Cylinder cabinet

Abstract

To automate opening / closing of doors provided on a cylinder cabinet, and prevent hindrance to movement of a cylinder transfer cart.SOLUTION: A cylinder cabinet comprises: a cabinet body 2 capable of storing a gas cylinder GB that is in use or to be used, and having an opening part 10 for loading and unloading the gas cylinder GB; a door 3 that opens and closes the opening part 10; a slide mechanism 4 capable of moving the door 3 along a left side wall 2b of the cabinet body 2 between a retracted position and an advanced position; and a rotation support mechanism 5 that guides the door 3, which is moved by the slide mechanism 4, between a closed position of closing the opening part 10 and an open position of opening the opening part 10 so that the door can be opened and closed, and supports the door 3 in a suspended state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cylinder cabinet. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, cylinder cabinets are widely used as equipment for supplying various gases. In the cylinder cabinet, a door is opened and closed, and a pair of gas cylinders are stored side by side in the storage space inside the door. In the cylinder cabinet, while gas is being supplied from one of the gas cylinders, the other gas cylinder can be replaced, making it possible to supply gas without interruption.

[0003] Incidentally, in the above-mentioned gas cylinder replacement work, the gas cylinder is transported using a cylinder transport cart, and the gas cylinder is carried out and carried in (replaced) between the cylinder transport cart and the cylinder cabinet.

[0004] However, such gas cylinder replacement work requires the worker to lift up the heavy gas cylinder, which is very dangerous and hard work. Furthermore, the gas cylinder replacement work requires the worker to carry the gas cylinder in and out of the narrow storage space of the cylinder cabinet, which makes the work less efficient.

[0005] Therefore, in the inventions described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 below, in order to facilitate the replacement of gas cylinders, it is proposed that the gas cylinders be automatically transported in and out through the opening of the cylinder cabinet using a cylinder transport cart. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6745957 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6812614 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, in order to open and close the opening of the cylinder cabinet, the door needs to be opened and closed manually. Therefore, as the loading and unloading of gas cylinders is automated by the cylinder transport cart described above, there is an increasing need to automate the opening and closing of the opening. In addition, there is a problem, for example, of preventing the open door from interfering with the movement path of the cylinder transport cart.

[0008] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a technology that can automate the opening and closing of a door on a cylinder cabinet while not interfering with the movement of a cylinder transport cart. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] One aspect of the present invention is a cylinder cabinet comprising: a cabinet body capable of storing a gas cylinder that is in use or to be used and having an opening for loading and unloading the gas cylinder; a door for opening and closing the opening; a sliding mechanism for moving the door along a side wall of the cabinet body between a retracted position in which the door is retracted to the opposite side of the opening in the cabinet body and an advanced position in which the opening can be closed by the door; and a rotating support mechanism for guiding the door moved by the sliding mechanism so that it can be opened and closed between a closed position in which the opening is closed and an open position in which the opening is open, and for supporting the door in a hanging state.

[0010] In one aspect of the present invention, the rotating support mechanism comprises a curved rail provided at the top of the cabinet body for guiding the door so that it can be opened and closed, and a hanging part movable along the curved rail for suspending the door, and the door is opened and closed by moving the hanging part along the curved rail in response to movement of the door by the sliding mechanism.

[0011] One aspect of the present invention includes a trolley provided on the sliding mechanism and capable of following the door along a floor provided on the cabinet body, the trolley comprising a trolley body provided on the sliding mechanism and a roller provided on the trolley body via a suspension so as to be movable in a direction intersecting the floor.

[0012] In one aspect of the present invention, the rotation support mechanism and the slide mechanism are provided inside the cabinet body.

[0013] In one aspect of the present invention, the sliding mechanism includes an air cylinder that moves the door along the side wall.

[0014] One aspect of the present invention includes a position sensor that determines the position status of the door.

[0015] One aspect of the present invention includes an area sensor that detects the movement range of the door.

[0016] In one aspect of the present invention, a warning unit is provided that notifies people around the movement range that the door is opening or closing when an obstacle is detected by the area sensor. Effect of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, the opening and closing of the door of the cylinder cabinet is automated while the cylinder is transported. This prevents any hindrance to the movement of the carriage. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a plurality of cylinder cabinets according to an embodiment of the present invention arranged in a width direction with their doors closed; [Diagram 2] 1 is a front view of a cylinder cabinet according to an embodiment, cut away from an opening portion with a door open; FIG. [Diagram 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cylinder cabinet of FIG. 2 taken along line III-III. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cylinder cabinet of FIG. 2 taken along line IV-IV. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a rotation support mechanism of the cylinder cabinet according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which an opening of the cylinder cabinet according to the embodiment is closed by a door. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. (Cylinder Cabinet) As one embodiment of the present invention, a cylinder cabinet 1 for storing, for example, a gas cylinder GB will be described. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a plurality of cylinder cabinets according to an embodiment arranged in a width direction with the door closed, Fig. 2 is a front view of the cylinder cabinet according to an embodiment cut away from an opening with the door open.

[0020] 1 and 2, the cylinder cabinet 1 is installed on a floor (floor surface) FL as a facility for supplying gas filled in a gas cylinder GB to a semiconductor manufacturing device (not shown). The cylinder cabinet 1 is generally rectangular parallelepiped in shape and has a pair of doors 3 on the left and right sides at an opening 10. In the following description, the opening 10 side of the cylinder cabinet 1 will be referred to as the front, the opposite side of the opening 10 as the rear, the left side as viewed from the front side of the opening 10 as the left direction, and the right side as the right direction. In addition, the floor FL side on which the cylinder cabinet 1 is installed will be referred to as the lower side, and the opposite side of the floor FL will be referred to as the upper side.

[0021] In the cylinder cabinet 1, a door 3 is opened and closed, and a pair of gas cylinders GB are stored side by side in the left-right direction (width direction) in the storage space S inside the door 3. In addition, in the cylinder cabinet 1, while gas is being supplied from one of the gas cylinders GB, the other gas cylinder GB can be replaced, making it possible to continue the gas supply without interruption.

[0022] The cylinder cabinet 1 is provided with, for example, a control box, a piping box (neither of which are shown in the figure), etc. The control box (not shown in the figure) houses piping connected to the gas cylinder GB, and devices for opening and closing the door 3, monitoring the opening and closing and pressure of the valve, monitoring gas leaks, etc. The piping box (not shown in the figure) houses piping for connection to semiconductor manufacturing equipment, etc. In addition, the control box (not shown) is equipped with a communication unit (not shown) for communicating with a higher-level device, and the communication unit transmits information on the opening and closing of the door 3, the opening and closing of the valve, the results of pressure monitoring, the results of gas leak monitoring, and information on the remaining amount of gas in the gas cylinder GB, etc., to the higher-level device.

[0023] Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cylinder cabinet of Fig. 2 taken along line III-III. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cylinder cabinet of Fig. 2 taken along line IV-IV. 2 to 4, the cylinder cabinet 1 includes a cabinet body 2, a pair of left and right doors 3, a pair of left and right slide mechanisms 4, a pair of left and right rotation support mechanisms 5, and a pair of left and right carts 6. The cylinder cabinet 1 also includes a position sensor, an area sensor, a warning unit, and a changeover switch (none of which are shown).

[0024] (Cabinet body) The cabinet body 2 is formed into a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape so as to be able to store a gas cylinder GB that is in use or will be used. The cabinet body 2 has a floor 2a, a left side wall (side wall) 2b, a right side wall (side wall) 2c, a top 2d, a rear wall 2e, etc. The cabinet body 2 has a storage space S that can store the gas cylinder GB formed by the floor 2a, the left side wall 2b, the right side wall 2c, the top 2d, the rear wall 2e, etc. The cabinet body 2 also has an opening 10 on the front side through which the gas cylinder GB is carried in and out. The opening 10 is formed into a rectangular shape when viewed from the front.

[0025] Provided inside the cabinet main body 2 (i.e., storage space S for storing gas cylinders GB) are a pair of left and right slide mechanisms 4, a pair of left and right rotation support mechanisms 5, and a pair of left and right carts 6. The left door 3 is supported by the left slide mechanism 4 and the left rotation support mechanism 5 so that the left half of the opening 10 can be opened and closed. Also, the right door 3 is supported by the right slide mechanism 4 and the right rotation support mechanism 5 so that the right half of the opening 10 can be opened and closed.

[0026] The left and right configurations of the cylinder cabinet 1 are generally symmetrical. Therefore, the same reference numerals are used for the components of the left and right configurations of the cylinder cabinet 1, and the left configuration will be described in detail while the right configuration will be omitted. The operation of the left door 3 to open and close the left half of the opening 10 will be abbreviated as "the door 3 opens and closes the opening 10."

[0027] (door) The door 3 is supported by the slide mechanism 4 and the rotation support mechanism 5 so as to be able to open and close the opening 10. The door 3 can be moved between a retracted position and an advanced position by the slide mechanism 4. The retracted position is a position where the door 3, which has opened the opening 10, is retracted to the opposite side of the opening 10 in the cabinet body 2 and disposed on the rear wall 2e side of the cabinet body 2, thereby being stored inside the cabinet body 2. The advanced position is a position where the door 3 is on the opening 10 side of the cabinet body 2, and where the opening 10 can be closed by the door 3. The door 3 automatically moves between the retracted position and the advanced position by the slide mechanism 4.

[0028] In addition, the door 3 can be moved between an open position and a closed position by the rotation support mechanism 5. The open position is a position where the door 3 opens the opening 10 of the cabinet body 2. The closed position is a position where the door 3 closes the opening 10 of the cabinet body 2. The door 3 automatically moves between the open position and the closed position by the slide mechanism 4 and the rotation support mechanism 5. In the following description, the side of the door 3 that is supported by the slide mechanism 4 and the rotation support mechanism 5 is referred to as a base end 3a, and the side opposite to the base end 3a is referred to as a tip end 3b.

[0029] (Slide mechanism) The slide mechanism 4 is capable of moving the door 3 along the left side wall 2b of the cabinet body 2 between a retracted position and an advanced position of the door 3. The slide mechanism 4 includes a first rodless cylinder 12, a first linear guide 13, a second linear guide 14, a first slide plate 15, a second rodless cylinder 16, and a second slide plate 17.

[0030] The first rodless cylinder 12 is provided on the left side wall 2b of the cabinet body 2. The first rodless cylinder 12 includes a first cylinder body 21 and a first slider 22. The first cylinder body 21 is disposed in the center of the left side wall 2b in the vertical direction and faces the front-rear direction. A first piston (not shown) is housed inside the first cylinder body 21 so as to be movable by air pressure, and the first slider 22 is provided on the first piston. That is, the first rodless cylinder 12 is an air cylinder. The first slider 22 moves in the front-rear direction by air pressure along the first cylinder body 21 between the advanced position and the retracted position of the door 3. The first slider 22 is fixed to a portion 15a of the first slide plate 15 near the upper end.

[0031] The first linear guide 13 is provided on the left side wall 2b of the cabinet body 2 above the first rodless cylinder 12. The first linear guide 13 includes a first rail 24 and a first block 25. The first rail 24 is fixed along the front-rear direction on the left side wall 2b of the cabinet body 2 between the advanced position and the retracted position of the door 3. The first block 25 is supported so as to be able to move smoothly along the first rail 24 between the advanced position and the retracted position of the door 3. The first block 25 is fixed to an upper end portion 15b of the first slide plate 15.

[0032] The second linear guide 14 is provided on the left side wall 2b of the cabinet body 2 below the first rodless cylinder 12. The second linear guide 14 is configured similarly to the first linear guide 13, and includes a second rail 27 and a second block 28. The second rail 27 is fixed to the left side wall 2b of the cabinet body 2 between the advanced position and the retracted position of the door 3 along the front-rear direction. The second block 28 is supported so as to be able to move smoothly along the second rail 27 between the advanced position and the retracted position of the door 3. The second block 28 is fixed to a portion 15d of the first slide plate 15 near the lower end 15c.

[0033] The first slide plate 15 is fixed to the first slider 22 of the first rodless cylinder 12, the first block 25 of the first linear guide 13, and the second block 28 of the second linear guide 14. The first slide plate 15 is formed in a strip shape that extends linearly with a constant width. The first slide plate 15 is disposed in the up-down direction between a portion 2b1 near the lower end of the left side wall 2b and an upper portion 2b2 at the center in the up-down direction. A first support bracket 31, a second support bracket 32, a third support bracket 33, and a fourth support bracket 34 are fixed to the first slide plate 15.

[0034] The first support bracket 31 is disposed above the first linear guide 13. The second support bracket 32 ​​is disposed between the first linear guide 13 and the first rodless cylinder 12. The third support bracket 33 is disposed below the first rodless cylinder 12. The fourth support bracket 34 is disposed below the second linear guide 14. A hinge shaft 38 passes through the first support bracket 31, the second support bracket 32, the third support bracket 33, and the fourth support bracket 34. The first support bracket 31 to the fourth support bracket 34 are configured similarly.

[0035] The hinge shaft 38 is supported and arranged so as to be rotatable in the circumferential direction with respect to the first support bracket 31 to the fourth support bracket 34. The hinge shaft 38 is arranged facing in the vertical direction between the top 2d of the cabinet main body 2 and a portion close to the floor portion 2a. An upper end 38a of the hinge shaft 38 is supported to be rotatable in the circumferential direction relative to the first hinge portion 41. The first hinge portion 41 is attached to an upper end portion 3a1 at the base end portion 3a of the door 3. A lower end portion 38b of the hinge shaft 38 is supported to be rotatable in the circumferential direction relative to the second hinge portion 42. The second hinge portion 42 is attached to a portion 3a2 near the lower end portion at the base end portion 3a of the door 3. A central portion 38c of the hinge shaft 38 is supported to be rotatable in the circumferential direction relative to the third hinge portion 43. The third hinge portion 43 is attached to a center 3a3 at the base end portion 3a of the door 3. The first hinge portion 41, the second hinge portion 42, and the third hinge portion 43 function as torque hinges that stop the door 3 at any position by friction generated during opening and closing of the door 3, for example.

[0036] Here, the hinge shaft 38 is attached to the base end 3a of the door 3 via the first hinge portion 41, the second hinge portion 42, and the third hinge portion 43. The first slide plate 15 is connected to the hinge shaft 38 via the first support bracket 31 to the fourth support bracket 34. That is, the first slide plate 15 is connected to the base end 3a of the door 3 via the first support bracket 31 to the fourth support bracket 34, the hinge shaft 38, and the first hinge portion 41 to the third hinge portion 43. The first slide plate 15 is disposed in the lower half of the base end 3a of the door 3 in the up-down direction.

[0037] The second rodless cylinder 16 is configured similarly to the first rodless cylinder 12, and is provided on the left side wall 2b of the cabinet body 2. The second rodless cylinder 16 includes a second cylinder body 45 and a second slider 46. The second cylinder body 45 is disposed on the upper portion of the left side wall 2b facing the front-rear direction. A second piston (not shown) is housed inside the second cylinder body 45 so as to be movable by air pressure, and the second slider 46 is provided on the second piston. That is, the second rodless cylinder 16 is an air cylinder. The second slider 46 moves in the front-rear direction by air pressure along the second cylinder body 45 between the advanced position and the retreated position of the door 3. The second slider 46 is fixed to the center in the up-down direction on the second slide plate 17.

[0038] The second slide plate 17 is disposed on the upper part of the left side wall 2b facing in the vertical direction in a state where it is fixed to the second slider 46. A fifth support bracket 48 and a sixth support bracket 49 are fixed to the second slide plate 17. The fifth support bracket 48 is disposed above the second rodless cylinder 16. The sixth support bracket 49 is disposed below the second rodless cylinder 16. The hinge shaft 38 is supported by the fifth support bracket 48 and the sixth support bracket 49 so as to be rotatable in the circumferential direction while passing through them. The fifth support bracket 48 and the sixth support bracket 49 are configured similarly to the first support bracket 31 to the fourth support bracket 34.

[0039] The second sliding plate 17 is connected to the hinge shaft 38 via a fifth support bracket 48 and a sixth support bracket 49. That is, the second sliding plate 17 is connected to the base end portion 3a of the door 3 via the fifth support bracket 48, the sixth support bracket 49, the hinge shaft 38, and the first hinge portion 41 to the third hinge portion 43. The second sliding plate 17 is disposed at an upper portion of the base end portion 3a of the door 3.

[0040] In the slide mechanism 4, the first slide plate 15 and the second slide plate 17 are connected to the base end 3a of the door 3 by attaching the first hinge portion 41, the second hinge portion 42, and the third hinge portion 43 to the base end 3a of the door 3. In the slide mechanism 4, the first slider 22 of the first rodless cylinder 12 and the second slider 46 of the second rodless cylinder 16 are arranged at the same position in the vertical direction. The first slider 22 and the second slider 46 move synchronously between the advanced position and the retracted position of the door 3. That is, the first slide plate 15 and the second slide plate 17 move synchronously between the advanced position and the retracted position of the door 3 while being arranged at the same position in the vertical direction.

[0041] Specifically, the first slider 22 of the first rodless cylinder 12 moves between the advanced position and the retracted position of the door 3, whereby the first slide plate 15 moves between the advanced position and the retracted position of the door 3. Here, the first slide plate 15 is fixed to a first block 25 of the first linear guide 13 and a second block 28 of the second linear guide 14. Therefore, the first slide plate 15 is stably supported by the first linear guide 13 and the second linear guide 14. As a result, the first slide plate 15 moves smoothly and stably following the movement of the first slider 22.

[0042] In addition, the second slider 46 of the second rodless cylinder 16 moves between the advanced position and the retracted position of the door 3, whereby the second slide plate 17 moves between the advanced position and the retracted position of the door 3. Here, the second slider 46 is fixed to the second slide plate 17 at the center in the up-down direction. Therefore, the second slide plate 17 moves smoothly and stably following the movement of the second slider 46.

[0043] In this way, by moving the first sliding plate 15 and the second sliding plate 17 from the advanced position of the door 3 to the retracted position as shown by arrow A, the door 3 can be retracted (moved) backward along the left side wall 2b as shown by arrow A from the advanced position to the retracted position. In addition, by moving the first sliding plate 15 and the second sliding plate 17 from the retracted position of the door 3 to the advanced position as shown by arrow B, the door 3 can be advanced (moved) forward along the left side wall 2b as shown by arrow B from the retracted position to the advanced position.

[0044] In addition, the first slide plate 15 is connected to the lower half in the vertical direction at the base end 3a of the door 3 via the first support bracket 31 to the fourth support bracket 34, the hinge shaft 38, and the first hinge portion 41 to the third hinge portion 43. Furthermore, the second slide plate 17 is connected to the upper part at the base end 3a of the door 3 via the fifth support bracket 48, the sixth support bracket 49, the hinge shaft 38, and the first hinge portion 41 to the third hinge portion 43. Therefore, almost the entire area in the vertical direction at the base end 3a of the door 3 can be supported by the first slide plate 15 and the second slide plate 17. This allows the door 3 to be moved in parallel in the front-rear direction in a stable state by the slide mechanism 4 (specifically, the first rodless cylinder 12 and the second rodless cylinder 16).

[0045] (Rotational support mechanism) FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a rotation support mechanism of the cylinder cabinet according to the embodiment. As shown in Figs. 3 to 5, the rotation support mechanism 5 guides the door 3, which is moved by the slide mechanism 4, between a closed position and an open position so that the door 3 can be opened and closed, and supports the door 3 in a suspended state. The rotation support mechanism 5 includes a curved rail 52, a hanging portion 53, and a door connecting portion 54. The curved rail 52 is provided, for example, on the top portion 2d of the cabinet body 2 via a plurality of fixing portions 55. The curved rail 52 is disposed in the front-rear direction along the top portion 2d. In addition, when the door 3 is disposed in the retracted position, the curved rail 52 is located inside the cabinet body 2 with respect to the first hinge portion 41 and the door 3, and is disposed above the second slide plate 17.

[0046] The curved rail 52 has a rail straight section 56 and a rail curved section (curved section) 57. The rail straight section 56 is disposed in the front-rear direction along the second rodless cylinder 16. A rear end section 57a ​​of the rail curved section 57 is provided at a front end section 56a of the rail straight section 56. That is, the rear end section 57a ​​of the rail curved section 57 is formed at the same position as the front end section 56a of the rail straight section 56. The rail curved section 57 extends in a curved shape toward the center of the opening 10 from the rear end section 57a ​​to the front end section 57b as it moves toward the opening 10. A hanging section 53 is supported on the curved rail 52.

[0047] The suspending portion 53 includes a moving portion 61 and a suspending shaft 62. The moving portion 61 is supported movably along the curved rail 52 between the rear end portion 56b of the rail straight portion 56 and the front end portion 57b of the rail curved portion 57. The moving unit 61 includes, for example, a pair of first rollers 64, 64 and a pair of second rollers 65, 65 connected by a pair of connecting blocks 66, 66. The moving unit 61 is supported by the pair of first rollers 64, 64 and the pair of second rollers 65, 65 so as to be movable along the curved rail 52. In addition, the moving unit 61 includes, for example, a support block 67 attached to a pair of shafts 68, and is disposed below the curved rail 52. A suspension shaft 62 extends downward from the support block 67.

[0048] The door connecting part 54 is connected to the suspension shaft 62 so as to be rotatable in the circumferential direction of the suspension shaft 62. The door connecting part 54 is fixed to the upper end part 3a1 of the door 3. In other words, the upper end part 3a1 of the door 3 is suspended from the curved rail 52 via the suspension shaft 62 and the door connecting part 54. Therefore, the weight of the door 3 can be supported by the curved rail 52 of the rotation support mechanism 5. In other words, the door 3 can be supported by the rotation support mechanism 5. When the first rodless cylinder 12 and the second rodless cylinder 16 move the door 3 between the advanced position and the retracted position, the moving portion 61 moves between the rear end portion 56b of the rail straight portion 56 and the front end portion 57b of the rail curved portion 57 in response to the movement of the door 3.

[0049] Here, the door 3 advances to the advanced position by the first rodless cylinder 12 and the second rodless cylinder 16, and the moving part 61 (i.e., the suspended part 53) moves to the front end part 57b of the rail curved part 57 following the advanced movement of the door 3. In this state, the door 3 is disposed at the closed position where it closes the opening 10. Furthermore, as the door 3 is retracted from the advanced position to the retracted position by the first rodless cylinder 12 and the second rodless cylinder 16, the moving part 61 moves to the rear end 57a of the rail curved part 57 following the retracting movement of the door 3. In this state, the door 3 is disposed at the open position that opens the opening 10. That is, the rail curved part 57 guides the door 3 so that it can be opened and closed as the moving part 61 moves between the front end 57b and the rear end 57a along the rail curved part 57 following the movement of the door 3.

[0050] Furthermore, as the door 3 is retracted to the retracted position by the first rodless cylinder 12 and the second rodless cylinder 16, the moving part 61 moves to the rear end part 56b of the rail straight part 56 following the retraction operation of the door 3. In this state, the door 3 is disposed along the left side wall 2b inside the cabinet main body 2, and the tip part 3b of the door 3 is disposed flush with the opening 10. In other words, the door 3 is retracted inside the cabinet main body 2.

[0051] (Trolley) As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, a dolly 6 is provided at the lower end 15c of the first slide plate 15 of the slide mechanism 4. The dolly 6 includes a dolly body 72, rollers 73, and suspensions 73s. The dolly body 72 is provided at the lower end 15c of the first slide plate 15. The rollers 73 are provided on the dolly body 72 via suspensions 73s. The rollers 73 are placed on a floor 2a of the cabinet body 2, and move in the front-rear direction, for example, along a guide rail (not shown) provided on the floor 2a. The rollers 73 are supported by the suspensions 73s so as to be movable in a direction intersecting the floor 2a.

[0052] The dolly 6 is provided on the lower end portion 15c of the first sliding plate 15, and thereby moves in the front-rear direction together with the first sliding plate 15 between the advanced position and the retracted position of the door 3. The first sliding plate 15 is connected to the base end portion 3a of the door 3 via a first hinge portion 41, a second hinge portion 42, and a third hinge portion 43. In other words, the dolly 6 is provided on the first sliding plate 15 so as to be movable following the door 3.

[0053] Therefore, the dolly 6 can guide the opening and closing of the door 3, thereby enabling the door 3 to operate smoothly. In addition, the dolly 6 can stabilize the door 3 by suppressing unexpected movement of the door 3, by being placed on the floor portion 2a. Furthermore, the rollers 73 are provided on the cart body 72 via suspensions 73s. Therefore, the cart 6 can flexibly accommodate the floor portion 2a when the floor portion 2a is inclined, for example, because the floor FL on which the cylinder cabinet 1 is installed is inclined.

[0054] (position sensor) The position sensor (not shown) is, for example, a cylinder position sensor that detects the position of at least one of the first slider 22 of the first rodless cylinder 12 and the second slider 46 of the second rodless cylinder 16. By detecting the position of at least one of the first slider 22 and the second slider 46 with the position sensor, it is possible to know, for example, that the door 3 is placed in a closed position, an open position, a retracted position, an advanced position, etc. As a result, by providing a position signal to the conveyance system via the control device of the cylinder cabinet 1, the position status of the door 3 can be determined. The control device of the cylinder cabinet 1 controls the operation of the first rodless cylinder 12, the second rodless cylinder 16, and the like provided in the slide mechanism 4, based on the position state of the door 3 detected by the position sensor.

[0055] The control device controls the operation of the first rodless cylinder 12, the second rodless cylinder 16, etc., so as to open the door 3 based on an operation signal of an opening start switch (not shown), for example. The control device also controls the operation of the first rodless cylinder 12, the second rodless cylinder 16, etc., so as to close the door 3 based on an operation signal of a closing start switch (not shown), for example.

[0056] The control device controls the operation of the first rodless cylinder 12, the second rodless cylinder 16, etc., to open the door 3 based on, for example, the approach of the cylinder transport cart to the cylinder cabinet 1. The cylinder transport cart carries in and out the gas cylinders GB stored in the cylinder cabinet 1. The control device also controls the operation of the first rodless cylinder 12, the second rodless cylinder 16, etc., to close the door 3 based on, for example, the movement of the cylinder transport cart away from the cylinder cabinet 1.

[0057] (area sensor) An area sensor (not shown) detects the movement range of the door 3. By detecting the periphery of the movement range of the door 3 with the area sensor, it is possible to detect obstacles around the movement range before the door 3 is opened or closed. In particular, when air cylinders are used for the first rodless cylinder 12 and the second rodless cylinder 16 in the slide mechanism 4, it is difficult to stop the first rodless cylinder 12 and the second rodless cylinder 16 during the operation of the door 3. For this reason, it is preferable to detect obstacles around the movement range.

[0058] (Warning section) When an obstacle is detected by the area sensor, the warning unit (not shown) can inform people around the movement range of the opening or closing of the door 3. In this way, the warning unit can be used in combination with the area sensor that detects the movement range of the door 3. In this way, when an obstacle is detected around the movement range, it is possible to inform people around the movement range of the opening or closing of the door 3 before opening or closing the door 3, for example.

[0059] (Selector switch) The cylinder cabinet 1 is provided with a changeover switch (not shown). The changeover switch (not shown) is a switch that switches the opening and closing operation of the door 3 between "automatic" and "manual." That is, it is considered that there may be cases where the door 3 of the cylinder cabinet 1 needs to be opened and closed "manually." Therefore, by providing a changeover switch (not shown), it is possible to appropriately handle the cases where the door 3 needs to be opened and closed manually.

[0060] (Door opening and closing operation) Next, an operation for automatically opening and closing the door 3 of the cylinder cabinet 1 will be described with reference to Figures 3, 4, and 6. In the description of the operation for automatically opening and closing the door 3, the description of the position sensor, area sensor, and warning unit will be omitted. First, the operation of automatically opening the door 3 of the cylinder cabinet 1 from the closed position will be described. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the opening of the cylinder cabinet according to the embodiment is closed with a door. As shown in Fig. 6, the door 3 of the cylinder cabinet 1 is placed in the closed position, and the opening 10 is closed by the door 3. In a state in which the opening 10 is closed by the door 3, the first slide plate 15 and the second slide plate 17 are placed in the advanced position of the door 3. In addition, the hanging portion 53 is placed at the front end portion 57b of the rail curved portion 57. In this state, for example, by operating an opening start switch (not shown), the opening operation of the door 3 is started.

[0061] 3 and 6, by operating the opening start switch, etc., the first slider 22 of the first rodless cylinder 12 provided in the slide mechanism 4 moves from the advanced position of the door 3 to the retracted position at the rear. At the same time, the second slider 46 of the second rodless cylinder 16 provided in the slide mechanism 4 moves from the advanced position of the door 3 to the retracted position at the rear. Therefore, the first slide plate 15 and the second slide plate 17 move from the advanced position of the door 3 to the retracted position at the rear as indicated by arrow A. As the first slide plate 15 and the second slide plate 17 move backward, the hanging portion 53 moves backward from the front end portion 57b of the rail curved portion 57 along the rail curved portion 57 as indicated by arrow C. Therefore, the door 3 can be opened from the closed position with the hinge shaft 38 as an axis as indicated by arrow D.

[0062] By continuing to move the first sliding plate 15 and the second sliding plate 17 backward, the hanging portion 53 moves along the rail curved portion 57 to the rear end 57a of the rail curved portion 57 as indicated by arrow C. By moving the hanging portion 53 to the rear end 57a of the rail curved portion 57, the door 3 continues to open to the open position with the hinge shaft 38 as an axis as indicated by arrow D. By opening the door 3 to the open position as indicated by arrow D, the door 3 is disposed parallel to the left side wall 2b of the cabinet main body 2.

[0063] 3 and 4, the first slide plate 15 and the second slide plate 17 continue to move backward to the retreated position as indicated by arrow A. As a result, the hanging portion 53 moves from the rear end 57a of the rail curved portion 57 through the rail straight portion 56 to the rear end 56b of the rail straight portion 56 as indicated by arrow E. As the hanging portion 53 moves to the rear end 56b of the rail straight portion 56, the tip portion 3b of the door 3 is positioned flush (or approximately flush) with the opening 10. Therefore, the door 3 retreats inside the cabinet main body 2, and the opening 10 of the cylinder cabinet 1 is opened. The retracted door 3 is disposed along the left side wall 2b inside the cabinet body 2. This completes the operation of automatically opening the door 3 of the cylinder cabinet 1 from the closed position to the open position.

[0064] Next, an operation for automatically closing the door 3 of the cylinder cabinet 1 from the open position will be described. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the door 3 of the cylinder cabinet 1 is placed in the retracted position, and the opening 10 is opened by the door 3. In this state, for example, by operating a closing start switch (not shown), the closing operation of the door 3 is started. By operating the closing start switch, the first slider 22 of the first rodless cylinder 12 provided in the slide mechanism 4 moves from the retracted position of the door 3 to the forward advanced position. At the same time, the second slider 46 of the second rodless cylinder 16 provided in the slide mechanism 4 moves from the retracted position of the door 3 to the forward advanced position. Therefore, the first slide plate 15 and the second slide plate 17 move from the retracted position of the door 3 to the forward advanced position as indicated by arrow B.

[0065] As the first slide plate 15 and the second slide plate 17 move forward, the suspension portion 53 moves forward as shown by arrow F from the rear end portion 56b of the rail straight portion 56, through the rail straight portion 56, to the rear end portion 57a ​​of the rail curved portion 57. As the first slide plate 15 and the second slide plate 17 continue to move forward, the suspended portion 53 moves from the rear end portion 57a ​​of the rail curved portion 57 along the rail curved portion 57 as indicated by arrow G.

[0066] As shown in Figures 3 and 6, the suspension part 53 moves along the rail curved part 57 as indicated by arrow G, and the door 3 moves around the hinge shaft 38 as indicated by arrow H in the direction to close the opening 10. The suspension part 53 moves to the front end part 57b of the rail curved part 57, and thus the door 3 moves to the closed position. The door 3 that has moved to the closed position closes the opening 10 in the cabinet main body 2. This completes the operation of automatically closing the door 3 of the cylinder cabinet 1 from the retracted position to the closed position.

[0067] According to the cylinder cabinet 1 of the embodiment described above, as shown in Figures 3, 4 and 6, by operating an opening start switch (not shown) or the like, the door 3 can be rotated by the slide mechanism 4 and the rotation support mechanism 5 to automatically open the opening 10. Furthermore, the opened door 3 can be automatically retreated into the cabinet main body 2 by the slide mechanism 4. In this state, the door 3 is stored inside the cabinet main body 2. In addition, by operating a closing start switch (not shown), the opened door 3 can be automatically advanced to the opening 10 side by the slide mechanism 4 and the rotary support mechanism 5. Furthermore, the door 3 advanced to the opening 10 side can be rotated by the slide mechanism 4 and the rotary support mechanism 5 to automatically close the opening 10. This allows the door 3 of the cylinder cabinet 1 to be opened and closed automatically. Therefore, there is no need to manually open and close the door 3 to open and close the opening 10 of the cylinder cabinet 1. As a result, the cylinder cabinet 1 can contribute to the automation of loading and unloading the gas cylinder GB.

[0068] In addition, the opened door 3 can be retracted by the slide mechanism 4 and the rotation support mechanism 5 and stored inside the cabinet body 2. Therefore, the front opening 10 can be made fully flat in front of the cabinet body 2. This prevents the door 3 from getting in the way when a cylinder transport cart (not shown) used for automating the loading and unloading of the gas cylinder GB approaches the opening 10. This prevents the movement of the cylinder transport cart from being impeded. Also, the cylinder transport cart can be appropriately docked (contacted) with the opening 10. This makes it possible to accommodate the cylinder transport cart, which can more appropriately contribute to the automation of loading and unloading the gas cylinder GB.

[0069] Here, the verticality of the cabinet body 2 depends on the smoothness of the floor FL on which it is installed. For example, if the floor FL on which the cabinet body 2 is installed is inclined, the cabinet body 2 is installed at an angle. In this case, when opening and closing the door 3 with the sliding mechanism 4, the door 3 may get caught on the sliding mechanism 4, which may cause problems with opening and closing the door 3 with the sliding mechanism 4.

[0070] Therefore, the door 3 is supported in a suspended state by the rotation support mechanism 5. Therefore, for example, even if the cabinet body 2 is installed at an angle to the floor FL, the influence from the floor FL can be minimized and the door 3 can be stably supported by the rotation support mechanism 5. This allows the door 3 to be opened and closed smoothly without any hindrance by the slide mechanism 4 and the rotation support mechanism 5, and the opening and closing of the door 3 provided on the cylinder cabinet 1 can be automated more suitably.

[0071] In addition, the curved rail 52 of the rotation support mechanism 5 is provided on the top 2d of the cabinet body 2. Furthermore, the door 3 is suspended from a hanging portion 53 that is movable along the curved rail 52. In this manner, by providing the curved rail 52 on the top 2d of the cabinet body 2, the upper end portion 3a1 of the door 3 can be suspended from the curved rail 52. That is, the weight of the door 3 can be supported by the curved rail 52. Therefore, for example, even if the cabinet body 2 is installed at an angle, the door 3 can be stably supported by the curved rail 52. As a result, the door 3 can be opened and closed without any problems by the slide mechanism 4 and the rotation support mechanism 5, and the opening and closing of the door 3 provided in the cylinder cabinet 1 can be automated more suitably.

[0072] Furthermore, the door 3 is guided so as to be able to be opened and closed by moving the moving portion 61 (i.e., the hanging portion 53) on the rail curved portion 57 of the curved rail 52. Therefore, when the door 3 is opened or closed, the door 3 can be supported in a suspended state by the rail curved portion 57 of the curved rail 52. This allows the door 3 to be stably supported by the curved rail 52, and the door 3 can be opened and closed without any hindrance.

[0073] In addition, a dolly 6 is provided at the lower end 15c of the first slide plate 15 of the slide mechanism 4, allowing the dolly 6 to follow the door 3. The slide mechanism 4 is connected to the base end 3a of the door 3 by attaching the first hinge portion 41, the second hinge portion 42, and the third hinge portion 43 to the base end 3a of the door 3. The door 3 can be smoothly operated by guiding the opening and closing of the door 3 with the dolly 6. Furthermore, by placing the dolly 6 on the floor portion 2a, the movement of the door 3 can be suppressed by the dolly 6, thereby stabilizing the door 3.

[0074] In addition, the rollers 73 of the dolly 6 are provided on the dolly body 72 via suspensions 73s, and the rollers 73 are movable in a direction intersecting with the floor 2a (i.e., vertical direction). Therefore, for example, when the dolly 6 is moved to follow the door 3, the rollers 73 can be moved in the vertical direction in correspondence with the floor 2a. That is, for example, when the floor 2a is inclined because the floor FL on which the cylinder cabinet 1 is installed is inclined, the dolly 6 can be flexibly adapted to the floor 2a. This allows the door 3 to be opened and closed without hindrance by the slide mechanism 4 and the rotation support mechanism 5, and the opening and closing of the door 3 provided on the cylinder cabinet 1 can be automated more suitably.

[0075] Here, when the cylinder cabinet 1 is provided with a slide mechanism 4 and a rotation support mechanism 5 for opening and closing the door 3, it is also possible to provide the slide mechanism 4 and the rotation support mechanism 5 on the outside of the cabinet body 2. However, for example, as shown in Fig. 1, there are cases where a plurality of cylinder cabinets 1 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction on a floor FL on which the cylinder cabinet 1 is installed. In this case, in order to install a plurality of cylinder cabinets 1 on the floor FL, the interval between adjacent cylinder cabinets 1 is kept relatively narrow. This narrows the space available for performing maintenance on the slide mechanism 4 and the rotation support mechanism 5 provided outside the cabinet body 2. This may make maintenance of the slide mechanism 4 and the rotation support mechanism 5 difficult.

[0076] Therefore, the slide mechanism 4 and the rotation support mechanism 5 are provided inside the cabinet body 2 (i.e., in the storage space S for storing the gas cylinder GB). The storage space S for the gas cylinder GB is formed to be a relatively large space compared to the gas cylinder GB in order to smoothly carry in and out the gas cylinder GB. Therefore, even when multiple cylinder cabinets 1 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction (see FIG. 1), it is possible to ensure sufficient space for performing maintenance on the slide mechanism 4 and the rotation support mechanism 5. This makes it possible to improve the maintainability of the slide mechanism 4 and the rotation support mechanism 5.

[0077] In addition, the first rodless cylinder 12 and the second rodless cylinder 16 provided in the slide mechanism 4 are air cylinders. Therefore, the slide mechanism 4 can be operated by air. This makes it possible to provide a preferable drive source for the gas cylinder GB stored in the cylinder cabinet 1. Furthermore, by providing an adjuster (speed controller) or an orifice at the utility inlet (not shown) of the first rodless cylinder 12 and the second rodless cylinder 16, the opening and closing speed of the door 3 can be adjusted. In addition, since there is a possibility that the doors 3 of multiple cylinder cabinets 1 will be opened and closed simultaneously, it is preferable to provide pressure accumulators (buffer tanks) for the first rodless cylinder 12 and the second rodless cylinder 16 to ensure that there is no shortage of operating air. In the embodiment, the first rodless cylinder 12 and the second rodless cylinder 16 operated by air pressure are described as an example of the drive source of the slide mechanism 4, but an electric motor or the like may be used as the drive source instead of the air pressure drive source.

[0078] Also, a position sensor is provided to determine the positional condition of the door 3. This contributes to smooth control of the door 3 by the control device based on the positional condition of the door 3.

[0079] Also, an area sensor is provided that detects the movement range of the door 3. This makes it possible to detect obstacles located within the movement range of the door 3. Therefore, for example, by controlling the opening and closing of the door 3 in accordance with the detection of an obstacle, it is possible to prevent the door 3 from interfering with the obstacle.

[0080] In addition, a warning unit is provided that, when an obstacle is detected by the area sensor, notifies people around the movement range that the door 3 is opening or closing. This can contribute to, for example, opening and closing the door 3 safely.

[0081] The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0082] In addition, within the scope of the invention, the components in the above-described embodiments may be replaced with well-known components, and the above-described modified examples may be combined as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1...Cylinder cabinet 2...Cabinet body 2a...Floor 2b...Left wall of cabinet body (side wall of cabinet body) 2d...Top of cabinet body 3...Door 4...Slide mechanism 5...Rotary support mechanism 6...Cart 10...Opening 52...Curved rail 53...Suspension part 61...Moving part 72...Cart body 73...Roller GB...Gas cylinder S...Storage space (inside of cabinet body)

Claims

1. a cabinet body capable of storing a gas cylinder that is in use or will be used and having an opening for carrying in and out the gas cylinder; A door for opening and closing the opening; a slide mechanism capable of moving the door along a side wall of the cabinet body between a retracted position where the door is retracted to an opposite side of the opening in the cabinet body and an advanced position where the opening can be closed by the door; a rotating support mechanism that guides the door, which is moved by the sliding mechanism, between a closed position that closes the opening and an open position that opens the opening so that the door can be opened and closed, and that supports the door in a suspended state.

2. The rotation support mechanism includes: A curved rail is provided on the top of the cabinet body to guide the door so that the door can be opened and closed. A hanging part that is movable along the curved rail and hangs the door, The cylinder cabinet according to claim 1 , wherein the door is opened and closed by moving the hanging portion along the curved rail in response to movement of the door by the slide mechanism.

3. a carriage provided on the slide mechanism and capable of following the door along a floor portion of the cabinet body; The cart is A carriage body provided on the slide mechanism; The cylinder cabinet according to claim 1 , further comprising: a roller provided on the carriage body via a suspension so as to be movable in a direction intersecting the floor portion.

4. The cylinder cabinet according to claim 1 , wherein the rotation support mechanism and the slide mechanism are provided inside the cabinet body.

5. The cylinder cabinet according to claim 1 , wherein the sliding mechanism comprises an air cylinder for moving the door along the side wall.

6. The cylinder cabinet according to claim 1 , further comprising a position sensor for determining a positional condition of the door.

7. The cylinder cabinet according to claim 1 , further comprising an area sensor that detects a movement range of the door.

8. The cylinder cabinet according to claim 7 , further comprising an alarm unit that notifies people around the movement range that the door is open or closed when an obstacle is detected by the area sensor.

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