JP3086841B2 - Goods lifting equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an article lifting apparatus capable of lifting an article such as a cardboard box by a predetermined amount only by moving in a horizontal direction.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an apparatus for lifting an article such as a cardboard box, there is an apparatus provided with a robot hand which can be moved horizontally and vertically and which can hold a cardboard box. In such an apparatus, when lifting the cardboard box, the robot hand is moved in the horizontal and vertical directions and positioned near the cardboard box, and then lifted while holding the cardboard box to lift the cardboard box.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional apparatus, when lifting the cardboard box, in addition to the operation of moving the robot hand in the horizontal and vertical directions, the operation of holding the cardboard box by the robot hand is indispensable. In addition, in order to grip various cardboard boxes having different sizes and shapes, it was necessary to precisely control the movement of the robot hand in the gripping operation. For this reason, there has been a problem that the complexity of the mechanism and an increase in cost are unavoidable, and it is difficult to reduce the size of the device.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide an article lifting apparatus capable of lifting an article by a predetermined amount only by horizontal movement.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to provide an elastic member (2) which is brought into horizontal contact with the side surface of an article (10).
0), a driving means (21) for reciprocating the elastic body (20) in the horizontal direction, and an ejection inserted below the article
A deformable portion (22) is provided at a portion of the elastic body (20) which is in contact with the article (10), and the deformable portion (22) is provided with the elastic body (20).
Previously but when it is abutting the horizontally article (10) by said drive means (10), pressed against the article (10)
Along the horizontal direction, so that the edge causes upward deformation
This is achieved by an article lifting device characterized by being formed as a projection .

[0006]

An article lifting apparatus according to the present invention, an object
The tip of the deformed part that comes into contact with the product
As a convex along the horizontal direction so that
Due to the formation, when the elastic body is brought into contact with the article from the horizontal direction by the driving means, the deformed portion is pressed against the article and undergoes a required deformation such that the article moves upward. Here, the contact portion between the deformed portion and the article does not change, and the deformed portion is deformed to flutter upward, so that the article moves upward with respect to the elastic body, and as a result, the height corresponding to the deformation amount is increased. , The goods are lifted. When the article is lifted,
The removal plate is inserted into the
The product can be placed on the take-out plate by separating it from the
Items can be transferred.

[0007]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG.
However, prior to the description of the embodiment, a reference example will be described. Figure 1
FIG. 3 is a reference example used in the first embodiment of the present invention.
It is a figure which shows all the article lifting apparatuses . In these figures, an elastic body 20 is moved in a horizontal direction by an air cylinder 21 and is brought into contact with a side surface of a cardboard box 10 as an article placed on a floor surface such as a warehouse. A deformable portion 22 is provided on the distal end surface of the elastic body 20 which is in contact with the cardboard box 10.
Is provided. When the elastic body 20 is brought into contact with the cardboard box 10, the deforming portion 22 generates a required deformation such that the elastic body 20 is pressed against the cardboard box 10 and flutters upward, and a predetermined amount B corresponding to the deformation amount A is provided. Lift off the floor.

An elastic body 20 made of rubber, resin, or the like is fixed to the tip of a cylinder rod 23 of an air cylinder 21 and can reciprocate linearly in the horizontal direction with the operation of the air cylinder 21. That is, when the cardboard box 10 is lifted, the elastic body 20 is horizontally moved to the cardboard box 10 side (the right side in FIG. 2) with the operation of the air cylinder 21 and is brought into contact with the left side surface of the cardboard box 10 from the horizontal direction. You. When the cardboard box 10 is lowered, the elastic body 20 is horizontally moved to the opposite side (left side in FIG. 2) with the operation of the air cylinder 21 and is separated from the cardboard box 10.

The deformable portions 22 are provided on the surface of the elastic body 20 which is in contact with the cardboard box 10 in a plurality of steps (three steps in this embodiment ) along the horizontal direction. Formed. That is, each deformed portion 22 has an upper surface 24
Are cut substantially horizontally, and the lower surface 25 is cut obliquely downward at about 45 degrees from the horizontal plane. Each deformation part 22
FIG. 3 shows that when the elastic body 20 is brought into contact with the cardboard box 10,
As shown in (1), a required deformation is generated such that it is pressed against the cardboard box 10 and flutters upward, that is, upwards. Assuming that the deformation amount at this time is A, the cardboard box 10 is slightly swung clockwise around the lower end of the right side surface as a fulcrum, and the left side surface is lifted from the floor by a predetermined amount B corresponding to the deformation amount A. Can be

[0010] At the lower end of the right side of the corrugated cardboard box, which is the pivot of the cardboard box 10, friction occurs between the corrugated cardboard box 10 and the floor, so that the cardboard box 10 does not move on the floor. When the cardboard box 10 is likely to move on the floor when the friction with the cardboard box 10 is particularly small, a pressing plate (not shown) that contacts the right side surface of the cardboard box 10 is provided, and the elastic body 20 moves to the right. It is necessary to prevent the movement of the cardboard box 10 against the pressing force of the cardboard box 10.

The operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The elastic body 20 is horizontally moved toward the cardboard box 10 with the operation of the air cylinder 21 and is brought into contact with the left side surface of the cardboard box 10 from the horizontal direction as shown in FIG. At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, each deforming portion 22 is pressed against the cardboard box 10 and undergoes a required deformation such as fluttering upward. As a result, the cardboard box 10 is slightly swung clockwise about the lower end of the right side surface as a fulcrum, and is lifted off the floor by a predetermined amount B corresponding to the deformation amount A of the deformation portion 22.

FIG. 4 is a view showing an article lifting apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In this figure, an air cylinder 21 and an elastic body 20 are movable in the vertical and horizontal directions, and a large number (in the present embodiment, two rows of three rows in total, six in total in this embodiment) of pallets 12 are stacked. Box 10
Of these, it is operated in a state where it is positioned near the cardboard box 10 to be lifted. Other configurations are the same as those of the reference example .

In such an apparatus, first, the air cylinder 21 and the elastic body 20 are moved to the upper left cardboard box 10.
Is positioned in the vicinity of. In this state, the elastic body 2
0 is horizontally moved with the operation of the air cylinder 21,
The left upper side of the cardboard box 10 is abutted from the horizontal direction. At this time, the deformed portion 22 undergoes a required deformation such as being pressed against the cardboard box 10 and fluttering upward. Assuming that the deformation amount is A, the cardboard box 10 is slightly swung clockwise in the clockwise direction with the upper right end of the right side contacting the upper right cardboard box 10 as a fulcrum, and a predetermined amount B corresponding to the deformation amount A.
Only the cardboard box 10 at the left middle stage is lifted from the upper surface 24.

The lifted cardboard box 10 is carried out by a take-out plate 11 which is reciprocated in the horizontal direction. That is, the take-out plate 11 is inserted from the horizontal direction into a gap of the predetermined amount B generated between the lifted cardboard box 10 and the left middle cardboard box 10. In this state, when the elastic body 20 is horizontally moved to the original position by the operation of the air cylinder 21, the cardboard box 1
0 is placed on the extraction plate 11. Cardboard box 1
The take-out plate 11 on which “0” is placed is retracted in the horizontal direction, and the cardboard box 10 is carried out of the pallet 12.

Next, the air cylinder 21 and the elastic body 20
It is positioned near the left middle cardboard box 10. In this state, the elastic body 20 lifts the left middle cardboard box 10 through the same process as described above. The lifted cardboard box 10 is carried out by the take-out plate 11. The same applies to the lower left cardboard box 10. When lifting the upper right cardboard box and the right middle cardboard box 10, a pressing plate (not shown) or the like is brought into contact with the right side surface of the cardboard box 10 to oppose the rightward pressing force of the elastic body 20. The rightward displacement of the cardboard box 10 is prevented.

As described above, according to the first embodiment , the elastic body 20 is moved by the air cylinder 21 to the cardboard box 10.
When the deformed portion 22 is abutted from the horizontal direction on the side surface of the deformed portion 22, the deformed portion 22 is pressed against the cardboard box 10 and undergoes a required deformation such that the deformed portion flutters upward. The cardboard box 10 can be lifted. That is, since the deformable portion 22 is configured to generate a required deformation for lifting the cardboard box 10 by a predetermined amount by a simple operation of horizontally moving the elastic body 20 by the air cylinder 21, a complicated mechanism such as a robot hand is required. Without doing so, the cardboard box 10 can be lifted by a predetermined amount, which can reduce costs and reduce the size of the apparatus.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show an article lifting apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In these drawings, a large number of air cylinders 21 and elastic bodies 20 are stacked on the pallet 12 (in this embodiment,
The cardboard boxes 10 (three in three rows in total) are placed opposite to each other with the cardboard box 10 interposed therebetween, and the upper or lower three boxes are lifted at a time. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment described above.
The elastic bodies 20 and 20 are positioned in the vicinity of the cardboard box 10 at both ends of the step to be lifted by being moved vertically and horizontally.

In such an apparatus, first, each of the air cylinders 21, 21 and the elastic members 20, 20 are positioned near the cardboard box 10 at both ends of the upper stage. In this state, each of the elastic bodies 20 and 20 is
As shown in FIG. 5, with the operation of No. 1, the left side of the cardboard box 10 at the upper left end and the right side of the cardboard box 10 at the upper right end are respectively abutted. At this time, each deformation part 22
As shown in FIG. 6, a required deformation occurs such that the cardboard box 10 is pressed against the cardboard box 10 and flutters upward. Thereby, the cardboard boxes 10 at both ends of the upper stage are lifted up by a predetermined amount B corresponding to the deformation amount A of the deforming portion 22, respectively. Is lifted by a predetermined amount B.

The lifted upper cardboard box 10 is
It is carried out by the take-out plate 11. That is, the take-out plate 11 is inserted from the horizontal direction between the lifted upper cardboard box 10 and the lower cardboard box 10. In this state, when the elastic bodies 20, 20 are returned to the original position in the horizontal direction, the lifted upper cardboard box 10 is placed on the take-out plate 11. The take-out plate 11 on which the cardboard boxes 10 are placed is retracted in the horizontal direction, and the upper cardboard boxes 10 are carried out of the pallet 12 at one time.

Next, the air cylinders 21, 21 and the elastic members 20, 20 are positioned near the cardboard box 10 at both ends of the lower stage. In this state, each elastic body 20
The lower cardboard box 10 is lifted at a time through the same process as described above. The lifted lower cardboard box 10
It is carried out by the take-out plate 11.

As described above, according to the second embodiment , the
In addition to the configuration of the first embodiment , a cardboard box 1 for lifting the air cylinders 21 and 21 and the elastic bodies 20 and 20
Since the two elastic members 20 and 20 are arranged opposite to each other with a simple operation of linear reciprocating movement of each elastic body 20 in the horizontal direction without requiring a complicated mechanism such as a robot hand. A plurality of (three in this embodiment) cardboard boxes 10 at each step can be lifted at a time by a predetermined amount. As a result, the cost can be reduced and the size of the apparatus can be reduced, and the working efficiency can be improved, such as shortening the working time.

In the second embodiment , the cardboard box 10
Are arranged in three rows at each stage, and these three are lifted at a time by a predetermined amount.
May be arranged and sandwiched between the cardboard boxes 10 at both ends, so that more cardboard boxes 10 can be lifted at a time by a predetermined amount. According to this, the working time can be further reduced, and extremely high working efficiency can be secured.

In each of the above embodiments, the deformable portions 22 are provided in a plurality of steps along the horizontal direction on the surface of the elastic body 20 which is in contact with the cardboard box 10, and are formed in a sawtooth shape in a side view. As shown in FIG. 7, it may be provided in one stage along the horizontal direction, or may be provided in multiple stages. In addition, each deformation part 22
Is not limited to a sawtooth shape. That is, the number and shape of the deformed portions 22 may be appropriately determined in consideration of the size, shape, and slipperiness of the surface of the cardboard box 10 to be lifted, and are not limited to the above embodiment. Each deformation part 2
2, the angle formed by the cut upper surface 24 and lower surface 25 with a horizontal plane is also required so that the elastic body 20 is pressed against the cardboard box 10 and flutters upward when the elastic body 20 comes into contact with the cardboard box 10 from the horizontal direction. It can be set appropriately within a range in which deformation occurs.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the air cylinder 2
Although the elastic body 20 is configured to be horizontally moved by the method 1, any structure capable of linearly reciprocating the elastic body 20 in a horizontal direction may be used. For example, the rotational movement of a motor is converted into a reciprocating movement by a crank mechanism. Elastic body 20
May be configured to reciprocate.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention, the deformable portion is provided at the portion of the elastic body which comes into contact with the article. When pressed, the tip is pushed upward
Convex along the horizontal direction so that
With this configuration, the article can be lifted by a predetermined amount corresponding to the deformation amount only by the horizontal movement of the elastic body. When the article is lifted, pull it out below the article.
The rate is inserted and then the elastic is separated from the article
Can be placed on the take-out plate and transferred.
it can.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an article lifting device according to a reference example of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a state in which an elastic body of the article lifting device of FIG. 1 is in contact with a cardboard box.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a state in which a deformed portion of the elastic body has been deformed from the state shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing the article lifting device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing an article lifting device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing a state in which each deformed portion of the elastic body of the article lifting device of FIG. 5 is pressed against a corrugated cardboard box and undergoes required deformation such as fluttering upward.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating an example of a shape of a deformed portion.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Article (cardboard box) 20 Elastic body 21 Drive means (air cylinder) 22 Deformation part

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An elastic body (20) abutting on a side surface of an article (10) from a horizontal direction, a driving means (21) for reciprocating the elastic body (20) in a horizontal direction, and a lower part of the article.
And an extraction plate inserted into the elastic body (2).
A portion (2) that comes into contact with the article (10) is provided with a deformed portion (22). The deformed portion (22) is formed by the driving means (10) when the elastic body (20) is moved by the driving means (10). When abutting against (10) from the horizontal direction, the tip is pressed against the article (10) so that the tip is deformed upward.
An article lifting device formed as a convex portion extending in a horizontal direction .