JP4314628B2 - Automatic warehouse - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Field of the Invention]
The present invention relates to an automatic warehouse, and more particularly to an automatic warehouse that stores articles that form one set with a plurality of types of articles.
[0002]
[Prior art]
There are similar but different shapes such as bumpers before and after automobiles and right and left doors. When such an article is stored in an automatic warehouse, it is preferable that the front bumper and the rear bumper are separately stored at the time of warehousing, and these are combined to be discharged as a pair of front and rear bumpers at the time of warehousing. In such an automatic warehouse, in order to increase the capacity for storing articles, it is preferable to store a plurality of articles by changing the position in the depth direction with respect to the same shelf in the rack.
[0003]
[Problems of the prior art]
To summarize the above, using a traveling transport device that can transport a plurality of articles in a batch for an article used as a pair or a set, the position of the rack is changed in the depth direction to a plurality of articles. It is desired to store and change the combination of articles with the traveling conveyance device, and take out like a pair of front and rear bumpers. However, in a conventional automatic warehouse, there is a limit to the patterns in which articles can be transferred by the traveling conveyance device, and thus an automatic warehouse having the above functions cannot be realized.
[0004]
[Problems of the Invention]
The basic problem of the present invention is that a plurality of articles can be received / stored in batches, and a plurality of articles can be stored in one shelf, and various transfer patterns can be executed between the rack and the transporting device. It is to provide an automatic warehouse that can be used ( claims 1 to 3 ).
An additional problem in the invention of claim 2 is that, for an article used as a pair, when one article is received, a plurality of articles in the pair are received, and the combination of the articles is changed by the traveling conveyance device, and the article is used when leaving the article. It is to be able to issue a pair.
An additional problem in the invention of claim 3 is to provide an automatic warehouse equipped with a station capable of conveying articles two by two and having a high loading / unloading capacity.
[0005]
[Structure of the invention]
The automatic warehouse according to the present invention is configured to transport articles between a rack and a station by a traveling transport device having a lifting platform, and stores a plurality of articles on one shelf by changing the position along the depth direction. The rack is constructed in such a manner that a plurality of lifting platforms with lifters are provided along the depth direction of the rack on the advancing / retreating means for the rack provided on the lifting platform , and the rack can be moved up and down individually. depending on the transfer position along the by Rukoto provided transfer control means for controlling the said retractable input means and said plurality of loading platform of the lifter, with lifter is advanced to the rack by reciprocating guide means The loading platform is individually raised and lowered, and articles are selectively loaded and unloaded with respect to the rack side and the front side of the rack (claim 1).
[0006]
Preferably, the rack shelf is configured to store two articles at a time, and at least two of the paired articles are stored in the same shelf when the article is received, and one article is stored from different shelves when the article is delivered. A conveyance control means for controlling the traveling conveyance device is provided so as to be taken out and delivered as a pair of articles .
[0007]
Also preferably, the station is provided with transport means for transporting a plurality sets tact transport goods by two (claim 3).
[0008]
[Operation and effect of the invention]
In this invention, a plurality of articles can be stored in the rack shelves at different positions along the depth direction, and a plurality of articles can be loaded and unloaded at a time by the traveling conveyance device. In addition, the amount of advance / retreat means is controlled according to the position along the depth direction of the rack, and the loading platform with a plurality of lifters is independently lifted and lowered separately, so that various reloading patterns can be performed between the racks. It can be performed. For example, articles can be taken out from the positions of the racks on both the left and right sides, and the articles can be taken out from the front side of the adjacent shelves without affecting the articles on the racks. Note that these patterns are difficult to take out in a conventional automatic warehouse. Since various transshipment patterns can be executed between the racks, the combination of articles can be changed at the time of entering and leaving, and a plurality of articles can be stored / extracted one by one (claim 1).
[0009]
In the invention of claim 2 , two articles are paired, and when only one article of the pair is received at the time of warehousing, only the other article of the pair is admitted. And since the combination of goods to be loaded / unloaded can be changed at the time of warehousing and at the time of warehousing, the goods can be delivered in pairs at the time of warehousing. For this reason, handling of a pair of articles becomes easy.
[0010]
In the invention of claim 3, since a station for tact feeding two or more articles is provided, entry and exit can be performed smoothly.
[0011]
【Example】
An example is shown in FIGS. In these drawings, 2 is an automatic warehouse, 4 is a stacker crane, and 6 is its running rail. The stacker crane 4 is an example of a traveling conveyance device, 8 is a lifting platform, 10 is a mast, and 12 is a slide fork as an example of advancing / retreating means. As is well known, the stacker crane 4 travels along the traveling rail 6, the lifting platform 8 moves up and down along the mast 10, and the slide fork 12 enters the left and right racks 20 and 21, and reloads the goods. I do. Further, at least one slide fork 12 may be provided on the lifting platform 8 and two or more slide forks 12 may be provided.
[0012]
The slide fork 12 is provided with loading platforms 14 and 15 with lifters. Here, a pair of loading platforms 14 and 15 is provided, but three or more loading platforms may be provided. The lifters of the cargo beds 14 and 15 can operate independently and separately. Reference numeral 16 denotes transfer control means for controlling the advance and retreat of the slide fork 12 and the lifting and lowering of the loading platforms 14 and 15 with lifters. The transport control means 18 gives a transport command to the stacker crane 4 or a station of the automatic warehouse 2, and the stacker crane 4 is controlled to travel and to move the lift 8 and to move the transfer control means 16 described above. The slide fork 12 and the loading platforms 14 and 15 with lifters are controlled.
[0013]
In the embodiment, the stacker crane 4 transports two articles at a time, and the racks 20 and 21 each store two articles at different positions in the depth direction. Then, for each of the two articles to be received, it is specified whether the shelf address to be stored and the position in front of or behind the shelf are used. In addition, the delivery command in the case of delivery specifies whether each of the two articles to be delivered at a time is located at each shelf address and in front of or behind the shelf.
[0014]
For example, a pair of racks 20 and 21 are provided along the travel route of the stacker crane 4, that is, along both sides of the travel rail 6. Reference numeral 22 denotes a girder of the racks 20 and 21, and 24 is a bar protruding from the girder 22 as a pair of two for locking the articles 25 and 26. Instead of the bar 24, any shelf member such as a hanger or a normal shelf holder may be used. What is important is to change the position of the shelf in the depth direction and store two or more articles in the same shelf.
[0015]
The articles 25 and 26 stored in the racks 20 and 21 are articles that are paired with two different shapes such as front and rear bumpers of the automobile, a right door and a left door. For example, in the embodiment, the article 25 is a front bumper, and the article 26 is a rear bumper, for example, using two shelves on both sides of the traveling rail 6 and storing two front bumpers on one side and the other on the other side. Stores two rear bumpers. If it carries out like this, if the articles | goods 25 and 26 are taken out one by one from the opposing shelf, and a pair of articles | goods is formed with the stacker crane 4 at the time of delivery, a pair of articles | goods can be delivered.
[0016]
The articles stored in the automatic warehouse 2 are not necessarily paired articles. For example, a combination of articles having basically different structures may be used, such as a combination of a display unit such as a CRT or LCD of a personal computer and a main body, or a combination of a table top and a leg. Although these articles are manufactured separately, they are used in combination at the time of use (assembling). Therefore, it is preferable to store both of the articles used in combination in the automatic warehouse 2 and take out the articles in combination. The storage form of the article is not limited to the one that is locked using the bar 24, and for example, one or a plurality of articles may be accommodated in a case, cardboard, pallet or the like and placed on a shelf holder.
[0017]
FIG. 2 shows the configuration of the slide fork 12 on the lifting platform 8. The slide fork 12 includes a base plate 30, a middle plate 31, and a top plate 32 as usual, and a pair of loading platforms 14 and 15 having lifters 34 are provided on the top plate 32. Here, a pantograph mechanism is used as the lifter 34, but the configuration of the lifter itself is arbitrary.
[0018]
In FIG. 3, the example of the transshipment pattern of articles | goods between the racks 20 and 21 and the stacker crane 4 is shown. There are two types of slide fork 12 (the depth of entry into the racks 20 and 21), full and half. The articles 51 and the like can be transshipped at once. When the slide fork 12 is moved to the half position, only one of the loading platforms 14 and 15 enters the racks 20 and 21, and the articles 51, 52 and 55 on the near side of the racks 20 and 21 (near the stacker crane 4). Can only be transferred one by one. In this way, the stacker crane 4 can load up to two articles at a time on the racks of the racks 20 and 21.
[0019]
In addition to this, the stacker crane 4 can perform various reloading patterns. For example, the articles 41 and 42 in FIG. 3 can be loaded from the racks 20 and 21, and conversely, the articles 41 and 42 in FIG. It can also be unloaded into position. When the position at the back of the rack is occupied by the articles 53 and 54 in advance, the articles 51 and 52 are unloaded at the front side position, or conversely, the articles 51 and 52 are loaded from the front side position. You can also. All of these patterns are made possible by providing the slide fork 12 with a pair of load carriers 14 and 15 with lifters that can be lifted and lowered independently.
[0020]
FIG. 4 shows an operation when loading the articles 41 and 42 of FIG. 3 from the racks 20 and 21 onto the slide fork 12. In addition, each member is referred with the code | symbol shown in FIGS. 1-3. The loading platforms 14 and 15 have two levels, a high level and a low level. When the level is raised from the low level to the high level, the article can be loaded, and when the level is lowered from the high level, the article can be unloaded.
[0021]
The stacker crane 2 is stopped at a position facing the articles 41 and 42, and the lifting platform 8 is moved up and down to a position suitable for transfer between the articles 41 and 42. The state before the transfer of the articles 41 and 42 is the state of (1) in FIG. 4. When the slide fork 12 enters the rack 20 side from here and only the loading platform 14 is raised, the article as shown in (2) 41 can be loaded. Here, not only the loading platform 14 but also the loading platform 15 may be raised simultaneously. Next, as shown in (3), the slide fork is advanced to the opposite rack 21 side, the loading platform 14 is kept at a high level so as not to interfere with the rack 20, and then the loading platform 15 is raised to bring the article 42 into place. Load from the rack 21. Subsequently, when the slide fork 12 is returned, the articles 41 and 42 can be loaded from the positions of both sides of the shelf as shown in (4) of FIG.
[0022]
Contrary to FIG. 4, when unloading the articles 41 and 42 from the slide fork 12 to the position of the racks 20 and 21, the loading platforms 14 and 15 are both kept at a high level, The article 41 can be unloaded to a position on the back side of the rack 20 by entering the rack 20 side to the full position and then lowering only the loading platform 14. Subsequently, the slide fork 12 is advanced to the rack 21 side to the full position. At this time, the loading platform 15 enters at a high level, and when the loading platform 15 is lowered to a low level at a position behind the rack 21, the article 42 is moved to the rack 21. Can be unloaded at the back of
[0023]
FIG. 5 shows an operation when loading only the near-side articles 51 and 52 without moving the articles 53 and 54 of FIG. In (1) of FIG. 5, the stacker crane 2 travels to a position suitable for transferring the article 51. In (2), the slide fork 12 is advanced to the full position and only the loading platform 15 is raised. The article 51 is transferred and returned. Next, in (3), the stacker crane travels to a position suitable for transferring the article 52, and in (4), the slide fork 12 is advanced to the half position, the loading platform 14 is raised, and the article 52 is transferred. .
[0024]
Contrary to FIG. 5, when the rear side of the rack 20 is already occupied by the articles 53 and 54, in order to unload the articles 51 and 52 to the position of FIG. 3, the slide fork 12 enters the half position. Thus, the loading platform 14 is lowered from the high level to the low level, and only the article 51 is unloaded. Next, the stacker crane is moved to the unloading position of the article 52, the empty fork 14 is kept at the low level, the slide fork 12 is moved to the full position, and the loading platform 15 is lowered from the high level to the low level for the article. Unload 52. Thus, if the slide fork 12 is provided with two full and half approaching amounts so that the two loading platforms 14 and 15 can be moved up and down independently, the degree of freedom in which an article can be transferred is significantly increased.
[0025]
6 and 7 show the configuration of the station 60 used in the embodiment. The station 60 may be used for warehousing, may be used for warehousing, or may be used for warehousing and loading. 6 and 7, 62 is an endless chain, which may be another winding transmission means such as a belt, 64 is an automatic guided vehicle working area, and an article on the bar 24 is received by the automatic guided vehicle and conveyed to the process. Or, on the contrary, an area for unloading articles to the bar 24 with a lifter of an automated guided vehicle. Reference numerals 66 to 69 denote sprockets of the endless chain 62. Among these sprockets 68 and 69, the chain 62 passes below the floor surface so that the bar 24 does not interfere with the travel of the stacker crane 4. For example, four pairs of bars 24 are attached to the endless chain 62 at an equal pitch, and four stop positions A to D are provided, and moved to the next stop position by tact feed.
[0026]
As shown in FIG. 6, the stacker crane 4 unloads the pair of articles 25 and 26 from the bar 24 at the stop position A. Next, the endless chain 24 is advanced, the articles 25 and 26 are conveyed to the next stop position B, and waiting for transfer to an automatic guided vehicle or the like. During this time, when the stacker crane 4 returns to the unloading position, the pair of articles 25 and 26 can be unloaded to the next bar without waiting for the automatic guided vehicle. In the case of warehousing, two articles are locked to the bar 24 at the stop position B two by two, and then the endless chain 62 is moved in the opposite direction to load the stacker crane 4 at the stop position A. Wait.
[0027]
Goods such as bumpers are not suitable for transporting on a conveyor, but as shown in Fig. 6, they are locked to a bar and transported by tact feed, and waiting for an automated guided vehicle to return to the station. It is possible to enter and exit almost continuously. Moreover, the station 60 is configured by a mechanism for circulating the bar 24 attached to the endless chain 62, and can be configured simply.
[0028]
The operation of the embodiment will be described. For a pair of articles 25 and 26, a large number of only one article is produced by a pressing process or the like, and then a large number of the other article of the pair is produced. Articles thus produced are loaded onto the stacker crane 4 from the station 60 or the like two by two. At this time, two articles of the same type are loaded on the loading platforms 14 and 15 of the slide fork, and the stacker crane travels to the shelf address designated by the conveyance control means 18 and is transferred by the transfer control means 16. The slide fork 12 is advanced to the full position, the pair of loading platforms 14 and 15 are lowered simultaneously, and two similar types of articles are unloaded together on the back side and the near side of the same shelf.
[0029]
When warehousing the other article among the paired articles, the other article is loaded into the stacker crane two by two, and the shelf on the opposite side, for example, the opposite shelf, The goods are received on a shelf adjacent to the received shelf. In this case as well, the slide fork 12 enters the rack to the full position, and the two loading platforms are simultaneously lowered to unload them.
[0030]
At the time of delivery, the paired articles are loaded one by one from the opposing shelves and the like, and the pair of articles is formed using the stacker crane 4. For this purpose, it is necessary to load the front items one by one from the opposite shelves on either side, or to load the back items one by one. As explained, the slide fork and the loading platforms 14 and 15 are controlled by the transfer control means. In this manner, a pair of articles is loaded on the loading platforms 14 and 15 of the slide fork, and the articles are unloaded at the station, and the articles are conveyed to each subsequent pair.
[0031]
In the embodiment, two articles of the same type are unloaded on the same shelf at the time of warehousing, and one article is unloaded from different shelves at the time of warehousing to form a pair. However, one article is unloaded at a time on warehousing. Then, a pair may be configured on each shelf so that a pair of articles are stored in front and back of each shelf. For this purpose, for example, the same kind of articles are unloaded one by one at the positions on the back of the opposite shelves and stored. Next, the other pair of articles is unloaded one by one on the front side of the opposite shelf. In this way, a pair of articles can be stored on the near side and the far side of each shelf. And the method of unloading articles | goods only to the back side or near side of a pair of shelf of both sides should just be as demonstrated in FIGS.
[0032]
When goods are received, it is necessary to promptly receive a large number of articles produced in batches, and at the time of delivery, the goods may be delivered at intervals with the same pitch according to the work speed in the process. Therefore, it is more time-saving at the time of unloading than at the time of unloading, and two items of the same kind are stored on the same shelf at the time of unloading, and the items are unloaded one by one from different shelves at the time of unloading. Convenient.
[0033]
In the embodiment, an example in which two articles are stored in one shelf is shown, but three or more articles may be stored, or a shelf that stores only one article may be provided in a part of the rack. In addition to the paired items, a shelf for storing non-paired items may be provided.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a plan view of an essential part of an automatic warehouse according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view of an essential part showing a lifting platform in the automatic warehouse according to an embodiment. Plan view showing the arrangement [Fig. 4] Fig. 4 shows the transfer process of the goods on both sides in the automatic warehouse of the embodiment. (3) shows the state immediately before the port article is transferred, and (4) shows the return of the slide fork.
FIG. 5 shows the transfer process of the previous article on two adjacent shelves in the automatic warehouse of the embodiment, (1) shows the state before the transfer, (2) shows the transfer of the previous article. (3) shows the movement of the stacker crane for transferring the article on the next shelf, and (4) shows the transfer of the article on the next shelf.
6 is a plan view showing a stacker crane and a station in the automatic warehouse of the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration of the station in the automatic warehouse of the embodiment.
2 Automatic warehouse 4 Stacker crane 6 Traveling rail 8 Lift platform 10 Mast 12 Slide fork 14 and 15 Loading platform 16 with lifter Transfer control means 18 Transport control means 20 and 21 Rack 22 Girder 24 Bar 25 and 26 Article 30 Base plate 31 Middle Plate 32 Top plate 34 Lifter 41, 42 Article 51-55 Article 60 Station 62 Endless chain 64 Automated guided vehicle working area 66-69 Sprocket A-D Stop position

Claims (3)

In an automatic warehouse that transports articles between a rack and a station by a traveling transport device equipped with a lifting platform, the rack is configured to store a plurality of articles on one shelf by changing the position along the depth direction. In addition, a plurality of loading platforms with lifters are provided along the depth direction of the rack on the advancing / retreating means for the rack provided on the lifting platform so that the platform can be individually raised and lowered, and the transfer position along the depth direction of the rack depending on, by Rukoto provided transfer control means for controlling said advancing and retracting inlet means and said plurality of loading platform of the lifter, by individually lifting the bed with a lifter that has to enter the rack by reciprocating guide means The automatic warehouse is characterized in that articles are selectively stored in and out of the rack side and the front side of the rack .   The rack shelves are configured to store two articles at a time, and at least one of the paired articles is stored in the same shelf when the goods are received, and one article is taken out from the different shelves at the time of delivery. 2. The automatic warehouse according to claim 1, further comprising conveyance control means for controlling the traveling conveyance device so as to be delivered as a pair of articles. The automatic warehouse according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the station is provided with conveying means for conveying a plurality of articles by a plurality of tact feeds.

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