JPH06135505A - Runaway prevention device for stacker - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify the composition of a stacker itself and reduce its manufacturing cost by utilizing base channel detection sensors for setting the stop position of the stacker as a sensor for detecting runaway. CONSTITUTION:A stacker 20 is provided with base channel detection sensors 31, 32 and a runaway detection region detection sensor 33. A shelf 10 is provided with a sensor plate 34 which indicates the runaway detection region at the position about one meter apart from both ends. Runaway of the stacker 20 is detected by comparing output time of detection signal of the base channel detection sensor 31 or 32, that is, the base channel 11 pass time of the stacker 20, with the base channel 11 pass time of the stacker 20 which is calculated based on the proper speed of the stacker 20 in the runaway detection region. When it is judged that the stacker 20 runs away, run of the stacker 20 is stopped.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a stacker runaway prevention device which travels along the front surface of a shelf to load and unload loads from and into the shelf.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A runaway prevention device of this type is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 60-20286.

In this runaway prevention device, a long detection plate having a wide runaway detection region and a narrow other region along the traveling rail of the stacker is provided, and the stacker is provided with the detection plate. The first sensor pair for detecting the narrow width portion and the second sensor pair for detecting the wide width portion are provided at positions displaced by a constant interval in the traveling direction of the stacker.

Then, the area in which both the first sensor pair and the second sensor pair detect the plate to be detected is determined to be a runaway detection area, and moreover, the sensors before and after the second sensor pair are detected. The traveling speed of the stacker is obtained from the time difference between the time points, and when the traveling speed is equal to or higher than the set value, the deceleration command is issued.

[0005]

By the way, in a shelf in an automatic warehouse or the like, a shelf pillar may be inclined, and a storage part may be laterally displaced above and below the shelf.

Therefore, in order to stop the stacker at a predetermined stop position of the stacker by detecting shelf constituent members such as shelf posts and base channels, the stacker has various types other than the sensor of the runaway prevention device. It is necessary to provide a traveling distance detecting means such as a sensor and an encoder, and there is a problem that the configuration of the stacker itself becomes complicated and the manufacturing cost increases.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a stacker runaway prevention device which can utilize a sensor for detecting the stop position of the stacker in order to solve the above problems.

[0008]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention comprises a base channel detection sensor, a runaway detection area detection sensor and a control means provided in a stacker, wherein the base channel detection sensor is a stacker traveling. The base channel of a shelf orthogonal to the rail is detected, and a base channel detection signal is output to the control means during the detection time.The runaway detection area detection sensor is provided on the shelf along the traveling rail of the stacker. The object to be detected that specifies the runaway detection area specified is output a runaway detection area detection signal to the control means during the detection time, and the control means is a stacker in a preset runaway prevention area. Stacker base channel transit time calculated based on proper speed, and the base channel The stacker drive signal is determined by comparing with the time when the output signal is input to determine whether the stacker is out of control, and when it is determined that the stacker is out of control while the runaway detection area detection signal is being input. It provides a stacker runaway prevention device that stops the output of the stacker.

[0009]

The output time of the detection signal of the base channel detection sensor for setting the stop position of the stacker, that is, the base channel passage time of the stacker and the base of the stacker calculated in advance based on the proper speed of the stacker in the runaway detection area By comparing with the channel passage time, the control means determines whether or not the stacker is out of control, and if it is out of control, the stacker stop signal is output.

[0010]

EXAMPLES Examples will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1 and 2 schematically show an automatic warehouse in which a stacker 20 traveling between opposed shelves 10 takes in and takes out a load.

The shelf 10 has a plurality of base channels 11 installed in parallel, and a shelf pillar 12 is provided upright on one side of the shelf. The container storage portion is formed in a matrix.

The stacker 20 can move up and down a picker 22 for loading and unloading a container to and from a column 21 which runs along a rail 40 installed orthogonally to the base channel 11. The picker 20 is mounted on the base plate and is moved up and down by a driving means (not shown).

On one side surface of the column base 23, FIG.
Further, as shown in FIG. 3, two base channel detection sensors 31 and 32 for detecting the base channel 11 are attached in a state of being shifted in the traveling direction of the stacker 20.

On the other side surface of the column base 23, as shown in FIG. 1, a stacker runaway detection area detection sensor 33 is attached at an intermediate position between the two base channel detection sensors 31 and 32. As shown in FIG. 2, in order to specify the runaway detection area of the stacker 20,
The sensor plates 34 provided on the base channels 11, which are located approximately 1 m away from the left and right ends of the shelf, are detected.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the column 21 is provided with vertical markers 38 of a certain length at a certain interval so as to correspond to the heights of the upper and lower shelves 13, and a picker. A sensor plate 39 is separately provided on the side of the uppermost and lowermost vertical markers 38 so as to specify the runaway detection area 22.

As shown in FIG. 3, two vertical marker detection sensors 35, 36 for detecting the vertical marker 38 are attached to the picker 22 in a state of being shifted in the vertical direction of the picker. At the same time, a runaway detection area detection sensor 37 that detects the sensor plate 39 is provided at the intermediate position between the two vertical marker detection sensors 35 and 36.

The respective sensors 31, 32, 33, 3 are
Reference numerals 5, 36 and 37 each have a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion, and the light receiving portion receives the light emitted from the light emitting portion and reflected by hitting the base channel 11, the sensor plates 34 and 39, the vertical marker 39 and the like. To detect.

When the stacker 20 travels, the base channel detection sensors 31 and 32 detect the base channels 11 one after another. In a certain base channel 11, as shown in FIG. 4, the base channel detection sensor 31 on the front side in the traveling direction of the stacker 20 first detects the base channel 11 and outputs the detection signal S1 to the control means.

By the time the base channel detection sensor 31 passes through the base channel 11, the rear base channel detection sensor 32 detects the base channel 11 and outputs the detection signal S2 to the control means.

When the base channel 11 is in the runaway detection area, the runaway detection area detection sensor 33 detects the sensor plate 34 and outputs the detection signal S3 to the control means.

Simultaneously with the input of the detection signal S1, the control means generates a pulse P1 having a width of the base channel passage time of the stacker 20 calculated based on an appropriate speed in a preset runaway detection area of the stacker 20. Let

Then, the control means confirms whether or not the detection signal S3 is being input at the time when the pulse P1 disappears. If the detection signal S3 is being input, the stacker 2
It is determined that 0 has entered the runaway detection area, and the detection signal S
Check whether 1 is being input.

At this time, if the detection signal S1 is being input, the base channel passage time of the base channel detection sensor 31 is longer than the base channel passage time based on the preset proper speed, that is, the stacker 20 has the base channel passage time. Since the traveling speed is lower than the appropriate speed, the control means determines that the stacker 20 is not running out of control.

However, as shown in FIG. 5, the pulse P
When the input of the detection signal S1 is already stopped at the time of disappearance of 1, the traveling speed of the stacker 20 is higher than the appropriate speed, and therefore the control means determines that the stacker 20 is out of control. , And outputs a stop signal for the stacker 20.

When the stacker 20 travels in the reverse direction, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the control means inputs the pulse at the same time as the detection signal S2 of the base channel detection sensor 32 on the front side in the traveling direction is input. A pulse P2 having the same width as that of P1 is generated, and whether or not the stacker 20 is out of control is determined by the presence or absence of the detection signal S2 at the time of disappearance of the pulse P2. Output a stop signal.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, dedicated base channel detection sensors 31 and 32 are provided in the traveling direction of the stacker 20, and the detection signals S1 and S2 output by the respective base channel detection sensors 31 and 32 are separately used. At the same time, the pulses P1 and P2 are separately generated with respect to the traveling direction in order to prevent malfunction due to chattering due to complicated operation of the stacker 20, and such malfunction does not occur. In this case, the runaway of the stacker 20 can be detected based on one base channel detection sensor and one pulse regardless of the traveling direction of the stacker 20.

Further, the runaway detection area detection sensor 33 and the sensor plate 34 have the runaway detection area detection sensor 33 at the time of disappearance of the pulses P1 and P2 so that the runaway detection area can be surely detected.
It is preferable to determine the mounting position and size so that the vicinity of the central portion of 4 is detected.

Next, regarding the runaway prevention of the picker 22, this is also substantially the same as the runaway prevention of the stacker 20.

Briefly, the base channel detection sensors 31, 32, the base channel 11, the runaway detection area detection sensor 33, and the sensor plate 34 correspond to the vertical marker detection sensors 35, 36, respectively.
Vertical marker 38, runaway detection area detection sensor 37
And sensor plate 39, and each sensor 35, 3
Based on the detection signals of 6, 37 and the pulse having the transit time width of the vertical marker 38 calculated based on the proper speed of the picker 22 in the runaway detection area, the control means detects the runaway of the picker 22, When it is determined that the vehicle is running out of control, a stop signal for the picker 22 is output.

[0031]

As described above, in the stacker runaway prevention device according to the present invention, the base channel detection sensor for setting the stop position of the stacker is used as the stacker runaway detection sensor. It is not necessary to provide a separate sensor, the stacker itself has a simple structure, and the manufacturing cost is reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an outline of an automated warehouse in which an embodiment according to the present invention is used.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the above.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing details of the above stacker.

FIG. 4 is an operation explanatory diagram of the above.

FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory diagram of the above.

FIG. 6 is an operation explanatory diagram of the above.

FIG. 7 is an operation explanatory diagram of the above.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Shelf 11 Base Channel 12 Shelf Column 13 Shelf Board 20 Stacker 21 Column 22 Picker 23 Column Base 31, 32 Base Channel Detection Sensor 33 Runaway Detection Area Detection Sensor 34 Sensor Plate 35, 36 Vertical Marker Detection Sensor 37 Runaway Detection Area Detection Sensor 38 Vertical marker 39 Sensor plate 40 Rail

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A stacker runaway prevention device comprising a base channel detection sensor, a runaway detection area detection sensor, and control means provided on a stacker that runs along the front surface of a shelf, wherein the base channel detection sensor is a stacker It detects the base channel of the shelf orthogonal to the traveling rail, and outputs a base channel detection signal to the control means during the detection time, and the runaway detection area detection sensor is provided on the shelf along the traveling rail of the stacker. An object to be detected that specifies a provided runaway detection area is detected, and a runaway detection area detection signal is output to the control means during the detection time, and the control means is a stacker in a preset runaway detection area. The base channel transit time of the stacker calculated based on the appropriate speed of the Of the stacker detection signal is input, it is determined whether the stacker is out of control, and if it is determined that the stacker is out of control while the runaway detection area detection signal is being input, the stacker drive Stacker runaway prevention device that stops the output of signals.