JPH07223800A - Article elevating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To decrease the dimension of an elevating stand lower part as little as possible while securing the stable supporting state in an article elevating device for supporting the elevating stand only by the lower side. CONSTITUTION:A pair of chains 20, 30 are introduced from the lower side of a gap between a pair of sprockets 6, 7 and delivered to the other side. At this time, respective supporting members 45, 65 are sequentially brought in contact with links 40, 60 for constituting respective chains and vertically brought in contact with them since the lengths of respective supporting members are set to approximately equal to pitches of the links. Column bodies wherein the links and the supporting members are vertically connected to each other are held by guide members 1c, 1d in a state where two column bodies are joined to each other. Thus, an elevating stand 80 fixed on the upper ends of a pair of chains can be raised or lowered while lifting an article WR to the specific position according to drive of a driving device 14, and the dimension of the elevating stand lower part in the initial position can be decreased.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a lifting device for articles,
In particular, the present invention relates to an article lifting device that is suitable as a lifter that constitutes a transportation system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A lifting device, a so-called lifter, is used as a device constituting an article transport system. In this type of lifter, as shown in FIG. 7, a pneumatic cylinder CY (or a hydraulic cylinder) is generally used as a drive source for moving up and down the lift table LT. In addition, in FIG. 7, the lifting platform LT at the rising end is indicated by a chain double-dashed line.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned lifter, it is necessary to have a height which is equal to the stroke plus the vertical dimension of the pneumatic cylinder CY portion. For example, when a lifter for raising and lowering an object weighing about 40 kg is constructed using a commercially available pneumatic cylinder, for example, a stroke (H
In order to secure s), a height (Hp) of 700 mm or more including the pneumatic cylinder CY length for this stroke is required. Further, a rack and pinion can be used, but a rack having a length longer than a stroke is required, and if the height of a driving device is added, a height equivalent to that of a device using a cylinder is required. Moreover, in order to secure a stable support state of the lifting platform, it is necessary to make the rack large, or to arrange several racks in parallel as in FIG. On the other hand, if the rack is arranged up to the rising end of the lift table, the size of the lower side of the lift table can be made relatively small, but then the rack will be extended so that it extends above the lift table. They must be installed side by side, which is not only a constraint when designing the transport system, but rather large in size.

In view of this, the present invention provides a lifting device for an article that supports the lifting platform only on the lower side, with the size of the lower part of the lifting platform being as small as possible while ensuring a stable support state. To aim.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is designed to rotate in the same plane about a support and a rotation axis parallel to the support and parallel to each other. A pair of sprockets for supporting, and a pair of chains mounted on each of the pair of sprockets, each of which is a plate-like support having a length substantially equal to the pitch of each link for each link that constitutes each chain. Each of the pair of sprockets includes a pair of chains formed by joining members, and a drive device which is connected to at least one of the pair of sprockets and drives the pair of sprockets to rotate in mutually opposite directions. The pair of chains is mounted, and the pair of chains is introduced from below the gap between the pair of sprockets so that the respective support members sequentially come into contact with each other. Guides for guiding the pair of chains while maintaining a state in which each of the support members is in contact with the pair of chains of the pair of sprockets on the delivery side of the pair of sprockets. A member is provided, and an elevating table for articles is fixed to the upper ends of the pair of chains.

In the above-mentioned article lifting device, the driving device is composed of a motor for rotationally driving one of the pair of sprockets, and the first gear and the second gear are respectively provided on the rotary shafts of the pair of sprockets. May be fixed so as to mesh with each other.

Further, in the article lifting device, the driving device comprises a motor for rotationally driving one of the pair of sprockets, and each of the abutting surfaces of the supporting members joined to the respective links of the pair of chains. In addition, a tooth portion having a tooth groove may be formed in a direction parallel to the rotation axes of the pair of sprockets, and the facing portions of the pair of chains may be arranged to engage with each other via the tooth portion. .

[0008]

In the article lifting device having the above-mentioned structure, after the article is placed on the lifting table, the driving device is driven, and the pair of sprockets are mutually reversed via the first and second gears, for example. Rotate in the direction. As a result, the pair of chains enters from one side of the gap between the pair of sprockets and is delivered to the other side. At this time, the supporting members of the links forming the respective chains sequentially come into contact with each other, and the lengths of the supporting members are substantially equal to the pitch of the links, so that they also come into contact with each other in the vertical direction. That is, the pillars in which the link and the support member are vertically connected are in a state of being joined together, and this state is held by the guide member.

Thus, the lift table fixed to the upper ends of the pair of chains moves up and down in response to the drive of the drive device, and the article is lifted or lowered to a predetermined position. On the other hand, a pair of sprockets and a guide member are arranged below the lifting table, but the pair of chains supporting the lifting table are separated on the entry side to the pair of sprockets. The links can freely bend in the opposite direction to the support member.
Therefore, if the lower side of the sprocket of the pair of chains is bent so as to be parallel to the support base and each is wound around a roller, the size of the lower part of the lift base can be reduced.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 5 relate to an embodiment of an article lifting and lowering device according to the present invention. FIG. 5 shows an overall appearance, and FIGS. 1 and 2 show a driving unit. In FIGS. 1 and 2, shafts 2 and 3 are rotatably supported by brackets 1 a and 1 b fixed to a support base 1 in parallel with the support base 1 and in parallel with each other. As shown in FIG. 2, spur gears 4 and 5 are fixed to one end of each of the shafts 2 and 3, and the spur gears 4 and 5 are arranged so as to mesh with each other. Further, a pair of sprockets 6 and 7 is fixed to a position where they rotate on the same plane, at an intermediate portion of the shafts 2 and 3 located between the pair of brackets 1a and 1b. A certain gap is formed between these sprockets 6 and 7. A sprocket 11 is fixed to an end of the shaft 2 on the outside of the bracket 1a.

Above the pair of sprockets 6 and 7 in FIG. 1, support plates 1c and 1d are fixed to the brackets 1a and 1b in parallel with the shafts 2 and 3, respectively. These support plates 1
The side end surfaces of c and 1d in the direction orthogonal to the support base 1 (that is, the vertical direction in FIG. 1) are formed in a V-shaped cross section as shown in FIG. Therefore, a gap having a hexagonal cross section is formed between the opposing V-shaped side end surfaces of the support plates 1c and 1d as shown in an enlarged view in FIG.

Then, the chains 20 and 30 are mounted on the sprockets 6 and 7, respectively, and the chains 20 and 30 are illustrated through a gap formed between the sprockets 6 and 7 and the support plates 1c and 1d. 1 is inserted from the lower side to the upper side. The chains 20 and 30 have the same structure and are wound around rollers 8 and 9, respectively, as shown in FIG. Rollers 8, 9
Are chains 20, 3 respectively by springs (not shown)
It is urged to wind up 0. The rollers 8 and 9 are different from the brackets 1a and 1b.
Although it is rotatably supported on the support base 1 by d, 1e and brackets 1f, 1g, the brackets 1a, 1b may be extended to support them.

Each of the chains 20 and 30 has a pin link 40 and a roller link 50 (hereinafter, simply referred to as the link 4 as shown in FIG.
0 and 50) are alternately arranged and are rotatably connected to each other by pins 41 and 42, and the respective link plates 43 and 44 and the link plates 53 and 54 are outwardly connected as shown in FIG. It is bent and a flange portion is formed. It should be noted that these links may be commercially available ones for chain conveyors. Further, plate-like support members 45 and 55 having a trapezoidal cross section are joined to the flange portions of the link plates 43, 44 and 53, 54, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 4, the supporting members 45 and 55 are set to have a length substantially equal to the pitch (to be pi) of the links 40 and 50, and the adjacent supporting members are also set to have substantially the same length. . Therefore, the chain 20 can be bent in the right direction in FIG. 4 (the chain 30 is in the left direction in FIG. 4), but in the left direction in FIG. 4 (the chain 30 is in the right direction in FIG. 4).
Since the upper and lower end surfaces of the adjacent supporting members 45 and 55 are in contact with each other, the state of being erected as shown in FIG. 4 is maintained without bending. These support members 45, 5
As shown in FIG. 3, the cross-sectional shape of 5 is trapezoidal, and together with the supporting members 65 and 75 that form the links 60 and 70 of the other chains 30, a cross-section that can be fitted into the above-described hexagonal cross-section voids. A hexagonal column is constructed.

The tips of the chains 20 and 30 are shown in FIGS.
Fixed to the bracket 81 as shown in FIG.
Reference numeral 1 is fixed to the bottom surface of a plate-shaped lifting table 80. In the present embodiment, the lifting platform 80 includes the chains 20, 3 that are pillars.
Although it is supported so as to form an article supporting surface perpendicular to 0, the article supporting surface can be inclined at a predetermined angle if necessary.

One of the sprockets 6 and 7 (sprocket 6 in this embodiment) has a sprocket 11 and a chain 12 provided at the end of the shaft 2 outside the bracket 1a.
Also, a motor 14 is connected via a sprocket 13. Therefore, when the sprocket 13 is rotationally driven in one direction by the motor 14, the sprocket 11 is rotationally driven through the chain 12 and the shaft 2 is rotated by the motor 14.
The rotation force is transmitted to the shaft 3 via the spur gears 4 and 5, and the shaft 3 rotates in the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the motor 14. In this way, the sprockets 6 and 7 are driven so as to rotate in mutually opposite directions. Incidentally, without providing the sprockets 11 and 13 shown in FIG. 2, a spur gear (not shown) is fixed to the shaft of the motor 14, and the spur gear is directly or via another gear to either of the spur gears 4 and 5. They can be configured to mesh with each other, and any one may be selected depending on the arrangement of the motor 14.

Thus, according to the article lifting apparatus of this embodiment, for example, when the lifting platform 80 is at the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 1, the motor 14 is placed after the article WR is placed on the lifting platform 80. When driven to rotate in the clockwise direction in FIG. 1, the sprocket 6 rotates in the clockwise direction in FIG. 1 and the sprocket 7 rotates in the counterclockwise direction. Synchronize. As a result, the chains 20 and 30 enter from the lower side into the gap of hexagonal cross section between the sprockets 6 and 7 and are sent out to the upper side.

At this time, one supporting member (for example, 45 and 55 in FIG. 4) of the links constituting the chains 20 and 30 comes into contact with the other supporting member (for example, 65 and 75 in FIG. 4),
The chains 20 and 30 are maintained upright. That is, since each support member (45, etc.) is set to have a length substantially equal to the pitch (Pi) of each link (40, etc.), it also abuts in the vertical direction and passes through the space between the support plates 1c, 1d. Then, the two pillars are joined together, and this state is maintained. Therefore, the lift table 80 provided on the upper ends of the chains 20 and 30 moves up to the position shown in FIG. 5 according to the rotational driving of the motor 14. When the lifting platform 80 descends, the chains 20, 30 below the sprockets 6, 7 are
Is wound around rollers 8 and 9.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the lifting platform 80 is supported in a stable state by the pair of chains 20 and 30, and the lower side thereof is substantially the sprockets 6 and 7 and the guide member. Since it is only necessary to secure the dimensions of the support plates 1c and 1d, the height (H
p) can be kept low. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 5, an article of 43 kg is set so that the stroke (Hs) can be lifted by 550 mm, but the height at the initial position (Hp)
Is only 200 mm, which is lower than the conventional device of FIG. 7 by 500 mm or more.

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the present invention.
Tooth portions 45a, 55a, 65a, 75a having tooth grooves in a direction parallel to the shafts 2, 3 are formed on the contact surfaces of the supporting members 45, 55 and the supporting members 65, 75 facing each other. Is. With this structure, the opposing links of the chains 20 and 30 are engaged with each other via the tooth portions 45a and the tooth portions 65a, so that when the sprocket 6 is rotationally driven, the sprocket 7 moves in the opposite direction. Rotate to. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the same operation can be performed without providing the spur gears 4 and 5 of FIG. 2, so that the number of parts can be reduced and the size can be further reduced.

As a means for driving either one of the shafts 2 and 3 by the motor 14 in each of the above embodiments, a belt may be used instead of a chain and a gear train may be used. Alternatively, the shafts 2 and 3 may be directly driven by a motor.

[0022]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects. That is, in the lifting device for articles according to the present invention, the supporting members of the links constituting each chain are sequentially brought into contact with each other, and the length of each supporting member is set to be substantially equal to the pitch of the links. Also comes into contact with each other, and the two pillars in which the link and the support member are vertically connected are joined together,
Since this state is configured to be held by the guide member, a stable support state can be secured. A pair of sprockets and a guide member are arranged below the lifting table, but the pair of chains supporting the lifting table are separated on the entry side to the pair of sprockets, and each link in each chain is Since the support member can be freely bent in the opposite direction, the lower side of the lift can be suppressed to a value substantially equal to the total size of the sprocket and the guide member.

In the case where the teeth are formed on the abutting surfaces of the support members of the links forming the pair of chains, the pair of chains can be formed by simply rotating one of the pair of sprockets by the driving device. Since the force can be transmitted to both of them, it is possible to reduce the number of parts and further downsize without requiring a gear or the like.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional front view of a drive unit of an article lifting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a drive unit of an article lifting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view between a pair of sprockets of the lifting device for an article according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view showing a joined state of a pair of chains of the article lifting device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state when the lifting table of the lifting device for articles according to the embodiment of the present invention is raised.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged front view showing a joined state of a pair of chains of an article lifting device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a front view of a drive unit of a conventional article lifting device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 support base 1c, 1d support plate (guide member) 2,3 shaft 4,5 spur gear 6,7,11,13 sprocket 14 motor (drive device) 20,30 chain 40,50,60,70 link 45,55 , 65, 75 Support member 80 Lifting platform

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A support base, a pair of sprockets supported so as to rotate on the same plane about a rotation axis parallel to the support base and parallel to each other, and a pair of sprockets mounted on each of the pair of sprockets. A pair of chains to be hung, a pair of chains in which a plate-shaped support member having a length substantially equal to the pitch of each link is joined to each link constituting each chain, and the pair of sprockets. Of the pair of sprockets, the pair of chains are mounted on each of the pair of sprockets, and the pair of chains is mounted on each of the pair of sprockets. From the lower side of the gap, the pair of chains are introduced so that the respective support members sequentially come into contact with each other, and arranged so as to be fed out from the upper side of the gap between the pair of sprockets, A guide member that guides the pair of chains while holding the support members in contact with each other is provided on the delivery side of the pair of chains of the pair of sprockets, and an article is provided at the upper ends of the pair of chains. Lifting device for articles, characterized in that the lifting platform is fixed. 2. The drive device comprises a motor that rotationally drives one of the pair of sprockets, and a first gear and a second gear are provided on each of rotation shafts of the pair of sprockets.
2. The lifting device for articles according to claim 1, wherein the gears are fixed so as to mesh with each other. 3. The drive device is composed of a motor that rotationally drives one of the pair of sprockets, and each of the abutting surfaces of a support member joined to each link of the pair of chains has a pair of sprockets. The tooth portion having a tooth groove is formed in a direction parallel to the rotation axis, and the link portions of the pair of chains facing each other are arranged so as to engage with each other via the tooth portion. Lifting device for articles.