JPS59217508A - Lifting device in automatic warehouse - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To store articles as many as possible in a warehouse by centering the articles fed into the warehouse via a positioning means provided on a lifter. CONSTITUTION:When a container 9b reaches the inlet of a lifting device, the size of a container 9 is detected by a reflection type photoelectric switch, and a signal distinguishing whether it is a standard container 9a or a small container 9b is transmitted to the lifter 30. When the lifter 30 receives the standard container 9a from a conveyor based on this signal, a rotary lever 41 which is a positioning means is not rotated; when the lifter 30 receives the small container 9b, the rotary lever 41 is rotated, and the center line of the container width is made to coincide with the center line of the tray width. Next, the small container 9b pushed out by a push lever 32 from the lifter 30 facing a tray in the upper rack is stored in the predetermined tray. Likewise, the standard container 9a is stored in the corresponding tray.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a lift device in an automatic warehouse that automates the loading and unloading operations for storing and unloading articles.

Traditionally, we have been able to efficiently carry out 1JK work involving a wide variety of small quantities of goods,
A rotating shelf-type storage is known as a small-sized automatic warehouse that can also perform automatic searches.

A revolving shelf is a system in which dish-shaped trays on which containers are placed are fixed at a predetermined distance to a leather link device connected in a loop, and these trays can be rotated horizontally. This is a rack that allows containers to be taken out at any desired location.

In addition, by assembling these ranks in multiple stages, and by providing a lift device that moves up and down and has a lid at the take-out port of the rack, the storage can be automatically moved from the conveyor etc. for loading into each rack. Containers can be stored or taken out.

However, if all trays of the same size are placed side by side in order to store only standardized containers, there is a limit to the number of containers that can be loaded, and increasing the number of containers will increase the floor space and Increasing the number of racks in a rotating shelving device increases the height of the device, which poses the problem of requiring a large installation space.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks, and aims to provide a lift device for an automated warehouse that can store as many items as possible in a storage space that is stored in a limited installation space. It is something to do.

Another object of the present invention is to use, for example, a standard container and a smaller container at the same time, and by providing the lifter with a positioning means that changes the position depending on the size of the container, it is possible to load or take out each rank. Lift device in automated warehouse '1
This is what we are trying to provide.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained based on the illustrated embodiments. First, the outline of the configuration will be explained, and then the structure will be explained in detail.

The warehouse body (1) of the automated warehouse is divided into two parts, upper and lower.
A flat shelf section (2) is formed at the bottom thereof, and a rotating shelf section (3) is formed at the top thereof.

As shown in Figure 1, the horizontal shelf section (2) is equipped with a pallet (4
) A first storage compartment (61 and this first storage compartment 16
an extraction device for selectively loading and unloading the pallet (3) from the pallet 1, that is, a stacker crane 17);
61 conveying devices 18), that is, a pair of conveyors (8b).

The rotating shelf (3) has two types of containers (9) in the shape of a box with an open top that serve as unit articles: a normal standard container (9a), and a standard container (9a).
A rank (11) in which a standard tray (10a) is placed side by side corresponds to a container (9b) which is slightly smaller in width and height.
a) and a rack (1) with a small tray (10b) arranged side by side.
1b) are arranged in multiple stages in the vertical direction a21
And from this second storage (I2), container (9),
-Extraction device 03+ for removing people from trays at locations
, a lift device (+4) for moving the container (9) all up and down, and a conveyor (15) for receiving the container 19) from the lift device 114+.
) and the general structure is complete.

As shown in FIG.
) and the conveyor 1151 of the rotating shelf (3) are linked to each other by a transfer device, that is, an industrial robot (161).

Note that (17) is a control device equipped with an operation panel (17a), which includes the aforementioned conveyors (8a) (8b), a lift device [141° stacker crane (7), and a rotating shelf section (
3), etc., or a sensor (not shown) attached to the conveyor and used as a detection means, is centrally controlled, and is connected to a computer (not shown), and is connected to an arithmetic processing unit, a magnetic disk device, It is equipped with a floppy disk drive and can be fully automated.

Next, the structure of each device described above will be explained in sequence.

As shown in FIG. 6, the cross-sectional shape of the horizontal shelf (2) is such that the support (2c) is connected between the ceiling frame (2a) and the bottom frame (2b).
The front and rear rooms are divided into six rooms, and each of the front and rear rooms has a plurality of frame members (5a) facing in the front and back direction.
is bridged, and with this pair of left and right frame members (5a) (5a),
The shelf part of 14i; 51 has been completely formed. In this embodiment, there are 51 shelves, 6 levels above and below, and 7 shelves on the left and right sides.

The stacker crane 1711/i faces the ceiling frame (2a) and the bottom frame (2b) and is guided by a pair of upper and lower rails +18H+81 placed in the left and right direction, so that it can move freely in the left and right direction. The column of this stacker crane (7) (
A fork (7) is supported on the boulder (7b) which is movable up and down relative to 7a) so as to be movable in the front and back direction.

After inserting this fork (7c) into the engagement hole of the pallet 14 and taking it out from the shelf (5), move it to the conveyor (8a) (8b) located at the bottom right of the flat shelf (2). The pallet (4) can be taken out from the horizontal shelf (2) by transferring the pallet to
), pants H41'e can now be stocked.

Next, the rotating shelf section (3) shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 will be explained.

(10b) is a small tray for a small container (9b), with rising walls installed on the left and right edges and the rear edge of a rectangular thin plate, so that the container (9b) can be stored on the top surface. ing. A pair of wheels α are installed from the front edge of the lower surface of this tray (IDb) and from the rear rising wall.
(2υ) is installed.

(2D is an endless link, in which both ends of adjacent rectangular plate-shaped link plates (21a) are rotatably connected with pins (221), forming a loop shape, and a pair of left and right circles. A plate-shaped sprocket is stretched between 1 23) (231).

The outer frame (3a) of the warehouse main body (1) is rectangular when viewed from the top.
) and the inner frame (6b) contains the endless link [21+'e
An inner rail (24) and an outer rail (25) having a loop shape are laid so as to be sandwiched between them.

Each tray (IDb) is rotatably attached to the endless link (22) at a predetermined interval, and the wheels (191 (201)
are the outer rail (25) and inner rail G24, respectively.
) It is designed to roll on top.

As shown in Fig. 2, one of the suzorokeno l-+231 is connected to the motor (21i1, and this sprocket) +
When 231 is driven, the trays (iob) are sequentially rotated around the vertical axis. A rack like this (11
), but in this example, the small container rank (
11a) with 4 tiers, and a large container rack (11a) below.
b) are stacked in two stages, for a total of six stages, to form the second storage 112) of the rotating shelf (, 3).

In addition, the width and depth of the second storage N02) are the same as those of the horizontal shelf (2).
), so a working passageway (271) is laid on the floor around the second storage (12), and a handrail (c!8) is installed along the upper edge of the ceiling frame (2a). Also, a ladder (29) is installed on the left side of the main body (1). Therefore, workers can use the passageway (271k) for inspection.

The container (9b) carried by the tray (iob) to a position opposite to the lift device [14+] is placed in the extraction device (14+).
3), it is transferred to the lifter (30).

This extraction device 03) is installed on the second storage side, and includes a pusher C31) that pushes it into the container (9b)'.
It consists of a bushing lever 0'2 that is attached to the lifter (30) and reciprocates in the left-right direction to push it into the container (9b)'k tray 00).

Next, the lift device a will be explained.

As shown in FIG. 1, a horizontal plate-shaped lid (30) is suspended from a weight (not shown) on a frame (14a) that stands vertically in a tower-like manner on the right side of the main body. It is supported so that it can move up and down.

A drive source (33) is placed on the top surface of the frame (14a), and the lid mark 1 is suspended at the four corners via four wires 041 wound up by the drive source 03. Each rack of storage Ha2+ (11 Saki 1
1bO, and is configured to be able to face the upper surface of the conveyor (15) at the lowest portion.

As shown in Figure 9, the main body of the lifter has a rectangular plate shape (
A rising wall (3011)) is connected to the periphery of 50a), and a pair of large and small motors 65) (support) are attached to the center of the lower surface thereof.

A sprocket C3B+ is attached to a pair of horizontal shafts (37) passing through the left and right rising walls (30b).
A loose flat conveyor iris is wound between these sprockets, and the motor 1
It rotates in the front and back direction by forward and reverse rotation of 351, and can receive or send out the contents 19). The flat conveyor was chosen because it has the advantage of being able to transport smaller items without any trouble compared to conventional roller conveyors.

Note that (59a) ld: is a guide roller connected to the motor (351).

Mounting walls (30C) are erected on the left and right upper surfaces of the rear end of the rising wall (30b), and both ends are supported between these walls (30C) to link with the motor (3G). A shaft (4) is provided on which the container (9) is rotated, and a means for positioning the container (9), that is, a rotation lever (
The proximal end of the case is pivoted.

As is clear from FIG. 6, a horizontal angle member (41b) with a cross-section of a cross-section σ is provided at the upper end of the rotating lever (4I). There is.

As shown in Fig. 9, in the standard position where this angle member (4ib) is upright, this angle member (4i b)
A standard container (9a) and a tray (10a)
) are aligned with the center line (b) of the angle member (4ib) as shown by the arrow (a).
When it is rotated forward by 0 degrees and reaches the adjustment position, the center of the small container (9b) that is brought into contact with it is aligned with the center line (b) of the tray (iob). Positioning is now possible.

In addition, a board (
The filter 2a) is supported so as to be able to slide left and right in the groove (42a) of the forward-facing U-shaped guide plate (421) erected at the rear of the lifter (30).
2a) A pair of left and right sufus.

Rocket) (431 (44 + chain wrapped between
45) It is properly attached to the middle part of the body.

The shaft (46) of one sprocket (441) passes through the guide plate (421) and protrudes rearward, and the main body (3
The shaft (47a) of a motor (47) mounted on the motor (47) is linked via a chain (48).

Therefore, by forward and reverse rotation of this motor (4η), the bush lever 02 can feed the container +91-, tray 00, and then move it backward.

The rails (49) shown in FIG. 8 are a pair of front and rear rails attached to the frame (14a).
! It is designed to be guided up and down while sliding and rotating. In addition, 611 is a tray (1
There are six guide rollers provided on the Oj side.

As shown in FIG. 7, 521 is a reflective photoelectric switch installed in the middle of the conveyor (151) to operate the lift device (stopper (not shown) at the round entrance).
(531 is also a reflective photoelectric switch, and the container (9
) is detected and the motor 1 in the lifter (30) is
It is designed to send a signal to 31i1.

(Industrial robot shown in Figure 1)
) This is a transfer means for loading and unloading onto all the conveyors 1151, but since it is not directly related to the lift device according to the present invention, detailed explanation will be omitted.

Next, the operation of the lift device in the automatic cage according to the present invention will be explained.

When the container (9) arrives on the conveyor (I5), when the operator issues a storage instruction using the operation panel (17a), the container (9b) is moved to the lift device a as shown in FIG. When it reaches the entrance of (b), the size of the container (9) is detected by the reflective photoelectric switch (53) and whether it is a standard container (9a) or a small container (9).
b) A signal that distinguishes between the two is transmitted to the lifter (30).

Therefore, the lifter (30) is lower than the conveyor (15).
When receiving a standard container (9a) e, the rotating lever (411) does not rotate, and when receiving a small container (9b), the rotating lever f411 rotates, as shown in FIG. The center line of the width of the container is aligned with the center line of the width of the tray (10b), so-called center alignment.

Next, as shown in FIG.
) in the case of a lower rack (11a), and in the case of a small container (9b) to a position corresponding to the upper rack (1ib).

As shown in FIG. 5, the rack (i i b) tray (
10b) or from the lid (30), it is stored in the tray (10a) by the grip lever c3z.

On the other hand, in the case of retrieval, the endless link (2I) rotates by calling the necessary container (9b), for example, on the operation panel (17a), and after an automatic search is performed, the container on the tray (10b) is retrieved. This container (9b) is sent out onto the lifter 130 by the Putsunya OD.
) The receiver and lid (31) are lowered to the lowest position, and the container (91) is placed on the conveyor (151) and removed.

The same process is followed when shipping to container (9a)'.

In the above embodiment, in order to perform satur alignment according to the size of the containers (9a) (9b), the main body (30a)
), but instead of the rotary lever (4I), it is supported so as to be movable in reverse horizontal direction from the rear or side of the main body (30a). Even if the positioning means is used, centering can be performed in the same way.

Furthermore, it goes without saying that the containers (9) can be centered not only in two sizes, large and small, but also in two or more types by providing a corresponding positioning means. It is.

Furthermore, in the example, a rack for standard containers was provided at the bottom and a rack for small containers was provided at the top, and the ranks were differentiated depending on the container size. It is also possible to accommodate containers of various sizes.

Items to be stored are not limited to containers, but should be handled in the same way even if they are regular products or cardboard boxes.6.
6. As explained above in detail, in the lift device for the automatic warehouse of the present invention, the lifter is provided with a positioning means for preventing the movement of the article in the introduction direction and determining the stopping position, and the lifter is provided with a positioning means for determining the stopping position for transporting the article to the storage. After making it possible to center the articles, trays of different sizes are provided in the storage, and articles can be stored separately in each of these trays without waste.

Therefore, for small items, the tray can be made smaller without wasting space by using a large tray.
By arranging more storage units, i.e. trays, etc. than standard trays, there is the advantage that more items can be stored in the same floor space, increasing the storage capacity of the storage unit. .

In addition, since the centering of the article is automatically carried out in the lifter, it also has the advantage that the article can be smoothly transferred from the lifter to the storage section.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 is a front view showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1; FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 2; 4 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view showing only the rotating shelf in FIG. 6, FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view showing only the rotating shelf and lifter in FIG. 2, and FIG. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing only the rotating shelf in FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing only the lower part of the lift device in FIG. 1; FIG. 8 is a plan view showing only the lifter in FIG. 6; FIG. 9 is a top view showing only the lift device in FIG. 9 is a side view of FIG. 8; FIG. (1) Warehouse body (2) Horizontal shelf (3) Rotating shelf 16) First storage (9) Container (9a) Standard container (9b) Small container 1101) Leh (IQa) standard) L/-
(IDb) Small key tray (11a) (11b) rack
112 Second storage (13) Extraction device
Old) Lift device +151 Conveyor (
16) Industrial robot (2)) Lifter θ
D Puncher u2 Button lever (341 wire 7, y to conveyor

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A storage area in which racks each having a plurality of storage areas that rotate around a pair of vertical axes are arranged in multiple stages above and below, and a storage area installed adjacent to the take-out port side of the storage area to receive or send out items. In an automated warehouse for loading and unloading articles, the lift device is placed on a lift device and is movable in the vertical direction and has a lid, and the size of the article is detected by a conveying device connected to the lift device. A positioning means is provided to determine the stopping position of the article by receiving a signal from the means and moving to both a standard position and an adjustment position set a required distance from the standard position, and the width of the article to be sent into the storage is determined. 1. A lift device for an automated warehouse, characterized in that centering can be performed to match the center line of the width of the storage section with the center line of the width of the storage section. (2) The positioning means includes a rotary lever whose base end is pivotally connected to the main body of the lifter and whose distal end can be rotated by a required angle in the transport direction of the article; A lift device for an automated warehouse as set forth in claim (1), characterized in that the lift device comprises a drive means that rotates in a direction.