Stacker crane

Abstract

To provide a stacker crane that enables sharing of components, units, etc.SOLUTION: A stacker crane 1 includes a frame base member 50 extending in a longitudinal direction, a mast 10 attached below the frame base member 50 and at a position closer to a first end 51 than to a center in the longitudinal direction, a sheave unit 56 having at least one sheave 57 attached to the frame base member 50 at a position offset from a center in a width direction, and a wire 31 wound around the sheave 57 and extending downward from the sheave unit 56. The wire 31 extends downward along a center position of the mast 10 in the longitudinal direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a stacker crane. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a transfer device such as a stacker crane that moves along rails in a warehouse and loads and unloads workpieces onto and from each shelf using a transfer machine with a lifting platform suspended between a pair of masts (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the transfer device described in Patent Document 1, the lower frame, the lower frame beam that connects the lower frames, the pair of front and rear masts, the lifting platform, and the upper frame beam that connects the upper ends of the masts together are each unitized. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-74545 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] There are various types of stacker cranes. For example, there are single-mast cranes with only one mast and double-mast cranes (also called twin-mast cranes) with two masts. Among double-mast cranes, there are types with only one platform and types with two platforms that move independently. A key issue for these various types of stacker cranes is how to share components or units. Sharing components or units can reduce manufacturing costs and simplify assembly and installation (which can also be considered a reduction in installation costs).

[0005] The present disclosure aims to provide a stacker crane that allows components, units, etc. to be shared. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] [1] One aspect of the present disclosure is a stacker crane that moves within an automated warehouse, comprising: a frame base member extending in a horizontal longitudinal direction and having a first end and a second end located at opposite ends in the longitudinal direction; a mast attached below the frame base member and closer to the first end than the center in the longitudinal direction; a sheave unit having at least one sheave attached to the frame base member at a position offset from the center in a horizontal width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; and a suspension member wound around the sheave and extending downward from the sheave unit, wherein the suspension member extends downward along the center of the mast in the longitudinal direction.

[0007] According to the stacker crane of [1], a mast is attached to the frame base member near the first end in the longitudinal direction. At least one sheave in the sheave unit is attached to a position offset from the center in the width direction. The relative positions of the frame base member and the mast, and the frame base member and the sheave, are fixed, and the suspension member extends downward along the center of the mast. This configuration allows for two usage methods in which the positions of the first end and the second end relative to the mast are reversed. Even with reversal, the position of the suspension member in the longitudinal direction relative to the mast remains unchanged, and there is no problem with connection to, for example, the lifting platform. Furthermore, although the position of the sheave moves to the opposite side of the center plane in the width direction due to reversal, this does not cause any problems by adjusting the layout of various devices (such as the lifting platform or lifting drive device) equipped on the stacker crane. Therefore, at least the frame base member and the sheave unit can be used in common with various stacker cranes (such as the single-mast and double-mast cranes described above). This reduces various costs, including manufacturing costs.

[0008] [2] In the stacker crane described in [1] above, the frame base member may have mounting plates at each of the first and second ends to which guide roller units can be attached. With this configuration, guide roller units can be attached to both ends in the longitudinal direction (travel direction) in any case where the frame base member is used in an inverted manner. Furthermore, by preparing frame connecting members that match the shape of the mounting plates, two frame base members can be connected using the first and / or second ends.

[0009] [3] In the stacker crane of [2] above, a frame connecting member extending in the longitudinal direction may be attached to the mounting plate. By attaching the frame connecting member to the mounting plate, two frame base members can be connected.

[0010] [4] In the stacker crane of any one of the above [1] to [3], the frame base member may have, on its underside, a mast connecting plate to which the upper end of the mast is connected, and the mast connecting plate may have a shape that is point-symmetrical with respect to a center point of the mast connecting plate located in the center in the width direction. With this configuration, the mast can be shared.

[0011] [5] In any one of the stacker cranes [1] to [4] above, the frame base member may be configured so that two sheaves can be attached at positions offset from the center in the width direction. With this configuration, the number of sheaves can be adjusted to one or two depending on the type of stacker crane. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present disclosure, the frame base member and the sheave unit can be used in common among various types of stacker cranes. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a stacker crane according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2]FIG. 2(a) is a side view of the upper frame unit in FIG. 1, and FIG. 2(b) is a plan view of the upper frame unit. [Figure 3] FIG. 3(a) is a side view of a modified upper frame unit, and FIG. 3(b) is a plan view of the modified upper frame unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional plan view of the mast. [Figure 5] FIG. 5(a) is a plan view of the stacker crane, and FIG. 5(b) is a side view of the top of the stacker crane. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a stacker crane according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 7(a) is a side view of the upper frame unit in FIG. 6, and FIG. 7(b) is a plan view of the upper frame unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 8(a) is a side view of a modified example of the stacker crane according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 8(b) is a side view of the upper part of the modified example. [Figure 9] FIG. 9(a) is a side view of a modified example of the stacker crane according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 9(b) is a side view of the upper part of the modified example. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a side view of an upper portion of a stacker crane according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, identical elements are assigned the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted. In some of the figures referred to in the following description, orthogonal axes indicating the front-to-rear, left-to-right, and up-to-down directions are shown. These terms are used with respect to a stacker crane. The front-to-rear direction (X direction) is the running direction (movement direction) of the stacker crane, and the left-to-right direction (Y direction) is the horizontal direction perpendicular to the running direction. The left-to-right direction can also be considered the direction in which articles are transferred by the stacker crane. The up-to-down direction (Z direction) can also be considered the vertical direction.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, a stacker crane 1 according to the first embodiment is a conveying device that travels (moves) within an automated warehouse while holding (or supporting) an article. Although the articles and the automated warehouse are not shown in FIG. 1, the stacker crane 1 travels along a traveling rail 2 laid on the floor between a pair of racks in the automated warehouse, and transfers articles between each shelf of the rack. Articles are placed on a lifting platform 20 and transported. The stacker crane 1 moves in the space between the racks. The stacker crane 1 is movable in the forward and backward directions. In this specification, the side opposite the origin in the automated warehouse is referred to as the front side, and the origin side is referred to as the rear side.

[0016] In the travel space of stacker crane 1, traveling rails 2 are installed at the bottom (above the floor), and an upper rail 3 is installed at the top (near the top end of the automated warehouse). Both traveling rails 2 and upper rail 3 extend in the X direction. Stacker crane 1 travels between and is supported by traveling rails 2 and upper rail 3. Stacker crane 1 includes, for example, one mast 10 extending in the Z direction, and a lower frame 15 and traveling drive device M2 provided near the bottom end 12 of mast 10. Stacker crane 1 is a single-mast crane.

[0017] The mast 10 is a tubular member made of, for example, steel, that extends between the running rail 2 and the upper rail 3. For example, the mast 10 is a hollow rectangular column made of metal. The length (vertical length) of the mast 10 is determined appropriately according to the specifications of the automated warehouse. The lower frame 15 supports the weight of the stacker crane 1 including the mast 10, and is guided in the front-to-rear direction by the running rail 2. The lower frame 15 is equipped with known components required for various operations of the stacker crane 1. The traveling drive unit M2 is attached, for example, to the rear side of the lower frame 15. The traveling drive unit M2 has known components such as running wheels 19 that roll on the running rail 2, a running motor 18 that rotates and drives the running wheels 19, and other guide rollers (not shown).

[0018] The stacker crane 1 comprises a lifting platform 20 that can be raised and lowered freely along the mast 10, a lifting drive device M3 provided adjacent to the traveling drive device M2, and an upper frame unit 40S and two guide roller units 60 provided near the upper end 13 of the mast 10.

[0019] The lifting platform 20 has a lifting base 21 supported on the mast 10 via, for example, a lifting guide part 23, and a slide fork 22 that can freely transfer articles by moving in the Y direction (left or right) relative to the lifting base 21. The lifting guide part 23 includes a lifting guide roller 24 that abuts against a guide part 16 that is provided on the side surface 10b of the mast 10 (see FIG. 4) and extends in the vertical direction. The lifting base 21 maintains a horizontal position while supported by the mast 10, and is driven by a lifting drive device M3 to rise or fall. The lifting platform 20 is driven by the lifting drive device M3, and transfers articles to and from each shelf in the automated warehouse using the slide fork 22.

[0020] The lifting drive device M3 is attached, for example, to the rear side of the lower frame 15. The lifting drive device M3 includes a wire (hanging member) 31 suspended from the upper frame unit 40S and connected to the lifting base 21, a drum 32 that winds or unwinds the wire 31, and a lifting motor 30 that rotates the drum 32. The wire 31, which is stretched between the drum 32, which is rotatable about a horizontal rotation axis, the upper frame unit 40S, and the lifting base 21 of the lifting platform 20, is positioned in a spatially free position so as not to interfere with the various components involved in the lifting and lowering of the lifting platform 20, such as the lifting guide 23. Note that, in addition to the wire 31, other long members such as a wire rope, a chain, or a belt may be used as the hanging member applied to the lifting drive device M3.

[0021] Two guide roller units 60 are attached to the front and rear ends (both ends in the X direction) of the upper frame unit 40S. The guide roller units 60 are guided in the front-to-rear direction by the upper rail 3. Each guide roller unit 60 has a base plate 61 fixed to the upper frame unit 40S and, for example, two upper guide rollers 62 attached to the base plate 61 and rotatable about a vertical axis. When the two upper guide rollers 62 abut against the upper rail 3, the guide roller unit 60 stabilizes the posture and travel of the stacker crane 1. Note that in a stacker crane 1 equipped with only one mast 10, one of the guide roller units 60 may be omitted.

[0022] A machine control panel M1 is provided, for example, on the rear side of the mast 10, slightly above the lower end 12 (above the lifting drive device M3). The machine control panel M1 controls the entire stacker crane 1. The machine control panel M1 has a controller (neither of which are shown) including a processor and a memory unit, and controls the travel drive device M2 and the lifting drive device M3 to control various operations (transport operations) of the stacker crane 1. The machine control panel M1 also has an operation unit (not shown), allowing an operator to perform various operations. A power supply trolley 6 is provided to the side of, and slightly above, the traveling rail 2 to supply power to the machine control panel M1, the traveling drive device M2, the lifting drive device M3, etc. The power supply trolley 6 is installed so as to extend in the X direction parallel to the traveling rail 2. In this embodiment, the drum 32 (lifting drive device M3) is located below the machine control panel M1, but the drum 32 (lifting drive device M3) may be located above the machine control panel M1.

[0023] As explained above, the stacker crane 1, which is a single-mast crane, is equipped with one mast 10, one lifting platform 20, one drum 32 (lifting drive device M3), and one wire 31. The stacker crane 1 of this embodiment employs members and units that are also commonly used in other types of stacker cranes. These will be explained in detail below with reference to Figs. 1 to 4.

[0024] 1, the upper frame unit 40S is a unit applied to a single-mast crane. The upper frame unit 40S supports the upper end 13 of the mast 10 in cooperation with the guide roller unit 60 and guides it along the upper rail 3, and also supports (suspends) the lifting platform 20 in cooperation with the wire 31 (lifting drive device M3).

[0025] The upper frame unit 40S is provided directly below the upper rail 3 and on the upper end 13 of the mast 10. The upper frame unit 40S extends in the X direction, i.e., the traveling direction (front-to-rear direction) of the stacker crane 1. As shown in Figures 1, 2(a) and 2(b), the upper frame unit 40S includes a frame base member 50 extending in a horizontal longitudinal direction, and a sheave unit 56 having one sheave 57 attached to the side of the frame base member 50. The "longitudinal direction" of the upper frame unit 40S is equal to (parallel to) the X direction, i.e., the front-to-rear direction.

[0026] As shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b), the frame base member 50 has a cylindrical portion (unit main body) 53 that is, for example, a rectangular cylindrical portion made of metal and extends in the longitudinal direction. The frame base member 50 has mounting plates A, to which the above-mentioned guide roller units 60 can be attached, at each of a first end portion 51 and a second end portion 52 that are arranged at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical portion 53. Each mounting plate A may be fixed to the cylindrical portion 53 by welding or the like, or by a fastening member such as a screw. The shape of the cylindrical portion may be changed as appropriate.

[0027] Each guide roller unit 60 includes an L-shaped base plate 61 and, for example, two upper guide rollers 62 attached to the upper surface of the base plate 61. The guide roller units 60 are, for example, symmetrical with respect to the XZ plane passing through their centers (between the upper guide rollers 62). Each mounting plate A is a rectangular flat plate member extending along the YZ plane and includes multiple screw holes (or bolt holes), etc. The mounting plate A is also symmetrical with respect to the XZ plane passing through the center of the plate member. This allows the guide roller unit 60 to be fitted to a single upper rail 3 even when rotated 180° around the vertical axis. Sharing of the guide roller units 60 is facilitated. Note that the guide roller units 60 do not necessarily have the above-described symmetry in shape. The guide roller units 60 may be symmetrical only at the mounting surface (base plate 61) relative to the frame base member 50. As described above, one of the guide roller units 60 may be omitted.

[0028] A rectangular mast connecting plate 55 is provided on the underside of the cylindrical portion 53. That is, the frame base member 50 has the mast connecting plate 55 on its underside. The mast connecting plate 55 is a rectangular flat plate member extending (horizontally) along the XY plane, and faces the upper end flange 17 provided on the upper end 13 of the mast 10. The upper end flange 17 is connected to the mast connecting plate 55 by screws, bolts, or the like (not shown). As a result, the mast 10 is attached below the frame base member 50 and maintains a posture extending in the vertical direction.

[0029] The mast connecting plate 55 is attached to a position (a position to the left in the figure) closer to the first end 51 than the center in the longitudinal direction of the tubular portion 53. As a result, the mast 10 is attached to a position closer to the first end 51 than the center in the longitudinal direction of the tubular portion 53 (see also Figures 5(a) and 5(b)).

[0030] As shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b), the sheave unit 56 has one sheave 57 arranged on a side (for example, on the right side) of the cylindrical portion 53. The sheave 57 is supported by a support shaft 58 extending in the Y direction. The sheave 57 is rotatable around an axis extending in the Y direction. The disk-shaped sheave 57 is arranged along the XZ plane and is parallel to the side walls 53b of the cylindrical portion 53. The support shaft 58 passes through, for example, a pair of side walls 53b and is supported by the side walls 53b. A bearing, for example, may be provided between the support shaft 58 and the side walls 53b.

[0031] A wire 31 is wound around the sheave 57. As shown in FIG. 5(b), the wire 31 is wound around approximately half the circumference (upper half) of the sheave 57. In the following description, a portion of the wire 31 extending between the sheave 57 and the drum 32 may be referred to as a first portion 33. A portion of the wire 31 extending between the sheave 57 and the lifting base 21 may be referred to as a second portion 34. Both the first portion 33 and the second portion 34 extend downward from the sheave unit 56. The first portion 33 and the second portion 34 are continuous, but in the stacker crane 1, the first portion 33 is always located in front of the second portion 34. The tip of the wire 31, i.e., the lower end of the second portion 34, is connected and fixed to a protrusion 21a integrally provided at the rear end of the lifting base 21.

[0032] The sheave 57 is attached to the frame base member 50 at a position offset a predetermined distance from the center in the Y direction, i.e., the horizontal width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Figure 5(b) shows the offset amount B (the predetermined distance) of the sheave 57 from the center plane CP of the frame base member 50.

[0033] In the frame base member 50 and the sheave unit 56, the position of the front end of the sheave 57 is aligned with the center of the mast 10 (mast connecting plate 55) in the X direction (i.e., the longitudinal direction). With this configuration (positional relationship), the second portion 34 of the wire 31 extends downward along the center of the mast 10 in the X direction (see FIG. 5(b)). The above configuration is realized by appropriately setting (determining) the position of the mast 10 in the X direction relative to the frame base member 50, the position of the support shaft 58 (central axis) of the sheave 57 in the X direction relative to the frame base member 50, and the diameter of the sheave 57.

[0034] With this configuration, even when the frame base member 50 and the sheave unit 56 are rotated 180° about the vertical axis and used as part of another upper frame unit, the second portion 34 of the wire 31 extends downward along the center position in the X direction of the mast 10. The upper frame unit 40S consisting of the frame base member 50 and the sheave unit 56 is applicable not only to the stacker crane 1, which is a single-mast crane, but also to various other stacker cranes. In other words, the upper frame unit 40S is shared by various stacker cranes.

[0035] The mast connecting plate 55 provided on the underside of the tubular portion 53 has also been devised to be shared. The mast connecting plate 55 has a shape that is point-symmetrical with respect to a center point N of the mast connecting plate 55, which is located in the center in the Y direction, i.e., the width direction. The mast connecting plate 55 includes a plurality of screw holes (or bolt holes), etc. Even if the mast connecting plate 55 is turned 180° around the vertical axis passing through the center point N, the position, size, and shape of each part (including the screw holes) required for attachment to the upper flange 17 of the mast 10 remain unchanged. The center point N of the mast connecting plate 55 is included in the center plane CP (is located on the center plane CP).

[0036] As shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), the frame base member 50 and the sheave unit 56 can be used in different ways while maintaining their basic configuration. As shown in FIG. 3(b), the frame base member 50 is configured to allow two sheaves 57 to be attached at positions offset from the center in the width direction (the center plane CP). As an example, the right sheave 57 is attached to one end of a support shaft 58, and the left sheave 57 is attached to the other end of the support shaft 58. Thus, a pair of sheaves 57 are attached to both the left and right sides of the cylindrical portion 53. In this case, the offset amount B is the same for each sheave 57. Therefore, the upper frame unit 40D shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) has a plane-symmetrical configuration with respect to the center in the width direction (the center plane CP).

[0037] This configuration is applied to a stacker crane 1A, which is a double-mast crane, shown in Fig. 6. In the following description, the front unit shown in Fig. 6 is a unit of the type equipped with two sheaves 57 shown in Fig. 3(b), and therefore will be referred to as upper frame unit 40D (for the sake of distinction, although the basic configuration is shared with upper frame unit 40S).

[0038] Here, with reference to Figure 4, the commonality of the mast 10 will be explained. As shown in Figure 4, guide portions 16 extending in the Z direction are fixed to the left and right side surfaces 10b (in the Y direction) of the mast 10, which is a hollow rectangular columnar member. Two lifting guide rollers 24 abut against the guide portions 16, and one lifting guide roller 24 abuts against the rear surface 10c of the mast 10. With this simplified configuration, for example, in a double-mast crane as shown in Figure 6, the mast 10 can be used by switching the front and rear. The mast 10 is also applicable to various stacker cranes and is common among various stacker cranes. Note that, since the mast 10 is used upside down, a flange member identical to the upper end flange 17 can be attached to the lower end 12 of the mast 10.

[0039] As shown in Figures 1 to 5(a) and 5(b), in stacker crane 1, which is a single-mast crane to which upper frame unit 40S is applied, wire 31 is arranged on the right side of mast 10 to raise and lower lifting platform 20. In Figure 1, protrusion 21a of protrusion 21a and second portion 34 of wire 31 are hidden and cannot be seen, but second portion 34 extends downward along the center position of mast 10 in the X direction.

[0040] According to the stacker crane 1 of this embodiment, the mast 10 is attached to the frame base 50 at a position closer to the first end 51 in the longitudinal direction. At least one sheave 57 of the sheave unit 56 is attached at a position offset from the center in the Y direction. The relative positions of the frame base 50 and the mast 10, and the frame base 50 and the sheave 57, are fixed, and the second portion 34 (wire 31) extends downward along the center of the mast 10. This configuration allows the frame base 50 to be used in two ways, in which the positions of the first end 51 and the second end 52 relative to the mast 10 are reversed (see, for example, Figures 1 and 6). Even when reversed, the position of the second portion 34 (wire 31) in the Y direction relative to the mast 10 remains unchanged, and therefore, there is no problem with connection to, for example, the lifting platform 20. Furthermore, although reversal causes the position of the sheave 57 to move to the opposite side of the central plane CP in the Y direction, this does not cause any problems if the layout of the various devices (such as the lifting platform 20 or the lifting drive device M3) provided on the stacker crane is adjusted. In the upper frame unit 40D, the position of the sheave 57 in the X direction does not change even when the unit is reversed. Therefore, at least the frame base member 50 and the sheave unit 56 can be shared among various stacker cranes (such as the stacker crane 1 shown in FIG. 1 and the stacker crane 1A shown in FIG. 6). This allows various costs, including manufacturing costs, to be reduced.

[0041] Furthermore, in any embodiment in which the frame base member 50 is used in an inverted state, the guide roller units 60 can be attached to both ends in the longitudinal direction (X direction) by using the mounting plates A provided on both ends of the frame base member 50. As shown in Figures 6, 7(a) and 7(b), by preparing a frame connecting member 45 that matches the shape of the mounting plate A, it is also possible to connect two frame base members 50 using the first end 51 and / or the second end 52. In other words, by attaching the frame connecting member 45 to the mounting plate A, the two frame base members 50 can be connected.

[0042] The mast connecting plate 55 has a shape that is point-symmetrical with respect to the center point N. This allows the mast 10 to be shared.

[0043] According to the upper frame unit 40D (see Figures 6, 7(a) and 7(b)) to which two sheaves 57 are attached, the number of sheaves 57 can be adjusted to one or two depending on the type of stacker crane.

[0044] Next, some application examples of the frame base member 50 and the sheave unit 56, that is, the upper frame units 40S and 40D, will be described with reference to FIG. 6 and subsequent figures.

[0045] The stacker crane 1A shown in FIG. 6 has two masts 10. A single lifting platform 20 is supported between the front mast 10A and the rear mast 10B and moves up and down. The stacker crane 1A is a double-mast crane. A lifting drive device M3 equipped with two drums 32 is provided on the front side of the front mast 10A. In the stacker crane 1A, as shown in FIGS. 6, 7(a), and 7(b), an upper frame unit 40D having two sheaves 57 is applied to the front mast 10A, and an upper frame unit 40S having only one sheave 57 is applied to the rear mast 10B. These upper frame units 40D and 40S are connected by a frame connecting member 45 consisting of a single tubular member (e.g., a tubular member with a rectangular cross section) attached to the front and rear mounting plates A. The frame connecting member 45 extends in the longitudinal direction and has a cross-sectional shape similar to that of the tubular portion 53 of the frame base member 50, for example. The front and rear ends (both ends in the X direction) of the frame connecting member 45 are connected to the mounting plate A by, for example, screws or bolts (not shown). The length of the entire unit can be changed by appropriately setting the length of the frame connecting member 45. In these upper frame units 40D and 40S, the positions of the first end 51 and second end 52 are reversed compared to the stacker crane 1 shown in Figure 1 (the frame base member 50 is reversed front to back).

[0046] The stacker crane 1A has two wires 31 arranged on both the left and right sides of the central plane CP of the frame base member 50. In the stacker crane 1A, the left wire 31 is wound around the left sheave 57 of the upper frame unit 40D and the sheave 57 of the upper frame unit 40S. The second portion 34 extends downward along the center in the X direction on the left side of the rear mast 10B. The right wire 31 is wound around the right sheave 57 of the upper frame unit 40D. The second portion 34 extends downward along the center in the X direction on the right side of the foremast 10A. The stacker crane 1A also provides the same functions and effects as the stacker crane 1 described above.

[0047] 8(a) and 8(b), a frame base member 50B having a hollow structure in plan view may be used instead of the cylindrical portion 53. In this upper frame unit 40S, the sheave 57 is also attached to the frame base member 50B at a position offset by a predetermined distance from the center in the Y direction, i.e., the horizontal width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (the offset B relative to the central plane CP is not shown). The mast connecting plate 55 has a point-symmetric shape with respect to a center point N of the mast connecting plate 55, which is located at the center in the Y direction, i.e., the width direction. The second portion 34 (wire 31) extends downward along the center of the mast 10 in the X direction. Note that the guide roller unit 60 is not shown in FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b).

[0048] 9(a) and 9(b), two sheaves 57 that share a support shaft 58 (central axis) can be attached to the frame base member 50B at positions offset from the center in the Y direction. The central plane CP and the offset amount B relative to it are also omitted from the illustration of the upper frame unit 40S and upper frame unit 40D in FIG. 9(a). The guide roller unit 60 is also omitted from illustration in FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b).

[0049] Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 10, by connecting two upper frame units 40S in an inverted state with a frame connecting member 45 (in this case, a longer frame connecting member 45 is prepared), it is possible to realize a stacker crane 1B which is a double-mast crane and also a so-called multi-task crane in which each lifting platform 20 is lifted and lowered separately. The stacker crane 1B also achieves the same functions and effects as the stacker crane 1 described above.

[0050] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, in attaching the sheaves 57, a configuration may be adopted in which the support shaft 58 is omitted and one or two sheaves 57 are attached directly to the frame base member 50 (e.g., the cylindrical portion 53, etc.).

[0051] The tubular portion 53 (unit main body) is not limited to a rectangular tubular shape. The unit main body may be a polygonal tubular shape, a cylindrical shape, a block shape, or the like. A steel material such as a channel steel extending in the longitudinal direction may be used as the unit main body.

[0052] The guide roller unit 60 is not limited to the configuration described in the above embodiment. The guide roller unit may have a plurality of guide rollers attached to the side surface instead of the upper guide roller 62.

[0053] The mounting plate A may be omitted from either or both of the first end 51 and the second end 52. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1, 1A, 1B...stacker crane, 2...traveling rail, 3...upper rail, 10...mast, 13...upper end, 17...upper end flange, 20...lifting platform, 31...wire (hanging member), 40S...upper frame unit, 40D...upper frame unit, 45...frame connecting member, 50...frame base member, 51...first end, 52...second end, 53...cylindrical portion (unit main body), 55...mast connecting plate, 56...sheave unit, 57...sheave, 58...support shaft, A...mounting plate, CP...central plane, M2...traveling drive device, M3...lifting drive device, N...central point.

Claims

1. A stacker crane that moves within an automated warehouse, a frame base member extending in a horizontal longitudinal direction and having a first end and a second end located at opposite ends in the longitudinal direction; a mast attached below the frame base member and closer to the first end than to a center in the longitudinal direction; a sheave unit having at least one sheave attached to the frame base member at a position offset from the center in a horizontal width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; a hanging member wound around the sheave and extending downward from the sheave unit, A stacker crane, wherein the hanging member extends downward along a central position of the mast in the longitudinal direction.

2. 2. The stacker crane according to claim 1, wherein the frame base member has a mounting plate at each of the first end and the second end to which a guide roller unit can be attached.

3. 3. The stacker crane of claim 2, wherein said mounting plate is mountable to said longitudinally extending frame connecting members.

4. the frame base member has, on its lower surface, a mast connecting plate to which an upper end of the mast is connected; The stacker crane according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the mast connecting plate has a shape that is point-symmetric with respect to a center point of the mast connecting plate that is located in the center in the width direction.

5. The stacker crane according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the frame base member is configured so that two of the sheaves can be attached at positions that are respectively offset from the center in the width direction.

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