JP6380451B2 - Conveyor device and automatic warehouse - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a conveyor device capable of transporting a load and an automatic warehouse equipped with the conveyor device.

  Conventionally, in automatic warehouses and logistics bases, conveyors that convey a loaded package along a predetermined conveyance path are widely used. When transferring the load conveyed by this conveyor to another apparatus, a stopper that moves in and out of the transfer path may be provided in order to accurately determine the position of the transferred load.

  For example, Patent Document 1 describes a conveyor device that includes an eccentric cam and a stopper that moves in and out like a seesaw.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-17141

  However, in a conventional conveyor device such as the conveyor described in Patent Document 1, a drive source and a drive mechanism for moving the stoppers with respect to the transport path are attached in a state of protruding from the conveyor. As described above, the drive source and the drive mechanism that protrude from the conveyor may interfere with the cargo that is transported by other conveyors that are adjacent to each other, so that it is difficult to transport the cargo at high density.

  This invention is made in view of the said subject, and aims at provision of the conveyor apparatus by which the stopper, the drive source which drives the said stopper, and the drive mechanism are arrange | positioned in the limited space.

  In order to achieve the above object, a conveyor device according to the present invention includes a conveyor that transports a load, a motor that is disposed outside an edge of a load transport path in the transport direction of the load, An arm that is connected to a rotation shaft and extends below the transport path along the transport direction, and is connected to the arm and projects upward from below the transport path based on the rotation of the motor and retracts downward. It is characterized by providing the stopper which carries out.

  Thereby, it is possible to suppress the amount of a drive source such as a motor or a drive mechanism such as an arm that moves the stopper in and out of the conveyance path from the conveyor. Therefore, it is possible to arrange the conveyor device with high density.

  The arm is pivotally supported on the conveyor by a support shaft disposed perpendicular to the transport direction in a horizontal plane, and the support shaft is disposed between the motor and the stopper. May be used.

  According to this, when one end of the arm is operated by the motor with the support shaft as a fulcrum, the stopper provided at the other end of the arm rotates and swings around the support shaft. Therefore, when the stopper that protrudes and abuts against the load is retracted, the stopper can be retracted while being separated from the load. Can be prevented.

  Further, the support shaft body may be supported by a roller shaft of a roller for conveying the load of the conveyor.

  According to this, since the support shaft of the arm and the rotation shaft of the roller can be made common, the conveyor device can be made more compact.

  In addition, the apparatus further includes a control device that controls the motor and the conveyor, and a detection unit that detects that the cargo conveyed by the conveyor has passed through the stopper in the retracted state, and the control device retracts the cargo. When the detection means detects that the stopper has been passed, the motor may be controlled to cause the stopper to protrude and the conveyor to run backward.

  According to this, it is possible to position the luggage while the stopper is in contact with the rear edge of the luggage in the transport direction.

  In order to achieve the above object, an automatic warehouse according to the present invention includes a shelf capable of storing a plurality of packages, and transports packages along the shelves on the side of the shelf, and between the shelves. A transport device capable of transferring a load, and a conveyor device for transporting the load to a position where the load can be transferred to the transport device, the conveyor device including a conveyor for transporting the load, and the conveyor In the transport direction, a motor disposed outside the edge of the transport path of the load, an arm connected to the rotating shaft of the motor, and extending below the transport path along the transport direction, and connected to the arm And a stopper that protrudes upward from the bottom of the transport path and retreats downward based on the rotation of the motor.

  According to this, it is possible to realize an automatic warehouse in which the conveyor devices are arranged with high density.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to arrange the driving source and the driving mechanism of the stopper in a limited space, and it is possible to arrange the conveyor device at a high density.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an automatic warehouse equipped with a conveyor device. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an edge portion of the transport path of the conveyor device from above. FIG. 3 is a side view showing a part of the end edge of the conveyance path of the conveyor device with a part omitted. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a functional unit included in the conveyor device together with a mechanism unit of the automatic warehouse. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the conveyor device. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the conveyor device. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the transport device. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing an automatic warehouse according to another embodiment.

  Next, an embodiment of a conveyor device according to the present invention and an automatic warehouse equipped with the conveyor device will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the following embodiment is only what showed the example of the conveyor apparatus which concerns on this invention, and an automatic warehouse. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is defined by the wording of the claims with reference to the following embodiments, and is not limited to the following embodiments. Therefore, among the constituent elements in the following embodiments, constituent elements that are not described in the independent claims indicating the highest concept of the present invention are not necessarily required to achieve the object of the present invention. It will be described as constituting a preferred form.

  Also, the drawings are schematic diagrams in which emphasis, omission, and ratio adjustment are performed as appropriate to show the present invention, and may differ from actual shapes, positional relationships, and ratios.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an automatic warehouse equipped with a conveyor device.

  As shown in the figure, the automatic warehouse 200 is a warehouse capable of automatically transporting and storing luggage 300, and includes a shelf 201, a transport device 202, and a conveyor device 100.

  The shelf 201 is a facility that can store a plurality of packages. In the case of the present embodiment, the shelf 201 has a plurality of stages in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction in the drawing) of the flat shelf plate 211 arranged along the conveyance direction (Y-axis direction in the drawing) of the transfer device 202 ( In the case of this embodiment, 6 stages are provided.

  The shelf plate 211 can store the luggage 300 in a loaded state, and the luggage 300 can be transferred at any position by the transport device 202.

  Note that the type of the shelf 201 is not particularly limited to the above, and an arbitrary one, such as one in which a cantilever is provided in a column and a baggage is stored in a predetermined position or a baggage is stored in a suspended state. Types of shelves 201 can be employed.

  The transport device 202 is a device that can transport the luggage 300 along the shelf 201 on the side of the shelf 201 and transfer the luggage 300 to and from the shelf 201. In the case of the present embodiment, the conveying device 202 includes a rail 222 arranged in a vertical direction at a position corresponding to the shelf plate 211 of each stage of the shelf 201, and a plurality of units that respectively travel on the rails 222 of each stage. The traveling vehicle 221 is provided.

  The traveling vehicle 221 is a device that can reciprocate on the traveling route formed by the rails 222 while holding the luggage 300, and includes a motor and wheels (not shown) for driving the traveling vehicle 221. Yes. The traveling vehicle 221 also includes a transfer device 223 for transferring the luggage 300 to and from the shelf 211 of the shelf 201. The transfer device 223 corresponds to transfer of a plurality of types of luggage 300, and the reference position when transferring the luggage 300 is set to one side (Y-axis direction in the transport direction (Y-axis direction in the figure)). Set to the negative direction).

  The transport device 202 is not particularly limited to the above, and is autonomous on the floor surface without a so-called stacker crane that can transport the luggage 300 not only in the horizontal plane but also in the vertical direction. It is possible to employ an arbitrary transfer device 202 such as a transfer carriage that can be moved to the next position.

  FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an edge portion of the transport path of the conveyor device from above.

  FIG. 3 is a side view showing a part of the end edge of the conveyance path of the conveyor device with a part omitted.

  As shown in these drawings, the conveyor device 100 is a device that transports the luggage 300 to a position where it can be transferred to the transport device 202. The conveyor 101, a motor 102 as a drive source, an arm 103, The stopper 104 is provided. In the case of the present embodiment, the conveyor apparatus 100 includes a drive mechanism 105 and a detection unit 106.

  The conveyor 101 is a device that can transport the loaded luggage 300 along a predetermined transport path R. The conveyor 101 is not particularly limited as long as it can transport the luggage 300 by a driving force in a slight gradient or a horizontal plane, and examples thereof include a belt conveyor and a roller conveyor. In the case of the present embodiment, a description will be given using a roller conveyor as the conveyor 101.

  The conveyor 101 includes a plurality of rollers 112 extending in a direction intersecting with the conveyance path R in a horizontal plane. Further, the roller 112 includes a roller motor 111 serving as a driving source, a rotating roller 115 that is connected to the roller motor 111 by a transmission unit 113 such as a belt or a chain, and rotates based on the roller motor 111. In the case of the present embodiment, a free roller 114 is attached to the end of the transport route R of the luggage 300. The free roller 114 is a roller that has no drive source and is not connected to the roller motor 111, and is disposed at the end of the roller 112.

  The motor 102 is a drive source disposed outside the edge of the transport route R of the luggage 300 in the transport direction of the conveyor 101 (Y-axis direction in the drawing). The type of the motor 102 is not particularly limited, but is desirably large enough to fit within the thickness of the conveyor 101 (the length in the Z-axis direction in the figure). In the case of the present embodiment, the motor 102 is the same as the motor used for the roller motor 111, and is disposed so as to be within the thickness of the conveyor 101.

  The arm 103 is a structural member that is connected to the rotation shaft of the motor 102 and extends below the transport path R along the transport direction. The shape of the arm 103 is not particularly limited as long as the driving force of the motor 102 can be converted into the retracting operation of the stopper 104. In the present embodiment, the arm 103 includes the arm portion 131, The connection part 132, the engaging part 133, and the support shaft body 134 are provided, and can operate within the thickness range of the conveyor 101.

  The arm 131 is a structural member that extends from the end of the transport path R toward the upstream side below the end of the roller 112. In the present embodiment, the arm 131 is provided at each end of the roller 112. Has been placed. Further, the arm portion 131 is provided with a rib toward the lower side in order to increase the rigidity, and the rib is a conveyor even in a state where the stopper 104 is retracted from the conveyance path R (a state indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 3). It is cut diagonally so as not to protrude from the thickness of 101.

  The connecting portion 132 is a structural member that connects the ends of the two arm portions 131 on the outer side and the lower side of the conveying path R in the conveying direction. The connection part 132 is provided to operate the two arm parts 131 simultaneously.

  The engaging portion 133 is a structural member that extends outward from the middle of the connecting portion 132 along the conveyance path R and engages with the rotation shaft of the motor 102 via the drive mechanism 105. In the case of the present embodiment, the engaging portion 133 functions as a cam follower for rotating and swinging the entire arm 103 around the support shaft 134.

  The support shaft 134 is a member that is disposed in a horizontal plane (XY plane in the drawing) perpendicular to the transport direction (Y-axis direction in the drawing) (X-axis direction in the drawing) and serves as a rotational swing shaft of the arm 103. The support shaft 134 is attached to the conveyor 101 at a position away from the arm portion 131 of the arm 103 and between the motor 102 and the stopper 104. Further, the support shaft 134 is supported by the roller shaft 116 of the roller 112 for transporting the load 300 of the conveyor 101, and the arm is disposed in the same plane as the roller shaft 116 of the roller 112 for transporting the load 300. 103 swing shafts are arranged.

  As described above, the arm 103 rotates and swings in a seesaw state around the support shaft 134 when the engaging portion 133 is operated by the motor 102.

  The stopper 104 is connected to the arm 103, and is a structural member that protrudes upward from the bottom of the transport path R and retracts downward based on the rotation of the motor 102, and resists the force that the conveyor 101 transports the luggage 300. This is a member that can stop the movement of the luggage 300.

  In the case of the present embodiment, the stopper 104 is a thin plate-like member that is disposed between the rollers 112 disposed adjacent to each other and attached to the distal end of the arm portion 131 on the downstream side in the transport direction. The arm 103 includes two arm portions 131, and the stopper 104 is connected to the two arm portions 131 in a bridging manner and is disposed so as to protrude upward from the arm portions 131. Therefore, the arm portion 131 and the stopper 104 are connected in an L shape. As a result, the stopper 104 projects in an arc around the support shaft 134 of the arm 103 in accordance with the operation of the arm 103, protrudes from the transport path R, and retreats from the transport path R.

  The drive mechanism 105 is a mechanism for changing the operation of the rotating shaft of the motor 102 to the rotational swing of the arm 103. In the case of the present embodiment, the drive mechanism 105 is a round bar-like member attached in an eccentric manner to the rotating shaft of the motor 102, and functions as a cam.

  The detection means 106 is a sensor that detects that the luggage 300 being conveyed by the conveyor 101 has passed the position of the stopper 104 in the retracted state. In the case of the present embodiment, the detection means 106 also functions as an end stopper disposed at the end of the conveyance path R, and the luggage 300 conveyed by the conveyor 101 comes into contact with the detection means 106. Is detected to have passed through the stopper 104. Although the detection means 106 is not specifically limited, a photoelectric sensor, a limit switch, etc. can be illustrated concretely.

  Next, the operation of the automatic warehouse 200 will be described.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a functional unit included in the conveyor device together with a mechanism unit of the automatic warehouse.

  As shown in the figure, the control device 107 is connected to the motor 102 that rotates and swings the arm 103, the conveyor 101, and the detection means 106, and the operation of the motor 102 and the conveyor 101 based on the information acquired from the detection means 106. It is a device that controls. Specifically, for example, the control device 107 is a computer that can control information by reading recorded programs and processing them by a CPU, processing information, and sending commands to the devices. It has become.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the conveyor device.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the conveyor device.

  First, as shown in the stage of FIG. 6A, the control device 107 conveys the package 300 in the forward direction until the detection means 106 detects the package 300 (S102: N) (S101).

  When the luggage 300 passes through the stopper 104 and the detection means 106 detects the luggage 300 (S102: Y), as shown in the stage of FIG. And the motor 102 is controlled to cause the stopper 104 to protrude into the transport path R (S103). Then, the conveyor 101 is reversely moved for a predetermined time (S104). As described above, the luggage 300 can be stopped in a state where the rear end portion of the luggage 300 in the forward direction of the conveyance direction is pressed by the stopper 104 as shown in the stage of FIG.

  Next, the operation of the transport device 202 will be described.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the transport device.

  As shown in the figure, in the case of the present embodiment, the traveling vehicle 221 of the transfer device 202 sets the reference position S for transfer to the transfer device 223 so as to correspond to the luggage 300 of various sizes. It is set at one end (the end on the Y axis direction negative side in the figure).

  Even if the size of the load 300 is different, the conveyor device 100 corresponds to the reference position S of the transfer device 223 by causing the load 300 to contact with the stopper 104 after moving backward through the stopper 104. Thus, the luggage 300 can be arranged.

  Therefore, the transfer device 223 of the traveling vehicle 221 can transfer the luggage 300 from the conveyor device 100 to the traveling vehicle 221 even if the size of the luggage 300 is different.

  In particular, as shown in FIG. 8, when the second conveyor 120 exists on the opposite side of the shelf 201 in the traveling direction (Y-axis direction in the drawing) of the traveling vehicle 221 of the transport device 202, this embodiment is shown. The effect of the conveyor apparatus 100 can be exhibited.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment. For example, another embodiment realized by arbitrarily combining the components described in this specification and excluding some of the components may be used as an embodiment of the present invention. In addition, the present invention includes modifications obtained by making various modifications conceivable by those skilled in the art without departing from the gist of the present invention, that is, the meaning described in the claims. It is.

  For example, the mechanism for moving the stopper 104 back and forth can employ not only a cam mechanism but also an arbitrary mechanism such as a link mechanism.

  The present invention can be used for an automatic warehouse or a distribution base, and in particular, can be used for an automatic warehouse or a distribution base for storing and transporting packages with high density.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Conveyor apparatus 101 Conveyor 102 Motor 103 Arm 104 Stopper 105 Drive mechanism 106 Detection means 107 Control apparatus 111 Roller motor 112 Roller 113 Transmission means 114 Free roller 115 Rotating roller 116 Roller shaft 120 Second conveyor 131 Arm part 132 Connection part 133 Engagement Section 134 Support shaft 200 Automatic warehouse 201 Shelf 202 Transport device 211 Shelf plate 221 Traveling vehicle 222 Rail 223 Transfer device 300 Luggage

Claims (5)

A conveyor for carrying the luggage;
A motor disposed on the outer side of an edge of a load transport path in the transport direction of the conveyor;
An arm connected to the rotation shaft of the motor and extending below the transport path along the transport direction;
A conveyor device comprising a stopper connected to the arm and protruding upward from the lower side of the transport path and retracting downward based on rotation of the motor. The arm is pivotally supported on the conveyor so as to be swingable by a support shaft disposed perpendicular to the transport direction in a horizontal plane,
The conveyor device according to claim 1, wherein the support shaft body is disposed between the motor and the stopper.   The conveyor device according to claim 2, wherein the support shaft body is pivotally supported by a roller shaft of a roller for conveying a load of the conveyor. A control device for controlling the motor and the conveyor;
Detection means for detecting that the cargo being conveyed by the conveyor has passed through the stopper in the retracted state;
4. The control device according to claim 2 , wherein, when the detection unit detects that the package has passed through the stopper in the retracted state, the control device controls the motor to project the stopper and reversely move the conveyor. 5. Conveyor device. A shelf that can store multiple packages,
A transporting device capable of transporting a load along the shelf on the side of the shelf and transferring the load to and from the shelf;
A conveyor device that conveys luggage to a position where it can be transferred to the conveyance device;
The conveyor device
A conveyor for carrying the luggage;
A motor disposed on the outer side of an edge of a load transport path in the transport direction of the conveyor;
An arm connected to the rotation shaft of the motor and extending below the transport path along the transport direction;
An automatic warehouse comprising a stopper connected to the arm and protruding upward from the lower side of the transport path and retracting downward based on rotation of the motor.

Images