JP7272486B2 - Transfer device - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a transfer device for transferring cargo from a container to be unloaded to a container to be loaded.

In this type of transfer device, both ends of two movable rail members parallel to each other are supported by two fixed rail members in the Y direction perpendicular to the X direction, which is the length direction of these movable rail members. A movable body is supported on each of the two movable rail members so as to be able to reciprocate in the X direction, and a picking head capable of lifting a load is vertically movable on each movable body. A loading/unloading unit provided is used. In the prior art document cited as Patent Document 1, a processing unit for workpieces is used instead of the picking head required for the cargo loading/unloading unit. For example, it can be used as a loading and unloading unit for lifting loads and unloading them elsewhere. In this case, a container receiving area to be unloaded and a container receiving area to be loaded are set in a movable area of the picking head in a plan view below the cargo unloading/carrying-in unit.

JP-A-2003-305672

As described above, it is possible to use the configuration described in Patent Document 1 to configure a transfer device that transfers a load lifted by a picking head from a container to be carried out into a container to be carried in. Even if it is something that can be easily done by a person skilled in the art, there is a configuration for efficiently performing the picking operation of the cargo from the container to be unloaded, and the cargo is manually carried out without using the unloading/unloading unit. Problems that are necessary for practical use have been resolved, such as a configuration that enables safe and easy transfer of cargo from the container to be carried out to the container to be carried in as necessary. Must.

The transfer apparatus according to the present invention is provided with a cargo transfer work space in which a first container receiving area and a second container receiving area are arranged side by side in a plan view. In the transfer equipment in which the cargo transfer work area is set,
a conveyor arranged on a side different from the front side of the cargo transfer work space in a plan view for carrying containers in and out of the first and second container receiving areas;
Positioned above the load transfer work space, provided with a picking head which is provided movably in three directions along the rail member and capable of lifting loads, and which is carried into each of the first and second container receiving areas. a cargo transfer unit for transferring cargo between the first and second containers;
It is configured to have

In the transfer apparatus of the present invention configured as described above, the operation of transferring the cargo in the container to be carried out to the container to be carried in is switched between an automatic operation performed by an automatic device and a manual operation performed by an operator as necessary. It can be used as a transfer device that can be carried out.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a transfer device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of the same transfer device. FIG. 3 is a plan view when the same transfer apparatus is in a state of manual transfer work. FIG. 4 is a plan view for explaining the moving range of the picking head in the X direction in the same transfer device. FIG. 5 is a plan view for explaining the moving range of the picking head in the Y direction in the same transfer device. 6A to 6D are schematic plan views explaining each stage in the transfer operation when each of the four picking heads in the same transfer apparatus handles one small-sized article. 7A to 7D are schematic plan views explaining each stage in the transfer operation when four picking heads in the same transfer apparatus handle one large size load. FIG. 8 is a side view showing another example of safety measures. 9 is a front view of FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a side view showing a modification of the embodiment of FIG. 8. FIG. FIG. 11 is a side view of a main part showing still another embodiment of safety measures.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a loading/unloading unit 1 included in the transfer apparatus of the present invention according to the illustrated embodiment is horizontally installed on a frame 2. As shown in FIG. The pedestal 2 includes a pair of X-direction (left-right direction) side frames 5a and 5b formed by connecting and integrating a pair of Y-direction (front-rear direction) pillars 3a and 3b by Y-direction connecting members 4a and 4b at positions near both upper and lower ends. The side frames 5a and 5b are composed of an X-direction connecting member 6 that connects and integrates them at the upper end position of the post 3b on the rear side in the Y-direction.

The platform 2 is installed so as to straddle a cargo transfer work space 9 in which a container receiving area 7 to be unloaded and a container receiving area 8 to be carried in are adjacent in the X direction. are connected to conveyors 10 and 11 for loading and unloading containers Cy/Cx. These carrying-in/carry-out conveyors 10 and 11 have the same structure as each other and are arranged in parallel with each other so as to extend along the Y direction to the rear side of the load transfer work space 9. It consists of an upper and lower two-layered conveyer unit 12 for carrying-in, a conveyer unit 13 for carrying-out, and lifting/lowering transfer means 14A/14B. Although the carrying-in conveyor unit 12 is on the upper side in the drawing, the carrying-out conveyor unit 13 may be on the upper side.

The elevating transfer means 14A, 14B are container support transport bodies 14a, 14b which can move up and down in parallel between upper and lower limit positions connected to the upper and lower two-layer loading conveyor unit 12 and the unloading conveyor unit 13. are provided on the container support transport bodies 14a and 14b to draw the container Cy/Cx delivered from the carry-in conveyor unit 12 to a fixed position on the container support transport bodies 14a and 14b, and It is equipped with a drawing-out sending means (conveyor whose rotation direction can be changed, a container pushing/pulling reciprocating body, etc.) capable of selectively sending out the container Cy/Cx onto the carry-out conveyor unit 13 . The container support carriers 14a and 14b stop at each container receiving site 7/8 located in the middle of the parallel elevating path, thereby carrying the supported containers Cy/Cx to each container receiving site 7/8. can do The lifting/lowering transfer means 14A and 14B included in both conveyors 10 and 11 are used when the loading/unloading conveyors 10 and 11 carry in/out containers Cy/Cx to/from both container receiving areas 7 and 8 at the same time. integrates the container support transport bodies 14a and 14b respectively provided therein to form one container support having a lateral width substantially equal to the width in the X direction of the entirety of both container receiving areas 7 and 8 (load transfer work space 9). It can also be used as a carrier.

Incidentally, the means for loading and unloading the container Cy/Cx to and from the container receiving area 7 to be carried out and the container receiving area 8 to be carried in has been briefly explained. The means for loading and unloading the containers Cy/Cx to and from the target container receiving site 8 may have any configuration. Depending on the case, it is also possible to manually carry in and out the container Cy/Cx with respect to the container receiving site 7 to be carried out and the container receiving site 8 to be carried in. In the illustrated configuration, the container receiving area 7 to which cargo is to be carried out and the container receiving area 8 to which cargo is to be carried are set at an intermediate height between the carrying-in conveyor unit 12 and the carrying-out conveyor unit 13. , the height to be connected to the conveyor unit 12 for carrying in or the conveyor unit 13 for carrying out.

The loading/unloading unit 1 installed on the pedestal 2 includes a pair of fixed rail members 15 and 16 parallel to the Y direction and in the X direction, a pair of movable rail members 17 and 18 parallel to the X direction and in the Y direction, and these movable rails. A pair of movable bodies 19, 20 and 21, 22 in the X direction supported by members 17 and 18, respectively, and picking heads 23 to 26 supported by the four movable bodies 19 to 22 so as to be vertically movable in the Z direction. consists of More specifically, the pair of fixed rail members 15 and 16 in the X direction has both ends in the Y direction fixedly supported by the upper ends of the pair of pillars 3a and 3b in the left and right side frames 5a and 5b of the pedestal 2. On the upper side thereof, two movable support bases 15a, 15b and 16a, 16b in the Y direction are respectively supported between both ends of the fixed rail members 15, 16 in the Y direction so as to be reciprocally movable. A pair of movable rail members 17 and 18 in the Y direction are fixedly supported at both ends in the X direction on movable support bases 15a, 15b and 16a, 16b. The movable bodies 19, 20 and 21, 22 are supported on the side portions of the movable rail members 17 and 18 facing each other so as to be reciprocally movable in the X direction between both ends of the movable rail members 17 and 18 in the X direction. It is Attached to these movable bodies 19 to 22 are portions near the lower ends of lifting rail members 19a to 22a parallel to the Z direction (vertical up and down direction). Elevating support bases 19b to 22b are provided which are supported so as to be able to move up and down between both ends. Elevating support bases 19b to 22b are provided with lifting rods 23a to 23b which are parallel to the Z direction and have the picking heads 23 to 26 at their lower ends. The upper end of 26a is fixedly supported. The picking heads 23 to 26 are used for loads that can be attracted to the top surface of a load by negative pressure, loads that have a magnetic plate attached to the top surface of the load, and box-type loads that are molded from a magnetic plate. Alternatively, a type that magnetically attracts when energized can be used. Of course, it is also possible to use a picking head having a grasped portion provided on the upper surface of the load and a grasping tool capable of grasping and releasing the grasped portion.

As shown in FIG. 3 and the like, the lift supports 19b to 22b (lift rods 23a to 26a) move the lift rail members 19a, 20a/21a, and 22a supported by the same movable rail members 17/18 in the X direction. located on the side facing the Further, as shown in FIG. 4, two X-direction movable bodies 19 and 20 supported by the movable rail member 17 and two X-direction movable bodies 21 and 22 supported by the movable rail member Elevating supports 19b, 20b/21b, 22b (elevating rods 23a, 24a/25a, 26a) are arranged adjacent to each other in the X direction at both ends of the rail members 17/18 in the X direction. It can reciprocate along the movable rail members 17/18 within the X-direction movement range Wx.

As shown in FIG. 4, a narrow waiting area Sa1 having a waiting position Sp1 for waiting only the movable rail members 17 is provided on the front side in the Y direction of the cargo transfer work space 9 in plan view. As shown, two standby positions Sp2 in the Y direction where two movable rail members 17 and 18 can stand by adjacent to each other in the Y direction are provided on the rear side of the cargo transfer work space 9 in the Y direction in plan view. , Sp3 is provided. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the movable rail member 17 is positioned between the standby position Sp1 in the narrow standby area Sa1 and the standby position Sp2 adjacent to the load transfer work space 9 in the wide standby area Sa2. The movable rail member 18 can reciprocate in the Y direction within the Y-direction movement range Wy of , and the movable rail member 18 is, as shown in FIG. Can reciprocate in the Y direction within the Y direction movement range Wy between the stroke limit position p4 adjacent to the rear side in the Y direction and the standby position Sp3 on the side away from the load transfer work space 9 in the wide standby area Sa2. is.

Driving means for reciprocating the movable supports 15a, 15b and 16a, 16b with respect to the fixed rail members 15, 16 in the Y direction; Although no specific structure is shown for the driving means for reciprocating to and driving means for driving the lifting support bases 19b to 22b up and down with respect to the lifting rail members 19a to 22a, conventionally known driving means can be used. I can. For example, as a drive means for reciprocating the movable supports 15a, 15b and 16a, 16b and the movable bodies 19, 20 and 21, 22, the fixed rail members 15, 16 (movable rail members 17, 18) extend substantially over the entire length. A fixed screw shaft having a length is installed in parallel with the Y direction (X direction), and each of the movable support bases 15a, 15b and 16a, 16b (movable bodies 19, 20 and 21, 22) has a screw shaft attached to the fixed screw shaft. The female screw body to be screwed in is supported so that it can only rotate, and a motor is mounted to drive the female screw body in forward and reverse rotation. The picking heads 23 to 26 are freely moved within the X-direction movement range Wx and the Y-direction movement range Wy together with the lifting supports 19b to 22b (lifting rods 23a to 26a) by forward and reverse rotation driving by the motors. can let

Further, as a driving means for driving the lifting support bases 19b to 22b up and down with respect to the lifting rail members 19a to 22a, one lifting support base 19b to 22b is driven up and down with respect to each of the lifting rail members 19a to 22a. For example, a rotatable screw shaft having a length extending substantially over the entire length of each lifting rail member 19a to 22a is supported along the Z direction, and the upper end of each lifting rail member 19a to 22a, for example, is supported. A motor for driving the screw shaft in forward and reverse rotation is attached to , and a fixed female screw body screwed onto the screw shaft can be attached to each of the lifting support bases 19b to 22b. According to this configuration, by rotating the screw shaft forward and backward by the motor, each of the lift supports 19b to 22b can be freely moved up and down.

Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, on the front floor side in the Y direction of the load transfer work space 9, a worker having a width capable of covering the entire width of the load transfer work space 9 in the X direction is provided. A load transfer work area 27 is provided. In addition, above the cargo transfer work space 9, a container receiving area 7 to be unloaded is located at a constant height above the container receiving area 7 to be unloaded and a container receiving area 7 to be unloaded at a constant height above the container receiving area 8 to be unloaded. An imaging device (camera) 28 for reading the positional information of the cargo inside the container Cy to be unloaded located at , and the inside of the container Cx to be loaded located at the container receiving area 8 to be loaded. An imaging device (camera) 29 is provided for reading an image of an area in which the image can be placed. These imaging devices 28 and 29 are attached to the top horizontal portion of a gate-shaped frame 30 having legs supported on both sides in the Y direction by the side frames 5a and 5b.

The method of using the transfer device configured as described above will be described below. This transfer device is capable of automatic operation in which the load carrying/unloading/carrying-in unit 1 is operated, and manual operation without using the load carrying/unloading unit 1. It is. In either case, the container Cy to be carried out is sent to the container receiving area 7 to be carried out by the carrying-in conveyor unit 12 of the carrying-in carrying out conveyor 10 and the container support carrier 14a of the elevating transfer means 14A. Further, the container Cx to be carried in is sent to the container receiving area 8 to be carried in by the carrying-in conveyor unit 12 of the carrying-in/carrying-out conveyor 11 and the container support carrier 14b of the elevating transfer means 14B. In the case of automatic operation, the four picking heads 23 to 26 of the loading/unloading unit 1 pick up the unloading target container Cy which has been sent into the unloading target container receiving area 7 as shown by the solid lines in FIG. It stands by at a position adjacent to the outside of the four corners in plan view and at the lift limit height. That is, the movable rail member 17 is positioned at the standby position Sp1 in the narrow standby area Sa1, and the movable rail member 18 is positioned at the standby position Sp2 in the wide standby area Sa2. The bodies 19, 20 and 21, 22 are positioned adjacent to each other on the outside of the four corners in a plan view of the container Cy to be unloaded which has been carried into the container receiving area 7 to be unloaded, and the elevating rods 23a to 26a provided therein, respectively. stands by at the upper limit height of the lifting rail members 19a to 22a.

For example, as shown in FIG. In the case where four small-sized cargoes Bs must be transferred to the cargo-carrying-in target container Cx carried in at No. 8, as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6B, the four picking heads 23 to 26 on standby at are moved in the Y direction of the movable rail members 17 and 18 and the movable bodies 19, 20 and 21 on the respective movable rail members 17 and 18. , 22 in the X direction to move them to positions directly above the four small-sized loads Bs to be unloaded, and then the lift supports 19b to 22b (lifting rods 23a) are moved to the lift rail members 19a to 22a. 26a) are lowered to bring the four picking heads 23 to 26 into contact with the upper surfaces of the four small-sized cargoes Bs to be unloaded. Of course, it is assumed that the picking heads 23 to 26 are of the negative pressure attraction type or the magnetic attraction type, but a gripped portion is provided above the load to be handled, and the picking heads 23 to 26 are attached to the gripped portion. In the case of a gripping type having a gripping tool for gripping the , the gripping tool of each of the picking heads 23 to 26 grips the upper part to be gripped of the four small-sized loads Bs to be carried out. The above operation can be automatically performed based on the image captured by the imaging device 28 positioned right above the container receiving area 7 to be unloaded.

When each of the picking heads 23 to 26 becomes capable of lifting the four small-sized cargoes Bs to be unloaded from predetermined positions in the container Cy to be unloaded, each of the picking heads 23 to 26 is moved to the small-sized cargo Bs to be unloaded. Lift up to the maximum height with Bs. Specifically, the lifting support bases 19b-22b (lifting rods 23a-26a) are lifted up to the lift limit height with respect to the lifting rail members 19a-22a. Thereafter, the lifted small-sized cargo Bs is transferred to a predetermined position (for example, the position shown in FIG. 6B) in the container Cx to be carried into the container receiving area 8 to be carried in. Specifically, Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6C, movement of the movable rail members 17 and 18 in the Y direction and movement of the movable bodies 19 and 20 and 21 and 22 on the respective movable rail members 17 and 18 in the X direction are performed. In combination, the lifted small size cargo Bs is moved to just above a predetermined position in the container Cx to be carried in, and then the lifting rods 23a to 26a are lowered with respect to the lifting rail members 19a to 22a for picking. Each small size cargo Bs lifted by the heads 23 to 26 can be lowered to a predetermined position in the container Cx to be carried in (see FIG. 6D). The selection of the place to unload the small-sized cargo Bs into the container Cx to be carried in and the confirmation that the unloading has been completed are performed using the image captured by the imaging device 29 positioned directly above the container receiving area 8 to be carried in. can be done automatically based on

When the entire small-sized cargo Bs lifted from the container Cy to be unloaded moves upward from the container Cy to be unloaded, at that point, the container Cy to be unloaded is moved to the container receiving area for unloading. It can be carried out from 7. Specifically, after the container support carrier 14a of the elevating transfer means 14A supporting the container Cy to be unloaded is lowered and connected to the carry-out conveyor unit 13, the container support carrier 14a is unloaded. The container Cy to be unloaded is unloaded onto the conveyor unit 13 for cargo. As a result, without waiting for the completion of the transfer of the small-sized cargo Bs to the container Cx to be carried in, the work of carrying in the next container Cy to be carried out to the container receiving area 7 to be carried out can be started immediately. .

On the other hand, when the transfer of the small-sized cargo Bs into the container Cx to be carried in is completed as described above, all the picking heads 23 to 26 are raised to the upper limit height, and then the standby position shown in FIG. 6A is reached. return to In this case as well, if the lifting rods 23a to 26a and the picking heads 23 to 26 rising from the container Cx to be carried in move upward from the container Cx to be carried in, the container to be carried in at that time Cx can be carried out from the container receiving area 8 to which the cargo is to be carried. Specifically, after the container support carrier 14b of the elevating transfer means 14B supporting the container Cx to be carried in is lowered and connected to the carry-out conveyor unit 13, the container support carrier 14b is carried out. The container Cx to be carried in is carried out onto the conveyor unit 13 for cargo. As a result, without waiting for the picking heads 23 to 26 to return to the standby positions shown in FIG. 6A, the operation of carrying the next container Cx to be carried into the container receiving area 8 can be started immediately. .

In the transfer operation of the small-size cargo Bs, all the picking heads 23 to 26 have been described as transferring four small-size cargoes Bs at the same time. This is because the load Bs can be lifted and lowered, and four small-sized loads Bs can be transferred at the same time. can carry out transfer work. If the number of small-sized loads Bs to be transferred is three or less, one to three picking heads out of the picking heads 23 to 26 are not used. For example, among the picking heads 23 to 26 at the standby position shown in FIG. It is possible to select to use from the picking head located near the container Cx to be carried in at the container receiving site 8 to be carried in. FIG.

Of course, if the size of the load to be handled is a medium size load that is long in the Y direction and can be lifted by the two picking heads 23, 25/24, 26 that are adjacent in the Y direction among the picking heads 23 to 26, , oblong medium-sized loads long in the X direction that can be lifted by two picking heads 23, 24/25, 26 that can be adjacent in the X direction, can also be picked up one or two times using two picking heads. can also be handled. Furthermore, it is possible to handle large-sized loads that must be lifted by all four picking heads 23-26. Figures 7A-7D describe the situation when all four picking heads 23-26 are transferring one oversized load Bb. The procedure is basically the same as the transfer operation of the small size cargo Bs explained based on FIG. This is the point at which transportation in the Y direction and unloading are performed. In this case, the four picking heads 23 to 26 are preferably positioned so as to lift the four corner positions of the top surface of one large-sized cargo Bb.

As described above, the loading/unloading unit 1 is operated, and the cargo of various sizes in the container Cy to be loaded into the container receiving area 7 to be loaded is carried into the container receiving area 8 to be loaded. However, if, for example, the picking heads 23 to 26 fail or for some reason it becomes necessary to perform the above operations manually, the As shown in FIG. 3, the two movable rail members 17 and 18 in the Y direction are moved into the wide standby area Sa2. That is, the movable rail member 18 is moved rearward in the Y direction to the limit position and stopped at the standby position Sp3, and the movable rail member 17 is moved rearward in the Y direction to a position adjacent to the movable rail member 18. to stop at the standby position Sp2. The two movable rail members 17 and 18 are made to stand by in the wide waiting area Sa2 in a state adjacent to each other in the Y direction at each stage after a series of transfer operations using the cargo loading/unloading unit 1 is finished. Also good.

When preparations for the above manual work are completed, the front side in the Y direction of the cargo transfer work space 9 in which the container receiving area 7 to be unloaded and the container receiving area 8 to be carried in are arranged side by side is released, and the cargo transfer work is performed. A worker standing on the floor surface of the area 27 is disturbed by the movable rail members 17 and 18, the lifting rail members 19a to 22a supported by these, the lifting rods 23a to 26a, and the picking heads 23 to 26. Without manual operation, the cargo of various sizes in the container Cy to be carried out to the container receiving area 7 to be carried out is manually transferred to the container Cx to be carried in to the container receiving area 8 to be carried in. It can be transferred. Even when the load transfer work is performed manually, the content of the work can be managed based on the images acquired by the imaging devices 28 and 29 . Side frames 5a and 5b of the pedestal 2 for supporting the fixed rail members 15 and 16 of the loading/unloading unit 1 are positioned on both sides of the loading/unloading work space 9 and loading/unloading work area 27 in the X direction. However, the self-supporting strength of the side frames 5a and 5b, in other words, the supporting strength of the loading/unloading unit 1 is sufficiently supported by the X-direction connecting member 6 connecting the vicinity of the upper ends of the support columns 3b on the rear side in the Y direction. However, if necessary, the support pillars 3a on the front side in the Y direction can also be positioned so as not to interfere with the above manual work, for example, the container Cy to be carried out and the container Cy to be carried in located in the cargo transfer work space 9. They can be connected to each other by X-direction connecting members at approximately the same height as the upper end of the container Cx. The X-direction connecting member 6 can also be provided at a position that directly connects the rear ends of the pair of X-direction fixed rail members 15 and 16 of the loading/unloading unit 1 .

In the above embodiment, the container Cy to be carried out and the container Cx to be carried in are transferred between the carrying-in conveyor unit 12 and the carrying-out conveyor unit 13 of the carrying-in/carrying-out conveyor 11 via the container receiving areas 7 and 8. Container support transport bodies 14a and 14b, which move up and down in parallel in the vertical direction, are used as lifting/lowering transfer means 14A and 14B for lifting and transferring the containers by moving them up and down. The means for transferring the containers Cy and Cx to the beginning of the unit 13 via the container receiving areas 7 and 8 may have any configuration.

When the process of loading and unloading the containers Cy and Cx into and out of the cargo transfer work space 9 is executed as described above, the container transfer route by the container support carriers 14a and 14b is manually intervened. Even during automatic work by the loading/unloading/loading unit 1, if the lifting rods 23a to 26a having the picking heads 23 to 26 at their lower ends enter the container transfer path, the equipment This will induce a failure with damage to the It is necessary to take safety measures to prevent such a situation from occurring, and an example of such safety measures will be described below.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a container Cy to be unloaded is carried into the container receiving area 7 to be unloaded in the cargo transfer work space 9, and a container Cy to be unloaded to the container receiving area 8 to be unloaded. An obstacle detecting means 31 is provided for generating a planar obstacle detecting light beam film 31a that traverses the upper side of the container Cx to be carried in in the cargo transfer work space 9 from one end outside to the other end outside in the X direction. can do This obstacle detection means 31 is a light transmission type comprising a light projector 32a arranged outside one end in the Y direction of the load transfer work space 9 and a light receiver 32b arranged outside the other end in the Y direction of the load transfer work space 9. However, a reflective type in which the light emitter 32a is used as a light emitter and receiver and a light reflector is used instead of the light receiver 32b may be used. The light emitter (light emitter/receiver) 32a and the light receiver 32b (light reflector) can be attached to the side frames 5a and 5b on both sides of the frame 2 in the X direction. This obstacle detection means 31 may be operated for a certain period of time immediately before the lifting/lowering transfer means 14A and 14B are operated. When the obstacle detecting means 31 is in operation and there is a human hand or the like intersecting with the obstacle detecting light beam film 31a, the obstacle detecting means 31 outputs an obstacle detection signal. Based on the detection signal, the operation of the lifting/lowering transfer means 14A and 14B can be brought to an emergency stop, and an alarm or lamp can be activated to notify the emergency stop.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the obstacle detecting light beam film 33a is applied to a container being carried into the container receiving area 7 to be unloaded and the container receiving area 8 to be carried in in the cargo transfer work space 9. It is also possible to use an obstacle detection means 33 that causes the upper sides of Cy and Cx to be oriented transversely in the front-rear Y direction. In this case, the light emitter (or light emitter/receiver) 34a and the light receiver (or light reflector) 34b are arranged between the pair of columns 3a in the X direction on the front side in the Y direction of the side frames 5a and 5b that constitute the frame 2 and on the rear side. 3b and parallel to the X direction. In the figure, the light receiver (or light reflector) 34b is arranged on the front side of the load transfer work space 9 in the Y direction, but it may be arranged upside down. However, the front support frame 35a and the obstacle detection equipment (light receiver (or light reflector) 34b and light projector (or light transmitter/receiver) 34a) attached to it are placed at a height that does not enter the operator's manual work space. It is necessary to attach it to the

When using the obstacle detection means 33 shown in FIG. 8, as shown in FIG. The means 33A and the obstacle detection means 33B for monitoring the upper side of the container Cx to be carried into the container receiving area 8 can be installed separately. In this case, if the carrying-in/carrying-out conveyor 10 and the carrying-in/carrying-out conveyor 11 including the lifting/lowering transfer means 14A and 14B can be operated separately, the carrying-in side lifting/lowering transfer means 14A and the carrying-out conveyor 10 can be operated separately. While operating the vertical transfer means 14B separately at arbitrary timing, the obstacle detection means 33A and the obstacle detection means 33B are operated at the time of each operation, and the cargo is carried out by the respective obstacle detection light beam films 33a and 33b. Obstacles on the side of the target container Cy and obstacles on the side of the container Cx to which cargo is to be carried can be detected separately to ensure safety at all times.

As shown in FIG. 10, when a table 36 that can be used for manual work is installed on the front side of the load transfer work space 9 in the Y direction, it is arranged on the front side of the load transfer work space 9 in the Y direction. A light receiver (or light reflecting plate) 34b or a light projector (or light projector/receiver) 34a can be attached to the edge of the table 36 on the side of the load transfer work space 9 or its lower side. In the figure, a light reflecting plate 34b for the light projecting and receiving device 34a is attached to the end edge of the table 36 on the load transfer work space 9 side.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11, a gate-shaped support through which the containers Cy and Cx can pass and move in the Y direction is provided on the rear side in the Y direction of the respective container support transport bodies 14a and 14b provided in the lifting/lowering transfer means 14A and 14B. A frame 37 is provided, and a horizontal frame portion 37a along the X direction at the upper end of the gate-shaped support frame 37 is attached to the front support frame 35a (which may be the table 36) shown in FIG. The obstacle detection means 33A and 33B can also be configured by attaching a light reflecting plate 38b to the light projecting and receiving device 38a. According to this configuration, when the container supporting transport bodies 14a and 14b start to move up and down from the fixed position in the loading/unloading work space 9, the light projecting/receiving device 38a can be turned on to detect an obstacle. . Of course, in this embodiment as well, it is possible to use obstacle detection means comprising a combination of a light emitter and a light receiver, and the light emitter/receiver 38a and light reflector 38b shown in FIG. However, according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 11, there is no need to provide an electric path between the container support transport bodies 14a, 14b, which are moving bodies, and the fixed position, and obstacles can be easily and easily removed. A detection means can be configured.

When the obstacle detecting means 31, 33, 33A, 33B utilize the obstacle detecting light beam films 31a, 33a, 33b between the light emitters and receivers, the obstacle detecting light beam films 31a, 33a, 33b means a planar ray film projected from a slit-shaped opening of a projector, and an assembly of a large number of light rays individually projected from a large number of projectors arranged side by side at appropriate intervals. Of course, as the obstacle detecting means, it is also possible to use a type that does not use an obstacle detecting light beam film between the light emitter and receiver and that uses, for example, an imaging device (camera).

[Supplement 1]
In the transfer device according to aspect 1 of the present invention, both ends of two movable rail members parallel to each other are fixed in two Y directions perpendicular to the X direction, which is the length direction of these movable rail members. A movable body is supported by each of the two movable rail members so as to be reciprocally movable in the X direction, and a picking head capable of lifting a load moves up and down on each movable body. In a transfer apparatus provided with a load carrying-in/carrying-out unit freely provided, a container receiving area to be carried out and a load are provided below the load carrying-out/carrying-in unit within a movable area of the picking head in a plan view. A loading and unloading work space is provided in which the container receiving areas to be carried in are arranged in parallel in the X direction, and the waiting areas of the two movable rail members are above the loading and unloading work space on both outer sides in the Y direction. One of the waiting areas is a narrow waiting area in which only one movable rail member on the side near the waiting area can stand by, and the other waiting area is a narrow waiting area where only one movable rail member on the side near the waiting area can stand by. A wide waiting area is provided in which the rail members can stand by in a state adjacent to each other in the Y direction. Work area is set.

In the transfer apparatus according to aspect 2 of the present invention, in the above-described aspect 1, two movable bodies provided with the picking head that can move up and down are provided for each of the two movable rail members, and each movable rail The two movable bodies provided on the member are reciprocally movable between both ends of each movable rail member so that they can be positioned adjacent to each other on either end of the movable rail member.

In the transfer apparatus according to aspect 3 of the present invention, in aspect 1 or 2, the container is present above the container carried into the container receiving area to be unloaded and the container carried into the container receiving area to be loaded. Obstacle detection means for detecting obstacles is also provided.

In the transfer apparatus according to aspect 4 of the present invention, in aspect 1, a conveyor for carrying in and out the container to and from the container receiving area to which the cargo is to be carried, Each of these conveyors includes an upper and lower two-layered conveyor unit for loading and unloading, and a lifting transfer means, and the lifting transfer means is provided in the cargo transfer work space. An obstacle present above a container carried into the container receiving area to be unloaded and the container receiving area to be loaded, provided with a container supporting carrier that moves on the hoist path between the two conveyor units passing through the Obstacle detection means for detecting an object is also provided, and this obstacle detection means is composed of a light projecting/receiving device and a light reflecting plate. , the light projecting and receiving device is provided at a fixed position corresponding to the light reflecting plate when the container supported and transported by the container supporting transporter is positioned at each container receiving area in the load transfer work space. .

In the transfer apparatus according to aspect 5 of the present invention, in the above aspect 3 or 4, the obstacle detection means detects an obstacle existing above the container carried into the container receiving area to be unloaded. It is divided into an object detection means and an obstacle detection means for detecting an obstacle existing above the container carried into the container receiving area to which cargo is to be carried.

[Supplement 2]
The present invention proposes a transfer apparatus capable of solving the conventional problems. When the reference numerals used in the description of the embodiment are shown in parentheses, both ends of the two parallel movable rail members (17, 18) extend along the length of these movable rail members (17, 18). Two fixed rail members (15, 16) in the Y direction perpendicular to the X direction are supported so as to move parallel and laterally. A load carrying-out comprising movable bodies (19, 21) supported so as to freely reciprocate in a direction, and picking heads (23, 25) capable of lifting a load being provided on each of the movable bodies (19, 21) so as to move up and down. In a transfer device equipped with a loading unit (1),
Under the load carrying-in/loading-out unit (1), a receiving area (7) for a container (Cy) to be carried out and a container (Cy) to be carried in are provided within a movable area of the picking head (23, 25) in plan view. A load transfer work space (9) is provided in which the container (Cx) receiving area (8) is arranged in parallel in the X direction, and the standby areas (Sa1, Sa2) for the two movable rail members (17, 18) are: It is set on both outer sides in the Y direction with respect to the cargo transfer work space (9), and one of the standby areas (Sa1, Sa2), the standby area (Sa1), is close to the standby area (Sa1). A narrow waiting area where only one movable rail member (17) on the side can stand by, and the other waiting area (Sa2) is a state in which the two movable rail members (17, 18) are adjacent to each other in the Y direction. A wide waiting area that can be made to wait in the cargo transfer work space (9), and on the floor surface of the narrow waiting area (Sa1) with respect to the cargo transfer work space (9), there is a cargo transfer work area for workers ( 27) has been set.

In the transfer apparatus of the present invention configured as described above, the container to be unloaded is carried into the container receiving area for unloading, and the container to be unloaded is carried into the container receiving area for unloading. and actuating the cargo unloading/carrying-in unit so that the cargo to be lifted in the container to be unloaded is lifted by the picking head. Specifically, the two movable rail members in the Y direction are laterally moved in the Y direction, and the movable body on each movable rail member is moved in the X direction on each movable rail member to move the picking head provided on each movable table. The picking head is positioned directly above the cargo to be lifted in the container to be unloaded, and thereafter the picking head is lowered with respect to each movable body so that the cargo to be lifted can be lifted. Next, the picking head is raised to a predetermined height with respect to each movable body, and the load to be lifted is lifted by the picking head. By moving the movable body in the X direction, the cargo being lifted by the picking head is moved to a predetermined height above the container to be carried in, and then the picking head is lowered with respect to each movable body to move the cargo being lifted. is unloaded into a container to be loaded, and each picking head is lifted after separating each picking head from the unloaded cargo.

According to the transfer apparatus of the present invention that can be used as described above, at the stage when the preparation for the above work is completed, two movable rail members in the Y direction are arranged in parallel in the X direction, one for receiving a container to be unloaded and the other for receiving cargo. A loading and unloading work space having a container receiving area can be divided into waiting areas on both outer sides in the Y direction, that is, a narrow waiting area and a wide waiting area. At this time, it is desirable to move the movable body on each movable rail member to a position adjacent to both sides in the Y direction of the container receiving area to be unloaded, which is the object of work start. By keeping the two movable rail members on standby in this manner, the movable picking head provided for each movable rail member can move forward and backward in the Y direction of the container to be unloaded that has been carried into the container receiving area to be unloaded. Since the cargo to be lifted in the container is to be sorted, the cargo on the front side in the Y direction is lifted by the picking head standing by on the front side in the Y direction of the container to be unloaded, and is picked up by the picking head on the opposite side, that is, in the Y direction. The cargo on the rear side of the container can be lifted by the picking head standing by on the Y-direction rear side of the container to be unloaded. Of course, various situations can be considered, such as the case where the load to be lifted in the container is biased toward the front and back of the container in the Y direction or the left and right of the X direction, but as a whole, the two movable rail members in the Y direction can be used as a load. Compared to the case where the container to be unloaded is kept on standby on either side of the Y direction, the picking head can efficiently lift the load.

On the other hand, there are cases in which the above-described transfer operation must be performed manually for some reason, such as a failure of the picking head. In such a case, a worker's load transfer work area is set in either the Y direction or the front or rear of the load transfer work space. In the cargo transfer work space, the cargo is manually transferred from the containers to be carried out to the containers to be carried in, which are adjacent to each other on the left and right sides in the X direction. If one of the movable rail members in two directions is positioned, the movable rail member interferes with the load transfer work performed by the worker. In order to avoid this phenomenon, when the movable rail member positioned in front of the operator is moved to the back side, the movable rail member to be moved to the back side is moved to the other movable rail member which is originally waiting on the back side. It will be positioned just in front of the container, and it will cover the back side of the container to be worked on and interfere with the manual loading and unloading work.

However, according to the configuration of the present invention, when the transfer work must be performed manually, a wide waiting area is provided in which the two movable rail members can stand by adjacent to each other in the Y direction. , is provided on the opposite side (back side) to the side where the load transfer work area is located, so that both of the two movable rail members can be moved and waited in this wide waiting area. Therefore, one of the two movable rail members is positioned between the worker standing in the cargo transfer work area and the two containers arranged side by side in the X direction in the cargo transfer work space. The work is not hindered, and the movable rail member waiting to be moved toward the back side does not cover the back side of the load transfer work space and interfere with the manual transfer work. That is, it is possible to safely and easily carry out the above-mentioned loading and unloading work manually. Of course, the Y-direction length of the entire Y-direction movement area of the two movable rail members can be minimized to prevent the entire transfer apparatus from increasing in size.

When carrying out the present invention, the movable body on which the picking head can move up and down can be provided for each of the two movable rail members (17, 18). Two movable bodies (19, 20 and 21, 22) are provided on each of the two movable rail members (17, 18), and the two movable bodies provided on each movable rail member (17, 18) (19,20 and 21,22) are arranged between the ends of each movable rail member (17,18) so that they can be positioned adjacent to each other on either end of the movable rail member (17,18). It can be provided so that it can freely move back and forth. According to this configuration, a total of four picking heads can be arranged adjacent to each other in both the XY directions to cover the entire area of the container carried into the container receiving area. Therefore, if the load to be transferred is a small size load that can be lifted and unloaded with one picking head, four loads can be picked at the same time regardless of the position of each load by two pickings arranged in the X or Y direction. Two medium-sized loads that can be lifted and unloaded with the picking heads can be handled at once, and large-sized loads that must be lifted and unloaded with four picking heads can be handled one at a time. and can be handled efficiently.

When automatic transfer work or manual transfer work is performed by the transfer device according to the present invention, if the cargo suspended by the picking head or by hand is not completely separated from the inside of the container, each container can be received. It is not possible to safely carry in and out work of containers to and from the site. Therefore, an obstacle detection means (31) for detecting an obstacle existing above the container (Cy, Cx) carried into the container receiving area (7) for unloading and the container receiving area (8) for loading. ) should be added. According to this configuration, the carrying-in/carrying-out operation of the container in the situation where cargo and human hands are present in the obstacle detection area of the obstacle detection means can be automatically carried out based on the obstacle detection signal of the obstacle detection means. It can be avoided and safety is improved. When implementing this configuration, an obstacle that monitors from the X direction an obstacle existing above the two containers (Cy, Cx) being carried into the two container receiving areas (7, 8) arranged in the X direction. By using the detecting means (31), it is possible to secure the safety of carrying in and out of the container for both the container receiving area to be carried out and the container receiving area to be carried in by one obstacle detecting means. .

In the transfer apparatus of the present invention, it is also possible to manually perform the work of carrying in and out the containers to and from the container receiving area to which the cargo is to be carried and to the container receiving area to which the cargo is to be carried. On the other hand, it is possible to provide one conveyor for carrying in and out of containers, respectively, but it is desirable to carry out as follows. That is, a conveyor (10) for carrying in/out the container (Cy) to/from the container receiving area (7) to be carried in, and a conveyor (10) for carrying in/out the container (Cx) to/from the container receiving area (8) to be carried in. Each of these two conveyors (10, 11) comprises an upper and lower two-layer loading conveyor unit (12), a loading conveyor unit (13), and lifting transfer means (14A, 14B), and the lifting transfer means (14A, 14B) includes a container moving parallel on the lifting path between the conveyor units (12, 13) passing through the load transfer work space (9). Support carriers (14a, 14b) are provided, and obstacles existing above the containers (Cy, Cx) carried into the container receiving area (7) for unloading and the container receiving area (8) for loading. Obstacle detection means (33A, 33B) for detecting an object are installed side by side. The plate (38b) is attached to the container support carrier (14a, 14b) of the lift transfer means (14A, 14B), and the light emitter/receiver (38a) is supported by the container support carrier (14a, 14b). When the containers (Cy, Cx) to be transported are located in the respective container receiving areas (7, 8), they can be provided at fixed positions corresponding to the light reflecting plates (38b). According to this configuration, since it is not necessary to attach a device such as a light projector or a light receiver that requires electricity to each container support transport body (14a, 14b), which is a moving body, not only can it be easily implemented, but also , the effect of shortening the length of the obstacle detecting light beam film is also obtained.

Of course, irrespective of the configuration of the container receiving area to be unloaded and the means for loading and unloading the container with respect to the container receiving area to be unloaded, the obstacle detection means detects whether the container is loaded into the container receiving area (7) to be unloaded. an obstacle detecting means (33A) for detecting an obstacle existing above the container (Cy) that has been loaded; It is also possible to provide two separate obstacle detection means (33B) for detecting . According to this configuration, even if the container loading/unloading times for the two container receiving areas are different, the obstacle can be reliably detected when the container is loaded/unloaded for each container receiving area. Compared to the case where the loading and unloading times must be the same, it is possible to ensure safety while improving work efficiency.

The transfer device of the present invention can switch between automatic work performed by an automatic device and manual work performed by a worker as necessary to transfer a load in a container to be unloaded into a container to be loaded. It can be used as a transfer device.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 loading/unloading unit 2 frame 5a, 5b pair of side frames in the X direction (lateral direction) 6 X-direction connecting member 7 container receiving area for unloading 8 container receiving area for loading 9 cargo transfer work space 10, 11 Conveyor for carry-in/carry-in 12 Conveyor unit for carry-in 13 Conveyor unit for carry-out 14A, 14B Elevating transfer means 14a, 14b Container support carrier 15, 16 Fixed rail members 15a to 16b Movable support bases 17, 18 Y direction (back and forth direction) pair Movable rail members 19 to 22 Movable bodies 19a to 22a Lifting rail members 19b to 22b Lifting supports 23 to 26 Picking heads 23a to 26a Lifting rods 27 Load transfer work areas 28, 29 Imaging devices 31, 33, 33A, 33B Obstacle detection means 31a, 33a, 33b Obstacle detection light beam films 32a, 34a, 38a Projectors or light projecting and receiving devices 32b, 34b, 38b Receivers or light reflecting plates 35a, 35b Support frame 36 Table 37 Portal support frame Bs small Size cargo Bb Large size cargo Cy Container to be carried out Cx Container to be carried in Sp1 to Sp3 Standby position Sa1 Narrow waiting area Sa2 Wide waiting area Wx Movement range in X direction Wy Movement range in Y direction

Claims (8)

A cargo transfer work space is provided in which a first container receiving area and a second container receiving area are arranged side by side in plan view, and a cargo transfer work area for workers is set in front of the cargo transfer work space in plan view. In the transfer device,
a conveyor arranged on a side different from the front side of the cargo transfer work space in a plan view for carrying containers in and out of the first and second container receiving areas;
Positioned above the load transfer work space, provided with a picking head which is provided movably in three directions along the rail member and capable of lifting loads, and which is carried into each of the first and second container receiving areas. a cargo transfer unit for transferring cargo between the first and second containers;
A transfer device. By switching the load transfer work from automatic work performed by the load transfer unit to manual work performed by an operator,
2. The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the load transfer unit moves the picking head to a position that does not interfere with manual work. 3. The transfer according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a waiting area for waiting the picking head when the load transfer work is switched from automatic work performed by the load transfer unit to manual work performed by an operator. Device. 4. The transfer apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an imaging device positioned above the cargo transfer work space and configured to capture an image of the interior of at least one of the first and second containers. The first container is a container to be unloaded that stores cargo to be transferred to the second container,
5. The transfer device according to claim 4, wherein the imaging device images at least the inside of the first container. The conveyor includes a first conveyor for loading and unloading the first container to and from the first container receiving site, and a second conveyor for loading and unloading the second container to and from the second container receiving site,
Each of the first and second conveyors includes:
a carrying-in conveyor unit and a carrying-out conveyor unit arranged in two upper and lower layers;
6. The transfer apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising transfer means for transferring the first and second containers between the carry-in conveyor unit and the carry-out conveyor unit. 7. The transfer apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said first and second container receiving areas are set at a height between said carrying-in conveyor unit and said carrying-out conveyor unit arranged in two layers, one above the other. 3. The load transfer unit comprises obstacle detection means for detecting obstacles existing above at least one of the first and second containers carried into the first and second container receiving areas. 8. The transfer device according to any one of 1 to 7.

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