots and opens the gap mechanism 50m. When the shielding wall 32 is further lowered, as shown in FIG. 13B, the movable portion 50r is further rotated to make the gap 50g empty, and the shielding wall 32 is allowed to pass.

  The movable portion 50r may be biased by biasing means (not shown) such as a spring so as to close the gap mechanism 50m in a steady state. In this case, a stopper 50s may be provided which regulates the position of the movable portion 50r in a steady state. The clearance mechanism 50m may be configured to be opened by the output of a power source (not shown) such as a motor when the shielding wall 32 passes. In this example, when the shielding by the shielding wall 32 is performed, the clearance mechanism 50m of the feed line 50 is configured such that the clearance 50g is opened in accordance with the contact force when the shielding wall 32 contacts. That is, the clearance mechanism 50m is configured to be opened by the gravity of the shielding wall 32.

(Current collection unit)
The current collecting unit 56 of the child carriage 14 will be described. The current collection unit 57 of the parent carriage 16 will not be described, but has the same configuration as the current collection unit 56 of the child carriage 14 described below. The current collection unit 56 contacts the feed line 50 to receive power supply. The current collection unit 56 has a contact made of a conductive material and a support made of an insulating material that supports the contact. In the example of FIG. 12, the current collection unit 56 includes a pair of contact portions 56e and 56f illustrated as the contact portion, and a pair of support arms 56a and 56b illustrated as the support portion. The pair of contact portions 56 e and 56 f are spaced apart and arranged in the X-axis direction so as to be in contact with the conductor portion 54 of the feed line 50. In this example, the pair of contact portions 56e and 56f are rod-like members extending in the X-axis direction. The pair of support arms 56a and 56b are arranged in the X-axis direction so as to support the pair of contact portions 56e and 56f. In this example, the pair of support arms 56a and 56b are rod-like members extending in a direction inclined with respect to the X-axis direction.

  The central portion of the contact portion 56e in the X-axis direction is rotatably attached to the tip of the support arm 56a via a first hinge 56c. The central portion of the contact portion 56f in the X-axis direction is rotatably attached to the tip of the support arm 56b via a first hinge 56c. Proximal end portions of the pair of support arms 56a and 56b are pivotably attached to both sides of the relay portion 56h via a second hinge 56g, spaced apart from each other in the X-axis direction. The pair of contact portions 56e and 56f may be pressed against the conductor portion 54 by applying a predetermined biasing force to the pair of support arms 56a and 56b.

  As shown in FIG. 14, each of the pair of contact parts 56 e and 56 f includes a plurality of (for example, five) contact bodies 56 d arranged to be separated in the Z-axis direction. The plurality of contacts 56 d are arranged to be in contact with the plurality of protrusions 54 c. The plurality of contacts 56 d transmit power to the carriage 14 by lead wires (not shown).

  When one of the contact portions of the current collection unit 56, for example, the contact portion 56e, comes to a position corresponding to the gap mechanism 50m, the contact with the feed line 50 may be somewhat unstable. Even in such a case, since the contact portion 56f is at a position not corresponding to the gap mechanism 50m, power can be supplied normally by the contact portion 56f. This is because the X-direction distance between the contact portions 56e and 56f is equal to or more than the X-direction distance of the gap mechanism 50m.

  Next, an example in which a gap mechanism 50n of another configuration is provided instead of the gap mechanism 50m will be described. FIG. 15 is a front view showing the periphery of the gap mechanism 50 n of the feed line 50. In FIG. 15, the description of the rail 40 and the post 52s described later is omitted. Fig. 15 (a) shows a state in which the gap mechanism 50n is closed, and Fig. 15 (b) shows a state in which the gap mechanism 50n is open. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the feed line 50 taken along the line J-J. In the example of FIG. 12, the conductor portion 54 is disposed laterally facing in the Y-axis direction, whereas in the example of FIG. 15, the conductor portion 54 is disposed downwardly facing in the Z-axis direction. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 16, the pair of contact portions 56e and 56f are in contact with the conductor portion 54 in the Z-axis direction. The holding portion 52 is fixed at a fixed height from the floor 10g by the support 52s.

  The description of the clearance mechanism 50m can be applied to the clearance mechanism 50n. The clearance mechanism 50n operates in the same manner as the clearance mechanism 50m. As shown in FIG. 15A, at the time of steady state, the gap mechanism 50n is closed by the movable portion 50r. As shown in FIG. 15 (b), when the shielding wall 32 is lowered, the movable portion 50r is rotated to open the gap 50g, and the shielding wall 32 is allowed to pass.

(control panel)
Next, other configurations of the control panel 18 and the automatic warehouse system 100 will be described. FIG. 17 is a block diagram of the automatic warehouse system 100 according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 17, the automatic warehouse system 100 further includes a control unit 36, an operation unit 38b, a state detection unit 38c, a first detection unit 38e, and a second detection unit 38f. The control panel 18 is provided in the vicinity of the storage shelf 20, and accommodates the control unit 36 and the operation unit 38b. The control unit 36 controls the operation of the child carriage 14 and the parent carriage 16.

  The operation unit 38 b receives an operation from the user, and outputs the operation result to the control unit 36. The operation unit 38 b receives operations such as start and stop of the automatic warehouse system 100, start and release of shielding of the shielding wall 32 and the shielding wall 34, and retraction of the child carriage 14 and the parent carriage 16. The state detection unit 38 c detects the state of the shielding operation of the shielding wall 32 and the shielding wall 34 in the storage rack 20 due to a fire or the like. The first detection unit 38 e detects the position of the child carriage 14 in the rail 40 and outputs the detection result to the control unit 36. The second detection unit 38 f detects the position of the parent carriage 16 on the rail 42 and outputs the detection result to the control unit 36.

  Each block of the control unit 36 shown in FIG. 17 can be realized by hardware as an element such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) of a computer or by a mechanical device, and software can be realized by a computer program or the like. However, here, the functional block realized by those cooperation is drawn. Therefore, it is understood by those skilled in the art who have been mentioned in the present specification that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by a combination of hardware and software.

  The control unit 36 mainly includes an operation result acquisition unit 36b, a state acquisition unit 36c, a child carriage position acquisition unit 36e, a parent carriage position acquisition unit 36f, a child carriage control unit 36g, and a parent carriage control unit 36h. Included in The operation result acquisition unit 36b acquires the operation result of the user from the operation unit 38b. The state acquisition unit 36c acquires the detection result from the state detection unit 38c. The child carriage position acquisition unit 36e acquires the position of the child carriage 14 from the first detection unit 38e. The parent carriage position acquisition unit 36 f acquires the position of the parent carriage 16 from the second detection unit 38 f. The child carriage control unit 36 g controls the traveling of the child carriage 14. The parent carriage control unit 36 h controls the traveling of the parent carriage 16.

(Retraction operation)
Next, the retraction operation of the child carriage 14 and the parent carriage 16 will be described. If the shielding wall 32 performs a shielding operation in a state where the baby carriage 14 exists on the gap mechanism 40 m, the baby carriage 14 may interfere with the movement of the shielding wall 32. Therefore, the control unit 36 of the automatic warehouse system 100 controls the operation of the baby carriage 14 so that the baby carriage 14 moves to a position where the baby carriage 14 does not contact the shielding wall 32 when shielding by the shielding wall 32 is performed. It is configured. The same applies to the parent carriage 16, and the control unit 36 controls the operation of the parent carriage 16 such that the parent carriage 16 moves to a position not in contact with the shielding wall 34 when the shielding by the shielding wall 34 is performed. Is configured as.

In the description of the retraction operation, the gap mechanism 40m and the gap mechanism 42m are simply referred to as the gap mechanism, and the first detection unit 38e and the second detection unit 38f are simply referred to as the position detection unit.
For example, the following procedure can be adopted as the carriage retraction procedure.
(1) When an emergency state such as a fire is detected or a shielding operation by the user is detected, movement of the shielding wall is started based on the detection, and the carriage is retracted while the shielding wall is moving.
(2) When an emergency state such as a fire is detected or a shielding operation by the user is detected, first, the carriage is retracted, and when the retraction is completed, the movement of the shielding wall is started.
(3) When an emergency condition such as a fire is detected or the shielding operation by the user is detected, the evacuation of the cart is started and the measurement of the elapsed time is started, and the evacuation is completed or the elapsed time is a predetermined time When it exceeds, start moving the shield wall. That is, even if the evacuation is not completed, the movement of the shielding wall is started when the predetermined time has elapsed. In this case, even when the carriage can not be retracted due to a failure or the like, the shielding wall can be moved after a predetermined time has elapsed.

  An example of the evacuation operation of the automatic warehouse system 100 according to the above-described procedure (1) will be described also with reference to FIG. FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing an example of the save operation, and shows a process S80 related to this operation.

  When the process S80 is started, the control unit 36 acquires the operation result of the user from the operation unit 38b and determines whether the shielding operation is performed (step S82). When the shielding operation is performed in step S82 (Y in step S82), the control unit 36 shifts the processing to step S86.

  When the shielding operation is not performed in step S82 (N in step S82), the control unit 36 acquires the detection result from the state detection unit 38c and determines whether the shielding operation of the shielding wall is started (step S84). ). When the shielding operation is started in step S84 (Y in step S84), the control unit 36 shifts the processing to step S86.

  When the shielding operation is not started in step S84 (N in step S84), the control unit 36 returns the process to the beginning of step S82 and repeats the process of step S82 to step S84.

  If it transfers to step S86, the control part 36 will acquire the position of a trolley | bogie from a position detection part (step S86). If the position of the carriage is acquired, the control unit 36 determines whether the carriage is positioned on the clearance mechanism (step S88). If the carriage is located above the clearance mechanism (Y in step S88), the control unit 36 moves the carriage (step S90). In this step, the control unit 36 controls the carriage to travel to a position away from the gap mechanism. After moving the carriage, the control unit 36 returns the process to the beginning of step S86 and repeats the processes of steps S86 to S90.

  If the carriage is not located above the clearance mechanism (N in step S88), the control unit 36 stops the carriage at that position (step S92). This process S80 ends when the carriage is stopped. The above-described process S80 is merely an example, and other steps may be added, some steps may be changed or deleted, or the order of the steps may be changed.

  Next, the operation and effects of the automatic warehouse system 100 according to the embodiment will be described.

  The automatic storage system 100 according to the embodiment is an automatic storage system capable of storing a load 12 and includes a plurality of rails 40 extending in the X-axis direction and a plurality of wheel units 14 f traveling on the rails 40. With a child carriage 14 movable in the X-axis direction, a control unit 36 that operates the child carriage 14 to store the load 12 and moves in the height direction, a predetermined area is shielded. The rail 40 is provided with a gap 40g in a region through which the shielding wall 32 passes when the shielding by the shielding wall 32 is performed. A plurality of wheels 14g are provided per one wheel unit 14f.

  According to this configuration, the shielding wall 32 can pass through the gap 40g and move to the vicinity of the floor 10g. In this case, the shielding effect by the shielding wall 32 can be enhanced as compared to the case where the gap 40g is not provided.

  The automatic storage system 100 according to the embodiment is an automatic storage system capable of storing the load 12 and supplies power to the child carriage 14 and the child carriage 14 movable in the X-axis direction with the load 12 placed thereon. For the purpose, the feed line 50 provided along the X-axis direction, the control unit 36 so as to operate the slave carriage 14 to store the load, and the area in which the slave carriage 14 moves by moving in the height direction are shielded. There is a possible shielding wall 32 so that the gap does not open when the shielding by the shielding wall 32 is not performed and the gap 50g is open when the shielding by the shielding wall 32 is performed. Is provided.

  According to this configuration, the shielding wall 32 can pass through the gap 50g and move to the vicinity of the floor 10g. In this case, the shielding effect by the shielding wall 32 can be enhanced as compared to the case where the gap 50g is not provided.

  The above has been described based on the embodiment of the present invention. It is to be understood by those skilled in the art that these embodiments are exemplifications, and that various modifications and alterations are possible within the scope of the claims of the present invention, and such variations and modifications are also within the scope of the claims of the present invention. It is understood. Accordingly, the descriptions and drawings herein are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive.

  Hereinafter, modified examples will be described. In the drawings and the description of the modification, the same components or members as those of the embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. Descriptions overlapping with the embodiment will be omitted as appropriate, and configurations different from the embodiment will be mainly described.

(First modification)
In the explanation of the automatic warehouse system 100 according to the embodiment, the example in which the feeder 50 for feeding the child carriage 14 and the feeder 51 for feeding the parent carriage 16 are provided has been described, but the present invention is limited thereto I will not. Only one of the feed lines 50 and 51 may be provided. In that case, a battery or the like may be provided to the cart on which the feeder is not provided, and the cart may be moved by the power charged in the battery. Alternatively, power may be supplied by wireless power supply to the bogie in which the power supply line is not provided. In addition, even if the feeders 50 and 51 are not provided to either the child carriage 14 or the parent carriage 16, the rails 40 and 42 are divided as described in the embodiment, and one wheel unit is configured by a plurality of wheels. If so, the shielding effect by the shielding wall can be obtained.

(2nd modification)
Although the example of providing both the child carriage 14 and the parent carriage 16 has been described in the description of the automated warehouse system 100 according to the embodiment, the present invention is not limited thereto. Only one of the child carriage 14 and the parent carriage 16 may be provided.

(Third modification)
In the description of the automatic warehouse system 100 according to the embodiment, the example in which the gap mechanism 50m is provided in the feeders 50 of each of the plurality of floors including the first floor has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The gap mechanism 50 m may not be provided in the first-floor feed line 50. In this case, the shield wall 32 may be provided with a structure for avoiding interference with the feed line 50.

(4th modification)
In the description of the automatic warehouse system 100 according to the embodiment, an example in which the clearance mechanisms 40m and 42m are provided in the rails 40 and 42, respectively, has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. If the clearance mechanism is provided only in either of the rail 40 and the rail 42, the shield wall can pass through the rail on which the clearance mechanism is provided. Therefore, the shielding effect by the shielding wall is preferably provided. You can get it.

(5th modification)
In the description of the automatic warehouse system 100 according to the embodiment, the example in which the parent carriage 16 is not provided with the elevating mechanism has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the parent carriage may be a stacker crane having a lifting mechanism. In this case, the load 12 can be transported in the Y-axis direction and can be vertically moved up and down.

(Sixth modification)
In the explanation of the automatic warehouse system 100 according to the embodiment, an example is described in which the load 12 is carried in and out of the parent carriage 16 by moving the child carriage 14 carrying the load 12 into and out of the parent carriage 16. It is not limited to this. The parent carriage may be provided with a known transfer mechanism such as a movable arm, and the transfer mechanism may load and unload the child carriage 14.

(Seventh modified example)
Although the description of the automated warehouse system 100 according to the embodiment described the example in which the load 12 includes the pallet 12p, the present invention is not limited thereto. It is not essential that the load include pallets, and the automated warehouse system may handle loads that do not include pallets.

Eighth Modified Example
In the description of the automatic warehouse system 100 according to the embodiment, an example is described in which the parent carriage 16 moves only in the Y-axis direction and does not move in the vertical direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a lifting device may be provided to lift and lower the parent carriage 16 in the vertical direction so that the parent carriage 16 can be moved between the stages.

(Ninth modification)
In the description of the automatic warehouse system 100 according to the embodiment, an example is described in which the child carriages 14 are provided in each row of each row, but the present invention is not limited to this. It is not essential for the carriages 14 to be provided in each row of each row, and may not necessarily be provided in each row.

  These modifications provide the same effects as the above-described automatic warehouse system 100 by providing the same configuration as the automatic warehouse system 100 according to the embodiment.

  In the drawings used for the description, the cross sections of some members are hatched in order to clarify the relationship of the members, but the hatching does not limit the material or material of these members.

  100 · · Automatic warehouse system, 12 · · · Load · · 14 child · · · 14c · · · 14f · · wheel unit, 14g · · · · · · · 16 parent wheel, 16f · · · wheel unit, 16g · · · · Wheels · · · · Containing row · 32 · · Shielding wall · 34 · · Shielding wall · 36 · · Control unit 40 · · Rails 40 g · · · 42 · · rail · 42 g · · · · · · · Power supply line, 50g · · · · · · · · · current collection unit, 56e · · · contact portion, 56f · · · contact portion.

Claims (14)

An automated warehouse system capable of storing loads,
A first rail extending in a first direction;
A plurality of wheel units traveling on the first rail, and a first carriage movable in the first direction with a load placed thereon;
A control unit that operates the first carriage to control storage of a load;
A shielding wall capable of shielding a predetermined area by moving in the height direction;
The first rail is provided with a first gap in a region through which the shielding wall passes when the shielding by the shielding wall is performed,
The automatic warehouse system, wherein the first carriage has a plurality of wheels per wheel unit.   The automatic warehouse system according to claim 1, wherein a distance between the plurality of wheels per one wheel unit is longer than a distance of the first gap. A second rail extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction;
A plurality of wheel units traveling on the second rail, and a second carriage movable in the second direction with the first carriage mounted thereon;
The automatic warehouse system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first carriage is movable in the first direction with a load placed thereon. The second rail is provided with a second gap in a region through which the shielding wall passes when the shielding by the shielding wall is performed,
The automatic warehouse system according to claim 3, wherein the second carriage is provided with a plurality of wheels per wheel unit. A second rail extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction;
A plurality of wheel units traveling on the second rail, and further comprising a second carriage movable in the second direction with a load placed thereon;
The automatic warehouse system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first carriage is movable in the second direction with the second carriage placed thereon. There are N (N ≧ 2) or more stages of storage racks that can store loads, in the height direction.
The first rail is provided for each of the N or more storage rows,
In the area where the shielding wall passes when the shielding by the shielding wall is performed, the first gap corresponding to the Nth housing row is provided with the first gap, and the first housing row is provided. The automatic warehouse system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first clearance corresponding to the first rail is not provided.   The control unit controls the operation of the first carriage so that the first carriage moves to a position where the first carriage does not contact the shielding wall when the shielding by the shielding wall is performed. The automatic warehouse system according to any one of 1 to 6. It further comprises a feeder provided along the first direction to feed the first carriage,
The feed line is provided so that a gap does not open when the shielding by the shielding wall is not performed and a gap is opened when the shielding by the shielding wall is performed. The automatic warehouse system according to any one of Items 1 to 7.   The said feed line is provided so that a clearance gap may be opened according to the contact force when the said shielding wall contacts, when shielding by the said shielding wall is performed. Automatic warehouse system.   The first carriage has a pair of contact portions arranged to be separated in the first direction so as to contact the feed line, and a support portion for supporting the pair of contact portions. The automatic warehouse system according to claim 8 or 9.   The automatic warehouse system according to claim 10, wherein the pair of contact portions are rotatably supported with respect to the support portion. An automated warehouse system capable of storing loads,
A first carriage movable in a first direction;
A feed line provided along the first direction to feed the first carriage;
A control unit that operates the first carriage to control storage of a load;
A shielding wall capable of shielding an area in which the first carriage moves by moving in the height direction;
The automatic feeding line is provided such that a gap does not open when the shielding by the shielding wall is not performed and a gap is opened when the shielding by the shielding wall is performed. Warehouse system.   The first carriage has a pair of contact portions arranged to be separated in the first direction so as to contact the feed line, and a support portion for supporting the pair of contact portions. The automatic warehouse system according to claim 12.   The automated warehouse system according to claim 13, wherein the pair of contact portions are rotatably supported with respect to the support portion.

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