JP7327361B2 - Stocker - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to stockers.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-100000, an article storage shelf is known that has a pair of storage units facing each other with a predetermined space therebetween. This article storage shelf has a rail provided on the floor surface of the space and extending in the longitudinal direction of the space, and a crane runs on this rail. The storage section is provided with a pair of scaffolding rails, and a plurality of rectangular plate-shaped pallets (scaffolding members) are installed on the scaffolding rails. Pallets can slide on scaffolding rails.

A scaffold is formed for workers when maintenance work needs to be performed. When the crane has stopped in place, the first one pallet is loaded onto the platform rails and then another pallet is engaged with the first pallet. In this procedure, multiple pallets are pushed inside one after another until the first (foremost) pallet comes into contact with the crane. Upon contact, multiple pallets are secured onto the scaffold rails. Workers can access the crane by walking on a platform formed from the area outside the shelf to the crane.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-19031

As in the above-described conventional article storage shelf (stocker), the pallets can be laid out without gaps in a scaffold construction method in which the frontmost pallet is pushed in until it comes into contact with the crane. However, scaffold construction is not necessarily easy because it requires the work of placing pallets on scaffold rails one by one and then sliding the entire plurality of pallets.

The present disclosure provides a stocker capable of easily constructing a gapless scaffold during maintenance.

A stocker according to an aspect of the present invention includes a pair of racks arranged to face each other and configured to store articles, and a stocker that moves within a movement area formed between the pair of racks. A loading/unloading device for loading/unloading articles to/from a rack; and a flexible step bridged between the pair of racks by engaging both end portions of the pair of racks in the first direction, the flexible step being orthogonal to the first direction. and a flexible step having a length adjuster whose length in the second direction is adjustable.

According to this stocker, for example, when the loading/unloading device stops for some reason, the flexible step is bridged between the pair of racks for maintenance. A scaffold for maintenance is constructed only by such a simple installation work. The stop position of the loading/unloading device is not a fixed position and can change, but the scaffold must be connected to the loading/unloading device without gaps. A length adjusting section of the flexible step adjusts the length in the second direction according to the stop position of the loading/unloading device. As a result, the flexible step is connected to the loading/unloading device without creating a gap in the second direction. Therefore, according to this stocker, it is possible to easily construct a gap-free scaffold during maintenance.

It further comprises at least one fixed-length step bridged between the pair of racks by engaging both ends in the first direction with the pair of racks, the fixed-length step having a predetermined length in the second direction. , the flexible step may be provided between the loading/unloading device and the fixed length step. In this case, by combining fixed-length steps and flexible steps, it is possible to more easily build scaffolding (reduce the adjustment length required for flexible steps) for loading/unloading devices that stop at any position. can be done. For example, when it is necessary to build a relatively long scaffold towards the loading/unloading device, a fixed-length step having a long size in the second direction can be installed, or a plurality of fixed-length steps can be installed. .

Each of the pair of racks has a beam with which both ends of the fixed-length step are engaged, and the fixed-length step has, at both ends in the first direction, beam engaging portions that can be retracted along the first direction. may have. The fixed-length steps are attached to the pair of racks by working from below the beams. The worker first immerses the beam engaging portion, lifts the fixed-length step to the height of the beam material, and then protrudes the beam engaging portion. This procedure allows the fixed length steps to be easily installed between the beams.

The length adjusting portion of the flexible step has a body portion including both end portions in the first direction, and the length adjusting portion is attached to the body portion so as to be rotatable about an axis extending along the first direction. may have been The operator can fill the gap between the loading/unloading device and the flexible step only by rotating the length adjusting portion to bring it into contact with the loading/unloading device. This configuration further facilitates the work of connecting the scaffolding to the loading/unloading device.

At least one of the pair of racks has a maintenance step that is housed in at least one of the racks when not in use and moves toward the other of the pair of racks when in use to form a maintenance step within the moving area, The flexible step may be installed between the loading/unloading device and the maintenance step during use. Since the maintenance steps are attached to one of the racks, there is no need to bring in steps that serve as scaffolding materials during maintenance. Depending on the parking position of the loading/unloading device, one or more maintenance steps can be advanced in areas remote from the loading/unloading device, and flexible steps can be installed in regions close to the loading/unloading device. Therefore, a scaffold for maintenance can be quickly constructed.

The flexible step may have an upper surface that, when installed between a pair of racks, is positioned at approximately the same height as the footing of the maintenance step. In this case, even when the maintenance step and the flexible step are used together, there is no difference in level between the two steps, and the worker can easily walk on the scaffold.

According to the present invention, it is possible to easily construct a gapless scaffold during maintenance.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view seen from the front of the stocker system of one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the article storage space of the stocker shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the running direction of the stacker crane. 3(a) and 3(b) are perspective views of a maintenance step and an attachment/detachment bar arranged in an article storage space. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining normal scaffolding work on the second floor of the stocker. 5(a) and 5(b) are perspective views of fixed-length steps having different widths, and FIG. 5(c) is a perspective view of a flexible step. FIG. 6(a) is a bottom view of a fixed-size step, and FIG. 6(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIB-VIB in FIG. 6(a). 7A and 7B are diagrams showing the procedure for attaching the fixed length step to the beam material. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the attachment procedure of the fixed length step following FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the scaffolding work in an emergency on the second floor of the stocker. 10(a) to 10(d) are plan views showing examples of combinations of maintenance steps, multiple types of fixed-length steps, and flexible steps, respectively. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an example of maintenance work on the scaffold.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 1, a stocker system 1 includes a plurality of stockers 2 of one embodiment. In the stocker 2, stacker cranes (loading/unloading devices) 7A and 7B travel inside the stocker body 3. As shown in FIG. The stacker cranes 7A and 7B transport articles between the racks S of the pair of racks 4A and 4B provided inside the stocker body 3 and the loading/unloading port (not shown). The stocker 2 stores, for example, articles transported by a transport device. Articles include, for example, FOUPs (Front-Opening Unified Pods) containing wafers processed by semiconductor manufacturing equipment or liquid crystal manufacturing equipment, and reticle pods containing reticles used in semiconductor manufacturing equipment or liquid crystal manufacturing equipment. is a container. The stocker 2 includes a stocker body 3, racks 4A and 4B, and stacker cranes 7A and 7B.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, inside the stocker body 3 are a travel rail 31 on which the stacker cranes 7A and 7B travel, and an auxiliary rail 32 arranged to face the travel rail 31 in the vertical direction. are laid. The stacker cranes 7A, 7B travel along the travel rails 31 and the auxiliary rails 32. As shown in FIG.

Each of the stacker crane 7A and the stacker crane 7B conveys articles between the rack S and the loading/unloading port, and transfers the articles to the shelf S (loading/unloading). The stacker crane 7B is arranged on the right side of the stacker crane 7A in the extending direction of the travel rail 31 and the auxiliary rail 32 in FIG. The stacker crane 7 includes a travel section 71 , a mast 72 , an elevator 75 (see FIG. 11), and an auxiliary travel section 90 . The traveling section 71 has a traveling motor 78 and a lifting motor 82 .

The running portion 71 runs along the running rail 31 . The running portion 71 includes driving wheels that roll along the upper surface of the running rail 31 . The travel motor 78 is a drive source for the drive wheels. The lifting motor 82 is a drive source for the lifting table 75 . The mast 72 is erected on the upper portion of the running portion 71 . A transfer device (not shown) is mounted on the lift table 75, and the transfer device transfers articles to and from the shelf S, and transfers articles to and from the loading/unloading port. The auxiliary running section 90 runs along the auxiliary rails 32 . The auxiliary running portion 90 includes a pair of driving wheels that roll while holding the auxiliary rail 32 therebetween.

As shown in FIG. 2, the pair of racks 4A and 4B are arranged to face each other in the horizontal direction (Y-axis direction). A movement area A1 in which the stacker crane 7 moves is formed between the racks 4A and 4B. Racks 4A and 4B are configured to store articles transferred by stacker crane 7 in storage area A2 within stocker 2 . More specifically, rack 4A and rack 4B are arranged along movement area A1. The rack 4A and the rack 4B are arranged so as to sandwich the movement area A1. Further, the rack 4A and the rack 4B are arranged so as to face each other in a facing direction (Y-axis direction) orthogonal to the moving direction (X-axis direction) and the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) in the moving area A1 (running rail 31). It is Each of the racks 4A and 4B is provided with a plurality of shelves S for storing articles.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the stocker system 1, two stockers 2 (stocker 2A and stocker 2B) are arranged in the travel direction of stacker cranes 7A and 7B traveling in a movement area A1 within the stocker 2. . The stocker system 1 is provided with a controller (not shown) for controlling the traveling of the two stacker cranes 7A, 7B and the like arranged inside each stocker 2. As shown in FIG. Two stacker cranes 7A and 7B arranged inside the stocker 2 place articles on the shelves S of the racks 4A and 4B and take articles out of the shelves S under the control of the controller. That is, the stacker cranes 7A, 7B move within a movement area A1 formed between the racks 4A, 4B to load and unload articles from the racks 4A, 4B.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the stocker body 3 is formed in the shape of a housing (for example, a hollow rectangular parallelepiped shape) that surrounds a predetermined space extending in one direction. The outer shape of the stocker main body 3 is composed of a frame and a panel (not shown). The stocker body 3 has an underfloor space 3S, which is a part of the internal space of the stocker body 3, at a position lower than the floor surface G on the outside of the stocker body 3, that is, the floor surface 10 inside. The stocker main body 3 also forms an article accommodation space 11A for accommodating the racks 4A and 4B in the traveling direction of the stacker crane 7, and maintenance spaces 11B on both outer sides of the article accommodation space 11A. Note that the maintenance space 11B in the middle in FIG. 1 is shared as the maintenance space 11B for the stockers 2A and 2B.

A shutter 15 that is opened and closed by the operator X is provided on the end surface between the article storage space 11A and the maintenance space 11B. The shutter 15 is closed when the stocker 2 is in operation. When the shutter 15 is opened during maintenance work, the article storage space 11A and the maintenance space 11B communicate with each other. As a result, the movement of the stacker crane 7 to the maintenance space 11B and the movement of the worker X and the like between the two spaces become possible.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 3(a), 3(b) and 4, the configuration for maintenance work provided in the stocker 2 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3(a), maintenance steps 21 used during maintenance within the stocker 2 are accommodated below the racks S of the racks 4A and 4B. The maintenance step 21 is a plate-like member on which an operator can ride, and is formed so as to be attachable to the attachment/detachment bar 22 . The attachment/detachment bar 22 is, for example, a prism-shaped member, and is detachably formed on the frame 4f of the rack 4A and the frame 4f of the rack 4B whose both ends face each other. The detachable bars 22, 22 are stored in the maintenance space 11B or a warehouse outside the stocker 2 when not in use. 3(a) and 3(b), illustration of the frame 4f above the shelf S is omitted for the sake of clarity.

As shown in FIG. 4, the maintenance space 11B includes ladders 110 for workers X to climb from the floor surface 10 of the first floor 1F to the second floor 2F and from the second floor 2F to the third floor 3F. is installed. In the stocker 2, a stepladder 100 is stored in the maintenance space 11B so that the worker X can access the height of the upper floor. The stepladder 100 may be stored in a warehouse or the like outside the stocker 2 .

As shown in FIGS. 3(b) and 4, during maintenance within the stocker 2, an operator takes out the detachable bar 22 from a warehouse or the like, and attaches both ends of the detachable bar 22 to the frame 4f of the rack 4A and the frame 4f of the rack 4B. fixed to The maintenance step 21 is arranged so that its longitudinal direction coincides with the movement direction (X-axis direction) of the stacker crane 7 . The maintenance step 21 is stored under the shelf S and does not protrude into the movement area A1 while the stocker 2 is in operation. At the time of maintenance (normal time and emergency time, which will be described later), the maintenance step 21 is pulled out to the movement area A1 by the worker X (advances to the movement area A1), if necessary. The maintenance step 21 is, for example, slidable in the front-rear direction (Y-axis direction) on a slide rail (not shown). Two maintenance steps 21, 21 are placed on a pair of attachment/detachment bars 22, 22 in a state of being arranged in the Y-axis direction.

The mounting procedure in maintenance step 21 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the normal scaffolding work on the second floor 2F of the stocker 2B. As shown in FIG. 4, first, during normal maintenance, the worker X opens the shutter 15 (see FIG. 1) and moves the stacker crane 7B to the maintenance space 11B. Next, the worker X installs a stepladder 100 or the like on the floor surface 10 of the first floor 1F, climbs the stepladder 100, and attaches the detachable bar 22 to the frame 4f corresponding to the floor height of the second floor 2F. Since the stacker crane 7B has moved to the maintenance space 11B, no stacker crane exists in the movement area A1 of the stocker 2B. For example, in order for the operator X to go up to the second floor 2F and perform maintenance work, it is necessary to install the maintenance step 21 over the entire movement area A1 in the stocker 2B. Therefore, the worker X pulls out all the maintenance steps 21 stored at the height of the floor surface of the second floor 2F to the movement area A1.

After installing the mounting/dismounting bar 22 and the maintenance step 21, the operator X on the first floor 1F uses the ladder 110 in the maintenance space 11B to go up to the second floor 2F. A plurality of maintenance steps 21 are laid out closely in the X-axis direction on the floor surface of the second floor 2F, forming a foot scene for maintenance. The worker X can walk on this foot scene (maintenance step 21) and perform maintenance work on each part of the stocker 2B. When maintenance work on the 3rd floor, 3rd floor, is required, the operator X on the 2nd floor, 2nd floor, simply installs the detachable bar 22 and the maintenance step 21 at the height of the floor surface of the 3rd floor, 3rd floor, in the same procedure as above. Then, a foot scene for maintenance is constructed at the height of the floor surface of the 3rd floor, 3rd floor. In that case as well, the stepladder 100 can be used on the second floor 2F.

In this specification, "no gaps" or "no gaps" with respect to the scaffolding does not strictly mean that no gaps exist. "There is no gap" and "no gap" mean a situation to the extent that safety as a scaffolding can be ensured. That is, "no gap" and "no gap" mean a situation to the extent that it is possible to prevent the worker X and other tools and fixtures from falling. A person skilled in the art can clearly understand the meaning of such terms.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8, various steps of this embodiment that contribute to the construction of scaffolding in an emergency (emergency) will be described. In the stocker 2, the stacker crane 7 may stop abnormally inside. When the stacker crane 7 stops inside the stocker 2, some maintenance steps 21 become unusable. The stop position of the stacker crane 7 cannot be predicted. There is a possibility that the stacker crane 7 will stop before the maintenance step 21 stored under the shelf S. In other words, the stop position of the stacker crane 7 defines a space for maintenance (a space accessible by the worker X) at that time. The stocker 2 includes, in addition to the maintenance step 21, a plurality of types of steps that can be used in combination as appropriate depending on the situation.

As shown in FIGS. 5(a) to 5(c), the stocker 2 includes narrow steps 40, wide steps 50, and flexible steps 60. As shown in FIGS. An appropriate number of these are prepared according to the number of floors of the stocker 2. For example, to construct a foot scene of one floor, the stocker 2 has a plurality of narrow steps 40 and a plurality of narrow steps. 40 and one flexible step 60 . The narrow step 40, the wide step 50 and the flexible step 60 may be stored in the maintenance space 11B or in a warehouse outside the stocker 2 when not in use. Even if the stocker system 1 has two stockers 2A and 2B, it is rare for the stacker cranes 7 to stop simultaneously in the two stockers 2A and 2B to require emergency maintenance. Therefore, it is sufficient for the stocker 2 to have the various steps in the quantity for one stocker. In other words, various steps for emergency maintenance are shared by the two stockers 2A and 2B.

Each of the narrow step 40, the wide step 50, and the flexible step 60 has a rectangular shape with a certain length in the first direction D1 and a certain width (length) in the second direction D2. The second direction D2 is orthogonal to the first direction D1. When these steps are installed inside the stocker 2, the first direction D1 is parallel to the Y-axis direction (facing direction), and the second direction D2 is parallel to the X-axis direction (moving direction). The narrow step 40, wide step 50, and flexible step 60 all have lengths corresponding to the distance between the racks 4A and 4B in the first direction D1. The narrow step 40 and the wide step 50 differ only in width (the size in the second direction D2), and the other structures are the same. Also, the flexible step 60 is different only in that it has a length adjusting plate (length adjusting portion) 66 as shown in FIG. .

The narrow step 40, the wide step 50, and the flexible step 60 are respectively bridged between the racks 4A and 4B, and both ends in the first direction D1 are engaged with the racks 4A and 4B. The racks 4A and 4B are provided with a beam member 4g (see FIG. 3A) extending in the X-axis direction below the maintenance step 21. As shown in FIG. The beam member 4g is, for example, prismatic and has a rectangular cross section (see FIGS. 7 and 8). As shown in FIG. 5(a), narrow step 40 is a fixed length step having a relatively small width. The narrow step 40 has a body portion 40a having a top plate 41 and a housing (not shown), and a pair of beam engaging fittings 44 provided at both ends of the body portion 40a in the first direction D1. The body portion 40a has a pair of beam engaging portions 43 provided at both end portions in the first direction D1 and engaged with the beam members 4g of the racks 4A and 4B. The beam engaging portion 43 can be retracted along the first direction D1.

As shown in FIG. 5(b), the wide step 50 is a fixed length step having a relatively large width. The wide step 50 includes a body portion 50a having a top plate 51 and a housing 52 (see FIG. 6A), and two pairs of beam engaging metal fittings 54 provided at both ends of the body portion 50a in the first direction D1. and The body portion 50a has two pairs of beam engaging portions 53 provided at both ends in the first direction D1 and engaged with the beam members 4g of the racks 4A and 4B. The beam engaging portion 53 can be retracted along the first direction D1.

The width of the wide steps 50 may be, for example, an integer multiple of the width of the narrow steps 40 . The width of the wide step 50 may be, for example, three times the width of the narrow step 40, or two, four or five times the width. The narrow step 40 and the wide step 50 are installed in the vicinity of the stacker crane 7 so as to line up in the X-axis direction, and are appropriately combined to form a scaffolding STG.

As shown in FIG. 5(c), the flexible step 60 is a step that has the same width as the wide step 50 and whose length can be adjusted in the second direction D2. The flexible step 60 has a body portion 60a having a top plate 61 and a housing (not shown), and two pairs of beam engaging fittings 64 provided at both ends of the body portion 60a in the first direction D1. The beam engaging fittings 64 are provided at both ends in the first direction D1 and have two pairs of beam engaging portions 63 that engage with the beam members 4g of the racks 4A and 4B. The beam engaging portion 63 can be retracted along the first direction D1.

The narrow step 40, the wide step 50, and the flexible step 60 are respectively positioned on the top surface 41a of the top plate 41 and the top surface 41a of the top plate 41 positioned at substantially the same height as the foot surface of the maintenance step 21 when installed between the racks 4A and 4B. It has an upper surface 51 a of the plate 51 and an upper surface 61 a of the top plate 61 .

The structure common to the narrow step 40, the wide step 50 and the flexible step 60 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6-8. In the following explanation, the structure of the wide step 50 will be explained, and the explanation of the structures of the narrow step 40 and the flexible step 60 will be omitted. As shown in FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b), a spring 55, a reciprocating member 57, and an arm 56 are accommodated in the internal space formed by the top plate 51 and the housing 52. ing. The reciprocating member 57 can reciprocate within the housing 52 in the first direction D1. The reciprocating member 57 has a C-shaped rectangular cross section along the inner surfaces of the top plate 51 and the housing 52, and moves in the first direction D1 while maintaining its posture in the internal space. A beam engagement portion 53 that rests on the maintenance step 21 (see FIG. 7) housed in the racks 4A and 4B is provided on the outside portion of the reciprocating member 57 in the first direction D1. The proximal end of the spring 55 is locked at an arbitrary location within the housing 52, and the distal end of the spring 55 is locked to the inner portion of the reciprocating member 57 in the first direction D1.

The housing 52 includes a locking opening 52e formed in the center of the bottom surface in the first direction D1, and a pair of guide openings 52f formed on both sides of the locking opening 52e in the first direction D1. A projecting piece 57b of the reciprocating member 57 is arranged in the guide opening 52f. The protruding piece 57b protrudes downward from the housing 52 so that the worker X can pick it up from the lower surface side of the wide step 50 with his fingertips and move it in the first direction D1. An elongated arm 56 is connected to the distal end of the reciprocating member 57, and a latch 56a provided at the distal end of the arm 56 is bent so as to be able to be locked to the locking opening 52e. It is arranged in the housing 52 in a contracted state. When the operator X pinches the protruding piece 57b and moves it toward the center (closer to the locking opening 52e), the spring 55 expands and the latch 56a of the arm 56 falls into the locking opening 52e. The latch 56a is locked in the locking opening 52e, thereby keeping the beam engaging portion 53 retracted. When the operator X pushes up the protruding piece 57b to push up the latch 56a, the latch 56a is released from the locking opening 52e. The biasing force of the spring 55 moves the reciprocating member 57 and the beam engaging portion 53 in the first direction D1, and the tip of the beam engaging portion 53 protrudes from the housing 52 in the first direction D1.

A procedure for attaching the wide step 50 to the beam member 4g will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the procedure for attaching the wide step 50 to the beam member 4g, and FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the procedure for installing the wide step 50 following FIG. Also in the following description, the description of the mounting procedure of the narrow step 40 and the flexible step 60 (which is the same as the mounting procedure of the wide step 50) will be omitted.

First, as shown in FIG. 7, the operator X pushes up one protruding piece 57b of the wide step 50. Then, as shown in FIG. One beam engaging portion 53 receives the biasing force of the spring 55 and moves (protrudes) to the protruded lock position. Subsequently, the operator X applies the beam engaging portion 53 and the beam engaging fitting 54 to the beam 4g, and hooks the beam engaging portion 53 onto the beam 4g. At this time, the upper plate of the beam engaging portion 53 is placed on the maintenance step 21 . The worker X lifts the entire wide step 50 horizontally. As shown in FIG. 8, while the beam engaging fitting 54 is in contact with the beam member 4g, the other protruding piece 57b is pushed up. The other beam engaging portion 53 also moves (protrudes) to the protruded lock position under the biasing force of the spring 55 . When the two beam engaging portions 53 are positioned at the lock position, the beam engaging portions 53 and the beam engaging fittings 54 hold the beam 4g. As a result, both ends of the wide step 50 are engaged with the beam members 4g of the racks 4A and 4B. A non-slip rubber block attached by a pin 58 provided on the lower surface of the reciprocating member 57 abuts on the upper surface of the beam member 4g.

Returning to FIG. 5C again, the flexible step 60 of this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 5(c), the flexible step 60 has a length adjusting plate 66 attached to the main body 60a so as to be rotatable about an axis L extending in the first direction D1. The length adjustment plate 66 has a length substantially equal to that of the top plate 61 in the first direction D1. The width of the length adjusting plate 66 is smaller than the width of the top plate 61 . The length adjustment plate 66 is connected to one end of the top plate 61 in the second direction D2 with a hinge structure by a hinge or the like, and has a folded position overlapping the top plate 61 and an unfolded position forming the same plane as the top plate 61. It is rotatable between The length adjustment plate 66 blocks the space between the top plate 61 of the flexible step 60 installed close to the stacker crane 7 and the mast 72 of the stacker crane 7 (eliminates the gap).

Construction directions of the scaffold STG using the maintenance step 21 having the above configuration, the narrow step 40, the wide step 50, and the flexible step 60 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, for example, the stacker crane 7B stops. A worker X on the first floor 1F confirms the stop position of the stacker crane 7B. Worker X climbs stepladder 100 and pulls out deployable maintenance step 21 . The maintenance step 21 whose entire length is included in the space between the stacker crane 7B and the maintenance space 11B is determined to be deployable.

The worker X selects the step to be used from among the narrow step 40, wide step 50, and flexible step 60. FIG. Some examples of placement patterns for the various steps are shown in FIGS. 10(a)-10(d). In the example shown in FIG. 10( a ), the scaffold STG is constructed with a plurality of maintenance steps 21 , two narrow steps 40 , three wide steps 50 and one flexible step 60 . In the example shown in FIG. 10(b), the scaffolding STG is constructed with a plurality of maintenance steps 21, two wide steps 50, and one flexible step 60. In the example shown in FIG. In the example shown in FIG. 10( c ), the scaffolding STG is constructed with a plurality of maintenance steps 21 , two narrow steps 40 and one flexible step 60 . In the example shown in FIG. 10(d), the scaffold STG is built by one narrow step 40 (in this case no flexible step 60 is needed). The operator X selects a suitable combination of various steps, and installs the various steps on the beam 4g by the above-described installation procedure.

When the flexible step 60 is provided, the flexible step 60 is always installed at the position closest to the stacker crane 7B (position adjacent to the stacker crane 7B). Therefore, the flexible step 60 is provided between the stacker crane 7B and the narrow step 40 and/or the wide step 50. FIG. With all the steps other than the flexible steps 60 arranged side by side without gaps, the distance in the X-axis direction between the mast 72 of the stacker crane 7B and the top plate 61 of the flexible steps 60 is equal to or less than the width of the length adjustment plate 66. ing. The flexible step 60 is installed between the stacker crane 7B and the maintenance step 21 during use. The worker X rotates the length adjusting plate 66 and leans it against the mast 72 of the stacker crane 7B.

Through the above series of operations, a plurality of maintenance steps 21 and various steps are arranged in the X-axis direction on the floor surface of the second floor 2F without any gaps, and a foot scene for maintenance is constructed. The operator X can walk on this footing (scaffolding STG) and perform maintenance work on each part of the stacker crane 7B and the stocker 2B. Even when maintenance work is required on the 3rd floor of the 3rd floor, the operator X on the 2nd floor of the 2nd floor simply installs the maintenance step 21 and various steps at the height of the floor surface of the 3rd floor of the 3rd floor in the same procedure as above. , a scaffolding for maintenance (scaffolding STG) is constructed at the height of the floor surface of the 3rd floor, 3rd floor. In that case as well, the stepladder 100 can be used on the second floor 2F.

According to this stocker 2, for example, when the stacker crane 7B stops for some reason, the flexible step 60 is bridged between the pair of racks 4A and 4B for maintenance. A scaffolding STG for maintenance is constructed only by such a simple installation work. The stop position of the stacker crane 7B is not a fixed position and can change, but the scaffold STG must be connected to the stacker crane 7B without gaps. A length adjustment plate 66 of the flexible step 60 enables adjustment of the length in the second direction D2 according to the stop position of the stacker crane 7B. As a result, the flexible step 60 is connected to the stacker crane 7B without creating a gap in the X-axis direction. Therefore, according to this stocker 2, it is possible to easily construct a gap-free scaffold during maintenance. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the worker X can perform maintenance work on the stacker crane 7B or the like by using a stepladder 100 on the scaffolding STG.

In addition, by combining the narrow step 40 and/or the wide step 50, which are fixed length steps, with the flexible step 60, the scaffolding STG can be more easily constructed for the stacker crane 7B that stops at any position ( The adjustment length required for the flexible step 60 can be shortened). For example, when it is necessary to build a relatively long foothold in the X-axis direction toward the stacker crane 7B, a wide step 50 having a long size in the second direction D2 may be installed, or a plurality of wide steps 50 or narrow steps 50 may be installed. A step 40 can be installed.

The narrow step 40 and/or the wide step 50 are attached to the pair of racks 4A and 4B by working from below the beam 4g. The worker X first immerses the beam engaging portions 43 and 53, lifts the narrow step 40 and/or the wide step 50 to the height of the beam 4g, and then lifts the beam engaging portions 43 and 53. protrude. By this procedure, the narrow step 40 and/or the wide step 50 can be easily attached between the beams 4g.

The above effects are similarly achieved when the flexible step 60 is used. The flexible step 60 is attached to the pair of racks 4A and 4B by working from below the beam 4g. The operator X first retracts the beam engaging portion 63, lifts the flexible step 60 to the height of the beam 4g, and then projects the beam engaging portion 63. As shown in FIG. By this procedure, the flexible step 60 can be easily attached between the beams 4g.

In addition, the worker X can fill the gap between the stacker crane 7B and the flexible step 60 simply by rotating the length adjusting plate 66 of the flexible step 60 and bringing it into contact with the stacker crane 7B. This configuration further facilitates the work of connecting the scaffolding STG to the stacker crane 7B.

In addition, since the maintenance steps 21 are provided on both the racks 4A and 4B, there is no need to carry in steps that serve as scaffolding materials during maintenance. Depending on the stop position of the stacker crane 7B, a plurality of maintenance steps 21 are advanced in a region away from the stacker crane 7B (the stacker crane 7B does not get in the way) and close to the stacker crane 7B (the stacker crane 7B gets in the way). A flexible step 60 can be installed in the area. Therefore, a scaffold for maintenance can be quickly constructed.

The flexible step 60 has an upper surface 61a positioned at substantially the same height as the foot surface of the maintenance step 21 when installed between the pair of racks 4A and 4B. Even when the maintenance step 21 and the flexible step 60 are used together, there is no difference in level between the steps, and the worker X can easily walk on the scaffolding. This effect is similarly exhibited when the narrow steps 40 and/or the wide steps 50 are used.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The flexible step is not limited to the configuration of the above embodiment, and can be modified in various manners. For example, a flexible step having a length adjusting portion that expands and contracts in the second direction D2 like a bellows may be employed. For example, a flexible step having a length adjusting portion having a structure in which multiple plates slide relative to each other to change the length in the second direction D2 may be employed.

For example, a stocker may be provided that does not have narrow steps 40 and/or wide steps 50 that are fixed length steps. A stocker having only a flexible step whose length in the second direction D2 is variable can also fill the gap between the crane (carrying/retrieving device) and the maintenance step.

In the above embodiment, two maintenance steps 21, 21 are arranged to form a foot scene (see FIG. 3(b)), but the maintenance steps are not limited to this form. For example, only one of the racks 4A and 4B is stored in one of the racks when not in use, and advances toward the other rack when in use to form a maintenance step within the movement area A1. may have

Also, the maintenance step 21 may be omitted. That is, the scaffold STG may be composed of a plurality of fixed-length steps and, for example, one flexible step. Even in such a case, if a flexible step is installed so as to successively span the fixed-length step over the beam 4g and finally abut against the stacker crane, a scaffolding STG without gaps can be easily constructed.

2 stocker, 2A, 2B stocker, 3 stocker body, 4A, 4B rack, 4g beam, 7, 7A, 7B stacker crane (loading/unloading device), 21 maintenance step, 22 attachment/detachment bar, 40 Narrow step (fixed length step) 40a Main body portion 41a Upper surface 43 Beam engaging portion 44 Beam engaging fitting 50 Wide step (fixed length step) 50a Main body portion 51a Upper surface 53 Beam engaging portion 54 Beam engaging metal fitting 60 Flexible step 60a Body portion 61a Upper surface 63 Beam engaging portion 64 Beam engaging metal fitting 66 Length adjustment Plate (length adjusting part) 72... Mast 100... Stepladder 110... Ladder A1... Moving area D1... First direction D2... Second direction L... Axis line S... Shelf STG... Scaffolding X …worker.

Claims (5)

a pair of racks arranged to face each other and configured to store items;
a loading/unloading device that moves within a movement area formed between the pair of racks and loads/unloads the article to/from the pair of racks;
A flexible step bridged between the pair of racks by engaging both ends in the first direction with the pair of racks, the length being adjustable in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction. a flexible step having a height adjustment part;
The flexible step has a body portion including the both ends,
The length adjusting portion is attached to the main body portion so as to be rotatable about an axis extending along the first direction. A stocker that closes the space between the mast . A fixed-length step bridged between the pair of racks by engaging both ends in the first direction with the pair of racks, wherein at least one fixed-length step having a predetermined length in the second direction further comprising a step,
2. The stocker according to claim 1, wherein said flexible step is provided between said loading/unloading device and said fixed length step. each of the pair of racks has a beam with which both ends of the fixed-length step are engaged;
3. The stocker according to claim 2, wherein said fixed-length step has beam engaging portions that can be retracted along said first direction at both ends in said first direction. At least one of the pair of racks is stored in the at least one rack when not in use, and advances toward the other of the pair of racks when in use to form a maintenance step within the movement area. have
The stocker according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the flexible step is installed between the loading/unloading device and the maintenance step during use. 5. The stocker according to claim 4, wherein said flexible step has an upper surface located at substantially the same height as said foot surface of said maintenance step when installed between said pair of racks.

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