JP3397147B2 - Stacker crane and mast for stacker crane - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a stacker crane provided in an automated warehouse and a stacker crane mast.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional stacker cranes used in automated warehouses, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, a traveling base 51 traveling on a traveling rail 50, a mast 52 supported by the traveling base 51, and a mast 52. Guide rail 53 provided at the upper end of
The guide portion 54 is guided by the carriage 55, the carriage 55 supported by the mast 52 so as to be able to move up and down, the transfer device 56 provided on the carriage 55, and the like.

There is such a stacker crane in which the weight of the carriage 55 is balanced to some extent by a balance weight 57 which is supported by the mast 52 so as to be able to move up and down. More specifically, the carriage 55 and the balance weight 57 are connected to each other in an annular shape by a winding transmission member such as a wire 58 attached to the upper end and the lower end of the mast 52. The carriage 55 is driven by a lifting motor (not shown) so as to move up and down in opposite directions to the balance weight 57 via the wire 58 while the weight is balanced to some extent by the balance weight 57. Therefore, a small motor having a smaller torque can be used as the lifting motor.

Conventionally, in such a stacker crane,
As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the carriage 55 is provided on one side of the mast 52, and the balance weight 57 is provided on the opposite side. The carriage 55 and the balance weight 57 are alternately moved up and down on both sides of the mast 52.

As described above, in the structure in which the carriage 55 is balanced with the balance weight 57 by the wire 58 or the like, the tension of the wire 58 is regularly inspected, the tension is adjusted, and the tension of the wire 58 is adjusted so that the malfunction of the wire 58 due to the elongation and wear of the wire 58 does not occur. Need to be replaced. Also, balance weight 5
It is also necessary to regularly replace the connecting parts between the wire 7 and the wire 58.

By the way, it is required for the automated warehouse to improve the storage efficiency. Also in the stacker crane, if the total length in the traveling direction is large, the traveling rail 5
Since it is necessary to lengthen 0 and the installation area of the automated warehouse becomes large, it is necessary to make its total length as small as possible. Conventionally, the balance weight 57 arranged on the back side of the mast 52 may be a cause of increasing the total length of the stacker crane. In order to shorten the overall length of this stacker crane as much as possible, the balance weight 5
It is conceivable to lengthen 7 vertically to make it thinner while ensuring weight. However, if the balance weight 57 is lengthened up and down, the stroke of the balance weight 57 that can be raised and lowered becomes shorter, so that the effective stroke of the carriage 55 is limited.

Therefore, a stacker crane having a structure in which the balance weight 60 is housed inside the mast 61 as shown in FIGS. According to such a stacker crane, the size of the mast 61 in the extension direction of the traveling rail 50 can be reduced, the maximum length of the stacker crane can be reduced, and the installation area of the automated warehouse can be reduced.

[0008]

However, when the balance weight 60 is provided inside the mast 61, the balance weight 60 and the wire 62 are hidden inside the mast 61. Inspection, tension adjustment, replacement, wire 62 and balance weight 6
It becomes difficult to easily perform work such as inspection and replacement of connecting parts with 0.

Even when the same stacker crane is used, the weight required for the balance weight 60 differs depending on the weight of the articles stored in the automatic warehouse. Therefore, depending on the customer's request, the balance weight 60 equipped as standard may be replaced with a lighter weight or a heavier weight. In this case, in the stacker crane in which the balance weight 60 is provided inside the mast 61, if the weight can be changed to a heavier one, it is necessary to previously form the mast 61 with a sufficiently large size. is there. However, in the stacker crane using the balance weight 60 having a small weight, there is a problem that the size of the stacker crane becomes large due to an unnecessary space inside the mast 61. Therefore, if a plurality of masts 61 having different sizes are prepared for each stacker crane that uses the balance weights 60 having different weights, there is a problem that the manufacturing cost of each mast 61 becomes high.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and a first object thereof is to prevent the total length in the traveling direction of the stacker crane from being increased by the mast portion including the balance weight. An object of the present invention is to provide a stacker crane and a mast for a stacker crane that can easily perform inspection, replacement work, and the like on movable parts such as a balance weight and a winding transmission member.

A second object is, in addition to the first object, to provide a mast of a size adapted to balance weights having different weights at a lower cost.

[0012]

In order to solve the above problems, the invention according to claim 1 supports a mast formed so as to extend in a vertical direction on a traveling base that can travel on traveling rails. A carriage on which an article is placed and a balance weight for balancing the carriage are alternately moved up and down on the mast by a winding transmission member guided by a supporting member provided on the mast. in the stacker crane to have been connected to each other, it said mast by being formed into an open cross-sectional shape in a horizontal plane, recesses for closed an opening in one side of the mast extends vertically inside thereof is formed , In the recess,
At least a part of the balance weight is housed.

[0013] The invention described in claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1, before Symbol mast, a first member guiding portion for guiding the carriage is provided, the balun
To accommodate the entire weight inside the mast
To the Ri Do and a second member first combined with member forming the recess, the second member, different weight Bas
The recess can be changed according to the cross-sectional shape of the lance weight.
And the first member of the second member is
A common member that is combined with the second member regardless of changes
Configured to be used.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the mast is provided with connecting members for connecting and fixing both open ends of the recess at a plurality of vertical positions. It is provided.

The invention according to claim 4 is a mast for a stacker crane used in the stacker crane according to any one of claims 1 to 3. (Operation) According to the invention described in claim 1, since at least a part of the balance weight is housed in the recess provided in the mast, the size of the mast portion including the balance weight is determined by the mast and the balance weight. It becomes smaller by overlapping. Further, since at least a part of the movable portion such as the balance weight and the winding transmission member is exposed from the opening of the mast, it is easy to inspect or replace the movable portion.

According to the invention of claim 2, claim 1
In addition to the function of the invention described in (1), since the entire balance weight is housed inside the mast, the size of the mast portion including the balance weight is minimized. Here, by using the second member capable of forming the concave portion having a shape corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of each balance weight having a different weight, the entire balance weight having a different weight can be accommodated and the concave portion having a size suitable for the balance weight. A mast with is constructed. Therefore, it is possible to use balance weights with different cross-sectional shapes as part of a common part by changing only a part of the components of the mast without forming an unnecessary space inside the recess that leads to an increase in the size of the mast part. The mast is constructed.

According to the invention of claim 3, claim 1
Alternatively, in addition to the function of the invention described in claim 2, since the opening ends of the recesses are connected and fixed at at least one position in the vertical direction of the mast by the connecting member, the width between the opening ends of the recesses is widened. Or, the deformation of the cross section of the mast that narrows is prevented.

According to the invention of claim 4, claim 1
~ The operation of the mast of the stacker crane according to claim 3.

[0019]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 2, the stacker crane 10 includes a traveling base 12 capable of traveling on traveling rails 11 arranged on the floor, and a mast 13 supported by the traveling base 12 so as to extend in the vertical direction. A guide portion 15 provided on the upper end of the mast 13 and guided by a guide rail 14 arranged on the ceiling side, and a carriage 16 guided by the mast 13 so as to be movable up and down.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the mast 13
Is a mast body 17 as a structural material, and the mast body 1
And a cover 18 that covers 7 On the front side (right side in FIGS. 1 and 4) of the mast body 17, the carriage 1
6 is guided so as to be vertically movable. Further, a balance weight 19 for balancing the carriage 16 is provided inside the mast body 17 so as to be able to move up and down.

The carriage 16 and the balance weight 19 are composed of a pair of belts 22a as a winding transmission member guided by support rollers 20 and 21 as support members provided on the upper side and the lower side of the mast body 17, respectively. 22b
Are connected to each other in an annular shape so as to alternately move up and down. That is, the upper side of the carriage 16 and the upper side of the balance weight 19 are connected by the pair of belts 22 a hung on the support roller 20, and the lower side of the carriage 16 and the lower side of the balance weight 19 are connected to the support roller 2.
They are connected by a pair of belts 22b hung on 0. Each belt 22a is connected to the upper side of the balance weight 19 by a connecting member 23a, and each belt 22b
Is connected to the lower side of the balance weight 19 by the connecting member 23b.

On the rear side of the cover 18, an opening 18a having the same width and extending in the vertical direction is provided. Opening 18a
A lid 24 made of transparent synthetic resin is detachably attached to the. Further, on the front side of the cover 18, a pair of guide grooves 18b extending in the up-down direction is formed at the connecting portion with the carriage 16.

As shown in FIG. 5, the mast body 17 is formed to extend vertically with the same sectional shape. As shown in FIG. 6, a guide groove 25 as a vertically extending guide portion is formed on the front side of the mast body 17. In the carriage 16, a pair of guide rollers 37a and 37b provided on an arm portion 36 extending toward the mast body 17 engages with the guide grooves 25, respectively, so that in the horizontal plane in the X-axis and Y-axis directions. Relative movement is restricted.

The mast body 17 has an open cross-section in a horizontal plane, and a recess 26 having an opening 27 is formed on the rear side of the mast body 17. The balance weight 19 is housed in the recess 26 so as to be able to move up and down. The balance weight 19 is provided in the recess 26 in the plane cross section of the mast body 17 so as to form almost no useless space.

The belts 22a and 22b are attached to the carriage 1
On the 6 side, it is arranged in each guide groove 18b of the cover 18, and on the balance weight 19 side, it is provided in the recess 26.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the recess 26
A guide groove 28 for guiding the balance weight 19 in the vertical direction is formed therein. Balance weight 1
9 includes guide rollers 29a, 29 which engage with the guide groove 28.
b is provided. And the balance weight 19
The guide rollers 29 a and 29 b are engaged with the guide groove 28 so that the guide rollers 29 a and 29 b can be moved up and down in the recess 26.

As shown in FIG. 6, the mast body 17 is composed of one front member 30 as a first member and a pair of rear members 31a and 31b as a second member. In the present embodiment, the front member 30 and the rear members 31a, 3
1b is formed by extrusion molding of an aluminum material and has the same cross-sectional shape in the horizontal plane. The guide groove 25 is provided in the front member 30.

The concave portion 26 is formed by combining the front side member 30 with the rear side members 31a and 31b. The guide groove 28 is provided in each of the rear members 31a and 31b.

The front member 30 is composed of a flat plate portion 30a forming the bottom of the recess 26 and a protrusion 30b having a guide groove 25. The connecting portion between the flat plate portion 30a and the protruding portion 30b is formed in a substantially honeycomb structure in which a plurality of (three in the present embodiment) pentagonal structures are adjacent to each other. Each connecting part 3
The balance weights 1 and 2 are formed by the openings 27.
The opening is formed to be sufficiently longer than the length of 9.

As shown in FIG. 5, on the rear side of the mast body 17, a plurality of vertical positions (three positions in this embodiment) are provided.
As described in detail above, the connecting members 32 and 33 for connecting and fixing the both ends forming the opening 27 are provided. According to the present embodiment, each operation and effect described below can be obtained. be able to.

(1) The mast body 17 has an open cross-sectional shape, and a concave portion 26 is formed inside, and the balance weight 19 is housed in the concave portion 26 so as to be able to move up and down. Therefore, the dimension of the mast portion including the balance weight 19 in the front-rear direction is reduced due to the balance weight 19 overlapping with the mast body 17, so that the installation area of the automated warehouse can be reduced. Further, the balance weight 19, the belts 22a and 22b, the connecting members 32 and 33, and the like can be easily inspected, adjusted, and replaced from the opening 27 of the recess 26.

(2) Mount the mast body 17 on the carriage 16
The front side member 30 provided with the guide groove 25 and the rear side members 31a and 31b forming the recess 26 for accommodating the entire balance weight 19 together with the front side member 30 are formed.
Therefore, by preparing the rear members 31a and 31b of only a plurality of types capable of forming the recesses 26 that match the cross-sectional shapes of the balance weights 19 having different weights,
Unnecessary space 6 that leads to increase in size of the mast
The mast body 17 having a recess 26 for accommodating the entire balance weights 16 having different weights without being formed in the mast body 17.
Is configured. As a result, the mast main body 17 that can use the balance weights 19 having different weights by changing only the rear side members 31a and 31b can be configured with the front side member 30 as a common member, so that the front-back dimension of the mast portion can be minimized. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the mast body 17 used for the balance weights 16 having different weights can be reduced.

(3) Since the connecting members 32 and 33 for connecting and fixing the open ends of the recess 26 in the horizontal direction are provided, deformation of the cross-sectional shape of the mast body 17 is prevented. Therefore, even if an irregular force is applied to the mast body 17 during transportation for installation, the mast body 17 will not be deformed so that the balance weight 19 is hindered from being lifted and lowered.

(4) Since the front member 30 is formed by extrusion to have a honeycomb structure in cross section, the weight of the mast body 17 can be reduced and high rigidity can be obtained. The embodiment is not limited to the above, and may be modified as in each of the following examples.

The concave portion is not limited to the one formed to accommodate the entire balance weight 19, but may be one capable of accommodating at least a part of the balance weight 19. Also in this case, the balance weight 1
By overlapping a part of 9 with the mast body 29, the front-rear dimension of the mast part can be suppressed, and the movable part in the mast body can be easily inspected and exchanged through the opening.

The mast body 17 is not limited to the one in which the recess 26 is formed by the pair of rear members 31 a and 31 b formed in a flat plate shape and the front member 30. For example, the second member may be composed of one member having a U-shaped cross section, and the bottom surface thereof may be connected and fixed to the front member 30 to form the recess. Also in this case, the manufacturing cost of the mast adapted to the balance weights 16 having different weights can be reduced by using the first member as the common member.

Each member 3 that constitutes the mast body 17
0, 31a, 31b may be formed by press molding a metal plate. The present invention is not limited to the stacker crane 10 provided with one mast 13, but the carriage may be guided up and down by two masts, and the stacker crane may be provided with a balance weight for each mast.

Balance weight 19 and carriage 1
The winding transmission member that suspends 6 and 6 so as to move up and down in opposite directions is not limited to being connected in an annular shape. It may be applied to a stacker crane having a structure in which a carriage and a balance weight are simply suspended at both ends of a winding transmission member that is mounted on a support roller provided on the upper side of the mast.

The winding transmission member is not limited to a flat belt, but may be a V belt, a wire, a chain, a rope, or the like. The guide portion provided on the mast is not limited to the guide groove 25, but is a guide ridge portion which is engaged by a plurality of guide roller pairs provided on the carriage 16 so as to be relatively immovable in the x-axis and y-axis directions in the horizontal plane. May be

○ As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the mast body 4
In place of the recess 26, a storage unit 41 that does not open on the rear side of the mast body 40 is provided, and the balance weight 19 and the belts 22a and 22b are stored in the storage unit 41. That is, in this stacker crane, the work such as inspection and adjustment of the balance weight 19, the belts 22a and 22b, and the like cannot be performed from the outside of the mast body 40. And this mast body 40
And a front member 43 having a guide groove 42 and a front member 43.
At the same time, the central members 44a and 44b and the rear member 45 that form the accommodation portion 41 are combined.

In such a structure, the central member 4 having a shape matching the cross-sectional shape of the balance weight 19 according to the weight.
By preparing 4a and 44b, the mast main body 40 including the accommodating portion 41 that can accommodate the balance weights 19 having different weights is configured. Therefore, the front side member 43 and the rear side member 45 are commonly used, and the balance weights 19 having different cross-sectional shapes can be obtained by changing only the central members 44a and 44b.
A mast body 40 that can be used is constructed. as a result,
It is possible to reduce the size of the mast body 40 including the balance weight 19 in the traveling direction as much as possible, and to reduce the manufacturing cost of the mast body 40 including the accommodating portion 41 adapted to the balance weights 19 having different weights. it can.

Below, in addition to the inventions described in the scope of the claims, the technical idea grasped from the above-mentioned respective embodiments and respective examples will be described together with their effects. (1) In the invention according to any one of claims 2, 3, and 5, the first member has a honeycomb structure in a cross section in a horizontal plane. With such a configuration, the mast is lightened and high rigidity is secured.

(2) A mast formed so as to extend in the vertical direction is supported on a traveling base that can travel on traveling rails, and the mast is balanced with the carriage on which an article is placed and the carriage. Balance weights for connecting to each other so as to alternately move up and down by a wrapping transmission member mounted on a support member provided on the mast, and formed on the mast so as to extend in the vertical direction. In the stacker crane in which the accommodating portion 41 that accommodates the balance weight in a vertically movable state is formed, the mast is provided with a first guide portion (guide groove 42) that guides the carriage in the vertical direction.
A member (front member 43) and a second member (front member 43, central member 44, rear member 45) forming the accommodation portion 41.
Stacker crane with and.

According to this structure, the front-rear dimension of the stacker crane can be reduced by suppressing the front-rear dimension of the mast portion including the balance weight as much as possible, and the weight of the stacker crane can be changed by changing only the second member. Since it is possible to configure a mast that conforms to the balance weight of No. 1, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of the mast by commonly using the first member.

(3) A stacker crane mast used in the stacker crane of (2) above. With such a configuration, the effect of (2) above can be obtained in the stacker crane.

[0046]

According to the invention described in claims 1 to 4, the size of the mast portion in the traveling direction of the stacker crane can be made as small as possible, and moreover, the inspection and replacement work of the movable parts are easy. Can be done.

According to the invention described in claims 2 to 4, since a part of the constituent members of the mast is used as a common member and the other members are changed, the mast adapted to the balance weights having different sectional shapes is constructed. Thus, it is possible to inexpensively provide a mast having a concave portion having a size suitable for each balance weight having a different weight.

According to the third or fourth aspect of the present invention, since the change in the cross-sectional shape of the mast due to the provision of the recess is prevented, the balance weight is not hindered from being raised or lowered.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan sectional view of a mast.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a stacker crane.

FIG. 3 is a schematic rear view in which a part of the stacker crane is omitted.

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the same.

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing a mast body.

FIG. 6 is a schematic plan sectional view of a mast body.

FIG. 7 is a schematic plan sectional view showing a mast body of another example.

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing the mast body.

FIG. 9 is a schematic side view of a conventional stacker crane.

FIG. 10 is a schematic plan sectional view of the same mast.

FIG. 11 is a schematic side view of a conventional stacker crane.

FIG. 12 is a schematic plan sectional view of the mast.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Stacker crane, 11 ... Traveling rail, 12 ... Traveling base, 13 ... Mast, 16 ... Carriage, 19 ... Balance weight, 20, 21 ... Support rollers as support members, 22a, 22b ... As wrapping transmission member Belt, 25 ... Guide groove as guide part, 26 ... Recessed part, 30 ...
Front member as first member, 31a, 31b ... Rear member as second member, 32, 33 ... Connecting member, 40 ... Mast body, 41 ... Housing portion, 43 ... Front member as first member, 44a, 44b ... Central member constituting the second member, 4
5 ... Also the rear member.

Continuation of the front page (56) Reference JP-A-9-124110 (JP, A) JP-A-6-144514 (JP, A) JP-A-6-340307 (JP, A) JP-A-63-218405 (JP , A) Actual Kaihei 1-169508 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B65G 1/04 B66F 9/08

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A mast formed so as to extend in a vertical direction is supported on a traveling base that can travel on traveling rails, and the mast is for balancing a carriage on which an article is placed and the carriage. The balance weight of
In a stacker crane connected to each other so as to alternately move up and down by a winding transmission member guided by a support member provided in the mast, the mast is formed into an open cross-sectional shape in a horizontal plane, As with vertically extending internal recess to have the opening portion is formed on one side of the mast, the recess, the stacker crane at least a portion of the balance weight is accommodated. 2. A pre-Symbol mast, a first member guiding portion for guiding the carriage is provided, said balance
To accommodate the entire weight inside the mast,
A second member that is combined with the first member to form the recess
Ri Do and a member, said second member, different weight of the balun
The recess can be changed according to the cross-sectional shape of the weight.
And the first member is a modification of the second member.
As a common member that is combined with the second member regardless of
The stacker crane according to claim 1, which is configured to be usable . 3. The stacker crane according to claim 1, wherein the mast is provided with connecting members for connecting and fixing both open ends of the recess at a plurality of vertical positions. 4. A stacker crane mast used in the stacker crane according to any one of claims 1 to 3 .