JP2540119Y2 - Guide rails for transport vehicles - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] In the invention, a notch is provided in a part of a guide rail, which is a traveling route of the carrier, so that the carrier can be switched in a plurality of arranged carrier systems. The present invention relates to a guide rail for a transport vehicle that can easily realize the above.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when a plurality of transport systems of a transport vehicle traveling along a traveling route are provided in parallel, a transport switching device is provided between adjacent transport systems, and the transport vehicle is moved from one side of the transport system to the other. Some are made accessible.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, a linear motor-type carrier 3 (hereinafter referred to as a guide) guided by guide rails 2 laid on the upper surfaces of rack shelves R arranged in a plurality of rows in an automatic warehouse. , A pair of left and right guide rails 2, 2 which are traveling paths of the carrier 3, and a primary side of a linear motor disposed on the upper surface of the rack shelf R at a predetermined interval. In each of the transport systems S1 and S2 comprising a primary coil 4 and a secondary conductor 3B of a linear motor fixed to the lower surface of the vehicle body of the transport vehicle 3, a bogie switching device is provided at one end of both guide rails 2. 20 are installed.

The carriage switching device 20 includes movable rails 21 and 21 slightly longer than the entire length of the transport carriage 3 and a connecting plate that connects the movable rails.
22, a primary coil 4 of a linear motor fixed to an upper surface of the connecting plate 22, a bracket 23 formed on a lower surface of the connecting plate 22, screw bars 27A and 27B, and rotationally driving the screw bars 27. And a transmission mechanism 26 for transmitting the rotation of one screw rod 27A to the other screw rod 27B.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a stacker crane that runs between the rack shelves R and performs various cargo handling operations.

In the system configured as described above, when the transport trolley 3 on the transport system S1 side is moved to the transport system S2, the transport trolley 3 of the transport system S1 is stopped on the movable rail 21 of the trolley switching device 20.

Next, the electric motor 24 is driven to rotate, the screw rods 27A and 27B are rotated, and the bracket 23 meshing with the screw rods is moved horizontally.

Then, when the movable rail 21 is located in the transport system S2, the electric motor 24 is stopped, and the switching of the transport trolley 3 to the transport system S2 is completed.

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the above-described method, the bogie switching device must be provided between every two rack shelves, and the manufacturing cost is reduced.
There is a problem that it becomes expensive.

Moreover, securing a space for installing the bogie switching device in a limited automatic warehouse is an obstacle to improving storage efficiency.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a notch in a part of a guide rail, which is a traveling route of a space carrier, so that the carrier can be moved easily and inexpensively, and the storage efficiency can be improved. Another object of the present invention is to provide a guide rail for a transport trolley, which can switch the trolley without damaging the trolley.

Means for Solving the Problems According to the present invention, a pair of left and right guide rails laid on the upper surface of each rack shelf arranged in a plurality of rows in a warehouse, a vehicle running on the guide rails, and a vehicle running under the vehicle body A transport trolley composed of wheels, a loading / unloading device installed between the rack shelves, and a load supporting device for loading or unloading the load to / from the rack shelves and the transport trolley; and the transport trolley supports loads of the loading / unloading device. In an automatic warehouse provided with an opening through which a tool can be inserted, a guide rail of a transport trolley provided with a cutout portion longer than a gap between front and rear running wheels of the transport trolley in a part of each of the pair of left and right guide rails. Things.

[Operation] According to the present invention, after the transport cart of one of the transport systems is positioned in the notch of the guide rail, the load supporting device of the cargo handling device for loading and unloading the rack shelf and the transport cart is used as the body of the transport cart. The carrier is inserted into the opening, the carrier is taken out of the guide rail, and moved at the position of the notch of the guide rail of another carrier system.

[Embodiment] An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, together with a case where the present invention is suitably used for an automatic warehouse facility.

In FIG. 1 to FIG. 5, R is a rack shelf arranged in a plurality of rows in the automatic warehouse 1, and is composed of a plurality of storage portions R1 in the height direction and the width direction. An address (address) is attached, and various data such as presence / absence of a load in each storage unit R1, a product name, a code number, and a quantity of the load are stored in a central processing unit (not shown) such as a host computer.

Note that, for convenience of description, a unit in the height direction in one storage unit of the rack shelf R will be referred to as a block hereinafter.

Reference numerals 2 and 2 denote guide rails arranged on the upper surfaces of the rack shelves R. The groove portions of the channel members face each other, and blocks on the upper surface of each rack shelf R between the guide rails 2 and 2. The primary coils 4... Of the linear motor are installed for each time.

Also, a part of the guide rail 2 includes the guide rail 2.
Notches 2A, 2A, which are notched above the lower horizontal plane, are respectively formed slightly longer than the interval between the front and rear running wheels of the carrier, and the carrier is moved from the notch 2A to the rack shelf R as described later. It can be moved freely.

Numeral 3 is a linear motor type transport truck (hereinafter simply referred to as a transport truck 3) which travels guided by the guide rails 2 as a transport truck for transporting loads in the automatic warehouse 1.
A secondary conductor 3B is fixed to the lower surface of 3A, and a primary thrust coil 4 provided between the guide rails 2 is excited to obtain a running thrust. In addition, a carrier 3C is formed on the transport vehicle 3,
A predetermined load can be loaded on the loading platform 3C.

Further, a part of the loading platform 3C is provided with a space 3D as an insertion portion into which a slide fork SF of the stacker crane 5 described later can be inserted.

3E is a running wheel that rolls on the horizontal surface of the guide rails 2 and 2, and 3F is a side roller.
2, and are rotatably fixed to four corners of the lower surface of the vehicle body 3A. The configuration of the transport trolley is not limited to this example.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a well-known stacker crane as an example of a cargo handling device, which is installed between rack shelves R, is guided by rails 6 and travels between the rack shelves R, and can be moved up and down on a frame 5A and can move back and forth. And a control device (not shown) built in the vehicle body can transfer the load to and from the rack shelf R and the transport vehicle 3.

Next, a method for entering and exiting the automatic warehouse equipment configured as described above will be described.

First, the resident position S of the stacker crane 5 and the transport trolley 3 is set to a substantially middle point of the distance that the stacker crane 5 can travel. That is, the stacker crane 5 and the transport trolley 3 are waiting at the resident position S while there is no load loading / unloading operation.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the cargo to be stored is provided in a space on the lower surface of the guide rail 2 as a traveling route of the transport vehicle 3, and is provided with a plurality of storage shelves H1. It is stored in a storage shelf H (hereinafter simply referred to as a storage shelf H).

 A transfer machine T is installed in front of the storage shelf H.

When the transfer machine T rotates the electric motor D, the spool SP rotates via the speed reducer G, and one end of the spool SP
Then, the wire W having the other end connected to the lifting frame L is wound up, so that the lifting frame L can move up and down freely.

T1 and T1 are masts that are erected on the left and right, and the lifting frame L is engaged with the lifting frame L, and the lifting frame L is provided with a fork T2 that can move back and forth, and is stored on the storage shelf H1 by the fork T2. The transported load can be supplied to the transport trolley 3 or transferred from the transport trolley 3 to the storage shelf H1.
The primary coil 4 is also fixed to the upper surface of the storage shelf H, similarly to the rack shelf R. Therefore, when a storage instruction is issued from outside, the transport cart 3 is stopped at the upper part of the storage shelf H. ,
The load is loaded by the transfer machine T.

At this time, the address of the storage unit R1, which is the loading position of the load, is instructed from a control panel or the like (not shown) on the ground side.

Next, the transport trolley 3 stores the storage unit R1 of the designated address.
, The address of the storage unit R1 given to the transport trolley 3 is similarly instructed to the stacker crane 5 by a communication device (not shown), and the stacker crane 5 also transmits the address of the address. The vehicle travels to the front of the existing storage unit R1 and stops at this position. Since the transport vehicle 3 has primary coils 4... Provided for each block of the rack shelf R, the primary coils 4 on the upper surface of the block corresponding to the address are excited by direct current, so that the upper surface of the block is The carriage 3 can be stopped, and these controls are performed by the central processing unit (not shown).

In the above state, the stacker crane 5
The load is removed from the loading platform 3C by the slide fork SF, and is placed in the storage section R1 at the designated address.

Thereafter, the stacker crane 5 and the transport vehicle 3 wait at the resident position S until the next processing is performed.

Next, when a release instruction is given from the control panel or the like on the ground side to release the load from the storage unit R1 at the designated address,
The transport trolley 3 and the stacker crane 5 travel to the accommodation unit R1 at the designated address, and stop at the position.

In the above state, the stacker crane 5 takes out the load from the storage unit R1 at the designated address, and
The slide fork SF is lifted and placed on the loading platform 3C,
The transport vehicle 3 transports the load.

If the load being conveyed by the transport cart 3 at the time of unloading is not urgently required, or an emergency load other than the conveyed load is unloaded from the ground control panel (not shown) by interruption processing. Is instructed, the transport cart 3
Travels to the upper part of the storage shelf H, stops, temporarily stores the currently loaded cargo in the storage shelf H1 of the storage shelf H by the transfer machine T, and executes the instructed interrupt processing and the like. can do.

The stacker crane 5 that has completed the unloading operation stops after traveling to the resident position S.

In addition, the movement of the carriage by the guide rail of the present invention is performed as follows.

In FIG. 5, the transport cart 3 of one transport system S1
Is in the standby state at this time, and when the delivery instructions are concentrated even though the transport trolley of the transport system S2 is being transported out of the automatic warehouse 1, the transport trolley 3 of the transport system S1 is notched in the guide rail 2. Position at 2A.

Next, the slide fork SF of the stacker crane 5 is inserted into the space 3D of the transport trolley 3, the slide fork SF is raised, and the transport trolley 3 is taken out from the guide rail 2.

That is, since the notch 2A of the guide rail 2 is cut out above the lower horizontal plane, the traveling wheels 3E and the side rollers 3F of the transport vehicle 3 do not interfere with the guide rail 2 and the transport vehicle 3 Can be taken out.

Then, the slide fork SF on which the transport carriage 3 is placed is positioned above the notch 2A of the guide rail 2 of the transport system S2, and the slide fork SF may be lowered onto the guide rail 2 of the transport system S2 by the reverse operation. Also in this case, as described above,
The traveling wheel 3E and the side rollers 3F do not interfere with the guide rail 2, and the carriage 3 can be freely lowered.

Furthermore, when a large number of shipping orders are indicated,
For example, empty transport vehicles 3... On which no load is loaded are stored in one block of the rack shelf R, and these are sequentially transferred onto the guide rails 2 by the above-described operation, and the unloading operation is performed. You can also.

That is, the slide fork SF of the stacker crane is inserted into the space 3D of the transport trolley 3 stored in the storage portion R1 of the rack shelf R, taken out, and then transported from the notch 2A of the guide rails 2, 2. The carriage 3 can be carried into the guide rails 2, 2.

According to this, after the transfer cart 3 transfers an arbitrary load to the station or the storage shelf H, it is possible to continuously carry out the unloading operation without waiting for returning to the rack shelf R. .

[Effects of the Invention] The present invention is advantageous in terms of cost because it is not necessary to newly provide a bogie switching device for switching the transport vehicles even in a plurality of transport systems by using an existing cargo handling device. In addition, the limited space in the automatic warehouse can be effectively used, and the storage efficiency can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an automatic warehouse facility using the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part for explaining a linear motor type carrier and a guide rail, and FIG. 3 is a temporary storage shelf and a transfer machine. FIG. 4 is a front view of the automatic warehouse equipment, FIG.
FIG. 6 is a front view for explaining the present invention, FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a conventional bogie switching device, and FIG. 7 is a side view thereof. 2 Guide rail 2A Notch 3 Carrier space 3D 5 Stacker crane R Rack shelf

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A pair of left and right guide rails laid on the upper surface of each rack shelf arranged in a plurality of rows in a warehouse, a transport trolley comprising a vehicle body running on the guide rails and running wheels below the vehicle body, A cargo handling device that travels between rack shelves and is provided with a load support for loading or unloading the load on or from the rack shelf and the transport trolley, and the transport trolley has an opening into which the load support of the cargo handling device can be inserted. An automatic warehouse comprising: a guide rail for a transport trolley, wherein a cutout portion is provided at a part of each of the pair of left and right guide rails so as to be longer than a distance between traveling wheels in front and behind the transport trolley.