JP3337341B2 - Article storage device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for accumulating and discharging products set in a production line and flowing through the line without stopping the flow of the line. The present invention relates to an article storage device.

[0002]

Technical Background Japanese Patent Publication No. 59-32362 discloses such an article storage device.
It has a configuration as shown in FIG. That is, the apparatus is mounted on a frame 10, a plurality of fixed sprockets 12 rotatably mounted at predetermined positions of left and right frame portions of the frame, and (in the example shown, mounted on a movable plate 14 which can move vertically). ) Multiple movable sprockets 1
6, a pair of endless chains 18 respectively hung on the left and right fixed and movable sprockets and driven in a substantially vertical plane, and a plurality of substantially endless chains set substantially horizontally with a predetermined interval therebetween. An article conveying member 20, driving means (first motor 22 and second motor 24 in the illustrated example) for rotationally driving the sprocket, and externally moving the article onto the article conveying member 20 moved in the frame. And an article discharge section 28 for discharging articles from the article transport member moved inside the frame to the outside.

In this device, the first motor 22 is driven while the second motor 24 is stopped, and the sprocket 1
2 in a clockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 1), the length of the lower chain portion 18 'between the two sprockets connected to the first and second motor is reduced, whereas Thus, the length of the upper chain portion 18 ″ between the sprockets is increased, so that a large number of articles are stored in the upper portion.

Conversely, if the second motor 24 is driven while the first motor 22 is stopped, the upper portion 18 "of the chain is moved toward the lower portion 18 'and the chain is stored. The article A is sent to the article discharge unit 28.

[0005] In order to supply articles onto the article conveying member of such an apparatus, the articles are conveyed by a belt conveyor to near an article receiving section of the article accumulating apparatus, and the articles are conveyed to the article accumulating apparatus using a pusher. A method of pushing the article onto the article conveying member is generally used. In the case of discharging articles from the article storage device, a method of pushing the article conveyed to the article discharge unit by the article conveying member to a belt conveyor set outside the storage apparatus by a pusher is generally used. Has been taken.

Therefore, the article receiving side edge of the article conveying member into which the articles are pushed by the pusher and the article discharging side edge of the article conveying member from which the articles are pushed out by the pusher are easy to receive and discharge the articles. I have to keep it. However, this means that the articles placed on the article transport member are easy to fall off from their ends. In particular, this is a problem when the article is slippery, for example, when a plurality of books are stacked.

In order to solve such a problem, a locking member or a stopper extending upward is provided at an edge of the article transporting member opposite to the article receiving side, and a pivot for supporting the chain driving the article transporting member is provided. A method has been considered in which the article receiving side is pivotally supported so that the article receiving side is tilted so as to rise upward due to the center of gravity of the article placed thereon, thereby preventing the article from dropping from the receiving side. (For example, JP-A-5-92806). But in this case,
Since the article conveying member is pivotally supported, the article conveying member is likely to swing around the pivot, and there is a risk that the placed article may fall from the article receiving end.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an article storage device capable of stably transporting articles to be stored in view of the above points.

[0009]

More specifically, the apparatus according to the present invention comprises a frame, a plurality of fixed sprockets rotatably mounted at predetermined positions on the frame, and a plurality of movable sprockets movably mounted on the frame. An endless chain that is hung on a sprocket and driven in a substantially vertical plane, a plurality of article conveying members that are set substantially horizontally at predetermined intervals along the endless chain, and a drive that rotationally drives the sprocket Means, an article receiving unit for receiving an article from the outside onto the article conveying member moved in the frame, and an article discharging unit for discharging the article from the article conveying member moved in the frame to the outside. An article storage device having a width substantially corresponding to the width of an article receiving section, and moving an article transport member that moves the article receiving section upward. It is set to be substantially horizontal so as to cross the road, has an opening through which the moving article conveying member, and has a mounting table for mounting the article carried to the article receiving unit from outside the article storage device, The article transporting member is provided with a drop prevention member extending substantially vertically upward from the article mounting surface of the article transporting member along front and rear side edges in a direction in which the article is carried into the article storage device in the article receiving section. The article carrying member that moves the article carried on the mounting table upward through the opening of the mounting table is configured to pick up the article by placing the article between the fall prevention members. I do.

More specifically, an article conveying member includes a connecting member extending substantially horizontally in a width direction of the article receiving portion, and a plurality of pickup members fixed at predetermined intervals along the length of the member. The article drop prevention members are provided at both ends of the pickup member, and the opening of the mounting table has a shape corresponding to the shape of the article transport member including the connecting member and the pickup member.

[0011] Further, it has a width substantially corresponding to the width of the article discharge section, is set substantially horizontally so as to cross the moving path of the article transport member moving downwardly through the article discharge section, and passes through the article transport member. A mounting table is provided which has an opening having a shape corresponding to the shape of the article conveying member, and picks up and mounts the article conveyed to the article discharge section by the article conveying member.

[0012]

As described above, in the apparatus according to the present invention, since the locking member extending substantially vertically is provided at the edge of the article conveying member, even if the article to be conveyed and accumulated is slippery, They can be stably transported without falling.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

The article storage device according to the present invention basically comprises a frame 10, a plurality of fixed sprockets 12 rotatably mounted at predetermined positions on the frame, and a movable , A plurality of movable sprockets 16 mounted on the endless chain, an endless chain 18 which is mounted on the fixed and movable sprockets and driven in a substantially vertical plane, and is set substantially horizontally along the endless chain at a predetermined interval from each other. Plurality of article transport members 20
Drive means 22, 2 for rotating and driving the sprocket.
4, an article receiving section 26 for receiving an article from the outside onto the article conveying member moved in the frame, and an article discharge for ejecting the article from the article conveying member moved in the frame to the outside And a portion 28.

The feature of the apparatus according to the present invention lies in the point shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 shows the article receiving section 26.
In this section, a mounting table 30 for receiving and placing the article pushed in the direction of arrow A into the article receiving section by a pusher (not shown) from the outside of the article accumulating apparatus moves the article transport member 20 moving upward. It is set to cross the road.

The article transporting member 20 comprises a connecting member 32 parallel to the width direction of the article receiving portion, and a pickup member 34 attached to the connecting member at a predetermined interval in its length direction. The two ends are connected to an endless chain 18 so as to be moved by the chain. As shown in the figure, at both ends of the finger members, article falling prevention members 36 extending substantially vertically upward are formed.

The mounting table 30 is provided with an opening 42 having a shape corresponding to the shape of the article conveying member formed as described above, for passing the article conveying member 20 moving upward. As shown in the drawing, the mounting table has an article stopping member 44 for stopping the article pushed in the direction of arrow A on the mounting table. The set position of the stop member is determined by the relationship between the pick-up member 34 of the article transport member 20 passed through the opening and the position of the article picked up thereby.

In operation, the article transport member 20 is moved substantially vertically from below to above through the opening 42 of the mounting table as described above. In synchronization with the cycle in which the article transport member passes through the opening, the article is pushed on the mounting table 30 by a pusher, engaged with the article stop member 44, and mounted on a predetermined position on the mounting table. . The article on the mounting table is lifted by the pickup member 34 of the article transport member, and is transported toward the inside of the article storage device.

Although FIG. 3 shows the article receiving section, the article discharge section can be designed in the same manner. That is, a mounting table similar to the mounting table described above is set in the article discharge unit of the article storage device. No article stop member is attached to the mounting table in the article discharge section.

In operation, the article transport member is moved from above to below through the opening of the mounting table, opposite to the article receiving section. By doing so, the article transporting member that is passed through the opening of the mounting table moves downward while leaving the article carried so far on the mounting table.

The structures of the article conveying member and the mounting table are not limited to those described above. For example, in the illustrated example, the pickup members of the article transport members are connected by the connection member 32 located at the center position thereof, but may be connected by a connection member located at one end of the pickup member, for example. . If you do so,
The shape of the opening 42 of the mounting table is changed according to the shape of the article conveying member.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional side view of an article storage device according to the present invention, showing the principle of the device.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an article storage device as viewed from an article receiving side.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing main elements of an article receiving unit which is a main part of the article storage device according to the present invention.

[Description of Signs] 1 ---- Article storage device, 20--Article transport member, 26
--- Article receiving section, 28 ---- Article discharging section, 30-
-Mounting table, 36--Fall prevention member, 42---Opening.

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A frame (10), a plurality of fixed sprockets (12) rotatably mounted at predetermined positions on the frame, and a plurality of movable sprockets (16) movably mounted, and fixed and movable thereof. An endless chain (18) hung on a sprocket and driven in a substantially vertical plane, and a plurality of article conveying members (2) set substantially horizontally at predetermined intervals along the endless chain.
0) and driving means (2) for rotating the sprocket.
(2, 24), an article receiving portion (26) for receiving an article from the outside onto the article transporting member moved in the frame, and discharging the article from the article transporting member moved in the frame to the outside. Discharge section (28)
An article storage device (1) having a width substantially corresponding to the width of the article receiving section (26), and traversing a movement path of an article transport member moving upward in the article receiving section. Has an opening (42) through which the moving article conveying member is set, and has a mounting table (30) for mounting an article carried from the outside of the article storage device to the article receiving section; The article transport member (20) extends substantially vertically upward from a surface on which the articles of the article transport member are placed along the front and rear side edges in a direction in which the articles are carried into the article storage device in the article receiving section. A fall prevention member (36) is provided, and an article transport member for moving the article carried on the mounting table upward through the opening (42) of the mounting table is provided between the fall prevention members (36). To pick up the goods Article storage apparatus characterized by being. 2. A connecting member (32) extending substantially horizontally in the width direction of the article receiving portion, and a plurality of pickup members fixed at predetermined intervals along the length direction of the member. (34), wherein the article drop prevention members (36) are provided at both ends of the pickup member, and the opening of the mounting table is formed in the shape of an article transport member including the connection member and the pickup member. 2. The article storage device according to claim 1, wherein the article storage device has a corresponding shape. 3. An article transporter having a width substantially corresponding to the width of the article discharge section (28), and set substantially horizontally so as to cross the movement path of an article transport member moving down the article discharge section. The article conveying member (20) for passing the member (30)
Has an opening having a shape corresponding to the above shape,
3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a mounting table that picks up and transfers the articles conveyed to the article discharge section by the article conveying member.