JP6734757B2 - Automatic storage equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to automatic storage equipment.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various storage facilities have been known in warehouses and the like, which make it easy to receive and dispense stored items. In such a storage facility, a gravity conveyor is widely used to move stored items by utilizing gravity from a high place to a low place. For example, in the case of Patent Document 1, the storage facility includes stock shelves in which gravity conveyors are arranged in multiple stages in the gravity direction. In the case of the facility using such a gravity conveyor, the stored items are transported to the upper end of the gravity conveyor at the time of receiving and taken out from the lower end of the gravity conveyor at the time of discharging. Therefore, in the case of Patent Document 1, when the stock shelves increase, there is a problem that the number of elevators also increases accordingly. In addition, the worker needs to collect the stored items delivered around the lower end side of the gravity conveyor. Therefore, there is a problem that work efficiency is lowered.

JP, 2014-133654, A

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic storage facility that does not increase the number of elevators even if the number of stock shelves increases, facilitates automation of receipt and delivery of stored items, and shortens the time required to transfer stored items. To do.

According to the invention of claim 1, the stored article is transported to the gravity conveyor by the first transporting machine that moves on the first transporting path portion. Then, the stored item is received from the gravity conveyor by the second conveyor that circulates through the first route, the second route, the third route, and the fourth route. The second carrier receives the stored items from the gravity conveyor by moving the first path from the one end side to the other end side along the carry-out runway portion. When the gravity conveyors are multi-tiered, the second carrier moves on the carry-out runway section provided at the end of each gravity conveyor. Then, in each stage of the gravity conveyor, the second conveyor moved to the other end side along the first path is provided below the gravity direction as the second path by the second elevator provided on the other end side. It will be moved to the return route. The second carrier moved to the return path moves along the return path from the other end to the one end along the third path. As a result, the second carrier moves to the first elevator. The first lifter conveys the second conveyors collected at one end side through the third path along the return path section to the carry-out runway section of each stage as the fourth path. The carried second carrier again receives the stored items through the carrying-out runway portion of the first path. As described above, the second carrier moves along the first route, the second route, the third route, and the fourth route. Therefore, the second elevator provided on the other end side conveys the second conveyor, which has moved to the other end side through the first route of the carry-out runway portion, toward the lower return path portion only for the downward direction. On the other hand, the first elevator provided on the one end side conveys the second transfer machine, which has moved to the one end side through the third path of the return path section, to the upper carrying-out runway section only for the upward direction. As a result, the second conveyor circulates smoothly by the pair of first elevator and second elevator provided on one end side and the other end side, regardless of the number of stages of the gravity conveyor. Therefore, even if the stock shelves increase, the number of elevators does not increase, and the configuration can be simplified.

Further, in the invention according to claim 1, the stored item is conveyed to the gravity conveyor extending from the carry-in runway portion by the first conveyor. Then, the stored item is taken out of the gravity conveyor by the second conveyor. Therefore, the stored items are automatically transferred to and received from the gravity conveyor by the controlled first transfer machine and second transfer machine.

Further, in the invention according to claim 1, the stored items are received by the gravity conveyor by the first conveyor, and discharged from the gravity conveyor by the second conveyor. Then, the second carrier receives the stored items while moving in one direction on the carry-out runway portion provided at the end of the gravity conveyor. Therefore, the plurality of second carrier machines move on the carry-out runway portion without any confusion. As a result, the plurality of second conveyors receive the stored items from the plurality of gravity conveyors even in the same carry-out runway section. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the time required to convey the stored items.

1 is a schematic perspective view showing an automatic storage facility according to an embodiment. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a first carrier in an automatic storage facility according to an embodiment. A schematic diagram showing the important section of the 1st conveyance machine of automatic storage equipment by one embodiment. An exploded perspective view showing a parts box used in an automatic storage facility according to one embodiment. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a state where a parts box is mounted on a first carrier used in an automatic storage facility according to one embodiment. Schematic which shows the stopper provided at the front end of the gravity conveyor in the automatic storage facility by one Embodiment. Schematic for explaining the operation of the stopper in the automatic storage facility according to one embodiment 1 is a schematic diagram showing a shock absorbing portion provided in an automatic storage facility according to an embodiment. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a shock absorbing portion provided in an automatic storage facility according to an embodiment.

An embodiment of the automatic storage facility will be described below with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the automatic storage facility 10 includes a shelf unit 11. The shelf unit 11 is configured by a carry-in runway section 12, a gravity conveyor 13, and a carry-out runway section 14. The shelf units 11 are stacked in multiple stages in the gravity direction. In the case of the present embodiment, the automatic storage facility 10 is equipped with a four-stage shelf unit 11. The number of shelving units 11 included in the automatic storage facility 10 is not limited to four, and any number of shelves can be used as long as it is one or more.

The shelf unit 11 has a carry-in runway portion 12 at the uppermost position in the gravity direction in each unit. The carry-in runway portion 12 extends from one end side to the other end side. Hereinafter, in FIG. 1, the left side is the one end side and the right side is the other end side. The gravity conveyor 13 extends outward substantially vertically from the carry-in runway portion 12 extending from one end side to the other end side. In the case of the present embodiment, the plurality of gravity conveyors 13 are branched from the carry-in runway portion 12 to both sides and are provided in a rib shape. The gravity conveyor 13 is inclined downward in the direction of gravity from the end on the carry-in runway section 12 side toward the other end. An unloading runway section 14 is provided at the tip of the gravity conveyor 13, that is, at the end of the gravity conveyor 13 opposite to the loading runway section 12. The carry-out runway portion 14 is provided substantially parallel to the carry-in runway portion 12. As a result, the gravity conveyor 13 has a high end on the carry-in runway section 12 side and a low end on the carry-out runway section 14 side. Therefore, the component box 15 loaded into the gravity conveyor from the carry-in runway section 12 moves the gravity conveyor 13 to the carry-out runway section 14 side by its own weight. In addition, in FIG. 1, in order to avoid complexity of the drawing, the gravity conveyor 13, the component box 15, and the like are denoted only by a part of the plurality.

The automatic storage facility 10 includes a first carrier 16. The first carrier 16 is a self-propelled carrier, and reciprocates along the carry-in runway portion 12 of the plurality of shelving units 11 that are stacked. That is, the first carrier 16 reciprocates between one end side and the other end side in the carry-in runway portion 12 of the shelf unit 11 at each stage. As a result, the first conveyor 16 conveys the component box 15 to the predetermined gravity conveyor 13. When the first carrier 16 moves to a predetermined gravity conveyor 13, the component box 15 that has been transported is loaded into the gravity conveyor 13. In the case of the present embodiment, one first carrier machine 16 is arranged in each of the carry-in runway sections 12 of the shelf units 11 in each stage. The parts box 15 corresponds to a stored item. The stored item is not limited to the component box 15 and can be arbitrarily applied as long as it can be supported by the gravity conveyor 13 of the shelf unit 11.

The automatic storage facility 10 includes a return path unit 17. In the case of the present embodiment, the return path section 17 is provided below the carry-out runway section 14 of the plurality of stacked shelf units 11 in the gravity direction. That is, the return path section 17 is provided below the carry-out runway section 14 of the shelf unit 11 in the lowermost stage. The return path portion 17 extends below the carry-out runway portion 14 along the carry-out runway portion 14. In the case of the present embodiment, the return path portion 17 extends between the one end side and the other end side substantially parallel to the carry-out runway portion 14.

The automatic storage facility 10 includes a second carrier 18, a first elevator 21 and a second elevator 22. The first elevator 21 is provided on one end side of the carry-out runway portion 14 and the return pass portion 17 of the shelf unit 11. The first elevator 21 conveys the second carrier 18 from the lower return path 17 to the carry-out runway 14 of each upper shelf unit 11. That is, the first elevator 21 is an elevator specifically for carrying the second carrier 18 from below to above in the upward direction. On the other hand, the second elevator 22 is provided on the other end side of the carry-out runway portion 14 and the return pass portion 17 of the shelf unit 11. The second elevator 22 conveys the second carrier 18 from the carry-out runway portion 14 of the upper shelf unit 11 to the return path portion 17 below. That is, the second elevator 22 is a dedicated elevator for carrying the second carrier 18 downward from above.

The second carrier 18 is a self-propelled carrier, and circulates in a carrier path 30 configured by the carry-out runway section 14, the return path section 17, the first elevator 21, and the second elevator 22. The transport path 30 is composed of a first path 31, a second path 32, a third path 33 and a fourth path 34. The second carrier 18 moves from one end side to the other end side in the carry-out runway portion 14 as the first path 31. The second carrier 18 that has moved the carry-out runway portion 14 on the first path 31 from the one end side to the other end side directs the second elevator 22 provided on the other end side to the return path portion 17 as the second path 32. Move down. The second conveyor 18 moved downward by the second elevator 22 in the second path 32 moves from the other end side to the one end side in the return path section 17 as the third path 33. The second carrier 18 that has moved the return path portion 17 in the third path 33 from the other end side to the one end side uses the first elevator 21 provided on one end side in the shelf unit 11 of each stage as the fourth path 34. It moves upward toward the carry-out runway portion 14. The second carrier 18 moved upward by the first elevator 21 in the fourth path 34 moves again to the carry-out runway portion 14 which is the first path 31. As a result, the second carrier 18 circulates via the carry-out runway unit 14, the second elevator 22, the return unit 17, and the first elevator 21.

In this manner, the second carrier 18 moves between the first path 31 of the carry-out runway section 14 and the third path 33 of the return path section 17 in one way in which the directions of movement are opposite to each other. That is, the second carrier 18 moves the carry-out runway portion 14 of the plurality of shelving units 11 from one end side to the other end side, and moves the return path portion 17 from the other end side to the one end side. As a result, the second carrier 18 that moves on the carry-out runway portion 14 and the second carrier 18 that moves on the return path 17 move without confusion. The first elevator 21 side of the return path section 17, that is, one end side of the return path section 17 is a standby position W where the second transfer machine 18 that has finished transferring the component box 15 stands by.

The automatic storage facility 10 includes the power supply unit 41 at the standby position W. The power supply unit 41 supplies power to the second carrier 18 that stands by at the standby position W. The second carrier 18 receives power from the power supply unit 41 at the standby position W by wire or wirelessly. That is, the second carrier 18 is charged in the power supply unit 41 while waiting at the standby position W.

In addition to the above, the automatic storage facility 10 includes a carry-in conveyor 42, a carry-in elevator 43, and a carry-out conveyor 44. The carry-in conveyor 42 carries the component box 15 into the automatic storage facility 10 from the outside. The carry-in conveyor 42 is configured by a well-known conveyor such as a belt conveyor. The carry-in conveyor 42 is connected to the carry-in elevator 43. The loading elevator 43 is provided on one end side of the loading track portion 12. The carry-in elevator 43 carries the component box 15 carried by the carry-in conveyor 42 to the carry-in runway portion 12 of the shelf unit 11 having a plurality of stages. The component box 15 conveyed by the carry-in conveyor 42 is delivered to the first carrier 16 that travels on the carry-in runway portion 12 of the predetermined shelf unit 11. The carry-out conveyor 44 carries out the component box 15 from the automatic storage facility 10 to the outside. The carry-out conveyor 44 is configured by a well-known conveyor such as a belt conveyor. The carry-out conveyor 44 is connected to the other end side of the carry-out runway portion 14. The carry-out conveyor 44 receives the component box 15 carried to the other end side of the carry-out runway section 14 by the second carrier 18, and carries it out of the automatic storage facility 10.

Next, the first carrier 16 and the second carrier 18 will be described.
The first carrier 16 and the second carrier 18 have the same configuration. Therefore, the first carrier 16 will be described here.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first carrier 16 has a main body frame 51, a drive unit 52, a drive unit 53, a conveyor 54, and a guide unit 55. The main body frame 51 constitutes the skeleton of the first carrier 16. The drive unit 52 and the drive unit 53 are provided at both ends in the traveling direction of the first carrier 16, and drive the wheels 56 traveling on the carry-in runway unit 12. The drive unit 52 and the drive unit 53 have, for example, a motor (not shown) that generates a driving force, a storage battery (not shown) that serves as a power source, and the like. The first carrier 16 also has a control unit (not shown). The control unit controls the first carrier 16 based on the information read from the parts box 15, for example. As a result, the first carrier 16 automatically moves to the predetermined gravity conveyor 13 in the shelf unit 11 at a predetermined stage.

The transport conveyor 54 is provided on the main body frame 51. The conveyor 54 is provided perpendicular to the traveling direction of the first conveyor 16. As a result, the transport conveyor 54 moves the mounted component box 15 in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction. The conveyor 54 is driven by the electric power stored in a storage battery (not shown). Thus, in the case of the first carrier 16, the carrier conveyor 54 corresponds to a drive unit for loading the component box 15 into the gravity conveyor 13. In the case of the second carrier 18, the carrier conveyor 54 corresponds to the first drive unit for receiving the component box 15 from the gravity conveyor 13. The guide portion 55 is provided on the side portion of the main body frame 51. The guide portion 55 contacts a guide portion 57 provided on the carry-in runway portion 12 as shown in FIG. The guide portion 57 extends along the carry-in runway portion 12. The guide part 55 limits the deviation of the course of the first carrier 16 in the carry-in runway part 12 by coming into contact with the guide part 57 provided along the carry-in runway part 12. That is, since the guide portion 55 and the guide portion 57 are in contact with each other, the first carrier 16 moves without departing from the carry-in runway portion 12.

Like the first carrier 16, the second carrier 18 also includes a main body frame 51, a drive unit 52, a drive unit 53, a conveyor 54, and a guide unit 55. In the case of the second carrier 18, the guide portion 55 contacts the guide portion 57 in the carry-out runway portion 14 and the return pass portion 17 to correct the deviation of the route. Also in the second carrier 18, the carrier conveyor 54 moves the component box 15 received from the gravity conveyor 13 in the second carrier 18 in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction.

The parts box 15 has a case body 61 and a tray 62 as shown in FIG. Various parts to be stored are housed in the case body 61. The case body 61 and the tray 62 are integrally operated. The tray 62 is provided with a recording medium such as an RFID tag 63. The RFID tag 63 stores various kinds of information including the gravity conveyor 13 that is the destination. That is, the RFID tag 63 stores information on which of the shelf units 11 of the multi-tiered shelf units 11 and which gravity conveyor 13 the component box 15 is conveyed to. In addition, the RFID tag 63 also stores information about the parts, such as the model number of the part housed and the manufacturing time. The parts box 15 may have an image storing information such as a barcode instead of the RFID tag 63. Further, the case main body 61 and the tray 62 are not limited to separate bodies and may be integrated. The parts box 15 is mounted on the first carrier 16 or the second carrier 18 as shown in FIG.

The continuous extraction prevention mechanism of the parts box 15 will be described.
The component box 15 moves from the carry-in runway section 12 to the carry-out runway section 14 side by gravity on the gravity conveyor 13. Therefore, the component box 15 that has moved on the gravity conveyor 13 may jump out from the end on the side of the carry-out runway portion 14. In addition, the component boxes 15 may be stored in series on the gravity conveyor 13. At this time, if the frontmost part, that is, the part box 15 on the carry-out runway section 14 side is simply taken out, there is a possibility that other parts boxes 15 that are connected in succession may jump out to the carry-out runway section 14 side. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the gravity conveyor 13 has a stopper 71 that limits the movement of the component box 15 at the end on the unloading runway 14 side. The stopper 71 limits the movement of the component box 15. Therefore, when the second carrier 18 receives the component box 15 from the gravity conveyor 13, the second carrier 18 needs to release the stopper 71. Therefore, the second carrier 18 has a stopper releasing portion 72 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the stopper releasing portion 72 advances and retracts laterally from the main body frame 51 of the second conveyor 18. The stopper releasing portion 72 is moved forward or backward in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the second conveyor 18 by an actuator 73 as shown in FIG. The actuator 73 corresponds to the second drive unit. The actuator 73 operates using a storage battery (not shown) provided in the second carrier 18 as a power source.

The stopper 71 is provided at the end of the gravity conveyor on the side of the carry-out runway portion 14 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the stopper 71 can rotate from a position upright with respect to the gravity conveyor 13 toward the carry-in runway section 12 side. That is, the stopper 71 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 6 about the shaft portion 74. Further, the stopper 71 receives a force in a direction of returning to an initial position where it is upright by an elastic member (not shown). Therefore, the stopper 71 is upright as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7A when the force is not received from the stopper releasing portion 72 of the second conveyor 18. The component box 15 loaded into the gravity conveyor 13 from the carry-in runway section 12 moves along the gravity conveyor 13 by gravity and then stops by contacting the stopper 71.

When releasing the stopper 71, the stopper releasing portion 72 of the second conveyor 18 pushes the stopper 71 to the left in FIG. 6, that is, toward the carry-in runway portion 12 side. As a result, the stopper 71 is pushed toward the carry-in runway portion 12 side of the gravity conveyor 13 together with the contacting component box 15. At this time, the stopper 71 rotates around the shaft portion 74 toward the carry-in runway portion 12 side. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7B, the stopper 71 enters the lower side of the component box 15 that has been pushed toward the carry-in runway section 12 side. When the stopper 71 enters the lower side of the component box 15, the contact between the tip of the component box 15, that is, the end on the carry-out runway portion 14 side and the stopper 71 is released. As a result, the component box 15 moves on the gravity conveyor 13 by its own weight and is mounted on the second carrier 18.

On the other hand, if the stopper 71 is still released as it is, when the plurality of component boxes 15 are stored in the gravity conveyor 13, the following component boxes 15 also move to the second carrier 18 side. Therefore, the component box 15 has a slit 75 on the rear end side of the tray 62, that is, on the carry-in runway section 12 side. The slit 75 is provided in the tray 62 as shown in FIG. As described above, the stopper 71 receives a force in the direction of returning to the initial position by the elastic member (not shown). Therefore, when the slit 75 of the component box 15 reaches the stopper 71 as shown in FIG. 7C as the component box 15 moves, the stopper 71 rotates around the shaft portion 74 to the initial position. Then, when the slit 75 of the component box 15 passes, the stopper 71 returns to the initial position in which it stands upright as shown in FIG. As a result, the component box 15 subsequent to the taken-out component box 15 contacts the upright stopper 71, and the movement to the second carrier 18 side is restricted. In this way, the stopper 71 provided on the gravity conveyor 13 and the slit 75 provided on the component box 15 prevent the component box 15 from being continuously picked up. In this case, the size of the slit 75 provided in the component box 15 is set to such a length as to prevent continuous pick-up based on the speed of the component box 15 moving on the gravity conveyor 13.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the automatic storage facility 10 may include a shock absorbing portion 80 at the tip of the gravity conveyor 13, that is, at the end on the side of the carry-out runway portion 14. The component box 15 loaded into the gravity conveyor 13 from the carry-in runway unit 12 moves to the lower carry-out runway unit 14 side by gravity. Therefore, the moving component box 15 has a high speed at the end portion on the side of the carry-out runway portion 14, which may cause a large impact at the time of stop. Therefore, the automatic storage facility 10 may include the shock absorbing portion 80. The shock absorbing portion 80 has a stopper 81 and a damper 82. The stopper 81 may be integral with the above-mentioned stopper 71 or may be a separate body. The damper 82 is in contact with the stopper 81. The stopper 81 is rotatable around the shaft portion 83.

The component box 15 moved along the gravity conveyor 13 contacts the stopper 81 at the tip on the side of the carry-out runway portion 14. The stopper 81 is in contact with the damper 82 on the side opposite to the component box 15 around the shaft 83. Therefore, when the moved component box 15 and the stopper 81 come into contact with each other, the stopper 81 rotates around the shaft portion 83 and pushes the damper 82 toward the carry-in runway portion 12 side. As a result, the shock generated by the contact between the component box 15 and the stopper 81 is reduced by the damper 82. When the damper 82 gently returns to the initial position, the component box 15 in contact with the stopper 81 stops at a predetermined position due to the restoring force of the damper 82. As described above, by providing the shock absorbing portion 80, it is possible to reduce the shock caused by the collision between the component box 15 moving the gravity conveyor 13 and the stopper 81 and the noise generated by the shock.

(Flow of moving parts box)
The flow of the parts box 15 in the automatic storage facility 10 having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG.

The component box 15 is carried into the automatic storage facility 10 by the carry-in conveyor 42. The carried-in component box 15 is carried by the carry-in elevator 43 connected to the carry-in conveyor 42 to the shelf unit 11 of a predetermined designated stage among the plurality of rack units 11. The loading elevator 43 reads the target shelf unit 11 from the RFID tag 63 provided in the component box 15. Then, the loading elevator 43 transports the component box 15 to the target shelf unit 11. The component box 15 that has reached the target shelf unit 11 is mounted on the first carrier 16 that stands by at one end of the carry-in runway unit 12. The loading elevator 43 mounts the component box 15 on the standby first carrier 16.

The first carrier 16 on which the component box 15 is mounted travels along the carry-in runway portion 12 of the shelf unit 11 and moves to the target gravity conveyor 13. At this time, the first carrier 16 reads the target gravity conveyor 13 from the RFID tag 63 of the parts box 15. When the first conveyor 16 moves to the target gravity conveyor 13, it loads the mounted component box 15 into the gravity conveyor 13. The loaded component box 15 moves the gravity conveyor 13 to the unloading runway section 14 side by its own weight. The component box 15 put into the gravity conveyor 13 is stored behind the component box 15 already stored in the gravity conveyor 13, that is, in the side of the carry-in runway section 12 side.

On the other hand, when the component box 15 is unloaded, the component box 15 is unloaded by the second carrier 18. The second carrier 18 moves from the standby position W to the gravity conveyor 13 in which the target component box 15 is stored. At this time, the second carrier 18 receives necessary information from, for example, a command unit (not shown) provided at the standby position W, and moves to the target gravity conveyor 13. The second carrier 18 is moved to the shelf unit 11 having the target gravity conveyor 13 by the first elevator 21. Then, the second carrier 18 moves the carry-out runway portion 14 of the target shelf unit 11 from one end side to the other end side to the target gravity conveyor 13. When the second conveyor 18 reaches the target gravity conveyor 13, the second conveyor 18 receives the component box 15 from the gravity conveyor 13. The parts box 15 is mounted on the second carrier 18. The second carrier 18 on which the component box 15 is mounted moves to the other end side along the carry-out runway portion 14, and loads the mounted component box 15 onto the carry-out conveyor 44. The carry-out conveyor 44 receives the component box 15 from the second carrier 18, and carries out the received component box 15 to the outside of the automatic storage facility 10.

(Flow of movement of the second carrier)
The second carrier 18 circulates between the carry-out runway portion 14 and the return pass portion 17 as described above. The second carrier 18 moves on the carry-out runway portion 14 of the first path 31 and moves to the gravity conveyor 13 corresponding to the desired component box 15. The second carrier 18 that has moved to the corresponding gravity conveyor 13 receives the component box 15 from the gravity conveyor 13. The second carrier 18 that has received the component box 15 moves the carry-out runway portion 14 to the other end side. When the second carrier 18 reaches the other end side of the carry-out runway portion 14, it delivers the carried component box 15 to the carry-out conveyor 44. The second carrier 18 that has delivered the component box 15 to the carry-out conveyor 44 moves downward by the second elevator 22 that serves as the second path 32. At this time, the second elevator 22 collects the second carrier 18 from the carry-out runway portion 14 of the multi-tiered shelf unit 11 and conveys it to the return path portion 17. The second carrier 18 conveyed to the return path section 17 by the second elevator 22 travels on the return path section 17, which is the third path 33, and moves from the other end side to the one end side. Then, the second carrier 18 stops at the standby position W on the one end side of the return path section 17. At this time, the second carrier 18 is connected to the power supply unit 41 and receives power supply from the power supply unit 41.

When the second carrier 18 stopped at the standby position W receives an instruction from a command unit (not shown), the first elevator 21 serving as the fourth path 34 conveys the second carrier 18 to the shelf unit 11 at a predetermined stage. The first elevator 21 conveys the second carrier 18 of the lowermost return path 17 to the carry-out runway 14 of the shelf unit 11 at each stage by rising. The second carrier 18 transported to the carry-out runway portion 14 of the shelf unit 11 moves the carry-out runway portion 14 that is the first path 31 from one end side to the other end side again, and then the gravity conveyor 13 moves the component box. To receive.

In the case of such an embodiment, the time required to take out the required component box 15 is significantly shortened as compared with the conventional technique. For example, assume that the number of stages of the shelf unit 11 is 5, and that one component box is taken out from each of the five gravity conveyors 13 provided on the other end side of the uppermost shelf unit 11. Under such conditions, the time required for the present embodiment is about 1/2 of that of Patent Document 1 described above. As described above, in the embodiment in which the second carrier 18 is configured so that the unloading runway section 14 and the return path section 17 travel in opposite directions, the second carrier 18 is prevented from being complicated and the parts box 15 can be quickly taken out. It will be possible.

According to the embodiment described above, the component box 15 is carried to the gravity conveyor 13 by the first carrier 16 moving in the carry-in runway section 12. Then, the parts box 15 is received from the gravity conveyor 13 by the second carrier 18 that circulates through the first path 31, the second path 32, the third path 33, and the fourth path 34. The second carrier 18 receives the component box 15 from the gravity conveyor 13 by moving the first path 31 from one end side to the other end side along the carry-out runway portion 14. When the gravity conveyors 13 are multi-tiered as the shelf units 11, the second conveyor 18 moves the carry-out runway section 14 and the return path section 17 provided at the end of each gravity conveyor 13, respectively. Therefore, regardless of the number of stages of the shelf unit 11 in which the gravity conveyor 13 is provided, the second carrier 18 is configured by a pair of first elevator 21 and second elevator 22 provided on one end side and the other end side, respectively. , Circulates smoothly. Therefore, the number of elevators does not increase even if the number of stages is increased, and the configuration can be simplified.

Moreover, in one embodiment, the component box 15 is conveyed by the first conveyor 16 to the gravity conveyor 13 extending from the carry-in runway section 12. Then, the component box 15 is taken out of the gravity conveyor 13 by the second carrier 18. Therefore, the component box 15 is automatically conveyed to the gravity conveyor 13 and received from the gravity conveyor 13 by the controlled first conveyor 16 and second conveyor 18. That is, the component box 15 is loaded into the gravity conveyor 13 by the first conveyor 16 moving to the gravity conveyor 13 and driving the conveyor 54. On the other hand, the component box 15 is taken out from the gravity conveyor 13 by the second conveyor 18 moving to the gravity conveyor 13 and releasing the stopper 71 by the stopper releasing portion 72. Therefore, it is possible to automate the acceptance and delivery of the component box 15 without providing a drive source on the gravity conveyor 13.

In one embodiment, the component box 15 is received by the gravity conveyor 13 by the first conveyor 16 and discharged from the gravity conveyor 13 by the second conveyor 18. Then, the second carrier 18 receives the component box 15 while moving in one direction on the carry-out runway portion 14 provided at the end of the gravity conveyor 13. In this case, the carry-out runway section 14 and the return path section 17 are set to one-way traffic in which the moving directions of the second carrier 18 are opposite. Therefore, the plurality of second conveyors 18 move in the carry-out runway section 14 and the return path section 17 without any confusion. Thereby, even when there are a plurality of gravity conveyors 13 that perform payout to one carry-out runway portion 14, the plurality of second conveyors 18 move from one end side to the other end side in one direction, and the plurality of gravity conveyors 13 Receive the parts box 15 from. Therefore, the time required to convey the component box 15 can be shortened.

In one embodiment, the power supply unit 41 is provided at the standby position W set on one end side of the return path unit 17. When operating a plurality of second carriers 18, the second carrier 18 that has moved from the other end side to the one end side through the return path section 17 waits at the waiting position W on the one end side until the next operation. Therefore, the second carrier 18 receives power supply from the power supply unit 41 during the standby at the standby position W. As a result, the second carrier 18 is supplied with electric power during a standby period during which it does not operate. Therefore, it is not necessary to stop the second carrier 18 for supplying power such as charging, and the operation rate of the second carrier 18 can be increased.

In one embodiment, a stopper 71 is provided at the end of the gravity conveyor 13 on the side of the carry-out runway portion 14. In addition, the second carrier 18 has a stopper releasing portion 72 that releases the stopper 71. As a result, even when a plurality of component boxes 15 are stored in series on the gravity conveyor 13, the component box 15 located at the forefront is taken out by the second carrier 18. Further, a slit 75 is provided at the end of the component box 15 on the carry-in runway section 12 side. Therefore, by adjusting the length of the slit 75 in the length direction of the gravity conveyor 13, the timing at which the stopper 71 acts can be arbitrarily set. Therefore, the component boxes 15 put into the gravity conveyor 13 can be reliably stopped by the stopper 71, and the component boxes 15 continuously stored in the gravity conveyor 13 can be reliably taken out one by one.

The present invention described above is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be applied to various embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.
For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, an example in which the gravity conveyors 13 are connected to both sides of the carry-in runway portion 12 in the vertical direction has been described. However, the gravity conveyor 13 may be connected to one side of the carry-in runway unit 12. Further, as a matter of course, the direction in which the second carrier 18 circulates may be opposite to that of the present embodiment. That is, the second carrier 18 moves the carry-out runway portion 14 from the other end side to one end side, descends to the return pass portion 17 by the first elevator 21, and moves the return pass portion 17 from one end side to the other end side. The second elevator 22 may be configured to be elevated to the carry-out runway portion 14. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the example in which the return path section 17 is arranged below the carry-out runway section 14 has been described. However, if the second carrier 18 can circulate, the return path section 17 may be arranged on the side of the carry-out runway section 14 or the like.

Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to examples, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the examples and structures. The present disclosure also includes various modifications and modifications within an equivalent range. In addition, various combinations and forms, and other combinations and forms including only one element, more, or less than them are also within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

In the drawings, 10 is an automatic storage facility, 12 is a loading and unloading runway section, 13 is a gravity conveyor, 14 is a loading and unloading runway section, 15 is a parts box (storage), 16 is a first carrier, 17 is a return path, and 18 is a first Two conveyors, 21 is a first elevator, 22 is a second elevator, 31 is a first route, 32 is a second route, 33 is a third route, 34 is a fourth route, 41 is a power supply unit, 54 is a conveyer conveyor. (First drive unit), 57 is a guide unit, 71 is a stopper, 72 is a stopper release unit, 73 is an actuator (second drive unit), and 75 is a slit.

Claims (7)

A carry-in runway section (12) provided above in the direction of gravity;
One or more storage items (15) that extend vertically outward from the carry-in runway portion (12), incline downward from the end on the carry-in runway portion (12) side toward the other end, in the direction of gravity. A plurality of gravity conveyors (13) for movably supporting the
A first transfer machine (16) that reciprocates in the carry-in runway section (12) and carries the stored material (15) to the gravity conveyor (13);
An unloading runway section (14) provided at an end of the gravity conveyor (13) opposite to the import runway section (12);
A return path portion (17) provided separately from the unloading runway portion (14) and extending along the unloading runway portion (14);
A first elevator (21) provided on one end side of the carry-out runway section (14) and the return path section (17) and connecting the carry-out runway section (14) and the return path section (17);
A second elevator (22) which is provided at the other end of the carry-out runway section (14) and the return path section (17) and connects the carry-out runway section (14) and the return path section (17);
A first path (31) that moves from the one end side to the other end side along the carry-out runway portion (14) to receive the stored material (15) supported by the gravity conveyor (13), the second elevator. A second path (32) that moves to the return path section (17) below the gravity direction by (22), and a third path (33) that moves from the other end side to the one end side along the return path section (17). And a second carrier (18) circulating in the fourth path (34) moving to the carry-out runway section (12) above in the direction of gravity by the first elevator (21),
Automatic storage equipment equipped with. The automatic storage facility according to claim 1, wherein the first route (31) and the third route (33) are one-way passages in which the moving directions of the second carrier (18) are opposite to each other. The end of the first path (31) on the side of the first elevator (21), the end of the first path (31) on the side of the second elevator (22), the end of the second path (32). Electric power is supplied to the second carrier (18) at least at one of the end on the side of one elevator (21) or the end on the side of the second elevator (22) of the second path (32). The automatic storage facility according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a power supply unit (41) for operating. The first transfer machine (16) and the second transfer machine (18) are in contact with a guide section (57) provided along the carry-in runway section (12) or the carry-out runway section (14). The automatic storage facility according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a guide portion (55) for limiting deviation of course. The gravity conveyor (13) has a stopper (71) for limiting movement of the stored material (15) to the carry-out runway section (14) side at an end on the carry-out runway section (14) side,
The second carrier (18) is
A conveyor conveyer (54) which is provided perpendicular to the traveling direction in the carry-out runway portion (14) and moves the stored article (15) received from the gravity conveyor (13) in the second conveyor (18);
The automatic storage facility according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: a stopper releasing portion (72) that releases the stopper (71) to allow movement of the stored item (15). The first carrier (16) has a first drive unit (54) for loading the stored material (15) into the gravity conveyor (13),
Said second conveyor (18), according to claim 5, further comprising a second driving unit for the driving stopper release portion (72) for receiving said storage material (15) from said gravity conveyor (13) (73) Automatic storage equipment. The automatic storage facility according to claim 5, wherein the stored material (15) has a slit (75) into which the stopper (71) can enter at an end portion on the side of the carry-in runway portion (12).

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