Positioning jig

Abstract

To provide a positioning jig that can easily allow a flexible cart shelf having freely-moving wheels to be arranged at a prescribed position.SOLUTION: A positioning jig 10 arranged on a reference plane (13) comprises: a thin plate-like central part 11 forming a prescribed step H1 to the reference plane (13); and a thin plate-like annulus part 12 forming a prescribed step H2 to the reference plane (13), which is arranged on the reference plane (13) surrounding the central part 11 with an interval. The annulus part 12 may have an inner edge 12a with the same center of the central part 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a positioning jig for positioning a movable carriage shelf on which an object to be transported or the like is placed. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, it has been considered to transport objects placed on shelves using a self-propelled transport device (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The self-propelled transport device is capable of moving to a set position where the shelves are arranged and lifting or lowering the shelves. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-65916 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Here, the shelf is a type of adjustable cart shelf that has wheels that can be freely oriented (traveling direction) relative to the shelf section on which the transported items are placed, thereby increasing the degree of freedom in the direction of movement. Since the orientation of the wheels of this adjustable cart shelf can be freely adjusted relative to the shelf section, the position of the shelf section relative to the position of the wheels, which changes in accordance with the orientation, is no longer constant, and even if the wheels are in a specified position, the position of the shelf section may not be in the specified position. For this reason, it is not easy to position the shelf section of an adjustable cart shelf in a specified position.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a positioning jig that makes it easy to position a movable trolley shelf having swivel wheels in a predetermined position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, the positioning jig disclosed herein is characterized by comprising a thin plate-shaped central portion provided on a reference surface and forming a predetermined step with respect to the reference surface, and a thin plate-shaped annular portion provided on the reference surface surrounding the central portion at a distance and forming a predetermined step with respect to the reference surface. Effect of the Invention

[0007] The positioning jig of the present disclosure configured in this manner can facilitate positioning a swivel trolley shelf having swivel wheels at a predetermined position. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the adjustable carriage shelf is positioned at a predetermined position using the positioning jig according to the present disclosure, making it possible to transport it using a self-propelled transport device. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the positioning jig as viewed from above. [Diagram 3] 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a cross section taken along line II in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 4 is an explanatory view similar to FIG. 3, illustrating how a wheel is positioned by the positioning jig. [Diagram 5] 13 is an explanatory diagram showing how the adjustable carriage shelf is positioned at a predetermined position by two positioning jigs. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between each positioning jig, each wheel, and the adjustable carriage shelf in the state shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the positioning jig of the second embodiment as viewed from above. [Figure 8] 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a cross section taken along line II-II in FIG. 7. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] A positioning jig 10 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 6. In Fig. 1, in order to facilitate understanding of the other components, an object 1 to be transported is shown placed only on the middle shelf 3 of the adjustable trolley shelf 2, but an object 1 can be placed on each shelf 3 as appropriate. In Figs. 2, 5, 6, and 7, the center portion 11 and the annular portion 12 are shown in color in order to facilitate understanding of the configuration. EXAMPLES

[0010] Fig. 1 shows how an adjustable cart shelf 2 on which an article 1 to be transported is placed is positioned at a predetermined position using two positioning jigs 10. The adjustable cart shelf 2 has a plurality of rectangular, plate-like shelf sections 3 that are surrounded and supported by four support sections 4. A wheel section 5 is provided at the lower end of each support section 4. As shown in Fig. 4, each wheel section 5 has a support section 6 attached to the corresponding support section 4, and a wheel 7 supported thereon so as to be rotatable (see arrow A1).

[0011] Each support point 6 is rotatable around the central axis of the corresponding support column 4 (see arrow A2). The position at which each support point 6 supports the wheel 7 is located outside the support column 4, i.e., away from the central axis, relative to the attachment position to the support column 4 (see displacement amount D). In this way, the wheel 7 is never located directly below the support column 4, and each support point 6 is capable of being displaced 360 degrees around the position surrounding the support column 4. This allows each support point 6 to move while freely changing the direction of movement of the adjustable trolley shelf 2.

[0012] In the adjustable cart shelf 2, as shown in FIG. 1, the number and intervals of each shelf section 3 are appropriately set. Each shelf section 3 is removable, and the height position and number of shelves can be appropriately changed. In the adjustable cart shelf 2 of the first embodiment, a reading object 8 is provided in the center of the back side of the lowest shelf section 3. The reading object 8 is readable by the self-propelled transport device 40 described later, and is a two-dimensional barcode in the first embodiment. Note that the reading object 8 may be a barcode of another format, an image of another encryption key, or a format for exchanging signals, etc., as long as it is readable by the self-propelled transport device 40, and is not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment.

[0013] The self-propelled conveying device 40 is automatically movable along a set route, and can convey the adjustable trolley shelf 2 along the route. Although not shown, the self-propelled conveying device 40 has a running part having tires, caterpillars, etc., on the back surface of the main body 41, and can move forward, backward, and change direction. The self-propelled conveying device 40 has a placement part 42 on the upper part. The placement part 42 is displaceable in the vertical direction with respect to the main body 41, and has a flat upper surface 42a. When the placement part 42 is moved upward, an object to be conveyed can be placed on the upper surface 42a and lifted, and when the placement part 42 is returned to its original height, the object to be conveyed can be placed thereon. The self-propelled conveying device 40 of the first embodiment is configured to lift the adjustable trolley shelf 2 by the placement part 42, and in the lifted state, each wheel 7 may be attached to the surface that is the route, or each wheel 7 may be completely separated from the surface.

[0014] The placement unit 42 has a reading unit 43 on its upper surface 42a. This reading unit 43 is capable of reading the read object 8 provided on the adjustable trolley shelf 2. The self-propelled transport device 40 also has a reading unit on the back surface of the main body 41, although not shown. The self-propelled transport device 40 is capable of traveling along a set route by having the reading unit read the read object 44 provided on the route while traveling (see the dashed dotted line in FIG. 1). The self-propelled transport device 40 can reach the transport origin by having the reading unit read the read object 44 at a position on the route that is set as the transport origin.

[0015] Then, the self-propelled transport device 40 checks the presence or absence of the read object 8 by the reading unit 43 on the upper surface 42a at the transport origin. When the self-propelled transport device 40 can read the read object 8, it moves the placement unit 42 upward and lifts the transported object on the upper surface 42a. Here, the reading unit 43 has a limit to the range in which it can read the read object 8, and is required to approach it to a certain extent. For this reason, when the adjustable trolley shelf 2 is placed at an appropriate position at the transport origin on the route, the self-propelled transport device 40 can read the read object 8 provided there, and can move the placement unit 42 upward to lift the adjustable trolley shelf 2. Then, the self-propelled transport device 40 can move along the set route with the adjustable trolley shelf 2 lifted, and can transport the adjustable trolley shelf 2 to the set transport destination on the route. When the reading unit reads the read object 44 at the position set as the transport destination on the route, the self-propelled transport device 40 can move the placement unit 42 downward to place the adjustable trolley shelf 2. In this way, the self-propelled transport device 40 can automatically transport the adjustable trolley shelf 2 from the set transport origin to the transport destination. The self-propelled transport device 40 may be operated by remote control.

[0016] The positioning jig 10 of the present disclosure facilitates the appropriate placement of the adjustable trolley shelf 2 at a position set as the transfer origin. As shown in Figs. 2 to 4, the positioning jig 10 includes a thin sheet-like central portion 11 and an annular portion 12, and is provided on an installation surface 13. The installation surface 13 is a surface on which the path of the self-propelled transport device 40 is set, and is, for example, the floor surface of a factory in which the adjustable trolley shelf 2 is used. In the first embodiment, the installation surface 13 functions as a reference surface on which the central portion 11 and the annular portion 12 are provided. In the first embodiment, two positioning jigs 10 are provided so as to be centered on the central axes of the two support columns 4 located on the long sides of the adjustable trolley shelf 2 when the adjustable trolley shelf 2 is appropriately installed at the transfer origin (to coincide with the center C described later). Note that three or four positioning jigs 10 may be provided in accordance with the central axes of the support columns 4 of the adjustable trolley shelf 2 positioned at any position, and are not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment.

[0017] The central portion 11 and the annular portion 12 are formed of thin plate-like members, and can be formed of, for example, stainless steel or plastic. The central portion 11 has a thickness dimension that forms a predetermined step H1 with respect to the installation surface 13 (reference surface), and the annular portion 12 has a thickness dimension that forms a predetermined step H2 with respect to the installation surface 13 (reference surface) (see FIG. 3). The step H1 and the step H2 allow the wheels 7 to go over them when the target adjustable trolley shelf 2 is pushed by a worker or the like, and prevent the wheels 7 from going over them due to the weight of the adjustable trolley shelf 2 caused by the inclination of the installation surface 13 or the like. In the first embodiment, the step H1 and the step H2 are set to be equal. As a result, the central portion 11 and the annular portion 12 can be formed from the same material, and the manufacturing process can be simplified.

[0018] The steps H1 and H2 may be different from each other. For example, the step H2 may be relatively low so as to enable the wheel 7 to get over it by rolling from the outside, as described below, and the step H1 may be higher than the step H2, making it difficult for the wheel 7 to get over the central portion 11. This makes it easier to position the corresponding support part 4 roughly on the central portion 11 side while keeping the wheel 7 inside the annular recess 14, as described below.

[0019] The central portion 11 is circular (perfect circle) centered on the center C. The annular portion 12 is annular and concentrically surrounds the central portion 11 at a distance from the center C. The annular portion 12 has an inner edge 12a that is circular (perfect circle) with a larger diameter than the outer edge 11a of the central portion 11, and an outer edge 12b that is square. Therefore, the positioning jig 10 forms an annular recess 14 between the central portion 11 and the annular portion 12 on the installation surface 13 (reference surface). The central portion 11 and the annular portion 12 are set so that the annular recess 14 has the following size.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 4, the annular recess 14 allows the wheel 7 to be placed (contacted) on the installation surface 13 when the support 4 is positioned above the center 11. First, the annular recess 14 has a central position c1 in the radial direction where the lower end 7a of the wheel 7 contacts when the central axis of the support 4 is aligned with the center C. The central position c1 has a diameter R from the center C that is equal to the displacement D between the central axis of the support 4 in the corresponding free trolley shelf 2 and the axle of the wheel 7 of the wheel section 5. The width W of the annular recess 14 is a dimension W1 that allows the wheel 7 to contact the inner edge 14a and the outer edge 14b when the lower end 7a of the wheel 7 contacts at least the central position c1 in the radial direction. The inner edge 14a is the outer edge 11a of the central portion 11, the outer edge 14b is the inner edge 12a of the annular portion 12, and the width dimension W is the distance between the inner edge 14a and the outer edge 14b in the radial direction.

[0021] The width dimension W of the annular recess 14 in the first embodiment is dimension W2 (see FIG. 4) obtained by adding a displacement allowance P to the dimension W1 as a reference. The displacement allowance P is the maximum displacement of the target 8 within the range in which the target 8 can be read in the horizontal direction, based on a state in which the reading unit 43 faces the target 8 directly (a state in which their center positions are aligned vertically). The width dimension W of the annular recess 14 is dimension W2 obtained by adding the dimension W1 and the displacement allowance P.

[0022] In order to set the positioning jig 10 at a desired position, four notches 12c are provided in the outer edge 12b of the annular portion 12. The four notches 12c are provided at the center positions of the four sides of the outer edge 12b, and are cut out in a V-shape with the center position as the apex. For this reason, the notches 12c are set so that a straight line connecting two opposing apexes is perpendicular to the center of the annular portion 12 (its inner edge 12a). Note that the annular portion 12 may have, for example, four notches 12c provided at different positions, or marks may be provided at the same position or different positions, as long as it is possible to grasp the center position of the annular portion 12 (inner edge 12a), and is not limited to the configuration of Example 1.

[0023] Next, a method of installing the positioning jig 10 will be described. In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the positioning jigs 10 are provided at two locations on the installation surface 13 in accordance with the read target 44 as the transfer source so that the adjustable trolley shelf 2 can be appropriately positioned with respect to the transfer source. Each positioning jig 10 can set a reference installation position Bp (see FIG. 2) as the installation position on the installation surface 13 based on the position of the read target 44 recognized as the transfer source, and for example, a mark is provided on the installation surface 13. For example, this mark can be a point indicating the installation reference position Bp or two straight lines perpendicular to the installation reference position Bp. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the center 11 of each positioning jig 10 is attached to the installation surface 13 so that the center C coincides with the installation reference position Bp. This attachment may be performed using an adhesive or other methods. The center 11 may be provided with a hole at the center position, and the center 11 may be installed while visually checking the installation reference position Bp (a point or an intersection in the above example) on the installation surface 13. Moreover, the central portion 11 may be provided with a notch similar to that of the annular portion 12, and may be disposed on the installation surface 13 so that the center C coincides with the installation reference position Bp.

[0024] Next, the annular portion 12 is attached to the installation surface 13 so that the center C (installation reference position Bp) of the central portion 11 is positioned at the center, that is, so that the orthogonal position of the line connecting the vertices of the two opposing notches 12c coincides with the center C. This attachment may be performed using an adhesive or other methods. As a result, the outer edge 11a of the central portion 11 and the inner edge 12a of the annular portion 12 are positioned concentrically.

[0025] By installing the two positioning jigs 10 as described above, the center C of the central portion 11 is aligned with a position that matches the central axis of the corresponding support portion 4 of the adjustable trolley shelf 2 when it is appropriately positioned at the transport source. In addition, the two positioning jigs 10 have the same width dimension W over the entire circumference of the annular recess 14, and the outer edge 11a of the central portion 11, which becomes the inner edge 14a, and the inner edge 12a of the annular portion 12, which becomes the outer edge 14b, are positioned concentrically around the center C. For this reason, the distances to the inner edge 14a and the outer edge 14b of each positioning jig 10 are equal in any direction of 360 degrees around the center C, and the positioning jig 10 can act in the same way in any direction.

[0026] Next, the operation of the positioning jig 10 will be described. In each positioning jig 10, the wheel 7 of each wheel section 5 of the adjustable cart shelf 2 climbs over the annular section 12 and enters the annular recess 14. Then, since the annular recess 14 has a width dimension W of at least dimension W1 while the position of the diameter dimension R is the central position c1, when the lower end 7a of the wheel 7 is brought into contact with the central position c1, the central axis of the support section 4 can be made to coincide with the center C. As a result, each positioning jig 10 positions the support section 4 of the adjustable cart shelf 2 at two points, so that the reading target 8 of the adjustable cart shelf 2 can be directly opposed to the reading section 43 of the self-propelled transport device 40 that is the transport source. Furthermore, since the width dimension W of the annular recess 14 is dimension W2, as long as the lower end 7a of the wheel 7 is in contact with it, even if the support portion 4 (its central axis) shifts from the center C, the reading portion 43 of the self-propelled conveying device 40 can maintain a state in which it can read the reading target 8 on the adjustable trolley shelf 2.

[0027] In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the two positioning jigs 10 are provided at two locations corresponding to the read target 44 as the transfer origin. The worker pushes the adjustable cart shelf 2 with the transported object 1 appropriately placed thereon toward the transfer origin. Then, the worker operates the adjustable cart shelf 2 so that the two wheels 7 are placed on the corresponding positioning jigs 10, and as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, each wheel 7 is positioned within the corresponding annular recess 14. Then, the adjustable cart shelf 2 is positioned such that each support part 4 is on or near the center C of the center part 11 of the corresponding positioning jig 10, and the read target 8 of the shelf part 3 is appropriately positioned at the transfer origin. Therefore, the self-propelled transport device 40 can automatically move to the transfer origin and read the read target 8 of the adjustable cart shelf 2 positioned at the transfer origin with the reading part 43 (see FIG. 1). Then, the self-propelled transport device 40 moves the placement part 42 upward to lift the adjustable cart shelf 2 (its lowest shelf part 3). This allows the self-propelled transport device 40 to travel with the adjustable cart shelf 2 appropriately lifted, and transport the adjustable cart shelf 2 to a set transport destination.

[0028] In the first embodiment, the positioning jig 10 is provided at two locations corresponding to the read target 44 as the transport destination. The self-propelled transport device 40 lifts the adjustable trolley shelf 2 and transports it to the transport destination. At the transport destination, the orientation of the adjustable trolley shelf 2, i.e., the installation position of each wheel 7, is predetermined. This self-propelled transport device 40 proceeds to the transport destination with the orientation of the adjustable trolley shelf 2 determined so that each wheel 7 is in the installation position. Then, at the transport destination, the reading unit of the self-propelled transport device 40 reads the read target 44, and the placement unit 42 is moved downward to place the adjustable trolley shelf 2. Then, the adjustable trolley shelf 2 is positioned within the annular recess 14 of the positioning jig 10 corresponding to each wheel 7, and the adjustable trolley shelf 2 is appropriately stopped at the transport destination. That is, since each wheel 7 needs to climb up from the annular recess 14, which is at the height of the installation surface 13, onto the center portion 11 or the annular portion 12 in order to move, each positioning jig 10 has the effect of retaining each wheel 7 within the annular recess 14, and can prevent the adjustable cart shelf 2 from moving from its destination. As a result, each positioning jig 10 can, in addition to its positioning effect, prevent the adjustable cart shelf 2 from moving from its positioned state.

[0029] Next, problems related to the positioning of the adjustable trolley shelf 2 will be described. As described above, the self-propelled transport device 40 lifts the adjustable trolley shelf 2 when the reading unit 43 reads the read target 8 at the transport origin, so the read target 8 needs to be located within a range that the reading unit 43 can read when the self-propelled transport device 40 is located at the transport origin. For this reason, the adjustable trolley shelf 2 is required to be appropriately positioned at a position set as the transport origin. Here, it is considered that the adjustable trolley shelf 2 is positioned at the transport origin by providing marks for the positions of the wheels 7 at the transport origin. However, the adjustable trolley shelf 2 supports the wheels 7 with the support points 6 of each wheel part 5 configured as described above to enable the free change of the moving direction, and each wheel 7 can be displaced 360 degrees at a rotation position surrounding the corresponding support part 4. As a result, it is not easy to place each wheel 7 on the marks of the adjustable trolley shelf 2. Furthermore, even if each wheel 7 of the adjustable trolley shelf 2 is placed on a mark, the position of the entirety, i.e., the position of each shelf section 3, has a large degree of freedom, so the position changes depending on the orientation of each wheel 7. For this reason, the adjustable trolley shelf 2 is required to perform a predetermined operation, such as pushing it from a predetermined direction to align the orientation of each wheel 7, and it is difficult to appropriately position it at the origin of transport. Therefore, it is difficult to appropriately position the adjustable trolley shelf 2 at the origin of transport, and it may become impossible to read the reading target 8 with the reading section 43 of the self-propelled transport device 40 positioned at the origin of transport, and automatic transport is not easy.

[0030] In contrast, the positioning jig 10 has a central portion 11 that forms a predetermined step H1 with respect to the installation surface 13, and an annular portion 12 that concentrically surrounds the central portion 11 and forms a predetermined step H2 with respect to the installation surface 13, forming a relatively recessed annular recess 14. This positioning jig 10 can position the support column 4 above the central portion 11, regardless of the position of the wheel 7 of the target adjustable trolley shelf 2 in the annular recess 14. Therefore, the positioning jig 10 can position the support column 4 by positioning the wheel 7 in the annular recess 14 and the corresponding support column 4 roughly on the central portion 11 side. At this time, the positioning jig 10 applies a force to hold the wheel 7 in the annular recess 14 by the steps H1 and H2, so that the support column 4 can be moved toward the central portion 11 while the wheel 7 is positioned in the annular recess 14. In this way, the positioning jig 10 can appropriately position each support portion 4 near the center C, so that the adjustable cart shelf 2 can be appropriately positioned at any desired position.

[0031] The positioning jig 10 according to one embodiment of the positioning jig according to the present disclosure can provide the following operational effects.

[0032] The positioning jig 10 is provided on the installation surface 13 as a reference surface, and includes a thin plate-like central portion 11 that forms a predetermined step H1 with respect to the installation surface 13, and a thin plate-like annular portion 12 that is provided on the installation surface 13 at a distance from the central portion 11 and surrounds the installation surface 13, and forms a predetermined step H2 with respect to the installation surface 13. Therefore, the positioning jig 10 can position the target adjustable trolley shelf 2 at an arbitrary position by positioning the wheels 7 of the target adjustable trolley shelf 2 in the annular recess 14 between the central portion 11 and the annular portion 12. In addition, the positioning jig 10 can easily position the target adjustable trolley shelf 2 by simply pushing the target adjustable trolley shelf 2 so that the wheels 7 go over the annular portion 12 and enter the annular recess 14. In addition, the positioning jig 10 can easily position the target adjustable trolley shelf 2 by simply placing it on the installation surface 13 according to the desired position of the target adjustable trolley shelf 2, and is easy to use.

[0033] Moreover, in the positioning jig 10, the annular portion 12 has an inner edge 12a whose center is aligned with the center of the central portion 11. Therefore, the positioning jig 10 can make the distance to the inner edge 12a of the annular portion 12 equal in any direction of 360 degrees around the center C, and can act in the same way in any direction.

[0034] Furthermore, the positioning jig 10 has an annular recess 14 formed between the central portion 11 and the annular portion 12. In the annular recess 14, when the central axis of the support portion 4 of the target adjustable trolley shelf 2 is aligned with the center C of the central portion 11, the position where the wheel 7 provided on the support portion 4 contacts the installation surface 13 is set as a central position c1 in the radial direction. Therefore, by placing the wheel 7 within the annular recess 14, the positioning jig 10 can position the support portion 4 above the central portion 11, and the adjustable trolley shelf 2 can be more appropriately positioned.

[0035] The positioning jig 10 sets the radial width dimension W of the annular recess 14 in accordance with the displacement allowance P of the adjustable cart shelf 2 relative to the set installation position. Therefore, no matter where the wheels 7 of the adjustable cart shelf 2 are placed within the annular recess 14, the positioning jig 10 can position the support pillars 4 within the displacement allowance P relative to the center C of the center portion 11. Therefore, the positioning jig 10 can more reliably position the adjustable cart shelf 2 to be targeted.

[0036] The positioning jig 10 is sized to enable the wheels 7 (their rolling) of the target adjustable cart shelf 2 to overcome a predetermined step H1 between the center portion 11 and the installation surface 13, and a predetermined step H2 between the annular portion 12 and the installation surface 13. Therefore, the positioning jig 10 can position the wheels 7 within the annular recess 14 by pushing and moving the adjustable cart shelf 2, making it easy to position the wheels 7.

[0037] The positioning jig 10 has the central portion 11 and the annular portion 12 attached to the installation surface 13. Therefore, the positioning jig 10 can be easily installed in any location and can be positioned at that location. In particular, the positioning jig 10 of Example 1 has four notches 12c in the outer edge 12b of the annular portion 12, and the straight lines connecting the two opposing vertices are positioned so as to intersect at right angles at the center of the annular portion 12 (its inner edge 12a), so that it is easy to install the center of the annular portion 12 so as to coincide with the center C of the central portion 11.

[0038] Therefore, the positioning jig 10 of the first embodiment as a positioning jig according to the present disclosure can easily position the adjustable cart shelf 2 having the swivel wheels 7 at a predetermined position.

[0039] The positioning jig of the present disclosure has been described above based on Example 1, but the specific configuration is not limited to Example 1, and design changes and additions are permitted as long as they do not deviate from the gist of the invention related to each claim in the scope of the claims.

[0040] For example, in the first embodiment, the central portion 11 and the annular portion 12 are attached to the installation surface 13 as a reference surface. However, a configuration like a positioning jig 10A shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 may be used. In this positioning jig 10A, the central portion 11 and the annular portion 12 are provided on the upper surface of a thin plate-like reference portion 15. The reference portion 15 is a rectangular thin plate having an outer edge 15a equal to the outer edge 12b of the annular portion 12. In the positioning jig 10A of this example, the reference portion 15 is a member equal to the central portion 11 and the annular portion 12, and the central portion 11, the annular portion 12, and the reference portion 15 are integrally configured. Therefore, in the positioning jig 10A, the upper surface 15b of the reference portion 15 functions as a reference surface on which the central portion 11 and the annular portion 12 are provided. In this positioning jig 10A, it is not necessary to align the central portion 11 and the annular portion 12, and the annular recess 14 can be more appropriately provided. Furthermore, since the positioning jig 10A has a single structure, the task of attaching it to an arbitrary position (the installation reference position Bp in the first embodiment) can be made easier.

[0041] In addition, the positioning jig 10A in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 is provided with a pair of guide pieces 16. The guide pieces 16 extend in a direction perpendicular to each other from the outer edge 12b of the annular portion 12, and are provided at a predetermined interval between the outer edge 12b and the center of the outer edge 12b. This predetermined interval is intended to receive the wheels 7 of the target adjustable trolley shelf 2. In addition, a notch 16a is provided on the inner side (the side adjacent to each other) of the protruding ends of the guide pieces 16. The notch 16a widens the interval on the protruding end side, and is inclined so as to narrow the interval as it approaches the annular portion 12 side. The positioning jig 10A can guide the direction in which the wheels 7 advance to the outer edge 12b of the annular portion 12 by the guide pieces 16, and can assist the wheels 7 in advancing onto the annular portion 12 and advancing to the annular recess 14. The pair of guide pieces 16 may be provided on multiple outer edges 12b of a single positioning jig 10A, that is, may guide progress from multiple directions, and is not limited to the example of Fig. 7. The pair of guide pieces 16 may be provided on the positioning jig 10 of Example 1, and is not limited to the configuration of Example 1.

[0042] In addition, in the first embodiment, the outer edge 12b of the annular portion 12 of the positioning jig 10 is square-shaped. However, as long as the inner edge 12a of the annular portion 12 is concentric with the center portion 11 (the outer edge 11a), the shape of the outer edge 12b may be appropriately set, and is not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment.

[0043] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the outer edge 11a of the central portion 11 (the inner edge 14a of the annular recess 14) and the inner edge 12a of the annular portion 12 (the outer edge 14b of the annular recess 14) are concentric circles. However, the outer edge 11a and the inner edge 12a may be polygonal (including polygons with more corners) such as a hexagon or an octagon, and are not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment.

[0044] In the first embodiment, the allowable displacement amount P is defined as the maximum amount of change in the position of the target 8 within the range in which the target 8 can be read in the horizontal direction, based on a state in which the reading unit 43 faces the target 8 directly. However, the allowable displacement amount P may be any positioning allowance required for the target adjustable trolley shelf 2, and is not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment.

[0045] In the first embodiment, the positioning of the positioning jig 10 is set assuming automatic transportation by the self-propelled transport device 40. However, it is not limited to the configuration of the first embodiment as long as it is set according to the positioning required for a movable cart shelf (including a single-tiered one) that can be moved while freely changing the moving direction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 10 Positioning jig 2 Free-standing trolley shelf 4 Support portion 7 Wheel 11 Center portion 12 Annular portion 12a Inner edge 13 Installation surface (constituting a reference surface as an example) 14 Annular recess 15 Reference portion 15b Top surface C Center c1 Central position H1 Step H2 Step P Displacement allowance W Width dimension

Claims

1. a thin plate-like central portion provided on a reference surface and forming a predetermined step with respect to the reference surface; a thin plate-like annular portion provided on the reference surface surrounding the center portion at a distance therefrom, forming a predetermined step with respect to the reference surface.

2. The positioning jig according to claim 1 , wherein the annular portion has an inner edge whose center is coincident with the center portion.

3. An annular recess is formed between the central portion and the annular portion, The positioning jig described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that in the annular recess, when the central axis of the support part of the target adjustable trolley shelf is aligned with the center of the center portion, the position where the wheel mounted on the support part contacts the reference surface is set as the radial center position.

4. 4. The positioning jig according to claim 3, wherein the annular recess has a width dimension in the radial direction set in accordance with a displacement allowance of the adjustable carriage shelf relative to a set installation position.

5. 3. The positioning jig according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined step of the annular portion with respect to the reference surface is of a size that enables wheels of a target adjustable trolley shelf to climb over it.

6. The positioning jig according to claim 1 , wherein the central portion and the annular portion are attached to the reference surface.

7. The reference surface is an upper surface of a thin plate-like reference portion, 2. The positioning jig according to claim 1, wherein the central portion and the annular portion are integral with the reference portion.

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