Container moving device

Abstract

To provide a container moving device capable of properly drawing out a container from a shelf even if the container is shifted or inclined from the correct position.SOLUTION: A container moving device which moves a container 18 stored on a shelf in and out includes: a protrusion 34 that protrudes toward a recess 64 provided in the container 18; and moving means that moves the protrusion 34 in a predetermined direction in a state where the protrusion 34 is hooked into the recess 64, and draws out the container 18 from the shelf 16.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a container moving device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a technology is known in which shelves carrying containers for storing items are transported and placed in a fixed position by an automatic transport device such as an AGV (Automatic Guided Vehicle) or an AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot), and the containers are then pulled out of the shelves or placed into the shelves using a container moving device (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-181623 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above technology, the accuracy of placing the shelves transported by the automated transport device in the fixed position is important. If this accuracy is low, the container will be misaligned or tilted from the correct position, making it difficult to properly pull the container out of the shelf. In particular, AMRs that autonomously search for and travel on a route tend to have lower shelf accuracy than AGVs that travel on a route determined in advance by magnetic tape or other means. In addition, there are cases where containers are stored on the shelves in a rubbed or tilted state.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a container moving device that can properly pull a container out of a shelf even if the container is misaligned or tilted from the correct position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a container moving device of one embodiment of the present invention is a container moving device for moving containers stored on a shelf in and out, and is equipped with a protrusion that protrudes toward a recess provided in the container, and a moving means for moving the protrusion in a predetermined direction while the protrusion is hooked into the recess, thereby pulling the container out of the shelf.

[0007] Any combination of the above components, or mutual substitution of the components or expressions of the present invention between methods, devices, systems, etc. are also valid aspects of the present invention. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, a container moving device can be provided that can properly pull out a container from a shelf even if the container is displaced or tilted from the correct position. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a container insertion / removal device using a container moving device. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of a container moving device according to the present embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic plan view of a container moving device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] 5(a) and 5(b) are diagrams showing a state in which the protrusion of the container moving device is hooked onto a recess formed in the bottom surface of the container. [Figure 6] 13 is a diagram showing a state in which a protrusion of the container moving device is hooked into a recess formed in the bottom surface of the container when the container is tilted. FIG. [Figure 7] 7(a) and 7(b) are diagrams showing the shape of the tip of the protrusion. [Figure 8] 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining a swing mechanism and a centering mechanism. [Figure 9] 13 is a diagram showing a state in which the pivoted protrusion is hooked into a recess formed in the bottom surface of the container. FIG. [Figure 10] 11A to 11C are diagrams for explaining a container pushing-out operation performed by the container moving device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 11] 13 is a diagram for explaining the operation when the transfer of the container to the shelf is completed. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, the same or equivalent components and members shown in each drawing are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations are omitted as appropriate. Also, the dimensions of the members in each drawing are enlarged or reduced as appropriate for ease of understanding. Also, some of the members that are not important for explaining the embodiment are omitted in each drawing.

[0011] Fig. 1 shows a container taking-in and taking-out device 11 using a container moving device 10. Fig. 1 shows a state in which a container 18 is drawn out from a shelf 16 placed in front of the container taking-in and taking-out device 11.

[0012] The shelf 16 is configured so that a plurality of containers 18 can be arranged in the vertical direction. There is no particular limit to the number of containers 18 that can be arranged on the shelf 16. The containers 18 arranged on the shelf 16 are boxes having a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and are configured so that articles can be stored therein.

[0013] The shelf 16 includes a plurality of shelf plates 20, support members 22, and legs 24. The plurality of shelf plates 20 are supported in the vertical direction by the support members 22 at intervals that allow the containers 18 to be stacked therebetween. In this embodiment, the shelf plates 20 have a rectangular shape. The support members 22 are provided at the corners of the shelf plates 20. The legs 24 extend downward from the corners of the lowest shelf plate 20. The support members 22 and the legs 24 may be configured as an integral member. In this embodiment, four support members and legs 24 are used.

[0014] The shelf 16 is configured to be transportable by the automatic transport device 14. The length of the legs 24 is longer than the height of the automatic transport device 14 so that the automatic transport device 14 can get under the lowest shelf board 20.

[0015] The automatic transport device 14 is configured to be capable of transporting the shelf 16. The automatic transport device 14 may be an AGV or an AMR. The automatic transport device 14 is equipped with a lift mechanism 26 and wheels 28. The automatic transport device 14 can transport the shelf 16 by lifting the lowest shelf board 20 with the lift mechanism 26 to raise the legs 24 above the floor surface G.

[0016] The container taking-in and taking-out device 11 is configured to be able to pull out the container 18 from the shelf 16 and to push the container 18 into the shelf 16. The container taking-in and taking-out device 11 includes the container moving device 10, a housing 30, and a transfer device 32. The housing 30 is formed by combining a plurality of columnar members and is configured, for example, in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0017] The transfer device 32 is configured to be able to move the container 18 in one direction (the X direction in FIG. 1). The transfer device 32 may be a roller conveyor device equipped with a plurality of rollers. The transfer device 32 is configured to be able to rise and fall within the housing 30 from a height corresponding to the lowest shelf board 20 of the shelf 16 to a height corresponding to the uppermost shelf board 20.

[0018] The container moving device 10 is incorporated in the transfer device 32 and can be raised and lowered together with the transfer device 32. The container moving device 10 is configured to be able to perform the operations of pulling out a container 18 from the shelf 16 and placing it on the transfer device 32, and pushing out the container 18 from the transfer device 32 and placing it on a shelf board 20 of the shelf 16. Fig. 1 shows a state in which a container 18 stored on the second highest level of the shelf 16 is pulled out by the container moving device 10 and placed on the transfer device 32. By raising and lowering the transfer device 32, the containers 18 stored on all levels of the shelf 16 can be taken in and out.

[0019] Fig. 2 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the container moving device 10 according to this embodiment. Fig. 3 is a schematic plan view of the container moving device 10 according to this embodiment. This container moving device 10 is capable of loading and unloading containers stored on a shelf 16 and having a recess on the bottom surface.

[0020] The container moving device 10 comprises a protrusion 34, a protrusion support member 36, a push-in spring mechanism 38, an up-down spring mechanism 40, a swivel mechanism 42, a centering mechanism 44, a lifting electric actuator 46, a ball screw 48, a motor 50, a base member 52, and a control unit 54.

[0021] The protrusion 34 is configured to protrude toward a recess provided on the bottom surface of the container 18. The protrusion 34 can also be called a "claw portion" or a "hooking claw portion". Depending on the size of the container 18, the height of the protrusion 34 may be about 10 mm to 30 mm. The protrusion support member 36 is a plate-shaped member extending in one direction (Y direction in FIG. 2), and the protrusion support member 36 is provided at one end (tip) of the plate-shaped member. The pushing spring mechanism 38 is provided on the protrusion support member 36. The pushing spring mechanism 38 is used when pushing the container 18 into the shelf 16.

[0022] The swivel mechanism 42 axially supports the other end of the protrusion support member 36 so that the protrusion support member 36 can swivel. A centering mechanism 44 is provided near the swivel mechanism 42. The centering mechanism 44 positions the protrusion 34 at a neutral position within the swivel range. The vertical spring mechanism 40 is provided coaxially with the swivel mechanism 42, and urges the protrusion 34 toward the bottom surface of the container 18. The vertical spring mechanism 40 is provided on a base member 52, and supports the protrusion support member 36.

[0023] When the container moving device 10, the protrusion 34, the protrusion support member 36, the pushing spring mechanism 38, the up-down spring mechanism 40, the swinging mechanism 42 and the centering mechanism 44 are considered as one moving unit, the container moving device 10 has two moving units (a first moving unit 56A and a second moving unit 56B). The first moving unit 56A is provided at one end of the base member 52 in the X direction, and the second moving unit 56B is provided at the other end of the base member 52 in the X direction. The number of moving units is not limited to two, and may be one, or three or more.

[0024] The base member 52 is supported by an electric lifting actuator 46. The electric lifting actuator 46 is configured to be able to lift and lower the base member 52 in the Z direction.

[0025] The ball screw 48 is a component that converts rotational motion into linear motion, and includes a screw shaft 58 and a nut 60. The screw shaft 58 is connected to the motor 50 and rotates when driven by the motor 50. When the screw shaft 58 rotates, the nut 60 moves linearly in the Y direction. The lifting electric actuator 46 is attached to the nut 60. By rotating the motor 50, the first moving unit 56A and the second moving unit 56B can be moved linearly in the Y direction.

[0026] The control unit 54 controls the rotation of the motor 50. By controlling the rotation of the motor 50, it is possible to control the linear motion in the Y direction of the first moving unit 56A and the second moving unit 56B via the ball screw 48. The control unit 54 also controls the lifting and lowering motion of the lifting electric actuator 46.

[0027] 4 is a schematic plan view of the transfer device 32. As described above, the transfer device 32 is a roller conveyor device equipped with a plurality of rollers 62. The container moving device 10 according to this embodiment is incorporated into the transfer device 32 so that the first moving unit 56A and the second moving unit 56B are accommodated between the rollers 62. The base member 52, the oscillating mechanism 42, the ball screw 48, and the like are disposed below the rollers 62. The first moving unit 56A and the second moving unit 56B pass between the rollers 62 to insert and remove the container 18.

[0028] 5(a) and 5(b) show a state in which the protrusion 34 of the container moving device is hooked onto a recess 64 formed in the bottom surface 18a of the container 18. In FIG.

[0029] As shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b), the bottom surface 18a of the container 18 has a mesh structure and is provided with a plurality of recesses 64. In this specification, the term "recess" includes both recesses with and without a bottom surface (i.e., through holes). Here, the mesh structure of the bottom surface 18a of the container 18 is in the form of a square lattice, but the shape of the lattice is not particularly limited.

[0030] When pulling out a container 18 stored on the shelf 16, first, the motor 50 is rotated to move the protruding portion 34 in the +Y direction, and the protruding portion 34 is caused to slide below the bottom surface 18a of the container 18. Then, the lifting electric actuator 46 is raised in the +Z direction to hook the protruding portion 34 into the recess 64 in the bottom surface 18a of the container 18. At this time, the protruding portion 34 is biased toward the container 18 by the up-down spring mechanism 40. Then, with the protruding portion 34 hooked into the recess 64, the motor 50 is rotated in the reverse direction to move the protruding portion 34 in the -Y direction, and the container 18 can be pulled out from the shelf 16.

[0031] 6 shows a state in which the protrusion 34 of the container moving device is hooked onto a recess 64 formed on the bottom surface 18a of the container 18 when the container 18 is tilted. When the container 18 is tilted in this manner, for example, a method of pulling out the container 18 by suction may not be able to properly suck the side of the container 18, making it difficult to pull the container 18 out of the shelf 16. With the container moving device 10 according to this embodiment, if the protrusion 34 can be hooked onto any of the multiple recesses 64 formed on the bottom surface 18a of the container 18, the container 18 can be reliably pulled out of the shelf 16.

[0032] 7(a) and 7(b) show the shape of the tip 34a of the protrusion 34. When the protrusion 34 is hooked on the recess 64 on the bottom surface of the container, the tip 34a of the protrusion 34 may interfere with the wall 64a surrounding the recess 64. To deal with this, as shown in FIG. 7(a), the tip 34a of the protrusion 34 may be spherical (semispherical). Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the tip 34a of the protrusion 34 may be tapered (tapered). By forming the tip 34a in such a shape, the tip 34a becomes easier to slide against the wall 64a, so that the interference between the tip 34a and the wall 64a is eliminated, and the tip 34a can be smoothly inserted into the recess 64.

[0033] Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining the swivel mechanism 42 and the centering mechanism 44. Fig. 8 shows a protrusion support member 36 having a protrusion 34 at one end. The swivel mechanism 42 supports the other end of the protrusion support member 36 so that it can rotate horizontally around a swivel rotation shaft 42a. The swivel range θ of the protrusion 34 may be, for example, about 10° to 30°.

[0034] The centering mechanism 44 includes two ball plungers 44a, 44b. The two ball plungers 44a, 44b are disposed so as to sandwich the protrusion support member 36 therebetween, and urge the protrusion 34 toward the neutral position N.

[0035] 9 shows the state in which the swiveled protrusion 34 is hooked into a recess 64 formed in the bottom surface 18a of the container 18. When the protrusion 34 is hooked into the recess 64 in the bottom surface of the container, the tip 34a of the protrusion 34 may interfere with the wall 64a surrounding the recess 64. By making the protrusion 34 swivellable, it is possible to eliminate the interference between the tip 34a and the wall 64a and to smoothly insert the tip 34a into the recess 64.

[0036] After the container 18 has been removed, the lifting electric actuator 46 is lowered in the -Z direction to remove the protrusion 34 from the recess 64. If the protrusion 34 is swiveled as shown in FIG. 9 at that time, the centering mechanism 44 returns the protrusion 34 to the neutral position. In the case of drawing out the container 18 using the container moving device 10 according to the present embodiment, the position of the recess 64 on the bottom surface of the container on which the protrusion 34 is hooked is not constant. Therefore, the amount of movement of the protrusion 34 may be controlled according to the position of the recess 64 on which the protrusion 34 is hooked. For example, when the protrusion 34 is hooked on the recess 64 at a shallow position (close to the side wall) on the bottom surface of the container, the amount of movement of the protrusion 34 is increased, and when the protrusion 34 is hooked on the recess 64 at a deep position (far from the side wall) on the bottom surface of the container, the amount of movement of the protrusion 34 is increased. By performing such control, the container 18 can be suitably drawn out from the shelf 16. The hook position of the recess 64 can be detected by a technique such as image recognition. Moreover, the amount of movement of the recess 64 can be controlled by the control unit 54 controlling the amount of rotation of the motor 50.

[0037] 10 is a diagram for explaining the operation of pushing out the container 18 by the container moving device 10 according to this embodiment. The operation of pulling out the container 18 from the shelf 16 and placing it on the transfer device 32 has been described above. The container moving device 10 according to this embodiment can also perform the operation of pushing out the container 18 from the transfer device 32 and placing it on the shelf board 20 of the shelf 16. In the container moving device 10 according to this embodiment, the operation of pushing out the container 18 is performed by a push-in spring mechanism 38.

[0038] The pushing spring mechanism 38 is provided on the protrusion support member 36. The pushing spring mechanism 38 can also move in the Y direction together with the movement of the moving unit including the protrusion support member 36. The pushing spring mechanism 38 includes a pressing portion 66 that presses against the container 18, a pushing spring 68 that urges the pressing portion 66 toward the container 18, a stop switch 70, and a movable portion 72.

[0039] To push the container 18 placed on the transfer device 32 into the shelf 16, the motor 50 is rotated to move the pressing part 66 in the +Y direction, and the pressing part 66 is pressed against the side surface 18b of the container 18. The pressing part 66 is then moved further in the +Y direction to push the container 18 into the shelf 16. After the transfer of the container 18 onto the shelf 16 is complete, the motor 50 is rotated in the reverse direction to move the pressing part 66 in the -Y direction, and the pressing spring mechanism 38 is returned to its original position.

[0040] Fig. 11 is a diagram for explaining the operation when the transfer of the container 18 to the shelf 16 is completed. As shown in Fig. 11, a stopper 74 is provided on the shelf so that the container 18 cannot be pushed any further.

[0041] In this embodiment, the pushing spring mechanism 38 is configured to be able to detect when the container 18 has been pushed to a position where the side surface 18c abuts against the stopper 74. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 11, when the pressing unit 66 presses the side surface 18b opposite to the side surface 18c while the side surface 18c of the container 18 is in contact with the stopper 74, the pushing spring 68 contracts against the biasing force, and the movable unit 72 moves accordingly, switching the stop switch 70 from OFF to ON. When the stop switch 70 is turned ON, the control unit 54 stops the rotation of the motor 50 and stops the movement of the pressing unit.

[0042] The container moving device 10 according to this embodiment has been described above. According to the container moving device 10, by adopting a configuration in which the protrusion 34 is hooked onto the recess 64 formed on the bottom surface of the container to pull out the container 18, the container 18 can be properly pulled out from the shelf 16 even if the container 18 is misaligned or tilted from the correct position.

[0043] Furthermore, when the container 18 is pushed onto the shelf 16, it is possible to detect when the container 18 has been pushed to a predetermined position on the shelf 16, so that the container 18 can be stored appropriately on the shelf 16.

[0044] Any combination of the above-described embodiments and modifications is also useful as an embodiment of the present invention. A new embodiment resulting from the combination has the combined effects of the respective embodiments and modifications. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 10 container moving device, 11 container loading / unloading device, 14 automatic transport device, 16 shelf, 18 container, 26 lift mechanism, 32 transfer device, 34 protrusion, 36 protrusion support member, 42 swivel mechanism, 44 centering mechanism, 40 up and down spring mechanism, 38 push-in spring mechanism, 46 lift electric actuator, 48 ball screw, 50 motor, 52 base member, 54 control unit, 56A first moving unit, 56B second moving unit, 58 screw shaft, 60 nut, 62 roller, 64 recess, 66 pressing portion, 68 push-in spring, 70 stop switch, 74 stopper.

Claims

1. A container moving device for taking containers in and out of a shelf, comprising: A protrusion protruding toward a recess provided in the container; a moving means for moving the protruding portion in a predetermined direction while the protruding portion is hooked in the recess, thereby drawing out the container from the shelf; A container moving device comprising:

2. The container moving device according to claim 1 , further comprising a biasing means for biasing the protrusion towards the container.

3. The container moving device according to claim 1 , further comprising a swinging mechanism that enables the protrusion to swing.

4. The container moving device according to claim 3 , further comprising a centering mechanism for positioning the protrusion at a neutral position in a swing range.

5. The container has a plurality of recesses, The container moving device according to claim 1 , wherein the moving means controls the amount of movement of the protrusion depending on the position of the recess in which the protrusion is hooked.

6. A pressing part is provided to press against the container, The container moving device according to claim 1 , wherein the moving means is capable of pushing the container onto the shelf by moving the pressing portion in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction.

7. a push-in detection means for detecting whether the container has been pushed into a predetermined position; 7. The container moving device according to claim 6, wherein when the push-in detection means detects that the container has been pushed up to the predetermined position, the moving means stops the movement of the pressing part.

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