JP3028695B2 - Stacker crane - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a stacker crane. In particular, the present invention relates to a stacker crane that can accurately position a slide fork of a lifting platform at the center of a frontage of a predetermined rack.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an automatic warehouse for handling loads such as buckets, it is desirable to set a small clearance between pillars of a shelf and loads stored in a rack in order to increase the number of stored loads. As a result, in recent years,
There is a tendency to use sub-columns for shelves that are thinner than the main columns.
However, shelves using such sub-pillars are weak in strength, and in high-rise racks, distortion of the rack occurs,
The slide fork provided on the lifting platform of the crane and the rack are easily displaced.

In order to cope with such a positional deviation, a slide fork of a lifting platform is provided so as to be movable in the traveling direction of the crane, and the stop position is corrected by moving the slide fork to the center of the frontage of the rack. Is known.

FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing such a stacker crane and shelves.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 denotes a crane, and reference numeral 11 denotes a lift that moves up and down along a mast 12 of the crane 10. Reference numeral 13a denotes a moving base of the fork, which is provided so as to be movable in the traveling direction of the crane (the arrow X direction in the figure) with respect to the elevating table 11 by a moving means (not shown) provided on the elevating table 11.

Reference numeral 13 denotes a pair of slide forks, which are arranged on a movable base 13a. 14a and 14b are sensors such as photoelectric switches provided on the fork moving base 13a. These two sensors 14a and 14b are arranged at intervals slightly smaller than the width of the main column T1 of the shelf T.

A control unit 15 controls the movement of the movable base 13a. The control unit 15 includes two sensors 14a, 14
When both the b and the main column T1 are turned on, the signal for stopping the movement of the moving base 13a is sent to the moving means on the assumption that the main column T1 of the shelf T has been detected. ing. Between the main column T1 and the main column T1, a sub column T2 thinner than the main column T1 is arranged in order to secure the above-mentioned clearance.

The pair of slide forks 13 are arranged so as to be positioned at the center of the frontage of the rack TT when the movable base 13a stops.

[0009] According to such a stacker crane, after the crane stops on the side of the shelf T, the elevator moves up and down to a predetermined rack. Thereafter, the moving base 13a starts moving by the moving means. After that, the moving base 13
When a predetermined main column T1 is detected by the sensors 14a and 14b of a, the moving means is controlled by the control unit 15 and the moving base 13a is stopped. Thereby, the slide fork 13 is positioned at the center of the frontage of the predetermined rack TT.

[0010]

The above-mentioned conventional stacker crane has the following problems.

The moving base 13a of the slide fork 13
The stop control is performed when both the sensors 14a and 14b detect the main column T1.

For this reason, the sub column T which is thinner than the main column T1.
2 could not be provided continuously, and there was a limit in securing the clearance between the pillars on the shelf and the load.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to position a slide fork at the center of a frontage of a predetermined rack irrespective of the dimensions of a column of a shelf. To provide a stacker crane that can secure a clearance with the stacker crane.

[0014]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is directed to a rack of shelves having columns of different thicknesses.
Stackers that can load and unload cargo
A chromatography down, and moving means for moving the running direction of the crane with respect to the lifting platform slides fork provided on lifting cranes, provided on the slide fork, a sensor for detecting the corners of the shelf pillars, when this sensor detects a corner of predetermined pillars shelf, slide in the center of the frontage of a given rack
Determines that id fork has moved, the moving means to stop the movement of the slide fork by, Bei and a control unit for positioning the slide fork the opening of the predetermined rack
The sensor is provided in the direction of movement of the slide fork.
Two sensors are arranged side by side.
Only the sensor in the forward direction of the ride fork is ON
Will determine that the corner of the pillar has been detected.
It was going on configuration.

[0015]

[Effects] The stacker crane of the present invention has the above-described structure, and thus has the following effects.

The invention of claim 1According to, Crane lifting
The slide forks are moved by a crane
Can be moved in the row direction. The sensor isslide
Two are arranged side by side in the direction of movement of the fork.
Of these sensors,
The corner of the pillar is detected by turning ON only the sensor
Has been determined to haveFurther, the control means includes:
When the sensor detects the corner of a given pillar,Predetermined rack
Judge that the slide fork has moved to the center of the frontage
do itStop moving the slide fork
BecauseDifferent thicknessWithout distinction of main pillar, sub pillar,
For example,Even if the sub-columns are continuous shelves,
Can reliably detect the movement of the slide fork.
Can be stopped. in this way,Claim 1
According to the stacker crane,Regardless of the dimensions of the columns on the shelf,
Position the slide fork in the center of the front of the rack
And secure clearance between the shelf pillars and the load
There is an effect that can be.

[0017]

[0018]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a stacker crane and a shelf according to the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are schematic plan views in which main parts are enlarged.

In these drawings, reference numeral 1 denotes a crane, which travels along a travel rail R laid on the floor of a building by a travel drive mechanism (not shown). Reference numeral 2 denotes a mast erected on the traveling body of the crane, and reference numeral 3 denotes a lift that moves up and down along the mast 2. As in the conventional example, a movable base 13 movable in the traveling direction of the crane (in the direction of the arrow X in the figure) is provided on the lift 3.
A pair of slide forks 13 is provided on a.

The means for moving the slide fork 13 includes a drive motor 4 and a drive shaft 5 rotated by the drive motor 4.
a, a moving body 5b screwed to the driving shaft 5a and attached to the moving base 13a, and a linear motor guide (not shown) for supporting the moving body 5b.

Reference numerals 6a and 6b denote sensors such as photoelectric switches, which are provided at one end of the fork moving base 13a.
They are arranged side by side in the moving direction of a. This sensor 6
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a and 6b emit a light beam L and detect the corners of the main column T1 or the sub column T2.

Since the sensors 6a and 6b are arranged side by side in the moving direction of the moving base 13a, as shown in FIG. 2, the moving base 13a moves in the direction of the arrow X in FIG.
When the sensor 6a is applied to the main column T1, the sensor 6a detects the main column T1, but the sensor 6b
Does not detect the main column T1 because it is before the main column T1. Thus, the sensor 6a, 6b
When only the sensor 6a at the front of the ride fork 13 in the moving direction is applied to the main pillar T1 and turned ON, it is determined that the main pillar T1 of the shelf T has been detected, and the control unit described later stops the moving base 13a. It is made to let. Sand
In other words, due to a problem with the movement of the moving base 13a, two
When both sensors 6a and 6b are turned on,
Only the sensor 6b behind the moving direction of the fork 13 is the main
When it is turned ON over pillar T1, the main of shelf T
It is not determined that the column T1 has been detected, and the slide
The delivery of the load by the fork 13 is not performed.
No.

Similarly, the sub-column T which is thinner than the main column T1
Even when detected 2 as predetermined pillar, as shown in FIG. 3, the sensor 6a, of 6b, the slide fork
Since only the sensor 6a in the forward direction of the thirteen moves on the sub column T2 and is turned on, the sub column T2 can be detected without any problem. Therefore, even if the sub-post is a continuous shelf, the predetermined post can be reliably detected.

Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 1, the sensors 6a and 6b may be arranged one by one on both sides of the movable base 13a.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a control unit which stops the movement of the slide fork 13 by the moving means when a predetermined corner of the column is detected by the sensors 6a and 6b.

The pair of slide forks 13 are arranged so as to be positioned at the center of the frontage of the rack TT when the movable base 13a stops.

According to such a stacker crane, after the crane stops on the side of the shelf T, the lifting platform moves up and down to a predetermined rack. Thereafter, the moving base 13a starts moving by the moving means. Thereafter, when a predetermined corner of the column is detected by the sensors 6a and 6b of the moving base 13a by the above-described operation, the moving means is controlled by the control unit 7, and the moving base 13a is stopped. As a result, the slide fork 13 is positioned at the center of the frontage of the predetermined rack.

As described above, according to the stacker crane of this embodiment, the slide fork can be positioned at the center of the frontage of a predetermined rack regardless of the dimensions of the columns of the shelf.
The clearance between the pillars on the shelf and the load can be secured.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately modified within the scope of the present invention.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a stacker crane and shelves according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view in which main parts are enlarged.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view in which main parts are similarly enlarged.

FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing a conventional stacker crane and a shelf.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Crane 3 Elevating stand 6a, 6b Sensor 13 Slide fork T shelf T1 Main column T2 Sub column

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B65G 1/00-1/20 B66F 9/07

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] (1) A rack of shelves provided with columns having different thicknesses.
With a stacker crane that can load and unload
There, a moving means for moving the slide fork provided on lifting cranes the running direction of the crane with respect to the lifting platform, provided on the slide fork, a sensor for detecting the corners of the shelf pillars, this sensor When the corner of the specified column of the shelf is detected , the slide
Determines that forks have been moved, to stop the movement of the slide fork by said moving means, and a control unit for positioning the slide fork the opening of the predetermined rack, before
The sensors are arranged in the moving direction of the slide fork.
Two of these sensors are located on the slide
Only the sensor in the forward direction of the fork is turned ON
As a result, it came to judge that the corner of the pillar was detected
A stacker crane.