JP6954155B2 - Transport equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a transport facility, particularly a transport facility capable of transporting and rotating a rectangular flat plate member.

Conventionally, a conveyor provided with a conveyor for transporting a load and a turntable for rotating the load by 90 degrees is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP-A-2002-347925

As a method of using the transport equipment that combines the conveyor and the turntable, the transport equipment transports the parent pallet for storage in the automated warehouse, and the transport vehicle transfers the child pallet and the load to the turntable from the approach direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the transport equipment. May be carried in. In that case, the transport vehicle is, for example, a forklift, and the child pallet is placed on the parent pallet. The transport facility then transports the parent pallet, child pallet and load to, for example, an automated warehouse.
For example, when the parent pallet and the child pallet are rectangular, the parent pallet may be rotated 90 degrees by the turntable in order to align the long side of the parent pallet with the long side of the child pallet.
However, in that case, the position of the end portion of the parent pallet in the approach direction of the transport equipment changes significantly before and after the rotation. Therefore, it is necessary for the transport vehicle to change the approach amount to the transport equipment depending on whether the parent pallet is rotated or not.

An object of the present invention is to make it easy to place a rectangular conveyed object transported by a transport vehicle on a rectangular flat plate-shaped member transported by a transport facility.

Hereinafter, a plurality of aspects will be described as means for solving the problem. These aspects can be arbitrarily combined as needed.

The transport equipment according to the first aspect of the present invention is equipment for transporting a rectangular flat plate member in the first horizontal direction. The transport vehicle places a rectangular transport object, which is the same as or smaller than the flat plate-shaped member, on the flat plate-shaped member by approaching the transport equipment from the second horizontal direction orthogonal to the first horizontal direction.
The transport equipment includes a transport unit and a rotary mounting unit.
The transport unit transports the flat plate-shaped member in the first horizontal direction.
The rotary mounting portion is provided on the transport path of the transport portion, and the flat plate-shaped member is mounted.
The rotation axis of the rotary mounting portion is located at a position different from the center of the flat plate-shaped member, so that the positions of one end of the flat plate-shaped member in the second horizontal direction coincide with or are close to each other before and after rotation. It is provided in.

In this equipment, by rotating the flat plate-shaped member eccentrically, the positions of the ends of the flat plate-shaped member in the second horizontal direction are aligned or close to each other before and after the rotation. Therefore, the amount of approach to the rotary mounting portion of the transport vehicle can be set to be constant. For example, a block for braking may be provided and the transport vehicle may be operated so as to advance there.

The rotation axis of the rotation mounting portion is set so that when the flat plate-shaped member is rotated 90 degrees in the horizontal direction, the center of the flat plate-shaped member in the first horizontal direction becomes the same position before and after the rotation. May be good.
In this equipment, the center position of the flat plate-shaped member does not change in the first horizontal direction before and after the rotation of the flat plate-shaped member by the rotary mounting portion. Therefore, it is not necessary to change the position in the first horizontal direction when the transport vehicle enters the transport facility before and after the rotation of the flat plate-shaped member. That is, the transport vehicle can enter the transport facility without considering the presence or absence of rotation of the first flat plate-shaped member.

The rotary mounting portion may be rotated 90 degrees in a predetermined direction and then rotated 90 degrees in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction.
In this equipment, since the rotary mounting portion is rotated within a range of 90 degrees, the position of the flat plate-shaped member can be determined even though the flat plate-shaped member is rotated eccentrically. On the other hand, unlike the present invention, if the rotary mounting portion is continuously rotated in the same direction, the position of the flat plate-shaped member cannot be determined due to eccentricity.

The transport unit may have a pair of transport structures separated in the second horizontal direction. In that case, the rotary mounting portion may have a receiving portion. The receiving portion is provided between the pair of transport structures and on the side of at least one of the transport structures in the second horizontal direction, and does not support the flat plate-shaped member before rotation but after rotation. It may include a mounting surface that supports.
In this equipment, by supporting the flat plate-shaped member by the receiving portion, even if an external force generated when the conveyed object is placed by the transport vehicle acts on the flat plate-shaped member, the rotary mounting portion is less likely to be damaged.

The receiving portions may be provided on both outer sides of the rotary mounting portion in the first horizontal direction.
In this equipment, since the surface supporting the flat plate-shaped member of the rotary mounting portion can be set large between the receiving portions, the rotary mounting portion can be rotated stably.

The mounting surface of the receiving portion may be inclined downward toward the inside of the mounting portion in the second horizontal direction.
In this equipment, since the mounting surface is inclined downward toward the inside of the rotary mounting portion, the reaction from the mounting surface to the inside of the rotary mounting portion with respect to the end portion of the first flat plate-shaped member. Force is working. Therefore, even if an external force generated when the transported object is placed by the transport vehicle acts on the flat plate-shaped member, the flat plate-shaped member is unlikely to be displaced from the rotary mounting portion.

The transport equipment may further include a detection unit and a control unit.
The detection unit detects the entry of the transport vehicle into the transport equipment.
When the transport vehicle changes from the approaching state to the non-entry state, the control unit transports the flat plate-shaped member by the transporting portion when the rotating mounting portion is in the non-rotating state before rotating 90 degrees, and the rotating mounting portion is 90 degrees. In the case of the rotating state after the rotation, the control is executed so that the flat plate-shaped member is transported by the transporting portion after the rotating mounting portion returns to the non-rotating state.
In this equipment, the control unit can determine the transfer operation of the flat plate-shaped member based only on the detection result from the detection unit. That is, the transport efficiency of the transport equipment is improved.

In the transport equipment according to the present invention, it becomes easy to place a rectangular transport object carried by a transport vehicle on a rectangular flat plate-shaped member transported by the transport equipment.

The schematic plan view of the transport equipment which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. Schematic front view of the transport equipment. A block diagram showing a control configuration of a transport facility. A flowchart showing the control operation of the transport equipment. Schematic plan view showing the state before and after rotation of the parent pallet. Schematic front view showing the operation of the transport equipment. The schematic plan view which shows the operation of a transport facility. Schematic front view showing the operation of the transport equipment. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing a state before and after rotation of the parent pallet in the second embodiment.

1. 1. First Embodiment (1) Structure of Transport Equipment The structure of transport equipment 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a transport facility according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the transport equipment. The left-right direction in FIG. 1 is the first horizontal direction and is indicated by an arrow Y. Further, the vertical direction in FIG. 1 is the second horizontal direction and is indicated by an arrow X.

The transport facility 1 is a facility that transports a rectangular parent pallet P1 (an example of a flat plate member) in the first horizontal direction. The first conveyor 2 is arranged on the upstream side (left side in the drawing) of the first horizontal direction of the transport equipment 1. The first conveyor 2 is connected to an automated warehouse or a pallet stocker (not shown), and the parent pallet P1 is carried into the transport facility 1 as shown by an arrow. A second conveyor 4 is arranged on the downstream side (right side in the drawing) of the first horizontal direction of the transport equipment 1. The second conveyor 4 is connected to the automated warehouse and carries out the parent pallet P1 from the transport facility 1 as shown by an arrow. Although the first conveyor 2 and the second conveyor 4 are chain conveyors, they may be other conveyors.
A child pallet P2 (an example of a transported object) is carried into the transport facility 1 by a forklift 17 from one side (lower side in FIG. 1) in the second horizontal direction, and is placed on the parent pallet P1. As shown in FIG. 7, the child pallet P2 is a rectangular member that is the same as or smaller than the parent pallet P1.
Hereinafter, in the second horizontal direction, the lower side of FIG. 1 is referred to as the forklift approach side of the transport equipment 1, and the upper side of FIG. 1 is referred to as the approach opposite side of the transport equipment 1.

The transport equipment 1 includes a transport unit 3 and a rotary mounting unit 5.
The transport unit 3 transports the parent pallet P1 in the first horizontal direction. The transport unit 3 has a pair of chain conveyors 3a and 3b (an example of a pair of transport structures) separated in the second horizontal direction. The pair of chain conveyors 3a and 3b extend in the first horizontal direction, and for example, convey the parent pallet P1 from the left side to the right side in FIG.
The rotary mounting portion 5 is provided on the transport path of the transport unit 3. The rotary mounting portion 5 can mount the parent pallet P1 on the parent pallet P1 by ascending. The rotary mounting portion 5 includes a mounting portion 11 on which the parent pallet P1 is mounted, a lifter 13 for raising and lowering the mounting portion 11, and a rotating portion 15 for rotating the mounting portion 11 and the lifter 13 (FIG. 3 only). And have.

The transport facility 1 further has a guide 7. The guides 7 are arranged on both sides of the rotary mounting portion 5 in the second horizontal direction, and are members that regulate the position of the parent pallet P1 in the second horizontal direction.
The guide 7 has guide members 7a to 7f. The guide members 7a to 7c are arranged on the outer side in the second horizontal direction (forklift approach side) of the rotary mounting portion 5, and specifically, are arranged on the outer side of the chain conveyor 3a. More specifically, the guide members 7a to 7c are arranged close to the chain conveyor 3a.
The guide members 7d to 7f are arranged on the outer side (opposite side of the approach) of the rotary mounting portion 5 in the second horizontal direction, and specifically, are arranged on the outer side of the chain conveyor 3b. More specifically, the guide members 7d to 7f are arranged at a predetermined distance from the chain conveyor 3b.

The rotary mounting portion 5 further has a receiving portion 19. The receiving portion 19 has receiving members 19a to 19d. The receiving members 19a to 19d are members for supporting the rotated parent pallet P1 from below.
The receiving members 19a and 19b are arranged on the forklift approach side in the second horizontal direction, and are arranged apart from each other in the first horizontal direction. Specifically, the receiving members 19a and 19b are arranged close to the inside of the transport facility of the chain conveyor 3a.

The receiving members 19c and 19d are arranged on the opposite side of the approach in the second horizontal direction, and are arranged apart from each other in the first horizontal direction. Specifically, the receiving members 19c and 19d are arranged close to the inside of the transport facility of the chain conveyor 3b.
As described above, the receiving members 19c and 19d are provided on both outer sides of the rotary mounting portion 5 in the first horizontal direction. Therefore, the surface supporting the parent pallet P1 of the rotary mounting portion 5 can be set large between the receiving members 19c and 19d. As a result, the rotary mounting portion 5 can be rotated stably.

The receiving members 19c and 19d have a mounting surface 19A. The mounting surface 19A is provided between the pair of chain conveyors 3a and 3b and on the side of the chain conveyor 3b, and does not support the parent pallet P1 before rotation but the parent pallet P1 after rotation. To support. The mounting surface 19A is inclined downward toward the inside of the rotating mounting portion 5 in the second horizontal direction.

The transport equipment 1 has a sensor 25. The sensor 25 is a device that detects the entry of the forklift 17 into the transport equipment 1. The sensor 25 is provided apart from the second horizontal direction outside of the rotary mounting portion 5.
Specifically, the sensor 25 is a transmissive photoelectric sensor having a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit separated in the first horizontal direction. The sensor 25 is turned on, for example, when the forklift 17 enters the rotary mounting portion 5, and is turned off when the forklift 17 exits the rotary mounting portion 5.
The type of the sensor 25 is not particularly limited.

(2) Control configuration of transport equipment The control configuration of transport equipment 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the transport equipment.
The transport equipment 1 has a controller 50 (an example of a control unit).
The controller 50 is a computer having a processor (for example, a CPU), a storage device (for example, ROM, RAM, HDD, SSD, etc.) and various interfaces (for example, an A / D converter, a D / A converter, a communication interface, etc.). It is a system. The controller 50 performs various control operations by executing a program stored in the storage unit (corresponding to a part or all of the storage area of the storage device).

The controller 50 may be composed of a single processor, or may be composed of a plurality of independent processors for each control.
A part or all of the functions of each element of the controller 50 may be realized as a program that can be executed by the computer system constituting the controller 50. In addition, a part of the function of each element of the controller 50 may be configured by a custom IC.

As shown in FIG. 3, a transport unit 3, a lifter 13, a rotating unit 15, and a sensor 25 are connected to the controller 50.
Although not shown, the controller 50 is connected to a sensor for detecting the size, shape, and position of the parent pallet P1, a sensor and a switch for detecting the state of each device, and an information input device.

(3) Control operation of the transfer equipment The control operation of the transfer equipment 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a control operation of the transport equipment. FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view showing a state before and after rotation of the parent pallet. FIG. 6 is a schematic front view showing the operation of the transport equipment. FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view showing the operation of the transport equipment. FIG. 8 is a schematic front view showing the operation of the transport equipment.

The control flowchart described below is an example, and each step can be omitted or replaced as necessary. Further, a plurality of steps may be executed at the same time, or some or all of them may be executed in an overlapping manner.
Further, each block of the control flowchart is not limited to a single control operation, and can be replaced with a plurality of control operations represented by a plurality of blocks.
The operation of each device is the result of a command from the control unit to each device, and these are represented by each step of the software application.

In step S1, the carry-in operation of the parent pallet P1 is executed. Specifically, the controller 50 controls the transport unit 3 to transport the parent pallet P1 to the rotary mounting unit 5, as shown in FIG. The parent pallet P1 is a rectangular member, and the long sides 21a and 21b extend along the second horizontal direction, and the short sides 21c and 21d extend along the first horizontal direction.
In step S2, it is determined whether or not the parent pallet P1 needs to be rotated. Specifically, the controller 50 makes the above determination based on, for example, a command from an operator. While operating the forklift 17, the operator determines whether or not to rotate the parent pallet P1 according to the support direction of the child pallet P2, and when rotating the forklift 17, the remote controller (not shown) or the rotation mounting portion 5 The above command is transmitted by operating a switch (not shown) nearby. If it is necessary to rotate, the process proceeds to step S3, and if it is not necessary to rotate, the process proceeds to step S12. The case where it is necessary to rotate is a case where the first horizontal length of the child pallet P2 is shorter than the long sides 21a and 21b of the parent pallet P1 but longer than the short sides 21c and 21d in the state before rotation. ..

The operation when the parent pallet P1 is rotated according to steps S3 to S11 will be described.
In step S3, the mounting portion 11 is raised. Specifically, the controller 50 controls the lifter 13 to execute the above operation (hereinafter, the same applies). As a result, the parent pallet P1 is separated from the pair of chain conveyors 3a and 3b of the transport unit 3.
In step S4, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the lifter 13 and the mounting portion 11 are rotated by 90 degrees in a predetermined direction. Specifically, the controller 50 controls the rotating unit 15 to execute the above operation (hereinafter, the same applies).
As a result, the long sides 21a and 21b of the parent pallet P1 are in a state along the first horizontal direction, and the short sides 21c and 21d are in a state along the second horizontal direction.

In step S5, the mounting portion 11 is lowered. As a result, the parent pallet P1 is placed on the transport unit 3 in a rotated state. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the end portion of the parent pallet P1 on the long side 21a side is placed on the chain conveyor 3a in a state of being guided by the guide members 7a, 7b, 7c. Will be done. On the other hand, the end portion of the parent pallet P1 on the long side 21b side is arranged away from the chain conveyor 3b and is placed on the mounting surface 19A of the receiving members 19c and 19d.
As described above, since the pair of chain conveyors 3a and 3b are arranged apart from each other in the second horizontal direction, after rotating the parent pallet P1, one end of the parent pallet P1 is attached to the chain conveyor 3b. Although not mounted, it is supported by receiving members 19c and 19d. In this case, since the pair of chain conveyors 3a and 3b are arranged apart from each other in the second horizontal direction as described above, the mounting portion 11 which is the pallet receiving surface can be made wider than before. That is, the area supported by the mounting portion 11 of the parent pallet P1 increases, so that the parent pallet P1 can be stably mounted on the mounting portion 11 and can be rotated stably.

In step S6, the child pallet P2 is placed on the parent pallet P1. When the child pallet P2 is placed, the states shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 are obtained. Specifically, the controller 50 makes the above determination based on a detection signal from a sensor (not shown).
When the child pallet P2 is placed by the forklift 17, an external force may act on the parent pallet P1. However, in the transport equipment 1, since the receiving members 19c and 19d support the parent pallet P1, the rotary mounting portion 5 is less likely to be damaged. Further, in the transport equipment 1, a reaction force acts on the long side 21b of the parent pallet P1 from the mounting surface 19A of the receiving members 19c and 19d to the inside of the rotary mounting portion 5. Therefore, the parent pallet P1 is unlikely to be displaced from the rotary mounting portion 5.

In step S7, the forklift 17 waits for the forklift 17 to leave the transport facility 1. Specifically, the controller 50 makes the above determination based on the detection signal from the sensor 25.
In step S8, the lifter 13 raises the parent pallet P1 together with the mounting portion 11. As a result, the parent pallet P1 is separated from the chain conveyor 3a and the receiving members 19c and 19d.

In step S9, the rotating portion 15 rotates the lifter 13 90 degrees in the direction opposite to the predetermined direction.
In step S10, the lifter 13 lowers the mounting portion 11. As a result, the parent pallet P1 is placed on the pair of chain conveyors 3a and 3b of the transport unit 3 in the original posture.
In step S11, the transport unit 3 carries out the parent pallet P1, the child pallet P2, and the load A to the right side of FIG.

The operation when the parent pallet P1 is not rotated according to steps S12, S13, and S11 will be described.
In step S12, it waits for the child pallet P2 to be placed on the parent pallet P1.
In step S13, the forklift 17 waits for the forklift 17 to leave the transport facility 1.
In step S11, the transport unit 3 carries out the parent pallet P1, the child pallet P2, and the load A to the right side of FIG.

As described above, in the controller 50, when the forklift 17 changes from the approaching state to the non-entry state, if the rotation mounting portion 5 is in the non-rotating state before rotating 90 degrees, the transport portion 3 directly transfers the parent pallet P1 to the controller 50. Transport is performed (step S13, step S11 in FIG. 4). On the other hand, when the rotary mounting portion 5 is in the rotated state after rotating 90 degrees, the controller 50 returns the rotary mounting portion 5 to the non-rotating state, and then transports the parent pallet P1 by the transport unit 3 (FIG. FIG. 4 steps S8 to S10, step S11).
By the above control operation, in the transfer equipment 1, the controller 50 can determine the transfer operation of the parent pallet P1 based only on the detection result from the sensor 25. That is, the transport efficiency of the transport equipment 1 is improved.

(4) Explanation of Eccentricity of Rotational Shaft The eccentric state of the parent pallet P1 will be described with reference to FIG.
First, a brief description will be given.
The rotation axis C2 of the rotation mounting portion 5 is at a position different from the center C1 of the parent pallet P1, that is, it is eccentric. The position of the rotation axis C2 is set so that when the parent pallet P1 is rotated 90 degrees in the horizontal direction, the center of the parent pallet P1 in the first horizontal direction becomes the same before and after the rotation. ..
Due to the above structure, in the transport equipment 1, the position of the center C1 of the parent pallet P1 does not change in the first horizontal direction before and after the rotation of the parent pallet P1 by the rotary mounting portion 5. Therefore, it is not necessary to change the position in the first horizontal direction when the forklift 17 enters the transport facility 1 before and after the rotation of the parent pallet P1. That is, the forklift 17 can enter the transport facility 1 without considering the presence or absence of rotation of the parent pallet P1.

The position of the rotation axis C2 of the rotation mounting portion 5 is before and after the rotation of the parent pallet P1 by the rotation mounting portion 5, the short side 21c before rotation and the long side 21a after rotation in the second horizontal direction of the parent pallet P1. Are provided so that the positions of the above are the same or close to each other.
With the above structure, in the transport facility 1, by rotating the parent pallet P1 eccentrically, the positions of the short side 21c before rotation and the long side 21a after rotation of the parent pallet P1 in the second horizontal direction coincide with each other before and after rotation. Or they are close to each other. Therefore, the amount of approach of the forklift 17 to the rotary mounting portion 5 can be set to be constant. For example, a block for braking may be provided and the forklift 17 may be operated so as to advance there.
As described above, the rotation mounting portion 5 is rotated 90 degrees in a predetermined direction and then 90 degrees in the direction opposite to the predetermined direction in order to return to the original rotation position. Since the rotation mounting portion 5 is rotated within the range of 90 degrees in this way, the position of the parent pallet P1 can be determined even though the parent pallet P1 is eccentrically rotated. On the other hand, unlike the present embodiment, if the rotary mounting portion 5 is continuously rotated in the same direction, the position of the parent pallet P1 cannot be determined due to eccentricity.

Next, a detailed description will be given.
As shown in FIG. 5, the lengths of the long sides 21a and 21b are set to "b", the lengths of the short sides 21c and 21d are set to "a", and the short sides 21c before rotation and the guide members 7a, 7b and 7c The condition when the second horizontal gap of the above is “c” will be described.
The rotation axis C2 is deviated by "d1" in the first horizontal direction and deviated by "d2" in the second horizontal direction with respect to the center C1. Specifically, the rotation axis C2 is displaced diagonally to the lower left of FIG. 5 with respect to the center C1. In this case, d1 = d2 = [{(ba) / 2} + c] / 2.

As a result, when the parent pallet P1 is rotated 90 degrees clockwise, the center of the parent pallet P1 in the first horizontal direction becomes the same before and after the rotation. That is, the parent pallet P1 is rotated so that the center line passing through the midpoints of the short sides 21c and 21d before rotation and the center line passing through the midpoints of the long sides 21a and 21b after rotation coincide with each other. The condition for this is that, as shown in FIG. 5, the parent pallet P1 is rotated around the center of a circle tangent to both center lines (circle Q1 in FIG. 5 is an example).
Further, the second horizontal position of the long side 21a after rotating the parent pallet P1 clockwise is located outside the second horizontal direction (forklift approach side) due to the second horizontal position of the short side 21c before rotation. Only "c" shifts. As a result, the second horizontal position of the long side 21a after rotation can be aligned with the guide members 7a, 7b, 7c. As described above, when the parent pallet P1 is rotated, the forklift approach side end of the parent pallet P1 can be arranged at the position closest to the operator side. As a result, the workability of the forklift 17 is improved.

2. 2nd Embodiment In the 1st embodiment, the second horizontal position of the long side 21a after rotation is "c" on the outside of the second horizontal direction (forklift approach side) due to the second horizontal position of the short side 21c before rotation. However, the two may be the same.
Such a modification will be described as a second embodiment with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view showing a state before and after rotation of the parent pallet in the second embodiment.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 9, the conditions when the lengths of the long sides 21a and 21b are "b" and the lengths of the short sides 21c and 21d are "a" will be described.
The rotation axis C3 is deviated by "d3" in the first horizontal direction and deviated by "d4" in the second horizontal direction with respect to the center C1. Specifically, the rotation axis C2 is displaced diagonally to the lower left of FIG. 5 with respect to the center C1. In this case, d3 = d4 = {(ba) / 2} / 2.

As a result, when the parent pallet P1 is rotated 90 degrees clockwise, the center of the parent pallet P1 in the first horizontal direction becomes the same position before and after the rotation. That is, the parent pallet P1 is rotated so that the center line passing through the midpoints of the short sides 21c and 21d before rotation and the center line passing through the midpoints of the long sides 21a and 21b after rotation coincide with each other. The condition for this is that, as shown in FIG. 9, the parent pallet P1 is rotated around the center of a circle tangent to both center lines (circle Q2 in FIG. 9 is an example).
Further, the second horizontal position of the long side 21a after rotating the parent pallet P1 clockwise coincides with the second horizontal position of the short side 21c before rotation.

3. 3. Common Matters of the Embodiments The first and second embodiments have the following configurations and functions in common.
The transport equipment (for example, transport equipment 1) is equipment for transporting a rectangular flat plate-shaped member (for example, the parent pallet P1) in the first horizontal direction (for example, the direction indicated by the arrow Y). The transport vehicle (for example, the forklift 17) is a rectangular conveyed object (for example, the child pallet P2) that is the same as or smaller than the flat plate member from the second horizontal direction (for example, the direction indicated by the arrow X) orthogonal to the first horizontal direction. Place it on a flat plate member in close proximity to the transport equipment.
The transport equipment includes a transport unit (for example, a transport unit 3) and a rotary mounting unit (for example, a rotary mounting unit 5).
The transport unit transports the flat plate-shaped member in the first horizontal direction.
The rotary mounting portion is provided on the transport path of the transport portion, and the flat plate-shaped member is mounted.
The rotation axis of the rotation mounting portion (for example, rotation axes C2 and C3) is at a position different from the center of the flat plate member (for example, center C1), and when the flat plate member is rotated 90 degrees in the horizontal direction, Before and after rotation, the center of the flat plate member in the first horizontal direction is set to be at the same position.
The rotation axis of the rotary mounting portion is located at a position different from the center of the flat plate-shaped member, so that the positions of one end of the flat plate-shaped member in the second horizontal direction coincide with or are close to each other before and after rotation. It is provided in.

In this equipment, by rotating the flat plate-shaped member eccentrically, the positions of the ends of the flat plate-shaped member in the second horizontal direction coincide with each other or are close to each other before and after the rotation. Therefore, the amount of approach to the rotary mounting portion of the transport vehicle can be set to be constant. For example, a block for braking may be provided and the transport vehicle may be operated so as to advance there.

4. Other Embodiments Although the plurality of embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. In particular, the plurality of embodiments and modifications described herein can be arbitrarily combined as needed.
(1) Deformation example of the transport section The transport section is not limited to the chain conveyor. The transport unit may be a roller conveyor.
The transport unit and the rotary mounting unit may be integrated. Specifically, it is a case where the conveyor can rotate in the transport equipment. In this equipment, the parent pallet can be rotated 90 degrees by rotating the conveyor while the parent pallet is placed on the conveyor.
(2) Deformation example of the transport vehicle The transport vehicle is not limited to the forklift. The automatic guided vehicle may be an AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle). When using an AGV, an image pickup device, an RFID tag, or the like is used to determine the long side and the short side of the child pallet (that is, the support direction of the child pallet), and a command is transmitted to the controller 50 based on the determination. It will be.
(3) Deformation example of the transported object The transported object is not limited to the child pallet. The transported item may be a basket trolley.
(4) Deformation example of the center of rotation In the above embodiment, the center position of the parent pallet in the first horizontal direction is the same before and after the rotation, but the ends of the pallets in the second horizontal direction are aligned or close to each other. If only the condition is met, the center position of the parent pallet in the first horizontal direction may be different before and after rotation. Even in that case, it is possible to deal with the case where the child pallet is placed even if it deviates from the second horizontal direction of the parent pallet, or if the approach position of the transport vehicle is changed depending on the presence or absence of rotation.

The present invention can be widely applied to a transport facility capable of transporting and rotating a rectangular flat plate member.

1: Conveying equipment 3: Conveying unit 3a: Chain conveyor 3b: Chain conveyor 5: Rotating mounting unit 7: Guide 7a: Guide member 7b: Guide member 7c: Guide member 7d: Guide member 7e: Guide member 7f: Guide member 11 : Mounting part 13: Lifter 15: Rotating part 17: Forklift 19: Receiving part 19A: Mounting surface 19a: Receiving member 19b: Receiving member 19c: Receiving member 19d: Receiving member 21a: Long side 21b: Long side 21c: Short Side 21d: Short side 25: Sensor 50: Controller A: Load C1: Center C2: Rotation axis C3: Rotation axis P1: Parent pallet P2: Child pallet

Claims (7)

A transport facility for transporting a rectangular flat plate member in the first horizontal direction, wherein the transport vehicle transports a rectangular transport object that is the same as or smaller than the flat plate member from the second horizontal direction orthogonal to the first horizontal direction. A transport facility that is placed close to the flat plate member and placed on the flat plate member.
A transport unit that transports the flat plate member in the first horizontal direction,
It is provided with a rotary mounting portion provided on the transport path of the transport portion and on which the flat plate-shaped member is mounted.
The rotation axis of the rotary mounting portion is at a position different from the center of the flat plate-shaped member, and the positions of one end of the flat plate-shaped member in the second horizontal direction coincide with or close to each other before and after rotation. It is provided to be
Transport equipment. The rotation axis of the rotation mounting portion is located at a position different from the center of the flat plate-shaped member, and when the flat plate-shaped member is rotated 90 degrees in the first horizontal direction, the flat plate-shaped member has a position before and after the rotation. The transport equipment according to claim 1, wherein the centers in the first horizontal direction are set to be at the same position. The transport equipment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rotary mounting portion rotates 90 degrees in a predetermined direction and then rotates 90 degrees in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction. The transport unit has a pair of transport structures separated in the second horizontal direction.
The rotary mounting portion is provided between the pair of transport structures and on the side of at least one of the transport structures in the second horizontal direction, and does not support the flat plate-shaped member before rotation, but rotates. The transport equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a receiving portion including a mounting surface for supporting the flat plate-shaped member. The transport equipment according to claim 4, wherein the receiving portions are provided on both outer sides of the rotary mounting portion in the first horizontal direction. The transport equipment according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the previously described mounting surface of the receiving portion is inclined downward toward the inside of the previously described mounting portion in the second horizontal direction. A detection unit that detects the entry of the transport vehicle into the transport equipment, and
When the transport vehicle changes from the approaching state to the non-entry state, if the rotary mounting portion is in the non-rotating state before being rotated by 90 degrees, the flat plate-shaped member is transported by the transporting portion, and the rotating mounting portion is 90. A claim further comprising a control unit that executes control so that the flat plate-shaped member is transported by the transport unit after the rotary mounting unit returns to the non-rotation state in the case of a rotational state after rotation. The transport equipment according to any one of 1 to 6.

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