JP7580114B2 - Article lifting device and article storage device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an article lifting device that lifts and lowers articles.
The present invention also relates to an article storage device for a warehouse, etc. In particular, the present invention relates to an article storage device having a three-dimensional storage area.

2. Description of the Related Art An article storage device called an automated warehouse is known.
An automated warehouse is equipped with transport devices such as conveyor systems and article transport vehicles, and the transport devices transport received articles to store them in designated locations, and the transport devices can be driven to remove desired articles.
As disclosed in Patent Document 1, some automated warehouses have a multi-story structure in which areas for storing items are arranged three-dimensionally.

In an article storage device with a storage area having a multi-story structure, it is necessary to lift the stored articles up to a specified floor, and when discharging the stored articles, it is necessary to lower the articles to the output floor.
In Patent Document 1, when an article is put in or taken out, the article is raised or lowered by a lifter.

WO2016/98813 publication

As described above, in the conventional article storage device, the article is moved to a predetermined floor by a lifter.
However, the lifter is a batch-type lifting means and cannot continuously lift and lower items. For example, when moving multiple items from the ground floor to a higher floor, one item must be lifted on the lifter and the next item must wait on the ground floor until the lifter returns to the ground floor. Therefore, there is a complaint that the efficiency of the conventional article storage device when taking items in and out is low.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT In view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, an object of the present invention is to develop an article lifting device that can lift and lower articles with high efficiency.
Another object of the present invention is to develop an article storage device that is highly efficient in taking in and out articles.

The above-mentioned problem is solved by an aspect of an article lifting device that is divided into a plurality of floors and moves articles to other floors, and at least one of the floors has a loading/unloading section that loads articles to other areas of the floor and/or unloads articles from other areas of the floor, and has a first inclined conveyor that slopes upward, a second inclined conveyor that slopes upward, a third inclined conveyor that slopes downward, a fourth inclined conveyor that slopes downward, and a plurality of direction change devices, and the first inclined conveyor includes the direction change devices. The device has a first connecting conveying path that connects the upper end of the fourth inclined conveyor to the lower end of the second inclined conveyor, a second connecting conveying path that includes the direction change device and connects the lower end of the fourth inclined conveyor to the upper end of the third inclined conveyor, and a third connecting conveying path that directly or indirectly connects the upper end of the second inclined conveyor to the upper end of the fourth inclined conveyor, and is characterized in that the device moves articles using the inclined conveyors to raise or lower the articles and load or unload articles from the loading/unloading section.

The article lifting device of this embodiment lifts and lowers articles using an inclined conveyor.
When an article is to be raised to the next higher floor, the article is placed on the first inclined conveyor, and the first inclined conveyor is driven to raise the article.
When the article is to be raised to a higher floor, the first connecting conveying path is used to move the article to the lower end of the second inclined conveyor, the article is placed on the second inclined conveyor, and the article is then raised further upward by the second inclined conveyor.
When unloading articles from the upper floor, the fourth inclined conveyor is used to lower the articles.
When the article is to be lowered to a lower floor, the second connecting conveying path is utilized to move the article to the upper end of the third inclined conveyor, the article is placed on the third inclined conveyor, and the article is then lifted further down by the third inclined conveyor.
In the article lifting device of this embodiment, a third connecting conveying path is provided which directly or indirectly connects the upper end of the second inclined conveyor with the upper end of the fourth inclined conveyor, so that the upward path and the downward path are connected by a continuous conveying path, allowing articles to be raised and lowered continuously.

In the above-mentioned aspect, when the article lifting device is viewed from the side, the first inclined conveyor and the second inclined conveyor are inclined in the same direction, the third inclined conveyor and the fourth inclined conveyor are inclined in a direction intersecting the first inclined conveyor and the second inclined conveyor, and a target floor conveying path serving as the first connecting conveying path and the second connecting conveying path is provided, the target floor conveying path is a one-way conveying path connecting the lower end of the fourth inclined conveyor, the upper end of the first inclined conveyor, the lower end of the second inclined conveyor, and the upper end of the third inclined conveyor in no particular order, and it is desirable that the loading/unloading section is located midway along the target floor conveying path.

This allows the entire device to be made smaller.

In each of the above-mentioned aspects, the first inclined conveyor, the second inclined conveyor, the third inclined conveyor, and the fourth inclined conveyor run in the same direction in the horizontal direction, and have a target floor conveying path that serves as the first connecting conveying path and the second connecting conveying path, and the target floor conveying path is a one-way conveying path that connects the lower end of the fourth inclined conveyor, the upper end of the first inclined conveyor, the lower end of the second inclined conveyor, and the upper end of the third inclined conveyor in any order, and it is desirable that the loading/unloading section is located midway along the target floor conveying path.

This allows the entire device to be made smaller.

In each of the above aspects, it is desirable that the first inclined conveyor and part or all of the second inclined conveyor are in a vertically overlapping positional relationship.

In each of the above aspects, it is desirable that the third inclined conveyor and part or all of the fourth inclined conveyor are in a vertically overlapping positional relationship.

In each of the above-mentioned aspects, when the article lifting device is viewed in plan, it is desirable that the main route on any floor has a three-row structure consisting of any inclined conveyor and any connecting transport path.

The primary path is the normal path that an article follows, i.e., the path that an article follows when lifting or lowering an article without any malfunction or any other abnormality or error.
According to this aspect, the entire device can be made smaller.

In each of the above-mentioned aspects, the system has an entrance section, an exit section, and a conveying path, and items entered from the entrance section are conveyed along the conveying path to the loading/unloading section on any floor, and items unloaded from the loading/unloading section on any floor are conveyed along the conveying path to the unloading section, and it is preferable that on any floor, there is a one-way entrance/unloading conveying path that connects the entrance section and the unloading section via the loading/unloading section on that floor, and that the lower end of the third inclined conveyor is connected to the entrance/unloading conveying path.

One of the floors is, for example, a storage/retrieval floor where a storage area and an retrieval area are located.
The floor in question has a one-way entrance/exit transport path that connects the storage section and the delivery section via the entrance section and delivery section of that floor.
Therefore, articles introduced from the storage section can be placed on the one-way inlet/outlet conveying path and transported to the carry-in section, and the articles can be taken in and out from the carry-in/out section.
Furthermore, articles that have been transported from the article storage area to the unloading section can be placed on the one-way inlet/outlet transport path, transported to the unloading section, and then unloaded from the unloading section.
The entrance/exit conveying path used in this embodiment runs in one direction, so the item path for introducing items from the entrance section and the item path for leading items to the exit section are the same conveying path, and the items are conveyed in one direction.
Therefore, articles can be continuously carried in and out.
In the article storage device of this aspect, the lower end of the third inclined conveyor is connected to the entrance/exit conveying path, so that an article conveyed from an upper floor can be lowered to the target floor via the descending conveying path to that floor, enter the entrance/exit conveying path, and be discharged from the delivery section.
Therefore, even when an article on an upper floor is taken out from the delivery section via the target floor, it is transported along a one-way transport path.
Therefore, the items on the upper floors can be retrieved continuously.

The invention relating to an item storage device is characterized by comprising a storage area having a multi-story structure with item storage areas on multiple floors, and an item lifting device as described above.

According to this aspect, goods can be smoothly handed over when transporting goods from an upper floor to a lower floor, or from a lower floor to a higher floor.

The article lifting device of the present invention has high efficiency in lifting and lowering articles.
The article storage device of the present invention can continuously take in and out articles, and has high article taking-in and taking-out efficiency.

1 is a perspective view of an article storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of one level of the storage area of the item storage device of FIG. 1 . FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which an item is carried into the storage area of FIG. 2 . 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the process of removing an item from the storage area of FIG. 2. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the layout of the loading/unloading area (article lifting device) of the article storage device of FIG. 1 and the conveying direction of each conveying path. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the layout of the loading/unloading area (article lifting device) of the article storage device in FIG. 5 for each floor. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a transport path when transporting an article to a storage area on the first floor in the loading/unloading area (article lifting device) of the article storage device of FIG. 5 . 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a transport route when an article is carried out from a storage area on the first floor in the loading/unloading area (article lifting device) of the article storage device of FIG. 5 . 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a transport path when transporting an article to a storage area on the second floor in the loading/unloading area (article lifting device) of the article storage device of FIG. 5 . 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a transport route when an article is removed from a storage area on the second floor in the loading/unloading area (article lifting device) of the article storage device of FIG. 5 . 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a transport route when transporting an article to a storage area on the third floor in the loading/unloading area (article lifting device) of the article storage device of FIG. 5 . 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a transport route when an article is removed from a storage area on the third floor in the loading/unloading area (article lifting device) of the article storage device of FIG. 5 . 6 is a front view of the loading/unloading area (article lifting device) of the article storage device of FIG. 5, in which the article lifting device is projected from the side. 6 is a plan view of the loading/unloading area (article lifting device) of the article storage device of FIG. 5 . 1A is a plan view of an inclined conveyor, FIG. 1B is a side view of the inclined conveyor, and FIG. 1C is a plan view of an inclined conveyor of another embodiment. FIG. 17A and 17B are plan views explaining the function of the direction change device shown in FIG. 16, in which (a) shows the direction of the rollers when an article is moved straight, (b) shows the direction of the rollers when an article is discharged at an angle, (c) shows the direction of the rollers when an article is discharged at a right angle to the right, and (d) shows the direction of the rollers when an article is discharged at a right angle to the left. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing another example of a direction changing device. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing yet another example of a direction changing device. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the layout of a loading/unloading area (article lifting device) and the conveying directions of each conveying path in another embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The article storage device 1 of this embodiment is largely composed of an loading/unloading area (article lifting device) 2 and a storage area 3, as shown in FIG.
The loading/unloading area 2 has an entrance section 5, an exit section 6, and a series of conveying paths 12 (FIG. 5), and serves the function of carrying articles in and out of the storage area 3.

The loading/unloading area (article lifting device) 2 has a three-story structure, and a conveying path 12 made up of a roller conveyor device is installed on each floor as shown in Fig. 5. In this embodiment, a loading section 5 and a unloading section 6 are located on the first floor.
The conveyor path on the first floor is a conveyor line constituting a one-way path in the counterclockwise direction as shown in Figures 5, 6, 7, and 8. The conveyor path on the second floor is a conveyor line constituting a one-way path in the clockwise direction as shown in Figures 5, 6, 9, and 10. The conveyor path on the third floor is a conveyor line constituting a one-way path in the clockwise direction as shown in Figures 5, 6, 11, and 12.

The storage area 3 is an area for storing items.
The storage area 3 is filled with transport devices (not shown), and an item can be stored by being parked on any of the transport devices.

An end of the storage area 3 is connected to the transport path 12 of the loading/unloading area 2 as shown in FIG.
The conveying path 12 is made up of a number of conveyor devices called zone conveyors.
In a zone of the conveying path 12 connected to the storage area 3, there is a carry-in/carry-out section 22. The carry-in/carry-out section 22 is an area where articles are carried in to the storage area (other area) 3 and articles are carried out from the storage area (other area) 3, and direction change devices 13a, 13b, and 13c are arranged.

The direction changing devices 13a, 13b, and 13c are each configured by arranging conveying cells 100 in a planar manner as shown in Fig. 16. Each conveying cell 100 has a roller 102 that rotates around a rotation shaft 101. The roller 102 rotates by receiving power from a motor (not shown).
Further, the rollers 102 of each transport cell 100 rotate about a rotation axis perpendicular to the rotation axis 101, so that the orientation of the rollers 102 can be changed.
Each of the direction changing devices 13a, 13b, and 13c can arbitrarily change the conveying direction of the article.
That is, the direction changing devices 13a, 13b, and 13c can move the article in a straight line as shown by the arrow in Fig. 17(a), can change the traveling direction of the article to an oblique direction as shown by the arrow in Fig. 17(b), and can also change the traveling direction of the article vertically to either the left or right as shown by the arrows in Fig. 17(c) and (d).

When carrying item M into storage area 3, as shown in FIG. 3, item M is carried in using conveying path 12. Then, the conveying direction leading to storage area 3 is changed to storage area 3, and item M is sent to storage area 3. Item M is carried to the back by a conveying device (not shown) and remains at a specified position. This operation is repeated until item M is placed at each position in storage area 3.

When an item M is to be transported out of the storage area 3, as shown in Figure 4, the item is moved to one of the direction change devices 13a, 13b, or 13c by a conveying device not shown, and then passed through the direction change devices 13a, 13b, or 13c, placed on the conveying path 12, and transported out to the left side of the drawing.
In this embodiment, articles can be put in and taken out from any of the direction change devices 13a, 13b, and 13c, but the uses of the direction change devices 13a, 13b, and 13c may be divided. That is, the direction change devices 13 may be divided into a direction change device 13 used only for carrying articles from the loading/unloading area 2 to the storage area 3, and a direction change device 13 for carrying articles from the storage area 3 to the loading/unloading area 2. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which articles can be carried in from the loading/unloading area 2 to the storage area 3 only from the direction change devices 13a and 13c on both sides, and articles can be carried out from the storage area 3 to the loading/unloading area 2 only from the central direction change device 13b.

Next, a description will be given of the loading/unloading area 2. The loading/unloading area 2 has a series of transport paths 12 formed by roller conveyors.
As described above, the conveying path 12 is made up of a series of conveyor devices called zone conveyors, and each of the zone conveyors (conveyor devices) that make up each zone has its own independent drive source and control device and can be driven and stopped individually.
The transport path 12 is made up of a series of short conveyor devices called zone conveyors, and is divided into a plurality of zones by the zone conveyors.
The zone conveyor of each zone is, for example, a roller conveyor (also called a "colo conveyor"), which has a plurality of rollers (roller members) arranged in parallel at regular intervals.

The loading/unloading area 2 has a three-story structure, with a conveyor system installed on each floor. In this embodiment, the loading/unloading area 5 and the unloading area 6 are located on the first floor.

There is also an inclined conveyor for transferring goods between each floor.
That is, in this embodiment, there are a first inclined conveyor 30, a second inclined conveyor 31, a third inclined conveyor 32, and a fourth inclined conveyor 33.
The first inclined conveyor 30 is a one-way ascending conveyor from the first floor to the second floor. The second inclined conveyor 31 is a one-way ascending conveyor from the second floor to the third floor. The third inclined conveyor 32 is a one-way descending conveyor from the second floor to the first floor. The fourth inclined conveyor 33 is a one-way descending conveyor from the third floor to the second floor.

Each of the inclined conveyors 30, 31, 32, and 33 is a conveyor that conveys articles linearly and is installed in an inclined position. In this embodiment, each of the inclined conveyors 30, 31, 32, and 33 runs in the same direction in the planar direction as shown in FIG.
Specifically, the first inclined conveyor 30 and the second inclined conveyor 31 both run obliquely upward from the right to the left in the drawing as shown by the arrows in Figure 5. The third inclined conveyor 32 and the fourth inclined conveyor 33 also run obliquely downward from the right to the left in the drawing in the planar direction.

The first inclined conveyor 30 and the second inclined conveyor 31 have the same inclination posture. In contrast, the third inclined conveyor 32 and the fourth inclined conveyor 33 have inclination directions opposite to those of the first inclined conveyor 30 and the second inclined conveyor 31.
Therefore, when the loading/unloading area (article lifting device) 2 is projected from the side, the first inclined conveyor 30 and the second inclined conveyor 31 are inclined in the same direction, and the third inclined conveyor 32 and the fourth inclined conveyor 33 are inclined in a direction intersecting the first inclined conveyor 30 and the second inclined conveyor 31, as shown in Fig. 13. That is, when the loading/unloading area (article lifting device) 2 is projected from the side, the first inclined conveyor 30 and the third inclined conveyor 32 intersect at the center, as shown in Fig. 13. Also, the second inclined conveyor 31 and the fourth inclined conveyor 33 intersect at the center.

The first inclined conveyor 30 and the second inclined conveyor 31 are generally positioned so as to overlap in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the loading/unloading area (article lifting device) 2 is observed from above, the first inclined conveyor 30 and the second inclined conveyor 31 overlap each other to present a straight line, as shown in FIG.
When the loading/unloading area (article lifting device) 2 is viewed from the side, as shown in FIG. 13, the first inclined conveyor 30 and the second inclined conveyor 31 are parallel to each other.

Similarly, the third inclined conveyor 32 and the fourth inclined conveyor 33 are generally positioned so as to overlap each other in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the loading/unloading area (article lifting device) 2 is observed from above, the third inclined conveyor 32 and the fourth inclined conveyor 33 overlap each other to form a straight line, as shown in FIG.
When the loading/unloading area (article lifting device) 2 is viewed from the side, as shown in FIG. 13, the third inclined conveyor 32 and the fourth inclined conveyor 33 are parallel to each other.
It is preferable that the inclined conveyors 30, 31, 32, and 33 overlap each other in the vertical direction as much as possible, but it is not necessary that the conveyors overlap each other entirely.

The conveying path 35 on the first floor is composed of an entrance/exit conveying path 36 and a bypass conveying path 37, as shown in FIGS.
The entrance/exit conveying path 36 is provided with direction change devices 13 a , 13 b , and 13 c that connect to the first floor of the storage area 3 .
The entrance/exit conveying path 36 is a one-way conveying path that leads from the entrance section 5 to the exit section 6 via the direction change devices 13a, 13b, and 13c that constitute the entrance/exit section 22 on the first floor. The conveying path of the entrance/exit conveying path 36 is U-shaped and substantially circular.

Hereinafter, a starting point where an article can be diverged to a diverging path is referred to as a "diverging section." A starting point where an article can be diverged to a diverging path and can merge with another path is referred to as a "merging/diverging section." A starting point where the conveying direction of an article can be bent vertically is referred to as a "curving section."
The route of the entrance/exit conveying path 36 is a roughly circular, one-way conveying path that runs from the entrance section 5 through the first junction/branching section J1 on the 1st floor, the first floor branching section J2, the first floor first turn C1, the first floor second turn C2, the first floor junction J3, and the first floor second junction/branching section J4 to the exit section 6.
The direction change devices 13a, 13b, and 13c for the first floor are located between the entrance section 5 and the exit section 6. The direction change device 13b also functions as the first floor branch section J2. The direction change device 13c also functions as the first floor first curved section C1.
Devices similar to direction change device 13 are installed at the first junction/branching point J1 on the first floor, the first bend C1 on the first floor, the second bend C2 on the first floor, the first floor junction J3, and the second junction/branching point J4 on the first floor.
The entrance/exit transport path 36 is a generally circular conveyor line that constitutes a counterclockwise one-way path.
The bypass conveying path 37 is a conveying path that directly connects the loading section 5 and the unloading section 6 .

As described above, the first inclined conveyor 30 is a one-way ascending conveyor that runs from the first floor to the second floor, and its lower end is connected to the central direction change device 13b of the three direction change devices 13a, 13b, and 13c on the first floor.
As described above, the third inclined conveyor 32 is a one-way downward conveyor that runs from the second floor to the first floor, and its lower end is the entrance/exit conveying path 36, which is connected to the downstream side of the direction changers 13a, 13b, and 13c. That is, the lower end of the third inclined conveyor 32 is the entrance/exit conveying path 36, which is connected between the direction changers 13a, 13b, and 13c and the unloading section 6.

The second floor transport path (target floor transport path) 40 is composed of a second floor main transport path 41 and a connecting transport path 42, as shown in Figs.
The second floor main transport path 41 is provided with direction change devices 13a, 13b, 13c (loading/unloading section 22) that connect to the second floor portion of the storage area 3.
As described above, the first inclined conveyor 30 is a one-way ascending conveyor that runs from the first floor to the second floor, and its upper end is connected to the starting end of the second floor main conveying path (conveying path within the target floor) 41.
The second inclined conveyor 31 is a one-way ascending conveyor that runs from the second floor to the third floor, and its lower end is connected to the central direction change device 13b of the three direction change devices 13a, 13b, 13c on the second floor.
As described above, the fourth inclined conveyor 33 is a one-way downward conveyor that runs from the third floor to the second floor, and its lower end is connected to the connecting transport path 42 on the second floor.

The second floor main conveying path 41 is a one-way conveying path that runs from the upper end of the first inclined conveyor 30, which is the ascending conveyor, through the direction change devices 13a, 13b, and 13c on the second floor to the upper end of the third inclined conveyor 32, which is the descending conveyor.
The route of the second floor main conveying path 41 is a roughly circular, one-way conveying path that starts at the second floor junction J5 at the upper end of the first inclined conveyor 30, passes through the second floor first bend C3, the second floor second bend C4, the second floor branching point J6, and the second floor third bend C5 to the upper end of the third inclined conveyor 32.
Between the second floor junction J5 and the second floor third curve C5, there are direction changers 13a, 13b, and 13c for the second floor, with the direction changer 13b also functioning as the second floor branch J6. The direction changer 13c also functioning as the second floor second curve C4. The direction changer 13a also functioning as the second floor third curve C5.
Devices similar to direction change device 13 are installed at the junction J5 on the second floor, the first curve C3 on the second floor, and the third curve C5 on the second floor.

The connecting conveying path 42 is a one-way conveying path that connects the lower end of the fourth inclined conveyor 33, which is a one-way downward conveyor heading from the third floor to the second floor, to the base end of the second floor main conveying path 41.
That is, the connecting conveying path 42 is a one-way conveying path that connects the second floor fourth bend C6 at the lower end of the fourth inclined conveyor 33 and the second floor junction J5.
A device similar to the direction change device 13 is installed at the fourth curve C6 on the second floor.

The second floor main conveying path 41 and the connecting conveying path 42 on the second floor are approximately circular conveyor lines that form a clockwise one-way path.
The conveying direction of the second floor main conveying path 41 and the connecting conveying path 42 on the second floor is reverse to that of the conveying path 35 on the first floor.

The second floor conveying path (target floor conveying path) 40 doubles as the first connecting conveying path 23 connecting the upper end of the first inclined conveyor 30 and the lower end of the second inclined conveyor 31, and the second connecting conveying path 25 connecting the lower end of the fourth inclined conveyor 33 and the upper end of the third inclined conveyor 32. The second floor conveying path (target floor conveying path) 40 is a one-way conveying path connecting the lower end of the fourth inclined conveyor 33, the upper end of the first inclined conveyor 30, the lower end of the second inclined conveyor 31, and the upper end of the third inclined conveyor 32, and has a carry-in/out section 22 (direction changing device) 13a, 13b, 13c) in the middle.
The order of the lower end of the fourth inclined conveyor 33, the upper end of the first inclined conveyor 30, the lower end of the second inclined conveyor 31, the upper end of the third inclined conveyor 32, and the loading/unloading section 22 is not limited to this and may be in any order.

The third floor transport path 45 is composed of a third floor main transport path 46 as shown in FIGS.
The third floor main transport path (third connecting transport path) 46 is provided with direction change devices 13a, 13b, and 13c that connect to the third floor portion of the storage area 3.
The third floor main conveying path (third connecting conveying path) 46 is a one-way conveying path that runs from the upper end of the second inclined conveyor 31 to the upper end of the fourth inclined conveyor 33 via the third floor loading/unloading section 22 (direction changing device) 13a, 13b, 13c).
In other words, the third floor main conveying path (third connecting conveying path) 46 is a roughly circular, one-way conveying path that runs from the upper end of the second inclined conveyor 31 through the third floor first bend C7, the third floor second bend C8, and the third floor third bend C9 to the upper end of the fourth inclined conveyor 33, at the third floor fourth bend C10.
Between the third floor first curve C7 and the third floor fourth curve C10, there are direction changers 13a, 13b, and 13c for the third floor, and the direction changer 13c also functions as the third floor third curve C9. The direction changer 13a also functions as the third floor fourth curve C10.
The third floor main transport path (third connecting transport path) 46 is a generally circular conveyor line that constitutes a clockwise one-way path.
The third floor main transport path (third connecting transport path) 46 runs in the opposite direction to the first floor transport path 35 .

Next, the routes for carrying items in and out of each floor of the storage area 3 will be described.
In FIG. 7, the transport route when carrying an article into the first floor portion of the storage area 3 is shown by a thick line.
7, when an item is to be brought into the first floor of the storage area 3, the item brought in from the receiving section 5 is conveyed to the area of the direction change devices 13a, 13b, and 13c on the first floor through the inlet/outlet conveyor path 36. Then, for example, the conveying direction of the item is changed to the side of the storage area 3 by the direction change device 13a, and the item is stored in the storage area 3.

In FIG. 8, the transport route when carrying out items from the first floor of the storage area 3 is shown by a thick line.
When an article is to be removed from the first floor of the storage area 3, the article is led to the unloading section 6 via the entrance/exit conveying path 36 as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 9, the transport route when carrying an article into the second floor portion of the storage area 3 is shown by a thick line.
When an article is to be brought into the second floor of the storage area 3, the article brought in from the receiving section 5 is transported to the first floor branch J2 via the inlet/outlet conveying path 36 and placed on the direction changing device 13b on the first floor, as shown in Fig. 9. The direction changing device 13b then changes the conveying direction of the article to the first inclined conveyor 30 side, and the article ascends the first inclined conveyor 30 to reach the second floor.
Thereafter, the article is transported to the area of the direction change devices 13a, 13b, and 13c on the second floor through the second floor main transport path (transport path within the target floor) 41. Then, for example, the direction change device 13c changes the transport direction of the article to the storage area 3 side, and the article is stored in the storage area 3.

In FIG. 10, the transport route when carrying out items from the second floor of the storage area 3 is shown by a thick line.
10, when an article is to be carried out from the second floor of the storage area 3, the article is passed through the second floor main conveying path (conveying path within the target floor) 41 to the upper end of the third inclined conveyor 32, which is a descending conveyor. The article then passes down the third inclined conveyor 32 to the first floor, and is passed through the entrance/exit conveying path 36 from the first floor junction J3 to the unloading section 6.

In FIG. 11, the transport route when carrying an item into the third floor of storage area 3 is shown by a thick line.
When an article is to be brought into the third floor of the storage area 3, as shown in Fig. 11, the article brought in from the receiving section 5 is conveyed to the direction changing device 13b on the first floor through the inlet/outlet conveying path 36. The direction changing device 13b then changes the conveying direction of the article to the first inclined conveyor 30 side, and the article ascends the first inclined conveyor 30 to the second floor.
Then, the article is transported to the second floor branch J6 on the second floor through the second floor main transport path (transport path within the target floor) 41, and placed on the direction changing device 13b. That is, the article is brought to the lower end of the second inclined conveyor 31 through the first connecting transport path 23 that connects the upper end of the first inclined conveyor 30 and the lower end of the second inclined conveyor 31.
Then, the direction changer 13b changes the conveying direction of the article to the second inclined conveyor 31 side, and the article ascends the second inclined conveyor 31 to the third floor.
Thereafter, the item is transported to the area of the direction change devices 13a, 13b, and 13c on the third floor through the third floor main transport path (transport path within the target floor) 46. Then, for example, the direction change device 13b changes the transport direction of the item to the storage area 3 side, and the item is stored in the storage area 3.

In FIG. 12, the transport route when carrying out an item from the third floor of storage area 3 is shown by a thick line.
When an article is to be removed from the third floor of the storage area 3, as shown in Fig. 12, the article is transported through the third floor main transport path 46 to the upper end of the fourth inclined conveyor 33, which is a descending conveyor. The article is then transported down the fourth inclined conveyor 33 to the second floor.
The article is then introduced from the second floor junction J5 into the second floor main conveying path 41 via the connecting conveying path 42, and is then passed through the second floor main conveying path 41 to the upper end of the third inclined conveyor 32, which is a downward conveyor. In other words, the article is passed through the second connecting conveying path 25, which connects the lower end of the fourth inclined conveyor 33 and the upper end of the third inclined conveyor 32, to the upper end of the third inclined conveyor 32.
The goods then travel down the third inclined conveyor 32 to the first floor, and are transported from the first floor junction J3 through the entrance/exit conveying path 36 to the unloading section 6.

In the loading/unloading area 2 of this embodiment, the transport paths on each floor (except for the bypass transport path 37) are all one-way paths that are common to both the transport path for carrying in and the transport path for discharging articles.
Therefore, articles are rarely left in a waiting state, and articles can be taken in and out continuously.

In the loading/unloading area 2 of this embodiment, the conveying path on the first floor is a one-way path that runs counterclockwise, the conveying path on the second floor is a one-way path that runs clockwise, and the conveying path on the third floor is a one-way path that runs clockwise. Therefore, for example, when an item is lifted from the first floor to the third floor, it moves counterclockwise on the first floor, clockwise on the second floor, and then clockwise on the third floor, ascending in an approximately spiral trajectory.
Conversely, when lowering goods from the third floor to the first floor, the elevator moves clockwise on the third floor, clockwise on the second floor, and then counterclockwise on the first floor, descending in a roughly spiral trajectory.

As described above, the articles are transported through the conveying paths of each floor (excluding the bypass conveying path 37). If the conveying paths of each floor (excluding the bypass conveying path 37) are regarded as the main route, each floor has a three-row structure consisting of any of the inclined conveyors 30, 31, 32, and 33 and any of the connecting conveying paths.
In other words, when viewed from above, the first floor has a three-row structure consisting of a first row formed by a straight path from the first floor first bend C1 to the first floor second bend C2 of the entrance/exit conveying path 36, a second row formed by the first inclined conveyor 30, and a third row formed by the third inclined conveyor 32.
When viewed from above, the second floor has a three-row structure consisting of a first row formed by a straight path from the first bend C3 on the second floor to the second bend C4 on the second floor of the second floor main conveying path 41, a second row formed by the first inclined conveyor 30, and a third row formed by the fourth inclined conveyor 33.
When viewed from above, the third floor has a three-row structure consisting of a first row formed by a straight path from the second bend C8 on the third floor to the third bend C9 on the third floor of the third floor main conveying path 46, a second row formed by the second inclined conveyor 31, and a third row formed by the fourth inclined conveyor 33.

In this embodiment, even when the main paths are observed from above, they have an overall three-row structure as shown in FIG.
In other words, the first row is formed by stacking the straight path of the third floor main conveying path 46 from the second bend C8 on the third floor to the third bend C9 on the third floor, the straight path of the second floor main conveying path 41 from the first bend C3 on the second floor to the second bend C4 on the second floor, and the straight path of the entrance/exit conveying path 36 from the first bend C1 on the first floor to the second bend C2 on the first floor.
The second inclined conveyor 31 and the first inclined conveyor 30 are stacked vertically to form a third row.
The fourth inclined conveyor 33 and the third inclined conveyor 32 are stacked vertically to form a second row.
Therefore, the loading/unloading area 2 in this embodiment has a relatively small external shape.

Next, a preferred inclined conveyor will be described.
The inclined conveyors 30, 31, 32, and 33 used in this embodiment are all roller conveyors as shown in Figure 15. That is, a plurality of conveying rollers are arranged in parallel on frames arranged in parallel. Each roller rotates by receiving power transmission from a power source (not shown).
The inclined conveyors 30, 31, 32, and 33 are divided into three regions as shown in FIG.
That is, it is divided into an upper end region 50 , an inclined region 51 and a lower end region 52 .

The inclined conveyors 30, 31, 32, and 33 used in this embodiment have a horizontal region and a curved region in the upper end region 50 as shown in Figure 15 (b), and the rollers are arranged in the curved region so that the conveying surface is slightly convex upward. The curved region is connected to the inclined region 51.
The lower end region 52 also has a horizontal region and a curved region, and the rollers are arranged so that the conveying surface is slightly concave upward. The curved region is connected to the inclined region 51.

15A, the conveying rollers are arranged in a plurality of rows in the lower end region 52 of the inclined conveyors 30, 31, 32, and 33. Specifically, the conveying rollers are arranged in two rows.
The two rows of conveying rollers are in staggered positions, that is, the axes of the rotation shafts of the two rows of conveying rollers do not coincide with each other, and the conveying rollers are arranged in a staggered manner.

In this embodiment, only the lower end region 52 has multiple rows, but the upper end region 50 may also have multiple rows, as shown in FIG. 15(c).

In the inclined conveyors 30, 31, 32, and 33 employed in this embodiment, the conveying surfaces at the connecting portions to the inclined region 51 present a gently curved surface, so that the conveyed objects can smoothly transition to the inclined region 51.
In addition, in the inclined conveyors 30, 31, 32, and 33 used in this embodiment, the conveying rollers in the lower end region 52 are arranged in multiple rows and are arranged in a staggered pattern, so that there are many opportunities for items to come into contact with the conveying rollers, and the items are less likely to rattle when they are transferred from the inclined region 51 to the lower end region 52, or when they are transferred from the lower end region 52 to the inclined region 51.

In the embodiment described above, an item storage device 1 with a three-story structure is exemplified, but the number of floors is not limited, and the structure may be taller.

In the embodiment described above, the inclined conveyors 30, 31, 32, and 33 connecting each floor are all single-row, but they may be double-row. In other words, a set of inclined conveyors 30, 31, 32, and 33 may be formed by arranging the inclined conveyors in parallel.

In the embodiment described above, the ground floor is the loading/unloading floor, but other floors may be loading/unloading floors. Also, the loading section 5 and the unloading section 6 may be on different floors.

In the embodiment described above, the "branching section", "merging/branching section" and "curve section" have a conveying cell 100 as shown in FIG. 16, and the conveying direction is changed by changing the orientation of the conveying cell 100. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, a transfer device (direction changing device) 200 as shown in FIG. 18 may be used at the "branching section", "merging/branching section" and "curve section".

The transfer device 200 is composed of a main transport conveyor 201, a sub-transport conveyor 202, and a lifting device (not shown).
When moving the articles in a straight line, the main transport conveyor 201 is extended above the sub-transport conveyor 202 by a lifting device (not shown), and the main transport conveyor 201 is driven.
When changing the direction of an article, after the article is pulled onto the main transport conveyor 201, the sub-transport conveyor 202 is raised by a lifting device while the main transport conveyor 201 is lowered, causing the sub-transport conveyor 202 to protrude above the main transport conveyor 201, and then the sub-transport conveyor 202 is driven.

In the case of a "curved section," a curved conveyor (direction change device) like that shown in Figure 19 may be used.

In the embodiment described above, when moving an article from the first floor to the third floor, the article moves counterclockwise on the first floor, clockwise on the second floor, and clockwise on the third floor. That is, only the first floor moves counterclockwise, which is different from the other floors. If it is desired to move the article in the same direction on all floors, this can be achieved by, for example, interchanging the storage unit 5 and the delivery unit 6 in Figs. 1 and 5.
In other words, in FIG. 1 and FIG. 5, if an article is brought in at the position of the unloading section 6 and taken out at the position of the receiving section 5, the article is transported in the same direction on the first floor as on the other floors.

In the embodiment described above, the first inclined conveyor 30, the second inclined conveyor 31, the third inclined conveyor 32, and the fourth inclined conveyor 33 run in the same direction in the planar direction as shown in FIG.
However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the first inclined conveyor 30 and the second inclined conveyor 31 may run in opposite directions, and the third inclined conveyor 32 and the fourth inclined conveyor 33 may also run in opposite directions, as in the loading/unloading area (item lifting device) 48 shown in Figure 20.
Even in the layout of the loading/unloading area (article lifting device) 48 shown in FIG. 18, the article rises and falls in a substantially spiral trajectory.
Also, the running directions of the inclined conveyors may differ by 90 degrees.

It is optional as to where on each floor the loading/unloading sections 22 are provided, and the number of loading/unloading sections 22 is also optional.
In the loading area (item lifting device) 48, two loading/unloading sections 22 are provided on the first floor.

1 Item storage device 2, 48 Loading/unloading area (item lifting device)
3 Storage area 5 Storage section 6 Outlet section 12 Conveyor path 13 Direction change device 21 Direction change device 23 First connecting conveyor path 25 Second connecting conveyor path 30 First inclined conveyor 31 Second inclined conveyor 32 Third inclined conveyor 33 Fourth inclined conveyor 40 Target floor conveyor path 46 Third floor main conveyor path (third connecting conveyor path)
200 Transfer device (direction change device)

Claims (8)

An article lifting device for moving an article to another floor in a storage area divided into a plurality of floors,
At least one of the floors has a loading/unloading section for loading items into other areas of the floor and/or unloading items from other areas of the floor;
The conveyor includes a first inclined conveyor that is inclined upward and lifts articles from a lower floor , a second inclined conveyor that is inclined upward and lifts articles to an upper floor, a third inclined conveyor that is inclined downward and lowers articles to the lower floor, and a fourth inclined conveyor that is inclined downward and lowers articles from the upper floor , and a plurality of direction change devices;
a first connecting conveying path including the direction changing device and connecting an upper end of the first inclined conveyor and a lower end of the second inclined conveyor;
a second connecting conveying path including the direction changing device and connecting a lower end of the fourth inclined conveyor and an upper end of the third inclined conveyor;
a third connecting conveying path that directly or indirectly connects an upper end of the second inclined conveyor and an upper end of the fourth inclined conveyor;
An article lifting device, characterized in that an article is moved by the inclined conveyor to raise or lower the article, and the article is loaded and unloaded from the loading/unloading section. When the article lifting device is viewed from the side, the first inclined conveyor and the second inclined conveyor are inclined in the same direction, and the third inclined conveyor and the fourth inclined conveyor are inclined in a direction intersecting the first inclined conveyor and the second inclined conveyor,
A target floor conveying path serving as both the first connecting conveying path and the second connecting conveying path is provided,
The item lifting device described in claim 1, characterized in that the target floor transport path is a one-way transport path connecting the lower end of the fourth inclined conveyor, the upper end of the first inclined conveyor, the lower end of the second inclined conveyor, and the upper end of the third inclined conveyor in any order, and the loading/unloading section is located halfway through the target floor transport path. The first inclined conveyor, the second inclined conveyor, the third inclined conveyor, and the fourth inclined conveyor run in the same direction in a planar direction,
An article lifting device as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it has a target floor transport path that serves as both the first connecting transport path and the second connecting transport path, the target floor transport path being a one-way transport path connecting the lower end of the fourth inclined conveyor, the upper end of the first inclined conveyor, the lower end of the second inclined conveyor, and the upper end of the third inclined conveyor in any order, and the loading/unloading section is located halfway through the target floor transport path. An article lifting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the first inclined conveyor and the second inclined conveyor are in a vertically overlapping positional relationship. An article lifting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the third inclined conveyor and part or all of the fourth inclined conveyor are in a vertically overlapping positional relationship. The article lifting device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that, when the article lifting device is viewed in plan, the main route on any floor has a three-row structure composed of any inclined conveyor and any connecting transport path. a storage unit, an unloading unit, and a conveying path, and an article received from the storage unit is conveyed along the conveying path to the loading /unloading unit on any floor, and an article unloaded from the loading/unloading unit on any floor is conveyed along the conveying path to the unloading unit,
On any one of the floors, there is a one-way entrance/exit conveying path connecting the entrance section and the exit section via the entrance/exit section of the floor,
7. An article lifting device according to claim 1, wherein a lower end of the third inclined conveyor is connected to the entrance and exit transport path. 8. An article storage device comprising: a storage area having a multi-story structure with article storage areas on a plurality of floors; and the article lifting device according to claim 1.

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