JP2019210101A - Automatic warehouse system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an automatic warehouse system capable of lowering a placement face of a storage-rack stage.SOLUTION: The automatic warehouse system has N (N≥2) storage-rack stages 22 capable of storing loads 12. Each of the storage-rack stages 22 has: first tracks 40 extending in a first direction; first support members 42 supporting the first tracks 40; first carriages 14 to carry a load 12 and move on a first track 40 in the first direction; second tracks 44 extending in a second direction crossing the first direction; second support members 46 supporting the second tracks 44; and second carriages 16 to carry a first carriage 14 and move on a second track 44 in the second direction. In a prescribed storage-rack stage 22 of the N storage-rack stages 22, the first support members 42 and the second support members 46 overlap in part in the height direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic warehouse system.

  There is known an automatic warehouse system that can efficiently store and load a large number of loads in a small space. The present applicant discloses an automatic warehouse system including a plurality of storage shelves capable of storing a plurality of articles according to Patent Document 1. This automatic warehouse system is configured to carry in and out articles using a transport carriage that is movable in the row direction between storage shelves.

JP 2017-160040 A

The present inventors have obtained the following recognition regarding the automatic warehouse system.
In an automatic warehouse, storage and removal of loads from a storage shelf are often performed using a lift device having a lift mechanism. On the other hand, even in an automatic warehouse, there is a need to allow a user to manually store and take out loads without using a lifting device at the bottom of the storage shelf. However, in the automatic warehouse described in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to reduce the position of the placement surface due to restrictions on the structure of the placement surface of each stage of the storage shelf. There was a problem that it was difficult to store and take out.

In addition, since the position of the mounting surface of each stage of the storage shelf cannot be lowered, when storing loads of the same height, the vertical span of each stage cannot be reduced, and the same ceiling height is required. There is also a problem that the number of storage shelves that can be installed in the warehouse is limited.
From these, the present inventors have recognized that there is room for improvement in the automatic warehouse system from the viewpoint of lowering the placement surface of the storage shelf.

  An object of the present invention is made in view of such a problem, and is to provide an automatic warehouse system capable of lowering the placement surface of a storage shelf.

  In order to solve the above problems, an automatic warehouse system according to an aspect of the present invention is an automatic warehouse system having N (N ≧ 2) stages of storage shelves capable of storing loads, and each of the storage shelves includes: A first rail extending in a first direction, a first support member supporting the first rail, a first carriage mounted on a load and moving on the first rail in the first direction, and intersecting the first direction A second rail extending in the second direction, a second support member that supports the second rail, and a second carriage that mounts the first carriage and moves on the second rail in the second direction. . In the storage shelf at a predetermined level among the N storage shelves, the first support member and the second support member partially overlap in the height direction.

  According to this aspect, the first support member and the second support member can be partially overlapped in the height direction.

  Another aspect of the present invention is also an automatic warehouse system. This automatic warehouse system is an automatic warehouse system having N (N ≧ 2) storage shelves capable of storing loads, and a first rail that extends in a first direction and a first support that supports the first rail. A member, a first carriage that carries a load and moves on the first rail in the first direction, a second rail that extends in a second direction that intersects the first direction, and a second rail that supports the second rail. A support member, and a second carriage that mounts the first carriage and moves on the second rail in the second direction. The first support member and the second support member are configured such that the length in the height direction from the floor portion to the placement surface of the first-stage storage shelf portion is a predetermined length or less.

  Yet another aspect of the present invention is also an automatic warehouse system. This automatic warehouse system is an automatic warehouse system having N (N ≧ 2) storage shelves capable of storing loads, and a first rail that extends in a first direction and a first support that supports the first rail. A member, a first carriage that carries a load and moves on the first rail in the first direction, a second rail that extends in a second direction that intersects the first direction, and a second rail that supports the second rail. A support member, and a second carriage that mounts the first carriage and moves on the second rail in the second direction. The first support member and the second support member are configured such that the length in the height direction from the floor portion to the ceiling surface of the N-th storage shelf portion is equal to or less than a predetermined length.

  Note that any combination of the above-described constituent elements, and those obtained by replacing the constituent elements and expressions of the present invention with each other between methods and systems are also effective as an aspect of the present invention.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the automatic warehouse system which can make the mounting surface of a storage shelf part low can be provided.

It is a top view showing roughly an example of an automatic warehouse system concerning an embodiment. It is a top view which shows arrangement | positioning of the storage shelf part of the automatic warehouse system of FIG. It is a front view which shows roughly the automatic warehouse system of FIG. It is a front view which shows arrangement | positioning of the storage shelf part of the automatic warehouse system of FIG. It is a top view which shows roughly an example of the 1st trolley | bogie of the automatic warehouse system of FIG. It is a side view of the 1st trolley | bogie of FIG. It is a top view which shows roughly an example of the 2nd trolley | bogie of the automatic warehouse system of FIG. It is a front view of the 2nd trolley | bogie of FIG. It is a front view which shows roughly the storage shelf part of the automatic warehouse system which concerns on a comparative example. It is a front view which shows roughly the storage shelf part of the automatic warehouse system of FIG. It is a side view which shows schematically the storage shelf part of FIG. It is a figure of the front view which shows the overlap part of the 1st supporting member and 2nd supporting member of FIG. It is a figure of the front view which shows the connection part of the 2nd support member of a modification, and a 1st support member.

The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. In the embodiment, the comparative example, and the modified example, the same or equivalent components and members are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated description is appropriately omitted. In addition, the dimensions of the members in each drawing are appropriately enlarged or reduced for easy understanding. Also, in the drawings, some of the members that are not important for describing the embodiment are omitted.
In addition, terms including ordinal numbers such as first and second are used to describe various components, but this term is used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from other components. However, the constituent elements are not limited.

[Embodiment]
The configuration of the automatic warehouse system 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing an example of an automatic warehouse system 100 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the storage shelves 22 of the automatic warehouse system 100. FIG. 3 is a front view schematically showing the automatic warehouse system 100. FIG. 4 is a front view showing the arrangement of the storage shelves 22 of the automatic warehouse system 100. In these drawings, descriptions of columns and beams are omitted.

  For convenience of explanation, as shown in the figure, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system in which a certain horizontal direction is the X-axis direction, a horizontal direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction is the Y-axis direction, and a direction orthogonal to both, that is, the vertical direction is the Z-axis direction. Determine. The positive direction of each of the X axis, Y axis, and Z axis is defined in the direction of the arrow in each figure, and the negative direction is defined in the direction opposite to the arrow. Further, the positive direction side of the X axis may be referred to as “right side”, and the negative direction side of the X axis may be referred to as “left side”. Also, the positive direction side of the Y axis may be referred to as “front side”, the negative direction side of the Y axis as “rear side”, the positive direction side of the Z axis as “upper side”, and the negative direction side of the Z axis as “lower side”. is there. Such notation of the direction does not limit the configuration of the automatic warehouse system 100, and the automatic warehouse system 100 can be used in any configuration depending on the application. In the following description, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system will be used, but the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction do not necessarily have to be orthogonal to each other as long as they intersect at about 90 degrees.

  First, the overall configuration of the automatic warehouse system 100 will be described. The automatic warehouse system 100 is a system including a storage shelf 22 that can store a large number of loads 12. The automatic warehouse system 100 includes a storage shelf 22, a first carriage 14, a second carriage 16, a first rail 40, a second rail 44, a first support member 42, a second support member 46, The power supply unit 34 and the control unit 18 are included. In the embodiment, the X-axis direction is illustrated as the first direction, and the Y-axis direction is illustrated as the second direction. In the storage shelf 22, the first rail 40 extends in the X-axis direction, and the second rail 44 and the power feeding unit 34 extend in the Y-axis direction. The control unit 18 includes an MPU (Micro Processing Unit) and the like, and controls operations of the first carriage 14 and the second carriage 16 based on an operation result from the user.

  In the embodiment, the load 12 is handled in a state of being placed on a pallet (not shown). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the load 12 may be handled alone without using the pallet. In addition, conveying the load 12 on the pallet is simply referred to as conveying the load 12.

(Storage shelf)
The storage shelf 22 is a storage space of high density storage type that is installed on the floor Lg and cannot store a large number of loads 12. The configuration of the storage shelf 22 is not particularly limited as long as a plurality of loads 12 can be accommodated and stored. The automatic warehouse system 100 has N (N ≧ 2) stages of storage shelves 22 stacked in layers in the height direction. This embodiment has a three-stage storage shelf 22. The N-stage storage shelves 22 that are stacked in layers are referred to as a storage shelf group 20. The first storage shelf 22 closest to the floor Lg is simply “first stage”, the second storage shelf 22 is simply “second”, and the third storage shelf 22. Is sometimes simply referred to as “third stage”.

  Each storage shelf 22 includes a plurality (for example, six) storage rows 24 arranged in the Y-axis direction, and each storage row 24 has a plurality (for example, six) storage units connected in the X-axis direction. 26. The storage unit 26 is a unit for storing the load 12. At the end of each storage row 24 on the second rail 44 side, an entrance / exit 24b for taking in and out the load 12 is provided.

  The first rail 40 extends in the X-axis direction in the storage row 24. The second rail 44 extends in the Y-axis direction in the vicinity of the entrance / exit part 24 b of the storage row 24. When the 1st rail 40 and the 2nd rail 44 are named generically, it is only called a rail.

  The first support member 42 supports the first rail 40. In particular, the first support member 42 of the present embodiment extends in a direction perpendicular to the first rail 40 on the lower side of the first rail 40. In the example of FIG. 3, the first support member 42 extends in a direction parallel to the second rail 44. The second support member 46 supports the second rail 44. In particular, the second support member 46 of the present embodiment extends in a direction perpendicular to the second rail 44 on the lower side of the second rail 44. In the example of FIG. 3, the second support member 46 extends in a direction parallel to the first rail 40 on the lower side of the first rail 40. The first support member 42 and the second support member 46 are collectively referred to as rail support members. As shown in FIG. 2, in a predetermined storage shelf portion of the plurality of storage shelf portions 22, the first support member 42 and the second support member 46 partially overlap in the height direction. The rail support member will be described later.

  The first carriage 14 travels on the first rail 40 in the X-axis direction. The second carriage 16 travels on the second rail 44 in the Y-axis direction. When the first cart 14 and the second cart 16 are collectively referred to, they may be simply referred to as “carts”. The first carriage 14, the second carriage 16, the first rail 40, and the second rail 44 may be collectively referred to as “internal transport mechanism”.

(First car)
Next, the first carriage 14 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a plan view schematically showing an example of the first carriage 14. FIG. 6 is a side view of the first carriage 14. The first carriage 14 travels in the X-axis direction on the first rail 40 in the storage row 24 in order to transport the load 12. The first carriage 14 puts the load 12 in and out of the storage unit 26. The first carriage 14 travels on the second carriage 16 in the X-axis direction in order to get on and off the second carriage 16.

  The first carriage 14 mainly includes a vehicle body 14b, a mounting table portion 14c, a lift mechanism 14d, and a plurality of (for example, four) wheels 14f. The vehicle body 14b has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outline that is flat in the height direction. A motor (not shown) that drives a plurality of wheels 14f, a control circuit (not shown) that controls the motor, and a battery (not shown) are mounted inside the vehicle body 14b. The first carriage 14 is configured to drive the motor with battery power. The battery may be a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery that can be repeatedly charged.

  The mounting table portion 14 c is a portion that lifts and holds the load 12. The lift mechanism 14d is a mechanism that raises and lowers the mounting table 14c. In FIG. 6, the placing table 14 c in the raised state is indicated by a broken line, and the placing table 14 c in the lowered state is indicated by a solid line. The lift mechanism 14d can raise the mounting table 14c and lift the load 12 from a mounting surface 22p, which will be described later, of the storage unit 26. The lift mechanism 14 d can lower the placement table 14 c and lower the load 12 onto the placement surface 22 p of the storage unit 26. The plurality of wheels 14 f can roll on the first rail 40 and the second carriage 16.

(Second car)
Next, the second carriage 16 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7 is a plan view schematically showing an example of the second carriage 16. FIG. 8 is a side view of the second carriage 16 and shows a state in which the first carriage 14 is mounted. The second carriage 16 travels on the second rail 44 in the Y-axis direction. The second carriage 16 conveys the first carriage 14 in an empty state or a state in which the load 12 is mounted.

  The second carriage 16 mainly includes a carriage mounting portion 16c, a mechanism storage portion 16d, a plurality of (for example, four) wheels 16f, and a current collecting unit 38. The carriage mounting portion 16 c is for mounting the first carriage 14. The mechanism storage portions 16d are provided on both sides in the Y-axis direction of the carriage mounting portion 16c. The carriage mounting portion 16c and the mechanism storage portion 16d are collectively referred to as a vehicle body 16b.

(Carriage mounting part)
The carriage mounting portion 16c is recessed downward from the upper surface of the vehicle body 16b, and the vehicle body 16b has a concave shape in a side view. The carriage mounting portion 16c has a substantially plate shape that is thin in the Z-axis direction with respect to the X-axis direction width and the Y-axis direction width. The carriage mounting portion 16c is a part of a traveling path on which the first carriage 14 travels in the X-axis direction. The size of the carriage mounting portion 16c is such that the first carriage 14 has a sufficient amount of margin added to the size of the first carriage 14 so that the first carriage 14 can travel in the X-axis direction without interfering with the surroundings of the carriage mounting portion 16c. It is made a size.

(Mechanical storage)
The mechanism housing portion 16d is thicker in the Z-axis direction than the carriage mounting portion 16c, and has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that protrudes upward on both sides of the carriage mounting portion 16c. The mechanism housing portion 16d has a pair of side wall portions 16j that sandwich the space above the carriage mounting portion 16c in the Y-axis direction. The pair of side wall portions 16j opposes the side wall of the vehicle body of the first carriage 14 in the Y axis direction through a gap. A motor (not shown) for driving the wheels 16f and a control circuit (not shown) for controlling the motor are mounted inside the mechanism housing portion 16d.

The wheel 16f travels on the second rail 44. The current collecting unit 38 is supplied with electric power in contact with the power feeding unit 34 (see also FIG. 1) extending in the vicinity of the second rail 44 along the Y-axis direction. The second carriage 16 receives power from the power supply unit 34 through the current collecting unit 38. The second cart 16 is configured to drive the motor with the received power.
The above is the description of the overall configuration of the automatic warehouse system 100.

(Rail support member)
Next, the rail support member will be described with reference to FIGS.

(Comparative example)
Before describing the rail support member of this embodiment, the rail support member of the comparative example will be described. This comparative example is one of those created in the process of completing this embodiment. FIG. 9 is a front view schematically showing the storage shelf 22 of the automatic warehouse system 500 according to the comparative example. In this drawing, the carriage mounting portion 16c of the second carriage 16 is shown, and the mechanism storage portion and a part of the wheels are omitted. The storage shelf 22 of the comparative example is different from the storage shelf 22 of the present embodiment in that the arrangement of the first support member 42 and the second support member 46 is different and the shape of the second carriage 16 is different. Other configurations are the same.

  In FIG. 9, the mounting surface 22p of the storage shelf 22 at each stage is indicated by a one-dot chain line. The placement surface 22p is an upper surface of the placement portion 41 described later. The first carriage 14 in the first stage raises the mounting table 14c and places the load 12 on the mounting table 14c. The first carriage 14 in the second stage lowers the lift mechanism and lowers the load 12 onto the placement surface 22p of the storage unit. The first trolley 14 at the third stage is about to get into the trolley mounting portion 16 c of the second trolley 16 from the first rail 40. Thus, in the height direction (Z-axis direction), the upper surface of the carriage mounting portion 16 c is disposed at the same position as the upper surface of the first rail 40.

  In the comparative example, as shown in FIG. 9, the first support member 42 and the second support member 46 are different from the present embodiment in that they do not overlap in the height direction and are separated from each other. As a result, the height H1 of the first stage mounting surface 22p from the floor Lg is set to 500 mm. Further, based on the difference between the height of the mounting surface 22p and the height of the second support member 46, the thickness T16 of the carriage mounting portion 16c is set to 125 mm.

  When the height from the floor part Lg of the mounting surface 22p is 320 mm or less by experiments, the present inventors may manually store or remove the load 12 in the first stage. The knowledge that it was possible was obtained. In the comparative example, the height H1 of the placement surface 22p is 500 mm exceeding 320 mm, and it is difficult for the user to manually store and take out the load 12 in the first stage.

  According to the study by the present inventors, the limit height Lh is set to about 5500 mm in many warehouses. For this reason, the height from the floor Lg to the ceiling surface Fc of the storage shelf 22 (hereinafter referred to as “the height Hc of the ceiling surface”) is desirably lower than 5500 mm. However, in the comparative example of FIG. 9, when the storage shelves 22 are provided in three stages, the height Hc of the ceiling surface Fc of the third stage is 5500 m or more, which exceeds the limit height Lh of the warehouse. For this reason, in order to suppress the height Hc of the ceiling surface Fc to 5500 mm or less, it is necessary to reduce the number of the storage shelves 22 by one to two. When the storage shelves 22 are arranged in two stages, a large useless space is formed between the ceiling surface Fc2 and the limit height Lh, and the storage efficiency is lowered.

  The rail support member of this embodiment is demonstrated based on description of a comparative example. FIG. 10 is a front view schematically showing the storage shelf 22 of the automatic warehouse system 100. In this drawing, the carriage mounting portion 16c of the second carriage 16 is shown, and the mechanism storage portion and a part of the wheels are omitted. FIG. 11 is a side view schematically showing the storage shelf 22 of the present embodiment. In the storage shelf 22, the storage shelf 22 at each stage is composed of a rail and a rail support member that supports the rail, and the rail support member is supported by a plurality of vertical columns 20n.

  The first support member 42 is a rectangular tube-shaped member having a rectangular cross section and extending in the Y-axis direction. As shown in FIG. 10, in the storage shelves 22 of each stage, a plurality of first support members 42 are arranged in the X-axis direction at a predetermined interval. The second support member 46 is a rectangular tube-shaped member having a rectangular cross section and extending in the X-axis direction. As shown in FIG. 11, in each storage shelf 22, a plurality of second support members 46 are arranged in the Y-axis direction at a predetermined interval. In each storage shelf 22, the first support member 42 and the second support member 46 partially overlap in the height direction.

  In FIG. 10, the placement surface 22p of the storage unit at each stage is indicated by a one-dot chain line. As shown in FIG. 11, the placement surface 22 p is the top surface of the placement portion 41. The placement portion 41 is a thin plate-like member extending in the X-axis direction along the storage row 24 in parallel with the first rail 40 on the upper side of the first rail 40. The placement part 41 is connected to the first rail 40 by a connection part 41j. The connecting portion 41j is a thin plate-like member extending in the X-axis direction along the first rail 40 in the Y-axis direction. The placement portion 41, the connection portion 41j, and the first rail 40 are integrally formed, and are formed in a C shape with a square section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. In FIG. 11, the first stage shows a state where the first carriage 14 is on the first rail 40, and the second stage shows a state where the first carriage 14 is on the second carriage 16. In any of these states, the height of the first carriage 14 is the same.

  In the present embodiment, the first support is performed such that the length (= height H1) in the height direction from the floor Lg to the placement surface 22p of the first-stage storage shelf 22 is equal to or less than a predetermined length. A member 42 and a second support member 46 are configured. The predetermined length is preferably 320 mm. Specifically, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the first support member 42 and the second support member 46 are arranged so as to partially overlap in the height direction with respect to the storage shelves 22 of each stage. Has been. Since the first support member 42 and the second support member 46 partially overlap in the height direction, the second support member 46 can be disposed at a lower position than the comparative example, and the first stage mounting The height H1 of the surface 22p from the floor Lg can be set to 300 mm. As a result, in the present embodiment, since the height H1 of the placement surface 22p is 320 mm or less, the user can manually store and take out the load 12 in the first stage.

  The thickness T16 of the carriage mounting portion 16c is set to 45 mm, which is much thinner than that of the comparative example, based on the difference between the height of the placement surface 22p and the height of the second support member 46. In the present embodiment, in order to reduce the thickness T16 of the carriage mounting portion 16c, the battery and the drive circuit stored in the carriage mounting portion 16c in the comparative example are stored in the mechanism storage portion 16d.

  In the present embodiment, the first support member has a length (= height Hc) in the height direction from the floor portion Lg to the ceiling surface Fc of the N-th storage shelf portion 22 equal to or less than a predetermined length. 42 and the 2nd support member 46 are comprised. The predetermined length may be 5500 mm which is the limit height Lh of the warehouse. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the first support member 42 and the second support member 46 are set such that the height Hc of the ceiling surface Fc of the third stage (= the uppermost storage shelf 22) is 5500 mm or less. And are arranged so as to partially overlap. By overlapping the rail support portions, as shown in FIG. 10, the upper and lower spans of each storage shelf portion 22 are shorter than those of the comparative example. For this reason, the height Hc of the ceiling surface Fc can be lowered. In this case, it is possible to store N stages (for example, three stages) of storage shelves 22 in a warehouse having a restricted height Lh = 5500 mm. As a result, a useless space between the ceiling surface Fc of the storage shelf 22 and the limit height Lh of the warehouse is reduced, and storage efficiency is improved.

  Next, the overlapping portion of the rail support member will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 12A is a diagram illustrating a first example of the overlapping portion of the first support member 42 and the second support member 46. FIG. 12B is a diagram illustrating a second example of the overlapping portion of the first support member 42 and the second support member 46. These drawings show an enlarged view of the rail support member at the portion indicated by the symbol E in FIG. The second support member 46 is provided with a recess 46 d that is recessed downward from the upper surface at a position overlapping the first support member 42. A part of the first support member 42 enters the recess 46d. By having the recess 46d, interference with the first support member 42 can be avoided.

In the example of FIG. 12A, the first support member 42 does not contact the recess 46d, and a gap is provided between the first support member 42 and the recess 46d. In the example of FIG. 12B, the first support member 42 is in contact with the recess 46d. In this case, since the 1st support member 42 contacts the 2nd support member 46, these relative position precision can be improved. In particular, the first support member 42 and the second support member 46 may be integrally formed in the recess 46d. In this case, even if one of the first support member 42 and the second support member 46 is displaced from a desired position during manufacture or during operation, the first support member 42 and the second support member 46 are integrated. Therefore, the other side is similarly shifted. Therefore, the first support member 42 and the second support member 46 are not easily displaced, and the relative position accuracy can be further improved.
The above is the description of the configuration of the automatic warehouse system 100.

(Loading / unloading operation)
Next, with reference to FIG. 1, the carrying-in / out operation of the automatic warehouse system 100 comprised in this way is demonstrated. The automatic warehouse system 100 includes a warehousing unit 30 and a warehousing unit 32. The automatic warehouse system 100 carries the load 12 from the outside of the warehouse into the warehousing unit 30 by a forklift or the like. The automatic warehouse system 100 transports and stores the load 12 carried into the storage unit 30 to a predetermined storage unit 26 by an internal transport mechanism including the first carriage 14 and the second carriage 16. The automatic warehouse system 100 transports the load 12 stored in the predetermined storage unit 26 to the unloading unit 32 by the internal transport mechanism. The automatic warehouse system 100 carries the load 12 transported to the delivery unit 32 out of the warehouse by a forklift or the like.

  In the above, it demonstrated based on each embodiment of this invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that these embodiments are illustrative, and that various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the claims of the present invention, and that such modifications and changes are also within the scope of the claims of the present invention. It is where it is done. Accordingly, the description and drawings herein are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

(Modification)
Hereinafter, modified examples will be described. In the drawings and descriptions of the modified examples, the same reference numerals are given to the same or equivalent components and members as those in the embodiment. The description overlapping with the embodiment will be omitted as appropriate, and the configuration different from the embodiment will be mainly described.

  In the description of the embodiment, an example in which the first support member 42 and the second support member 46 overlap each other in the height direction in the storage shelves 22 of all the storage shelves 22 is not limited thereto. If the first support member 42 and the second support member 46 are partially overlapped in the height direction in the storage shelf 22 of a predetermined stage among the storage shelves 22 of each stage of the storage shelf 22, In the other storage shelf 22, the first support member 42 and the second support member 46 may not overlap each other.

  In the description of the embodiment, an example in which the second support member 46 extends to a position overlapping with the first support member 42 in the X-axis direction is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. The second support member 46 may not overlap the first support member 42 in the X-axis direction.

  In the description of the embodiment, an example in which the concave portion 46d into which the first support member 42 enters the second support member 46 is provided in the overlapping portion of the rail support member is not limited to this. In the overlapping portion, a recess in which the second support member 46 enters the first support member 42 may be provided. Or a recessed part is provided in both the 1st supporting member 42 and the 2nd supporting member 46, and these recessed parts may be comprised so that it may mesh | engage.

  In the description of the embodiment, an example in which the number of stages of the storage shelves 22 is three is shown, but the number of stages of the storage shelves 22 may be two or four or more.

  You may provide the raising / lowering apparatus which raises / lowers the 2nd trolley | bogie 16 to a height direction. In this case, the second carriage 16 can be moved between the stages.

  It is not essential to provide the first carriage 14 in each row of each stage, and the first carriage 14 may not be provided in each stage.

  The storage shelf unit 22 may be composed of one column of storage rows 24. The storage shelf unit 22 may be composed of a single storage line 24.

  It is not essential to uniformly configure the number of storage units 26 in the storage row 24. The number of the storage units 26 constituting the storage row 24 may be provided with a large number of rows and a small number of rows according to the unevenness of the wall of the building that houses the storage shelves 22.

  It is not essential to uniformly configure the number of storage rows 24 stacked in the height direction. Depending on the height of the ceiling of the building that houses the storage shelves 22, the storage rows 24 may be provided with a region with a large number of steps and a region with a small number of steps.

  It is not essential that the load 12 includes a pallet. The automatic warehouse system may handle loads that do not include pallets.

  Instead of the forklift, the load 12 may be carried in and out by another type of transfer device such as a transfer device having a crane.

  In the description of the embodiment, the example in which the second support member 46 extends in the X-axis direction along the entire area of the storage shelf 22 is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. It is not essential for the second support member 46 to extend in the X-axis direction along the entire area of the storage shelf 22. The second support member 46 may be fixed to any one and provided to support the second rail 44. For example, the second support member 46 may be provided only in the lower portion of the travel area of the second carriage, and may not be provided in the area where the second carriage does not travel.

  FIG. 13 is a front view showing the periphery of the connecting portion between the second support member 46 and the first support member 42 according to a modification. FIG. 13A shows a configuration in which the end surface 46b in the X-axis direction of the second support member 46 is directly fixed to the side surface 42b of the first support member 42 by means such as welding. As shown in this figure, the second support member 46 may be provided only in the travel region of the second carriage. By providing the second support member 46 in a portion that supports the second rail 44 and not providing a portion that extends to both sides beyond the first support member 42, the weight can be reduced and the cost can be reduced.

  The second support member 46 may be fixed to the first support member 42 by an L-shaped member in which one piece is in contact with the upper surface of the first support member 42 and the other piece is joined to the second support member 46. FIG. 13B shows a configuration in which the second support member 46 is fixed to the first support member 42 via the interposition member 48. The interposition member 48 of this example includes a first portion 48a extending in the X-axis direction, and a second portion 48b extending downward in the Z-axis direction from the end of the first portion 48a on the second support member 46 side. An L-shaped member having an L-shaped cross section in view. The first portion 48 a is a piece that is hung on the upper surface of the first support member 42. The second portion 48b is a piece that is joined to the end surface 46b of the second support member 46 by means such as bolting or welding.

  For example, the second portion 48b is joined to both end surfaces 46b of the second support member 46 in advance, and the first portion 48a is hung on the upper surface of the first support member 42 in this state, whereby the second support member 46 is moved to the first end. The support member 42 can be fixed. The first portion 48a may be joined to the first support member 42 by means such as welding, or may simply be hooked and in contact. With this configuration, the second support member 46 can be easily fixed to the first support member 42.

  In the description of the embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 10, the example in which the first support member 42 is provided at the position retracted in the X-axis direction from the vertical column 20 n has been described, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. In the X-axis direction, the first support member 42 may be provided at the same position as the vertical column 20n. In particular, the first support member 42 may be arranged so that the side surface on the second rail 44 side in the X-axis direction is flush with the side surface of the vertical column 20n.

  Each of these modified examples has the same effect as the embodiment.

  Any combination of the above-described embodiments and modifications is also useful as an embodiment of the present invention. The new embodiment produced by the combination has the effects of the combined embodiment and modification.

  12 .... Load, 14 .... 1st cart, 16 .... 2nd cart, 22 .... Storage shelf, 22p ..., Loading surface, 26 ... Storage unit, 40 ... First rail, 42 ... 1 support member, 44 ·· second rail, 46 ·· second support member, 100 ·· automatic warehouse system.

In order to solve the above problems, an automatic warehouse system according to an aspect of the present invention is an automatic warehouse system having N (N ≧ 2) stages of storage shelves capable of storing loads, and each of the storage shelves includes: A first rail extending in a first direction, a first support member for supporting the first rail, a first carriage carrying a load and moving on the first rail in the first direction, and intersecting the first direction A second rail extending in the second direction, a second support member that supports the second rail, and a second carriage that mounts the first carriage and moves on the second rail in the second direction. . In the storage shelves at a predetermined stage among the N-stage storage shelves, the first support member and the second support member partially overlap in the height direction, and a plurality of second support members are provided in the second direction. are arranged, the first support member, it is stretched in the second direction to span the plurality of the second support member.

Claims (6)

An automatic warehouse system having N (N ≧ 2) stages of storage shelves capable of storing loads,
Each of the storage shelves
A first rail extending in a first direction;
A first support member for supporting the first rail;
A first carriage that carries a load and moves on the first rail in the first direction;
A second rail extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction;
A second support member for supporting the second rail;
A second carriage that mounts the first carriage and moves on the second rail in the second direction;
The automatic warehouse system according to claim 1, wherein the first support member and the second support member partially overlap each other in a height direction in a predetermined storage shelf portion of the N-stage storage shelf portions.   The automatic warehouse system according to claim 1, wherein the first support member and the second support member are integrally configured.   The automatic warehouse system according to claim 1, wherein the second support member is not provided in an area where the second carriage does not travel.   The second support member is fixed to the first support member by an L-shaped member in which one piece is in contact with the upper surface of the first support member and the other piece is joined to the second support member. Item 4. The automatic warehouse system according to item 3. An automatic warehouse system having N (N ≧ 2) stages of storage shelves capable of storing loads,
A first rail extending in a first direction;
A first support member for supporting the first rail;
A first carriage that carries a load and moves on the first rail in the first direction;
A second rail extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction;
A second support member for supporting the second rail;
A second carriage that mounts the first carriage and moves on the second rail in the second direction;
The first support member and the second support member are configured so that the length in the height direction from the floor portion to the placement surface of the first-stage storage shelf portion is a predetermined length or less. An automatic warehouse system characterized by that. An automatic warehouse system having N (N ≧ 2) stages of storage shelves capable of storing loads,
A first rail extending in a first direction;
A first support member for supporting the first rail;
A first carriage that carries a load and moves on the first rail in the first direction;
A second rail extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction;
A second support member for supporting the second rail;
A second carriage that mounts the first carriage and moves on the second rail in the second direction;
The first support member and the second support member are configured so that the length in the height direction from the floor portion to the ceiling surface of the N-th storage shelf portion is a predetermined length or less. Automatic warehouse system characterized by.

Images