JP2019142722A - Automatic warehouse system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an automatic warehouse system that can easily transport equipment required for working at a storage shelf in the event of collapse of cargo or the like in the depths of the storage shelf for a worker to work at the storage shelf by moving into the depths.SOLUTION: An automatic warehouse system 100 capable of storing cargo 12 has a first carriage 14 that carries the cargo 12 and moves in a first direction, and a second carriage 16 that moves in the first direction and is different than the first carriage 14.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic warehouse system.

  There is known an automatic warehouse system that can efficiently store and load a large number of loads in a small space. Various configurations have been proposed for automatic warehouse systems. For example, Patent Document 1 includes a transport carriage that carries a specified article into or out of a predetermined storage unit in a large warehouse where a plurality of storage shelves that can accommodate a plurality of articles are arranged. The warehouse is listed. In the warehouse described in Patent Document 1, it is possible to self-travel on a rail on which a transport carriage is laid and to access a designated storage shelf.

JP, 2015-157683, A

The present inventors have obtained the following recognition regarding the automatic warehouse system.
In an automatic warehouse system, in order to automate the loading / unloading of loads to / from the storage shelves, it is conceivable to provide rails connected to the respective storage shelves and transport the loads by means of carts that can run on the rails. In such an automatic warehouse system, when an event such as load collapse occurs on a storage shelf or a cart, it is conceivable that an operator manually performs a recovery operation.

When such an event occurs at a deep part of the rail, the worker needs to move to that part and perform work. In this case, in the warehouse described in Patent Document 1, since the storage shelves are long in the rail extending direction, there is a problem that it cannot be said that it is easy to transport equipment necessary for work and to move workers. is there. Such a problem can occur not only in the above-described work but also in various types of work such as maintenance and inventory.
From these, the present inventors have recognized that there is room for improvement in the automatic warehouse system from the viewpoint of easily transporting equipment necessary for working on the storage shelf.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic warehouse system capable of easily transporting necessary equipment when working on a storage shelf.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, an automatic warehouse system according to an aspect of the present invention is an automatic warehouse system capable of storing a load, and includes a first cart that carries a load and moves in a first direction, and a first direction. And a second carriage different from the first carriage.

  According to this aspect, since the second carriage is provided in addition to the first carriage on which the load to be stored is mounted, the work equipment can be easily conveyed to the work location.

  Note that any combination of the above-described constituent elements, and those obtained by replacing the constituent elements and expressions of the present invention with each other between methods and systems are also effective as an aspect of the present invention.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the automatic warehouse system which can convey easily required equipment when working with a storage shelf can be provided.

It is a top view showing roughly an example of an automatic warehouse system concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a top view which shows arrangement | positioning of the storage shelf of the automatic warehouse system of FIG. It is a front view which shows roughly the automatic warehouse system of FIG. It is a front view which shows arrangement | positioning of the storage shelf of the automatic warehouse system of FIG. It is a side view which shows roughly an example of the 1st trolley | bogie and the 2nd trolley | bogie of the automatic warehouse system of FIG. It is a top view of the 1st trolley | bogie of FIG. It is a front view of the 2nd trolley | bogie of FIG. It is a top view which shows roughly an example of the 3rd trolley | bogie of the automatic warehouse system of FIG. It is a side view of the 3rd trolley | bogie of FIG. It is another side view of the 3rd trolley | bogie of FIG. It is a side view which shows the state which mounted the 2nd trolley | bogie of FIG. 5 on the pallet. It is a top view which shows roughly an example of the stacker crane of 2nd Embodiment. It is a side view of the stacker crane of FIG. It is a side view which shows the 2nd trolley | bogie in the state mounted on the rail which concerns on a modification. It is a side view which shows the 2nd trolley | bogie in the state mounted on the another rail which concerns on a modification.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on a preferred first embodiment with reference to the drawings. In the embodiment, the comparative example, and the modified example, the same or equivalent components and members are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated description is appropriately omitted. In addition, the dimensions of the members in each drawing are appropriately enlarged or reduced for easy understanding. Also, in the drawings, some of the members that are not important for describing the embodiment are omitted.
In addition, terms including ordinal numbers such as first and second are used to describe various components, but this term is used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from other components. However, the constituent elements are not limited.

[First Embodiment]
The configuration of the automatic warehouse system 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing an example of an automatic warehouse system 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the storage shelves 20 of the automatic warehouse system 100. FIG. 3 is a front view schematically showing the automatic warehouse system 100. FIG. 4 is a front view showing the arrangement of the storage shelves 20 of the automatic warehouse system 100. In these drawings, descriptions of columns and beams that are not important for explanation are omitted, and the same applies to the following drawings.

  For convenience of explanation, as shown in the figure, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system in which a certain horizontal direction is the X-axis direction, a horizontal direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction is the Y-axis direction, and a direction orthogonal to both, that is, the vertical direction is the Z-axis direction. Determine. The positive direction of each of the X axis, Y axis, and Z axis is defined in the direction of the arrow in each figure, and the negative direction is defined in the direction opposite to the arrow. Further, 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 direction side of the Y axis may be referred to as “front side”, the negative direction side of the Y axis as “rear side”, the positive direction side of the Z axis as “upper side”, and the negative direction side of the Z axis as “lower side”. is there. Such notation of the direction 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. In the following description, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system will be used, but the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction do not necessarily have to be orthogonal to each other as long as they intersect at about 90 degrees.

  First, the overall configuration of the automatic warehouse system 100 will be described. The automatic warehouse system 100 is a system including a storage shelf 20 that can store a large number of loads 12. The automatic warehouse system 100 includes a storage shelf 20, a first carriage 14, a second carriage 16, a third carriage 18, a first rail 40, a second rail 44, a power feeding unit 34, an elevating mechanism 36, And a control unit 48. The storage shelf 20 stores the load 12. In the first embodiment, the X-axis direction is illustrated as the first direction, and the Y-axis direction is illustrated as the second direction. The first rail 40 is connected to the storage unit 26 and extends in the X-axis direction. The power feeding unit 34 is a power feeding line that extends in the Y-axis direction in the vicinity of the second rail 44. The power feeding unit 34 may be referred to as a trolley wire.

  The first carriage 14 travels on the first rail 40 in the X-axis direction. The second carriage 16 is another carriage different from the first carriage 14 and travels on the first rail 40 in the X-axis direction in the same manner as the first carriage 14. The second carriage 16 can transport workers and work equipment to the target storage unit 20p that is a work target. The third carriage 18 travels on the second rail 44 in the Y-axis direction. When the first cart 14, the second cart 16, and the third cart 18 are collectively referred to, they may be simply referred to as “carts”. Further, when the first carriage 14, the third carriage 18, the first rail 40, and the second rail 44 are summarized, they may be simply referred to as “internal transport mechanism”. The control unit 48 controls the operations of the first carriage 14 and the third carriage 18. The elevating mechanism 36 elevates the first carriage 14 and the second carriage 16 in the Z-axis direction between the storage stages 22.

  In the first embodiment, the load 12 is handled in a state of being placed on the pallet 12p. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the load 12 may be handled alone without using the pallet. In addition, conveying the load 12 on the pallet 12p is simply referred to as conveying the load 12.

(Storage shelf)
The storage shelf 20 is a high-density storage type storage space that cannot store a large number of loads 12. The configuration of the storage shelf 20 is not particularly limited as long as a plurality of loads 12 can be accommodated and stored. In this example, the storage shelf 20 includes a plurality of (for example, three) storage stages 22 stacked in layers in the vertical direction. The load 12 is introduced into each storage stage 22 by a forklift or the like. Each storage stage 22 includes a plurality (for example, six) storage rows 24 arranged in the Y-axis direction, and each storage row 24 includes a plurality (for example, six) storage units 26 connected in the X-axis direction. . The storage unit 26 is a unit for storing the load 12. At the end of each storage row 24 on the second rail 44 side, an entrance / exit 24b for taking in and out the load 12 is provided.

(rail)
The first rail 40 extends in the X-axis direction in the storage row 24. The second rail 44 extends in the Y-axis direction in the vicinity of the entrance / exit part 24 b of the storage row 24. When the 1st rail 40 and the 2nd rail 44 are named generically, it may only be called a rail.

(First car)
Next, the 1st trolley | bogie 14 is demonstrated with reference to FIG. 5, FIG. FIG. 5 is a side view schematically showing an example of the first carriage 14 and the second carriage 16. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the first carriage 14. In FIG. 5, the storage shelf 20 includes a plurality of vertical columns 20 n extending in the Z-axis direction and a plurality of horizontal beams 20 m extending in the Y-axis direction. The plurality of vertical columns 20n and the plurality of horizontal beams 20m are arranged at a predetermined interval to form a framework of the storage shelf 20. In this example, a cross section along the YZ plane perpendicular to the extending direction of the first rail 40 (hereinafter simply referred to as a cross section) is an angular C-shape. In addition, the angular C-shape includes shapes having different vertical widths and angular U-shapes that are horizontally oriented. The first rail 40 is mainly supported by the horizontal beam 20m. The upper surface of the first rail 40 is configured to be able to mount the load 12 and functions as the storage unit 26.

  The first carriage 14 travels in the X-axis direction on the first rail 40 in the storage row 24 in order to transport the load 12. The first carriage 14 puts the load 12 in and out of the storage unit 26. The first carriage 14 travels on the third carriage 18 in the X-axis direction in order to get on and off the third carriage 18.

  The first carriage 14 mainly includes a vehicle body 14b, a placement portion 14c, a lift mechanism 14d, and a plurality of (for example, four) wheels 14f. The vehicle body 14b has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outline that is flat in the vertical direction. A motor (not shown) that drives a plurality of wheels 14f, a control circuit (not shown) that controls the motor, and a battery (not shown) are mounted inside the vehicle body 14b. The first carriage 14 is configured to drive the motor with battery power. The battery may be a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery that can be repeatedly charged.

  The placement portion 14c is a portion that lifts and holds the load 12. The lift mechanism 14d is a mechanism that raises and lowers the placement portion 14c. In FIG. 5, the placement portion 14c indicated by P is in a raised state, and the placement portion 14c indicated by Q is in a lowered state. The lift mechanism 14 d can lift the loading portion 14 c and lift the load 12 from the storage portion 26. The lift mechanism 14 d can lower the placement unit 14 c and lower the load 12 to the storage unit 26. The plurality of wheels 14 f can roll on the first rail 40 and the third carriage 18.

(Second car)
Next, the 2nd trolley | bogie 16 is demonstrated with reference to FIG. 5, FIG. FIG. 7 is a front view of the second carriage 16. The second carriage 16 travels on the first rail 40 in the X-axis direction separately from the first carriage 14, and conveys the worker 8, work equipment, and the like to the target storage unit 20p (see also FIG. 1). It is a trolley. The second carriage 16 includes a drive mechanism 16a, a vehicle body 16b, a floor portion 16c, an axle 16d, a fall prevention mechanism 16e, a plurality of (for example, four) wheels 16f, a brake mechanism 16m, and a brake control mechanism 16n. And including.

  The drive mechanism 16a is a mechanism for rotationally driving the wheel 16f. The vehicle body 16b has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outline that is flat in the vertical direction. A driven gear 16k is mounted inside the vehicle body 16b. The driven gear 16k is one of the components of the drive mechanism 16a. The floor portion 16c is a plate-like member provided above the vehicle body 16b. In this example, the worker 8 or work equipment can be mounted. In this case, the worker 8 or a work member can be mounted and moved to the target storage unit 20p. In particular, the second carriage 16 is for carrying a person such as the worker 8 and has a safety measure to be described later. In this case, the worker 8 or the like can be put on the second carriage 16 and can be safely moved on the first rail 40 to the target storage unit 20p. The floor portion 16c may be provided with a plurality of holes so that the operator 8 can visually observe the lower side from the floor portion 16c. The floor portion 16c may include a lattice-like or mesh-like portion.

  The axle 16d is an axis for attaching the wheel 16f. In this example, two axles 16d extending in the Y-axis direction are provided apart from each other in the X-axis direction. One axle 16d is coupled to the center of the driven gear 16k, and transmits the rotational force from the drive mechanism 16a to the wheel 16f. The four wheels 16f are arranged at the four corners of the vehicle body 16b and can roll on the first rail 40 and the third carriage 18.

(Drive mechanism)
The drive mechanism 16a will be specifically described. The drive mechanism 16a rotationally drives some or all of the plurality of wheels 16f by electric power, human power, or a combination thereof. In this example, the two wheels 16f are manually driven. In this case, since the second carriage 16 does not travel unless the operator 8 manually drives it, the possibility that the second carriage 16 travels unintentionally can be reduced and safety can be improved. In this example, the drive mechanism 16a includes a drive gear 16g, a handle 16h, a chain 16j, and a driven gear 16k.

  The drive gear 16g is a chain wheel that is rotatably provided above the floor portion 16c. The handle 16h is a handle provided on the drive gear 16g, and the drive gear 16g can be rotated by the operator 8 turning it. The chain 16j is a mechanical element that spans between the driving gear 16g and the driven gear 16k and transmits the driving force therebetween. The chain 16j may be referred to as a roller chain. The driven gear 16k is a chain wheel fixed to one axle 16d below the floor portion 16c. The driven gear 16k rotates according to the rotation of the drive gear 16g. The wheel 16f is provided on the axle 16d and is driven to rotate according to the rotation of the driven gear 16k.

(Fall prevention mechanism)
The fall prevention mechanism 16 e is a mechanism for preventing a person or equipment from falling from the second carriage 16. In this example, the fall prevention mechanism 16e is a fence that extends upward from the end of the floor 16c to partition the space. This fence may be provided on each of the four surfaces surrounding the second carriage 16. In this example, the fence is provided in parallel to the XZ plane on the front side and the back side of the second carriage 16 and is not provided on the side surface side. In this case, the worker 8 can easily get on and off the second carriage 16 from the side surface side, and can easily work by extending his arm from the side surface side. A fence may also be provided on the side surface (surface parallel to the YZ plane) of the second carriage 16. It is preferable that the height of the side fence is lower than that of the front and back fences. In this case, it is possible not to impair workability and ease of getting on and off. Moreover, it is preferable that at least one of the side fences is attached to be openable and closable. In this case, even if a fence is provided on the side surface, the worker 8 can easily get on and off. Furthermore, a safety belt having one end tied to the fence may be provided as the fall prevention mechanism 16e. By wrapping this safety belt around the body of the worker 8, safety can be further enhanced.

(Brake mechanism)
If the second carriage 16 moves when getting on and off, working, or mounted on the third carriage 18, safety may be impaired. Therefore, the second carriage 16 of the first embodiment has a brake mechanism 16m for restricting the movement of the second carriage 16. In this case, when the brake mechanism 16m is ON, the movement of the second carriage 16 is restricted, so that the worker 8 can safely get on and off and work. In this example, the brake mechanism 16m is provided in a manner that can be easily operated from the inside of the second carriage 16.

  Various known mechanisms can be used as the brake mechanism 16m. In this example, the brake mechanism 16m includes a brake lever (not shown) for operating ON and OFF of the brake mechanism 16m. The brake mechanism 16m is turned on when the brake lever is released, and restricts the movement of the second carriage 16. The brake mechanism 16m is turned off when the brake lever is gripped, and allows the second carriage 16 to move. That is, the brake mechanism 16m can maintain the ON state unless the worker 8 grasps the brake lever, and can prevent unintended movement.

(Brake control mechanism)
If the brake mechanism 16m is unintentionally turned off for some reason, the second carriage 16 may move and the safety may be impaired. Therefore, the second carriage 16 of the first embodiment has a brake control mechanism 16n that controls ON / OFF of the brake mechanism 16m. In this case, when the brake control mechanism 16n is ON, the movement of the second carriage 16 is restricted even when the brake mechanism 16m is OFF, so that safety is further improved. In this example, the brake control mechanism 16 n is provided in a manner that can be operated from the outside of the second carriage 16.

  The brake control mechanism 16n includes a control lever (not shown) for operating the brake control mechanism 16n to turn on and off. The brake control mechanism 16n is turned on when the control lever is set to the first position, and restricts the movement of the second carriage 16 regardless of the state of the brake lever. The brake control mechanism 16n is turned off when the control lever is set at the second position, and allows or restricts movement of the second carriage 16 according to the operation state of the brake lever. That is, by setting the control lever of the brake control mechanism 16n to the first position, it is possible to maintain a state that restricts movement even if the brake lever is erroneously operated, and to prevent unintended movement.

The second carriage 16 is provided with a brake mechanism 16m and a brake control mechanism 16n, so that movement is restricted as follows.
(I) When the brake control mechanism 16n is ON, the movement of the second carriage 16 is restricted regardless of whether the brake mechanism is ON / OFF.
(Ii) When the brake control mechanism 16n is OFF and the brake mechanism 16m is ON, the movement of the second carriage 16 is restricted.
(Iii) When the brake control mechanism 16n is OFF and the brake mechanism 16m is OFF, the movement of the second carriage 16 is not restricted.
By configuring in this way, even if one of the brake mechanism 16m and the brake control mechanism 16n is erroneously operated, the movement of the second carriage 16 is restricted and it is possible to work safely.

(Third cart)
Next, the third carriage 18 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 8 is a plan view schematically showing an example of the third carriage 18. FIG. 9 is a side view of the third carriage 18 and shows a state in which the first carriage 14 is mounted. FIG. 10 is another side view of the third carriage 18 and shows a state where the second carriage 16 is mounted. The third carriage 18 travels on the second rail 44 in the Y-axis direction. The third carriage 18 conveys the first carriage 14 in an empty state or a state in which the load 12 is mounted. The third carriage 18 conveys the second carriage 16.

  The third carriage 18 mainly includes a vehicle body 18b, a recess 18c, a plurality of (for example, four) wheels 18f, and a current collecting unit 38. The vehicle body 18b has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outline that is flat in the vertical direction. A motor (not shown) for driving each wheel 18f and a control circuit (not shown) for controlling the motor are mounted inside the vehicle body 18b. The wheel 18f travels on the second rail 44. The current collecting unit 38 is in contact with a power supply unit 34 described later and receives power supply. The third carriage 18 receives power from the power feeding unit 34 via the current collecting unit 38. The third carriage 18 is configured to drive the motor by the received power.

(Power supply unit)
The power supply unit 34 will be described with reference to FIG. The power supply unit 34 is a member for supplying power to the third carriage 18. The third carriage 18 may be configured such that power is always supplied from the power supply unit 34. For this reason, the power feeding unit 34 is configured to be capable of constantly feeding power to the third carriage 18. As described above, the power feeding unit 34 extends in the vicinity of the second rail 44 along the Y-axis direction. The power feeding unit 34 functions as a contact wire that feeds power to the third carriage 18 through the current collecting unit 38.

(Concave)
Returning to FIGS. The third carriage 18 has a recessed portion 18 c having a concave shape for mounting the first carriage 14 or the second carriage 16 (hereinafter referred to as “mounting carriage”). The recess 18c is formed to be recessed downward from the upper surface of the vehicle body 18b in order to place the mounting carriage. The size of the recess 18c is a size obtained by adding a sufficient amount of margin to the size of the mounting carriage so that the mounting carriage can travel in the X-axis direction without interfering with the periphery of the recess 18c. The mounting carriage travels on the recess 18c. Inside the recess 18c, there is a bottom 18h extending on the lower plane and a pair of side walls 18j extending upward from both sides of the bottom 18h in the Y-axis direction. The bottom 18h is a part of a traveling path on which the mounted carriage travels in the X-axis direction. The pair of side wall portions 18j are opposed to the side wall of the vehicle body of the mounting carriage in the Y-axis direction through a narrow gap.

(Control part)
Returning to FIG. 1, the controller 48 will be described. The control unit 48 has a movement control mode for controlling the second carriage 16 to be movable to the target storage unit, and a normal control mode that does not use the second carriage 16, and these modes are based on an operation result from the user. Switch. In the normal control mode, the control unit 48 controls the operations of the first carriage 14 and the third carriage 18 based on the operation result from the user. In the movement control mode, the control unit 48 controls the operations of the first carriage 14, the second carriage 16, and the third carriage 18 based on the operation result from the user. The control unit 48 can be configured to include, for example, an MPU (Micro Processing Unit). The above is the description of the overall configuration of the automatic warehouse system 100.

(Loading / unloading operation)
Next, with reference to FIG. 1, the carrying-in / out operation of the automatic warehouse system 100 comprised in this way is demonstrated. The automatic warehouse system 100 carries the load 12 from the outside of the warehouse into the warehousing unit 30 by the forklift 50. The automatic warehouse system 100 transports and stores the load 12 carried into the storage unit 30 to a predetermined storage unit 26 by an internal transport mechanism including the first carriage 14 and the third carriage 18. The automatic warehouse system 100 transports the load 12 stored in the predetermined storage unit 26 to the unloading unit 32 by the internal transport mechanism. The automatic warehouse system 100 carries the load 12 transported to the delivery unit 32 out of the warehouse by the forklift 50.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 11, the pallet 16p for storing and transporting the second carriage 16 will be described. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a state in which the second carriage 16 is placed on a pallet 16p for storage / conveyance. The second cart 16 may be stored and transported alone, but in this example, the second cart 16 is stored and transported together with the pallet 16p while being mounted on the pallet 16p. In this case, the labor required for transshipment when the second cart 16 is stored and transported can be reduced.

  In the example of FIG. 11, the pallet 16p is provided with a fork pocket 16q and an L-shaped block 16s. The L-shaped block 16s is fixed to the fork pocket 16q. By providing the fork pocket 16q, the second carriage 16 placed on the pallet 16p can be easily conveyed by a forklift. By providing the L-shaped block 16s, the pallet 16p can regulate the movement of the second carriage 16 in the lateral direction. Since the upper direction of the L-shaped block 16s is opened, the degree of freedom of taking in and out the second carriage 16 can be increased. Instead of the L-shaped block 16s, another mechanism or member capable of restricting lateral movement may be provided. In addition, in the state put on the pallet 16p, the possibility that the second carriage 16 moves on the pallet can be reduced by turning on the brake control mechanism 16n.

(how to use)
Next, an example of how to use the second carriage 16 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 11. When the second carriage 16 is used, the load of the control unit 48 is switched from the normal control mode to the movement control mode by a user operation. In the example of FIG. 1, the second carriage 16 is stored in a predetermined standby place 16u outside the storage shelf 20 in a state of being mounted on the pallet 16p. When the second carriage 16 is used, the forklift 50 transports the second carriage 16 together with the pallet 16p from the standby place 16u to the lifting mechanism 36 and transfers it to the lifting mechanism 36. In this state, the second carriage 16 is raised by the lifting mechanism 36 to the side of the second rail 44 where the third carriage 18 of the target storage stage 22 stands by. At this time, the second carriage 16 is lifted up to the height of the third carriage 18 of the intended storage stage 22 for each pallet 16p. At this time, the second carriage 16 is lifted to a position lower by the height of the pallet 16p than the height at which the first carriage 14 carrying the normal load 12 is lifted. That is, in this state, the lower end position of the wheel 16f of the second carriage 16 becomes the height of the recess 18c of the third carriage 18, and the second carriage 16 is released from the pallet 16p by releasing the brake of the second carriage 16. It can be easily transferred to the recess 18c. In this state, an empty pallet 16p remains on the lifting mechanism 36.

  The third carriage 18 on which the second carriage 16 is mounted is conveyed in the Y-axis direction to the target storage line 24. At this time, from the viewpoint of safety, it is desirable that the brake mechanism 16m and the brake control mechanism 16n are turned on and no person is put on the second carriage 16. When the third carriage 18 arrives at the target storage line 24, the worker 8 moves to the target storage line 24 along a separately provided staircase and the second rail 44. From the viewpoint of safety, it is desirable to provide a floor plate between the second rails 44. When the worker 8 arrives at the intended storage line 24, the worker 8 turns off the brake mechanism 16m and the brake control mechanism 16n, and transfers the second carriage 16 from the recess 18c to the first rail 40 via the entrance / exit 24b. The mechanism 16m and the brake control mechanism 16n are turned on.

  The worker 8 gets into the second carriage 16 on the first rail 40 and turns off the brake mechanism 16m and the brake control mechanism 16n. In this state, the worker 8 rotates the handle 16h of the drive mechanism 16a to cause the second carriage 16 to travel toward the target storage unit 20p on the first rail 40. When the worker 8 arrives at the target storage unit 20p, the worker 8 turns on the brake mechanism 16m and the brake control mechanism 16n to start the target work.

  When the target work is completed, the worker 8 turns off the brake mechanism 16m and the brake control mechanism 16n, reversely rotates the handle 16h, and causes the second carriage 16 to travel toward the entrance / exit part 24b. When the worker 8 arrives at the entrance / exit 24b, the worker 8 gets off and transfers the second carriage 16 to the recess 18c. After the transfer, the worker 8 turns on the brake mechanism 16m and the brake control mechanism 16n of the second carriage 16. In this state, the worker 8 goes out of the storage shelf 20 through the second rail 44 and the stairs.

  Here, the embodiment has been described in which the worker 8 does not get on the second carriage 16 while moving in the Y-axis direction and while moving up and down. However, the worker 8 is also on the move in the Y-axis direction and while moving up and down. Also good. However, in this case, since the second carriage moves by electric power instead of human power during movement in the Y-axis direction and during raising and lowering, it is necessary to ensure safety separately.

When the worker 8 goes outside, the third carriage 18 on which the second carriage 16 is mounted travels to a position beside the lifting mechanism 36. When it reaches the side of the lifting mechanism 36, the brake mechanism 16m and the brake control mechanism 16n are turned off, and the second carriage 16 is transferred to the pallet 16p on the lifting mechanism 36. When the second carriage 16 is transferred to the pallet 16p, the brake mechanism 16m and the brake control mechanism 16n are turned on. In this state, the second carriage 16 is lowered to the height of the forklift 50 by the elevating mechanism 36 and transferred to the forklift 50. The forklift 50 transports the second carriage 16 together with the pallet 16p to the standby place 16u and unloads it. In this state, the second carriage 16 is stored in the standby place 16u together with the pallet 16p.
The above is the description of the method of using the second carriage 16. This method of use is merely an example, and other procedures may be added, some procedures may be changed or deleted, and the order of procedures may be changed.

  When the second carriage 16 is used as described above, the storage stage 22 other than the target storage stage 22 may perform the above-described loading / unloading operation, or a storage stage in the vicinity of the target storage stage 22. In 22, the carry-in / carry-out operation may not be performed, or the carry-in / carry-out operation may not be performed for the entire storage shelf 20. More specifically, the following control may be performed.

  In the movement control mode, the control unit 48 may perform control so as to prohibit loading / unloading (loading / unloading operation) of the load 12 with respect to the storage unit 26 in a predetermined range to which the target storage unit 20p belongs. In this case, it is possible to prevent the operation of the first carriage 14 from becoming an obstacle to the operation of the second carriage 16 in the prohibited predetermined range. Further, in the movement control mode, control is performed so as to allow loading / unloading (loading / unloading operation) of the load 12 to / from the storage units 26 excluding the storage unit 26 within the predetermined range described above. May be. In this case, since the carry-in / carry-out operation can be performed with respect to the storage unit 26 excluding the storage unit 26 within a predetermined range, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the operation efficiency of the automatic warehouse system 100. That is, the operation (for example, maintenance) of the target storage unit can be performed without stopping the operation of the entire storage shelf 20.

Hereinafter, an example of setting the storage unit within a predetermined range will be described with reference to FIG.
(Setting Example 1) Among the storage units 26 of the storage row 24 to which the target storage unit 20p belongs, the target storage unit 20p and the storage unit 20q on the back side of the target storage unit 20p are set as storage units within a predetermined range. Good. In this case, loading / unloading (loading / unloading operation) of the load 12 with respect to the target storage unit 20p and the storage unit 20q on the rear side (opposite side of the entrance / exit 24b) from the target storage unit 20p is prohibited, and the target storage unit 20p The loading / unloading operation of the load 12 is allowed to the storage unit 20s on the side close to the entrance / exit unit 24b. In addition, the loading / unloading operation of the load 12 is performed on the storage units other than the storage line 24 to which the target storage unit 20p belongs.

(Setting Example 2) The storage unit 26 of the storage line 24 to which the target storage unit 20p belongs may be set as a predetermined range of storage units. In this case, loading / unloading (loading / unloading operation) of the load 12 with respect to the target storage unit 20p, the storage unit 20s closer to the entrance / exit part 24b than the target storage unit 20p, and the storage unit 20q farther from the target storage unit 20p. The loading / unloading operation of the load 12 is performed on the storage units other than the storage row 24 to which the target storage unit 20p belongs. In other words, the loading / unloading operation of the load 12 is performed on the storage unit 26 of the storage shelf 20 excluding the storage row 24 to which the target storage unit 20p belongs.

(Setting Example 3) The storage unit 26 of the storage stage 22 to which the target storage unit 20p belongs may be set as a predetermined range of storage units. In this case, loading / unloading (loading / unloading operation) of the load 12 with respect to all the storage units 26 of the one storage stage 22 to which the target storage unit 20p belongs is prohibited, and each stage excluding the storage stage 22 to which the target storage unit 20p belongs. The loading / unloading operation of the load 12 is performed on the storage unit 26 of the storage stage 22.

(Setting Example 4) All the storage units 26 of the storage shelf 20 to which the target storage unit 20p belongs may be set as a predetermined range of storage units. In this setting, in the movement control mode, the loading / unloading operation of the load 12 with respect to all the storage units 26 is prohibited.

  From the viewpoint of safety, the second carriage 16 may be provided with a ceiling (not shown). The ceiling functions to protect the worker 8 from falling objects while partitioning a safe space. The ceiling may be plate-shaped or mesh-shaped.

[Second Embodiment]
A configuration of an automatic warehouse system 200 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the configuration of the third carriage, the other configurations are the same, and the difference will be described mainly. In 2nd Embodiment, the raising / lowering mechanism 64 with which the stacker crane 66 and the stacker crane 66 were equipped is illustrated as a 3rd trolley | bogie.

  FIG. 12 is a plan view schematically showing the stacker crane 66. FIG. 13 is a side view of the stacker crane 66. FIG. 13 shows the stacker crane 66 with the second carriage 16 mounted thereon. In the second embodiment, the second rail 44 is provided only at the lowest stage, and includes a stacker crane 66 that moves on the second rail 44 in the Y-axis direction instead of the third carriage 18. The stacker crane 66 has an elevating mechanism 64, and can raise and lower the mounted carriage (the first carriage 14 or the second carriage 16) in the Z-axis direction. Further, the stacker crane 66 can transport the mounted carriage mounted in the Y-axis direction. That is, in 2nd Embodiment, the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction (height direction) are illustrated as a 2nd direction.

  The stacker crane 66 mainly includes a base portion 66b, a concave portion 18c, four wheels 18f, a pair of support posts 66h, an elevating mechanism 64, and a current collecting unit 38. The base portion 67 b is a plate-like member that is provided in the lower portion of the stacker crane 66 and is flat in the vertical direction. A motor (not shown) for driving the wheels 18f is mounted on the base portion 66b. As an example, the stacker crane 66 is configured to drive the motor by the electric power received from the power supply unit 34 installed on the upper side by the current collecting unit 38.

  The recess 18c is configured to be able to move up and down in a state where the mounting carriage is mounted. The four wheels 18f are rotatably supported at the four corners of the base portion 66b. The pair of pillars 66h are pillars extending in the vertical direction, and guide the recess 18c to be movable up and down. The pair of struts 66h are fixed to the base portion 66b while being separated in the Y-axis direction so as to sandwich the recess 18c therebetween. The support 66h has, for example, a substantially rectangular cross section when viewed from above. The elevating mechanism 64 is a mechanism that drives the recess 18c up and down. The raising / lowering mechanism 64 is provided in the base part 66b in the vicinity of the support | pillar 66h. The elevating mechanism 64 winds and sends out a wire rope (not shown) that suspends the recess 18c, thereby driving the recess 18c up and down. With this configuration, the recess 18c functions as a lifting platform that can be moved up and down. The stacker crane 66 travels on the second rail 44 by rotating the four wheels 18 f on the second rail 44. The stacker crane 66 can travel on the second rail 44 with the load 12 and the loading carriage mounted thereon.

  The second embodiment has the same effects as the first embodiment.

  In the above, it demonstrated based on each embodiment of this invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that these embodiments are illustrative, and that various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the claims of the present invention, and that such modifications and changes are also within the scope of the claims of the present invention. It is where it is done. Accordingly, the description and drawings herein are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

(Modification)
Hereinafter, modified examples will be described. In the drawings and descriptions of the modified examples, the same reference numerals are given to the same or equivalent components and members as those in the embodiment. The description overlapping with the embodiment will be omitted as appropriate, and the configuration different from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

  In the description of the first embodiment, an example in which the first rail 40 has a C-shape with a rectangular vertical cross section perpendicular to the extending direction is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. The cross-sectional shape of the 1st rail 40 should just be what can drive | work the 1st trolley | bogie 14 and the 2nd trolley | bogie 16, for example, L shape, Z shape, etc. may be sufficient as it. FIG. 14 shows the second carriage 16 in a state of being placed on the first rail 40 (A) having a L-shaped cross section, and FIG. 15 is a state of being placed on the first rail 40 (B) having a Z-shaped cross section. The 2nd trolley | bogie 16 is shown.

  In the description of the first embodiment, the drive mechanism 16a uses the chain 16j to transmit the rotational force to the wheels 16f. However, the present invention is not limited to this. As the drive mechanism 16a, a known transmission mechanism other than the chain 16j may be used. The drive mechanism 16a may be configured using a gear train or a worm gear.

  In the description of the first embodiment, an example in which the worker 8 moves along the second rail 44 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. A passage for the worker 8 to move may be provided separately from the second rail 44.

  In the description of the first embodiment, an example in which a floor is not provided between the first rails 40 is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. A plate-like or net-like floor may be provided between the first rails 40.

  In the description of the first embodiment, the example in which the elevating mechanism 36 elevates and lowers the first cart and the second cart 16 is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. The elevating mechanism 36 may elevate the load 12 instead of the first carriage 14 directly between the storage stages 22 in the Z-axis direction.

  In the description of the first embodiment, the example in which the second carriage 16 is driven by rotating the handle is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the second carriage 16 may be driven by stroking a pedal with a leg.

  In the description of the first embodiment, the example in which the second carriage 16 is configured to move manually has been described, but it may be electrically driven. However, unlike the first carriage 14 and the third carriage 18, the second carriage 16 is for carrying a person, and therefore high safety is required. In view of this point, in the first embodiment, the second carriage 16 is manually moved to improve safety. However, as long as safety is ensured, the second carriage 16 may also be configured to move electrically. The second carriage 16 is basically driven by human power, but may be configured to apply auxiliary force by a motor or the like. Further, the second carriage 16 may be driven manually only when a person is riding, and may be driven by a motor when no person is riding.

  In the description of the first embodiment, an example in which the third carriage 18 is provided has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention may have a configuration in which the first carriage 14 and the second carriage 16 are provided, and the third carriage 18 is not provided. For example, a plurality of first rails 40 extending in the X-axis direction are provided in the Y-axis direction, and the load is moved to an arbitrary position in the Y-axis direction by a forklift or the like and loaded on the first carriage 14 on the first rail 40. And then the first carriage 14 may move in the X-axis direction to load the load into the storage position.

  In the description of the first embodiment, an example in which the first carriage 14 and the second carriage 16 move on the same rail (first rail 40) has been shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. A rail for the first carriage 14 and a rail for the second carriage 16 may be provided, and the first carriage 14 and the second carriage 16 may move on different rails. However, when the first carriage 14 and the second carriage 16 move on the same rail, the number of rails can be reduced, so that a larger number of storage lines 24 can be provided, leading to an increase in the number of storages in the warehouse. .

  The second carriage 16 may be configured to be partially foldable. The second carriage 16 may be provided with a fork pocket.

  You may provide the raising / lowering apparatus which raises / lowers the 3rd trolley | bogie 18 to an up-down direction. In this case, the third carriage 18 can be moved between the stages.

  It is not essential to provide the first carriage 14 in each row of each stage, and the first carriage 14 may not be provided in each stage.

  The storage shelf 20 may be composed of one storage row 24. The storage shelf 20 may be composed of one storage line 24.

  It is not essential to uniformly configure the number of storage units 26 in the storage row 24. Depending on the unevenness of the wall of the building that houses the storage shelf 20, the number of storage units 26 that make up the storage row 24 may be provided with a large number of rows and a small number of rows.

  It is not essential to uniformly configure the number of storage rows 24 stacked in the vertical direction. Depending on the height of the ceiling of the building that houses the storage shelves 20, the storage rows 24 may be provided with a region with a large number of steps and a region with a small number of steps.

  It is not essential that the load 12 includes a pallet 12p. The automatic warehouse system may handle loads that do not include pallets.

  Instead of the forklift, the load 12 may be carried in and out by another type of transfer device such as a transfer device having a crane.

  Each of these modified examples has the same effect as the first embodiment.

  Any combination of the above-described embodiments and modifications is also useful as an embodiment of the present invention. The new embodiment produced by the combination has the effects of the combined embodiment and modification.

  12 .... Load, 14 .... first car, 16 .... second car, 16a ... Drive mechanism, 16e ... Fall prevention mechanism, 16m ... Brake mechanism, 16n ... Brake control mechanism, 16u ... Stand-by place , 18, 3rd trolley, 20 ... Storage shelf, 20p ... Target storage unit, 22 ... Storage stage, 24 ... Storage line, 26 ... Storage unit, 36 ... Lifting mechanism, 40 ... 1st Rail, 44 ·· Second rail, 48 ·· Control unit, 50 ·· Forklift, 66 · Stacker crane, 100, 200 ·· Automatic warehouse system.

Claims (12)

An automatic warehouse system capable of storing loads,
A first carriage carrying a load and moving in a first direction;
An automatic warehouse system comprising: a second carriage that moves in the first direction and is different from the first carriage.   The automatic warehouse system according to claim 1, wherein the second cart is for carrying a person.   The automatic warehouse system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second carriage has a fall prevention mechanism for preventing the second carriage from dropping. A first rail extending in the first direction;
4. The automatic warehouse system according to claim 1, wherein both the first cart and the second cart move on the first rail in the first direction. 5. The first cart is configured to move electrically,
The automatic warehouse system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the second carriage is configured to be movable by human power.   The automatic warehouse system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the second carriage has a brake mechanism for restricting movement of the second carriage.   The automatic warehouse system according to claim 6, wherein the second carriage has a brake control mechanism that controls ON / OFF of the brake mechanism. The second carriage is
(I) When the brake control mechanism is ON, the movement of the second carriage is restricted regardless of whether the brake mechanism is ON or OFF;
(Ii) When the brake control mechanism is OFF and the brake mechanism is ON, the movement of the second carriage is restricted;
(Iii) The automatic warehouse according to claim 7, wherein when the brake control mechanism is OFF and the brake mechanism is OFF, the movement of the second carriage is not restricted. system. A second rail extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction;
A third carriage that is mounted on the first carriage and moves in the second direction on the second rail;
The automatic warehouse system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the second cart is configured to be mountable on the third cart. Further comprising an elevating mechanism for elevating and lowering the first carriage;
The automatic warehouse system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the second cart is configured to be movable up and down by the lifting mechanism. The automatic warehouse system includes a plurality of storage units capable of storing loads and has a movement control mode for moving the second carriage to the target storage unit,
The automatic control according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein, in the movement control mode, control is performed so as to prohibit loading and unloading of a predetermined range of storage units to which the target storage unit belongs. Warehouse system.   The automatic warehouse system is characterized in that, when in the movement control mode, the storage unit excluding the storage unit in the predetermined range among the plurality of storage units is controlled to allow loading and unloading. The automatic warehouse system according to claim 11.

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