JP4496567B2 - Automatic warehouse transfer device and automatic warehouse - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an automatic warehouse transport apparatus and an automatic warehouse for loading and moving a load in an automatic warehouse and carrying the load to a predetermined shelf.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For example, a transfer device for an automatic warehouse such as a stacker crane used in a three-dimensional automatic warehouse is configured to move in a state where a load is loaded and to transfer the load to a shelf. In a warehouse equipped with such a transfer device, if the loading position of the load on the transfer device deviates greatly from the predetermined position, it may not be possible to transfer the load from the device to the shelf, or the load may be lost while the device is moving. For this reason, conventionally, an alignment table has been provided at the warehouse entrance, and when loading the cargo into the warehouse, that is, prior to loading the load on the device, the load is aligned in advance so as to arrange the load loading position. It has become.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, for example, in a three-dimensional automatic warehouse of plant cultivation equipment, in order to convey the load in the warehouse many times from the shelf to different shelves according to the growth of the plant, just to align the load at the time of warehousing, As the load is transferred from shelf to shelf in the warehouse, transfer errors accumulate, and the load mounting position on the transport device gradually shifts from a predetermined position. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, the load P taken out from the shelf 30 is temporarily placed on the alignment table 32 provided on the predetermined shelf 31, and after the alignment is performed here, the conveying device 34 to the target shelf 33. In many cases, cargo is carried by the car. However, in such a transfer device in an automatic warehouse, when transferring the load from the shelf 30 to the shelf 33, the load must be once moved to the shelf 31 with the alignment table 32, so the load transfer path becomes long, There is a problem that a large amount of time is spent in transporting the load in the warehouse.
[0004]
The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and can reduce the time required for transporting the load in the automatic warehouse, and can further stably transport the load. An object is to provide a transfer device and an automatic warehouse.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the first invention is an automatic warehouse transport device that loads and moves a load in an automatic warehouse and transports the load to a predetermined shelf, and aligns the load mounting position. A technique comprising means is employed. Since this automatic warehouse transport device adjusts the load mounting position by the alignment means in the device, it is not necessary to align the load by moving the load to an alignment table provided in the automatic warehouse. The load can be moved to the target shelf at a distance.
[0006]
According to a second invention, in the first invention , a technique is employed in which the aligning means includes a guide portion that contacts the load and adjusts the position of the load, and a drive portion that moves the guide portion to contact the load. The In this automatic warehouse transport device, the position of the load can be easily adjusted by moving the guide portion and bringing it into contact with the load.
[0007]
According to a second invention, in the second invention , the drive unit is configured to move the guide unit up and down, and a technique for adjusting the position of the load and supporting the load by the guide unit rising and contacting the load is adopted. Is done. In this automatic warehouse transport device, the guide portion rises and abuts against the load so that the position of the load is adjusted and the load is supported, so there is no need to provide another mechanism for supporting the load.
[0008]
According to a fourth invention, in the third invention , a technique is adopted in which the guide portion receives a load by ascending and supports the load, and delivers the load to another by descending. In this automatic warehouse transport device, the guide part moves up and down to receive and deliver the load, and also supports the load when it is lifted to adjust the position of the load, so there is little waste in the movement of the guide part.
[0009]
According to a fifth invention, in any one of the second to fourth inventions , there is provided a load collapse prevention mechanism that suppresses the movement of the load being conveyed by approaching the load at a position away from the guide portion when moving to the predetermined shelf. It is characterized by providing . In this automatic warehouse transport device, the movement of the load being transported is suppressed by the load collapse prevention mechanism, so that the load can be transported more stably.
[0010]
The sixth invention adopts a technology in which an automatic warehouse that loads a load on a self-propelled transfer device and moves the load from a shelf to another shelf includes an alignment means for adjusting the load mounting position. Is done. In this automatic warehouse, the load mounting position is adjusted by the alignment means of the transfer device, so that it is not necessary to move the load to an alignment table or the like, for example, and the load is aligned, so that the target shelf can be moved from the shelf at the shortest distance. It is possible to move the load.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A first embodiment of an automatic warehouse transport apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of the present embodiment, and the automatic warehouse transport apparatus of the present embodiment is a stacker crane 1 used in, for example, a three-dimensional automatic warehouse of a plant cultivation facility. This stacker crane 1 travels on a rail laid in a warehouse with a load P mounted on an elevating cage 2 provided so as to be movable up and down via a wheel 3, and moves the elevating cage 2 to the front of a target shelf. After raising and lowering, the fork 4 is configured to transfer the load P onto the shelf. Further, the elevating cage 2 of the present embodiment is provided with an aligning means 5 for adjusting the mounting position of the load P.
[0012]
FIG. 2 shows the elevating cage 2 in which the alignment means 5 is installed. The load P here is the pallet P0 and the plant cultivation case P1 mounted thereon. The alignment means 5 includes a guide portion 10 that abuts against the load P and adjusts the position of the load P, and a drive portion 11 that moves the guide portion 10 to abut against the load P. explain.
[0013]
The guide portion 10 includes a guide frame 12 disposed in combination around the fork 4 (slide fork 4a and fixed fork 4b) with a shape steel and the like, and a plate-shaped guide plate joined to the four sides of the guide frame 12 13. Of these, the guide frame 12 includes a support frame 12a that is disposed on the side of the fork 4 and below the load P with the upper surface parallel to the bottom surface of the load P, and a reinforcement frame 12b that reinforces the support frame 12a. . Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the guide plate 13 includes a width direction guide plate 13 a that is arranged at a distance that is slightly longer than the width of the load P, and is arranged two by two in the width direction, and the depth of the load P. 2 and a depth guide plate 13b arranged in two at a slightly longer distance in the depth direction, and these guide plates 13a and 13b are all as shown in FIG. It is bent so as to form a slope inclined upward and outward. 3 is a vertical frame constituting the entire stacker crane 1 so that the elevating cage 2 is guided along the frame 14 by being guided by the guide portion 15 having a rotor or the like. It has become. Further, the number of the width direction guide plates 13a and the depth guide plates 13b provided is not limited to a total of eight, two in the width direction and two in the depth direction as shown here. Two or more in the width direction and the depth direction are appropriately determined according to the shape and size of the load P.
[0014]
In FIG. 2 again, the drive unit 11 includes a drive motor 20 disposed on the frame of the lift cage 2, a chain 21 driven by the drive motor 20, and a vertical direction along the lift guide 22 connected to the chain 21. A bracket 24 that is movably disposed at a predetermined distance and a spring 23 that applies an urging force downward to the bracket 24 are mainly configured. As shown in FIG. 4, the bracket 24 and the above-described guide portion 10 have plate-like members 26 and 27 in which through holes 26 a and 27 a are formed, respectively, and are integrated with the movement of the chain 21. Are connected to each other by suspension bolts 25 that are passed through the through holes 26a and 27a. Further, the inner diameters of the through holes 26 a and 27 a are formed larger than the shaft diameter of the suspension bolt 25 so that the guide portion 10 can swing to some extent in the horizontal direction with respect to the bracket 24. Further, as the guide portion 10 is lifted, the upper surface of the support frame 12a comes into contact with the bottom portion of the load P, and the load P is lifted and supported.
[0015]
Further, the lifting cage 2 of the present embodiment is provided with a load collapse prevention mechanism 30 that abuts against the upper surface of the load P at a position away from the guide portion 10 when moving to a predetermined shelf and suppresses the movement of the load P. ing. The load collapse prevention mechanism 30 includes a plate-shaped pressing plate 31 that contacts the upper surface of the load P and presses the load P when the load P is lifted by the guide portion 10. The presser plate 31 is configured to be movable in a predetermined range in the vertical direction while being restrained in the left-right direction. When the guide portion 10 is lowered and the load P is on the fork 4, the press plate 31 is moved from the upper surface of the load P. It is arranged to be separated.
[0016]
Next, the operation of the stacker crane (automatic warehouse transport device) configured as described above will be described. Here, as a representative example, an operation for carrying a load from a predetermined shelf to the next shelf will be described. First, the stacker crane 1 shown in FIG. 1 moves to a designated target shelf and raises and lowers the lifting cage 2 to the front of the shelf by receiving a command from, for example, a control device. Subsequently, the fork 4 is slid from the lifting cage 2 to the inside of the shelf to receive the load P from the shelf, and the fork 4 is returned into the lifting cage 2 with the load P on the shelf. When the fork 4 loaded with the load P returns to the lifting cage 2, the drive motor 20 of FIG. 2 drives the chain 21 to raise the bracket 24 and the guide portion 10, and the inclined surfaces of the guide plates 13 a, 13 b become the load P Contact near the bottom corner. At this time, for example, as indicated by an imaginary line in FIG. 4B, the guide portion 10 moves in the horizontal direction according to the shift amount of the load P, and the load P is mounted on the support frame 12 a of the guide portion 10. . When the load P is supported by the support frame 12a and completely separated from the fork 4 of FIG. 2, the guide portion 10 that has moved in the horizontal direction returns to the original position in the center due to its own weight. Will be centered.
[0017]
Subsequently, the stacker crane 1 moves to a designated target shelf. At this time, the pressing plate 31 of the load collapse prevention mechanism 30 presses the upper surface of the load P, and the swing and movement of the load P are suppressed. When the raising / lowering cage 2 moves up and down to the front of the target shelf, the guide portion 10 descends to deliver the load P to the fork 4, and the fork 4 carries the load P and transfers it to the shelf. Through these series of operations, the stacker crane 1 can carry the load P from a predetermined shelf to a target shelf.
[0018]
As described above, according to the stacker crane 1 of the present embodiment, the position of the load P is adjusted by the alignment means 5 on the crane 1 every time the load P is received. For example, there is no need to move and align the load P to a predetermined location, and the load P can be carried to the target shelf at the shortest distance. Therefore, the time required for transporting the load P in the warehouse can be greatly shortened. Moreover, every time the load P is mounted on the apparatus, the load P is adjusted by the guide unit 10, so that the load P can be stably and repeatedly transferred from the shelf to the shelf without accumulating the transfer error of the load P. it can. Further, when the guide portion 10 is raised, the guide portion 10 receives the load P from the fork 4 to adjust the position of the load P and supports the load P, and when the guide portion 10 is lowered, the fork 4 receives the load P. Since it passes, there is little waste in movement of the load P and the guide part 10, and the load P can be conveyed efficiently.
[0019]
It should be noted that the various shapes and combinations of the constituent members shown in the above embodiment are merely examples, and various modifications can be made based on design requirements and the like without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the guide portion 10 is raised to abut against the load P to adjust the mounting position of the load P. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the width and depth are regulated by the guide portion. The load mounting position is adjusted by dropping the load into the area to be loaded, or the load mounting position by pressing the member from the side using a telescopic mechanism against the load once mounted in the lifting cage Various things, such as a configuration that arranges, are applicable.
[0020]
In the above-described embodiment, the load collapse prevention mechanism 30, that is, the plate-shaped pressing plate 31 disposed in the vicinity of the side surface of the upper end portion of the load P prevents the load collapse. The shape of the member for suppressing the deformation may be any shape such as a rod shape, a strip shape, or a film shape. Furthermore, this member does not necessarily need to abut the load, and can be prevented from collapsing simply by being disposed near the side or upper side of the load. Further, the load collapse prevention mechanism may be configured, for example, by wrapping a cloth-like member around the load in a headband shape to suppress the movement or shaking of the load.
[0021]
Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the load P is exchanged between the lifting cage 2 and the shelf by the slide fork 4a. However, the load may be exchanged by other methods such as a drawer conveyor method. . Further, the operation for transferring the load is not limited to the above-described operation, and may be performed by other procedures.
[0022]
In addition, the drive unit for moving the guide unit is not limited to the mechanism using the chain as described above, and a wire rope is used instead of the chain, or a sliding mechanism using a cam and a taper is used. It may be configured.
[0023]
FIG. 5 shows an example in which a hydraulic cylinder 41 is used as a drive unit for moving the guide unit 40 as an example of another embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the rod of the cylinder 41 is raised and lowered by utilizing the hydraulic pressure from the hydraulic pressure supply means 42 having a hydraulic tank, pump, cooler, and the like, and thereby the guide portion 40 is raised and lowered. ing. Of course, the cylinder 41 is not limited to a hydraulic type and may be a pneumatic type.
[0024]
Furthermore, FIG. 6 also shows an example of another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a link mechanism 51 is used as a drive unit for moving the guide unit 50. That is, in the present embodiment, the rotary motion having a predetermined driving force obtained by the drive motor 52 is converted into a linear motion by the jack 53, and these motions are transmitted to the entire guide unit 50 via the drive shaft 54 and the link mechanism 51. It transmits and raises and lowers the whole guide part 50.
[0025]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained. In the first invention , since the load mounting position is adjusted by the aligning means in the apparatus, for example, it is not necessary to align the load by moving the load to a predetermined place such as an aligning table provided in an automatic warehouse, Since the load can be moved to the target shelf at the shortest distance, the time required for transporting the load in the warehouse can be shortened. Further, since the load can be easily aligned every time the load is loaded on the apparatus, the load transfer error is not accumulated, and the load can be repeatedly and stably carried from shelf to shelf.
[0026]
In 2nd invention , the position of a load can be adjusted easily by moving a guide part and making it contact | abut to a load.
[0027]
In the third aspect of the invention , since the guide portion is raised and abuts against the load to adjust the position of the load and support the load, there is no need to provide another mechanism for supporting the load, and the apparatus can be simply configured. Thus, the manufacturing cost can be reduced.
[0028]
In the fourth aspect of the invention , the guide part moves up and down to receive and deliver the load, and also supports the load when it is lifted to adjust the position of the load. Can be transported.
[0029]
In the fifth invention , since the movement of the load during transportation is suppressed by the load collapse prevention mechanism, the load can be transported more stably.
[0030]
In the sixth aspect of the invention , the load mounting position is adjusted by the alignment means of the transport device, so that for example, it is not necessary to align the load by moving the load to an alignment table or the like. The load can be moved to the shelf. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the time required for moving the load from the shelf to the shelf. In addition, since the load can be easily aligned each time the load is loaded on the transfer device, the load can be transferred stably and stably from shelf to shelf without accumulating load transfer errors. . Furthermore, it is possible to effectively use the interior by reducing the space for alignment, such as eliminating a shelf having an alignment table.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a first embodiment of an automatic warehouse transport device according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view showing a cage portion of the automatic warehouse transport device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA shown in FIG.
4A is a view taken in the direction of arrow B shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4B is a configuration diagram of a main part for explaining a guide portion.
FIG. 5 is a main part configuration diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a main part configuration diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of a conventional automatic warehouse transport apparatus.
[Explanation of symbols]
P Load 1 Stacker crane (automatic warehouse transport device)
2 Lifting cage 4 Fork 5 Alignment means 10 Guide part 11 Drive part 13a, 13b Guide plate

Claims (4)

An automatic warehouse transport device that loads and moves a load in a lifting cage in an automatic warehouse and carries the load to a predetermined shelf,
A drive unit for raising and lowering while supporting swingably guide portion and the guide portion adjust the contact with the position of該荷the load while being installed in the lift cage in the horizontal direction, raising the guide portion Aligning means for bringing the load into contact with the load and adjusting the mounting position of the load;
Wherein comprising a holding plate adjacent to the load from the guide portion while being arranged in the lift cage at a position away upwardly, said pressing plate by the rise of the guide portion by the centering means come into contact with the load, An automatic warehouse transport apparatus comprising a load collapse prevention mechanism that suppresses movement of a load during transportation. 2. The automatic warehouse transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the guide portion is lifted and abuts against the load to adjust the position of the load and support the load . 3.   3. The transport device for an automatic warehouse according to claim 2, wherein the guide portion receives the load by ascending and supports the load, and delivers the load to the other by descending. In an automatic warehouse where a load is loaded on the lifting cage of a self-propelled transfer device and moved from one shelf to another,
The transfer device
A drive unit for moving up and down while supporting swingably guide portion and the guide portion adjust the contact with the position of該荷the load while being installed in the lift cage in the horizontal direction, to move the guide portion Aligning means for bringing the load into contact with the load and adjusting the mounting position of the load;
Wherein comprising a holding plate adjacent to the load from the guide portion while being arranged in the lift cage at a position away upwardly, said pressing plate by the rise of the guide portion by the centering means come into contact with the load, An automatic warehouse comprising a load collapse prevention mechanism that suppresses the movement of the load during transportation.

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