Automated warehouse

Abstract

This invention provides an automated warehouse that can accommodate multiple items in the depth direction of the rack using a relatively simple mechanism. [Solution] The present invention relates to an automated warehouse (1) comprising a stacker crane (2) and a rack (4), wherein the rack comprises a plurality of vertically extending support columns (12), a plurality of pairs of support members (14) projecting from each support column in the width direction of the rack, guide rails (20) provided on each support member, and movable shelves (16) arranged to be movable in the depth direction of the rack by being guided by the guide rails provided on each pair of support members, wherein the movable shelves comprise load-carrying sections (16a) provided at both ends so as to extend in the depth direction of the rack, and connecting sections (16b) extending in the width direction of the rack so as to connect the rear ends of these load-carrying sections, and openings (16c) are formed between each load-carrying section through which the slide forks of the stacker crane can pass.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an automated warehouse, and more particularly to an automated warehouse that uses a stacker crane to store goods.

Background Art

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-66534 (Patent Document 1) describes an automated warehouse. This automated warehouse has an incoming / outgoing cart and a rack provided along the traveling direction of the incoming / outgoing cart. The rack can store goods in multiple rows in the depth direction. The goods stored in this rack are taken in and out by a slide fork, which is a transfer unit extending from the incoming / outgoing cart.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the automated warehouse described in Patent Document 1, there is a problem that the transfer unit provided on the incoming / outgoing cart becomes complicated. That is, in the automated warehouse described in Patent Document 1, when taking in and out the goods on the inner side of the rack, it is necessary to extend the slide fork greatly from the incoming / outgoing cart to transfer the goods between the rack and the incoming / outgoing cart. Also, when taking in and out the goods on the front side of the rack, it is necessary to extend the slide fork slightly to transfer the goods.

[0005] Thus, in the automated warehouse described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to change the stroke of the slide fork according to the position where the goods to be stored are located. This presents a problem in that the mechanism for extending the slide fork and the control system for operating it become complex. Furthermore, when loading or unloading goods at the back of the rack, the slide fork needs to be extended significantly, requiring sufficient strength in the slide fork, which leads to the transfer device becoming larger and heavier.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an automated warehouse that can accommodate multiple items in the depth direction of the rack using a relatively simple mechanism. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an automated warehouse for storing goods using a stacker crane, comprising: a stacker crane installed to be movable in a predetermined direction of travel and equipped with a slide fork for transferring goods; and a rack arranged along the direction of travel of the stacker crane, wherein the rack comprises a plurality of vertically extending support columns, a plurality of pairs of support members fixed to protrude from each support column in the width direction of the rack to support goods between these columns, guide rails provided on each support member extending in the depth direction of the rack, and movable shelves arranged to be movable in the depth direction of the rack by being guided by the guide rails provided on each of the pair of support members, wherein the movable shelves comprise goods-holding sections provided at both ends extending in the depth direction of the rack, and connecting sections extending in the width direction of the rack to connect the rear ends of these goods-holding sections, and openings are formed between each goods-holding section through which the slide fork of the stacker crane can pass.

[0008] With the present invention configured in this way, the movable shelf is positioned to move in the depth direction of the rack by guide rails, so that multiple items can be stored in the depth direction of the rack without significantly extending the slide forks. As a result, multiple items can be stored in the depth direction of the rack with a relatively simple mechanism. Furthermore, with the present invention configured as described above, the movable shelf has an item-holding section that extends in the depth direction of the rack and a connecting section that connects the rear end of the item-holding section, and an opening is formed between the item-holding sections through which the slide forks can pass. Therefore, even if the movable shelf is configured to be thin, the slide forks can pass through the opening, and it becomes possible to store many items in the height direction of the rack.

[0009] In the present invention, preferably, a pair of support members is provided with a first pair of guide rails to guide a first movable shelf, and a second pair of guide rails provided outside the first pair of guide rails to guide a second movable shelf, wherein the first pair of guide rails is positioned below the surface of the support member that supports the load.

[0010] According to the present invention configured in this way, a pair of support members are provided with a first pair and a second pair of guide rails, and the second pair of guide rails is provided on the outside of the first pair of guide rails. Furthermore, since the first pair of guide rails is positioned below the surface of the support member that supports the load, the space above the first pair of guide rails can also be used as a space for placing loads, making it possible to store a large amount of load in the width direction on the rack.

[0011] In the present invention, preferably, the pair of support members are provided with a first pair of guide rails to guide a first movable shelf and a second pair of guide rails provided outside the first pair of guide rails to guide a second movable shelf, the first pair of guide rails are provided to protrude upward from the support members, and the items to be stored are placed on the support members between the first pair of guide rails.

[0012] According to the present invention configured in this way, a pair of support members are provided with a first pair and a second pair of guide rails, with the second pair of guide rails provided outside the first pair of guide rails. The first pair of guide rails are provided so as to protrude upward from the support members, and the cargo to be stored is placed on the support members between the first pair of guide rails, thus simplifying the shape of the support members. This reduces the cost of the rack. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the automated warehouse of the present invention, multiple items can be stored in the depth direction of the rack with a relatively simple mechanism. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a plan view showing the entire automated warehouse according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a side view of an automated warehouse according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is an enlarged front view showing the storage section for goods provided on a rack in an automated warehouse according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a plan view showing a movable shelf arranged in the cargo storage section of an automated warehouse according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a front view showing an enlarged view of the support portion of a movable shelf in an automated warehouse according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a top view showing the state in which a pallet is transferred from the slide fork of a stacker crane to a movable shelf in an automated warehouse according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a side cross-sectional view of the cargo storage section in the automated warehouse of this embodiment, illustrating the operation when storing cargo in racks. [Figure 8] This is a side cross-sectional view of the cargo storage section in the automated warehouse of this embodiment, illustrating the operation when storing cargo in racks. [Figure 9]This is a side sectional view of a luggage storage section for explaining the operation when storing luggage in a rack in the automatic warehouse of this embodiment. [Figure 10] This is a side sectional view of a luggage storage section for explaining the operation when storing luggage in a rack in the automatic warehouse of this embodiment. [Figure 11] This is a side sectional view of a luggage storage section for explaining the operation when storing luggage in a rack in the automatic warehouse of this embodiment. [Figure 12] This is a side sectional view of a luggage storage section for explaining the operation when storing luggage in a rack in the automatic warehouse of this embodiment. [Figure 13] This is a side sectional view of a luggage storage section for explaining the operation when storing luggage in a rack in the automatic warehouse of this embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Next, an automatic warehouse according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an entire automatic warehouse according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of the automatic warehouse according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a front view showing an enlarged view of a luggage storage section provided in a rack in the automatic warehouse according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a movable shelf board arranged in the luggage storage section in the automatic warehouse according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a front view showing an enlarged view of a support portion of the movable shelf board in the automatic warehouse according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an automatic warehouse 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a stacker crane 2 and racks 4 arranged on both sides along the traveling direction of the stacker crane 2. In the automatic warehouse 1 of this embodiment, the luggage P carried to the inbound station 6 is received by the stacker crane 2, and the luggage P is transferred from the stacker crane 2 to a predetermined luggage storage section 4a provided in the rack 4 and stored. Also, the luggage P stored in the rack 4 is transferred to the stacker crane 2 and transported to the outbound station 8, whereby the luggage P can be shipped out.

[0017] As shown in Figure 2, the stacker crane 2 is supported vertically by running rails 2a laid on the floor and running rails 2b laid on the ceiling, and is configured to travel in a predetermined direction (a direction perpendicular to the plane of Figure 2). Furthermore, the stacker crane 2 is equipped with a lifting platform 10 that can be raised and lowered along a vertically extending mast 2c, allowing it to lift loads P to a desired height. Note that in Figure 2, detailed description of the rack 4 on the right side of the stacker crane 2 has been omitted.

[0018] Furthermore, the lifting platform 10 is equipped with a sliding fork 10a for transferring loads P, allowing loads P placed on the lifting platform 10 to be transferred to the rack 4, or loads P stored in the rack 4 to be transferred to the lifting platform 10. The operation of the sliding fork 10a provided on the stacker crane 2 will be described later.

[0019] Next, as shown in Figure 1, the racks 4 are provided on both sides of the stacker crane 2, along the direction of travel of the stacker crane 2 (left-right direction in Figure 1). In this embodiment, racks 4 are provided on both sides of the stacker crane 2, but racks 4 may be provided on only one side. In addition, the racks 4 are provided with multiple rows and columns of cargo storage sections 4a. In this embodiment, each rack 4 on both sides has 12 cargo storage sections 4a in the width direction (left-right direction in Figure 1) (Figure 1), and each rack 4 has 7 rows of cargo storage sections 4a in the height direction (up-down direction in Figure 2) (Figure 2). Furthermore, in this embodiment, each cargo storage section 4a of the racks 4 on both sides can store 3 cargo items P in the depth direction (left-right direction in Figure 2).

[0020] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the rack 4 has a plurality of vertically extending support columns 12 and a plurality of support members 14 fixed so as to protrude from each support column 12 in the width direction of the rack 4. Each support member 14 is a bar-shaped member that extends substantially horizontally in the depth direction of the rack 4 (left-right direction in Figure 2) and is fixed to the side surface of each support column 12. Each luggage storage section 4a of the rack 4 is formed between two adjacent support columns 12 in the width direction of the rack 4. That is, each luggage storage section 4a is formed in an area surrounded by a total of eight support columns 12, two in the width direction of the rack 4 and four in the depth direction.

[0021] Furthermore, the support members 14 are fixed to the pair of two support columns 12 so as to protrude inward into the luggage storage section 4a, and the luggage P is supported on the pair of two support members 14. That is, each luggage storage section 4a is formed by the pair of two support members 14. In this embodiment, each support column 12 is used for two adjacent luggage storage sections 4a in the width direction, and the support members 14 protrude from each support column 12 toward both sides in the width direction, with adjacent luggage storage sections 4a being formed on both sides of each support column 12. In addition, in this embodiment, each support member 14 is directly fixed to each support column 12, but as a modification, each support member 14 may be fixed to each support column 12 via other members.

[0022] Furthermore, each luggage storage section 4a of the rack 4 is provided with a first movable shelf 16 and a second movable shelf 18, which are movably arranged in the depth direction of the rack 4. That is, each support member 14 is provided with a guide rail member 20 that extends in the depth direction of the rack 4, and the first and second movable shelves can move in the depth direction of the rack 4 by being guided by the guide rail member 20. In this way, by providing two movable shelves, in this embodiment, three pieces of luggage P can be stored side by side in the depth direction of the rack 4. In this embodiment, two movable shelves are provided in each luggage storage section 4a, but one or more movable shelves can be provided in one luggage storage section 4a.

[0023] Furthermore, in this embodiment, each support member 14 is mounted at an angle such that the front side of the rack 4 (the side closer to the stacker crane 2) is slightly lower. Therefore, when no luggage P is stored in the luggage storage section 4a, the first and second movable shelves are moved to the front end of the rack 4 by gravity.

[0024] Next, as shown in Figures 3 to 5, the first movable shelf 16 has a cargo loading section 16a and a connecting section 16b that connects the rear ends of the cargo loading sections 16a. The cargo loading sections 16a are provided at both ends of the first movable shelf 16 and are plate-shaped portions that extend in the depth direction of the rack 4. The connecting section 16b is a plate-shaped portion that extends in the width direction of the rack 4 so as to connect the rear ends of the cargo loading sections 16a on both sides. These two cargo loading sections 16a and the connecting section 16b are integrally configured and together form a "U"-shaped first movable shelf 16 with the front side (lower side in Figure 4) of the cargo storage section 4a open. As a result, an opening 16c is formed in the first movable shelf 16 surrounded by the two cargo loading sections 16a and the connecting section 16b. This opening 16c is configured to be large enough for the slide fork 10a of the stacker crane 2 to pass through. In Figure 4, a portion of the first movable shelf 16 is hidden by the second movable shelf 18, which is located above the first movable shelf 16.

[0025] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the lower surface of the first movable shelf 16 is provided with downward-extending legs 16d and wheels 16e attached to these legs 16d. These legs 16d and wheels 16e are provided at the front and rear ends of each luggage placement section 16a of the first movable shelf 16, respectively (only one is shown in Figure 5). In other words, the legs 16d and wheels 16e are provided at the four corners of the first movable shelf 16. The first movable shelf 16 can be moved in the depth direction of the rack 4 with little force as these four wheels 16e are guided by the guide rail members 20 and rotate.

[0026] Similarly, the second movable shelf 18 has a luggage loading section 18a and a connecting section 18b that connects the rear end of the luggage loading section 18a, and as a whole, it forms a U-shaped second movable shelf 18 with the front side of the luggage storage section 4a open. As a result, an opening 18c is formed in the second movable shelf 18 surrounded by the two luggage loading sections 18a and the connecting section 18b. This opening 18c is also configured to be large enough for the slide fork 10a of the stacker crane 2 to pass through. Furthermore, the second movable shelf 18 is also provided with legs 18d and wheels 18e at each of its four corners (only one is shown in Figure 5). The second movable shelf 18 can be moved in the depth direction of the rack 4 with little force as these four wheels 18e are guided by the guide rail members 20 and rotate.

[0027] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the second movable shelf 18 is wider than the first movable shelf 16, and the legs 18d of the second movable shelf 18 are formed to be higher than the height of the first movable shelf 16. As a result, the second movable shelf 18 is supported on a pair of support members 14 so as to straddle the first movable shelf 16. That is, the first movable shelf 16 can fit between the legs 18d on both sides of the second movable shelf 18 and underneath the second movable shelf 18. Consequently, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, when no luggage P is stored in the luggage storage section 4a, the first movable shelf 16 and the second movable shelf 18 are supported on the pair of support members 14 in an overlapping state.

[0028] The guide rail member 20 is an elongated bar-shaped member embedded in the upper surface of each support member 14. That is, as shown in Figure 5, each support member 14 has a rectangular groove formed in the longitudinal direction (the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 5), and the guide rail member 20 is embedded in this groove. In this embodiment, the upper surface of the support member 14 and the upper surface of the embedded guide rail member 20 are flush, and luggage P can also be placed on top of the guide rail member 20.

[0029] Furthermore, two rectangular grooves extending in the longitudinal direction are formed on the upper surface of the guide rail member 20. These grooves are formed parallel to each other, with the same width and depth, and the bottom surfaces of these grooves function as the first guide rail 20a and the second guide rail 20b, respectively. That is, the wheels 16e of the first movable shelf 16 are placed on the first guide rail 20a, and the first movable shelf 16 is guided by the pair of first guide rails 20a. Also, the wheels 18e of the second movable shelf 18 are placed on the second guide rail 20b, and the second movable shelf 18 is guided by the pair of second guide rails 20b.

[0030] Thus, each luggage storage section 4a of the rack 4 is composed of a pair of support members 14, and a guide rail member 20 is embedded in each support member 14. Of the grooves formed in these guide rail members 20, the bottom surfaces of a pair of grooves located closer to the center of the luggage storage section 4a function as the first guide rail 20a (the first pair of guide rails). Furthermore, the bottom surfaces of a pair of grooves provided on the outside of the first pair of guide rails (closer to the support column 12) function as the second guide rail 20b (the second pair of guide rails). In this embodiment, the first guide rail 20a and the second guide rail 20b (the bottom surfaces of the grooves) are positioned below the surface of the support member 14 that supports the luggage P (the upper surface of the support member 14).

[0031] In this embodiment, the first and second guide rails are constructed by providing grooves in each support member 14 and embedding guide rail members 20 in these grooves. However, grooves directly provided in each support member 14 can also be used as guide rails. In this case, each support member 14 is provided with two rectangular grooves extending in the longitudinal direction, and these grooves guide the wheels of the first and second movable shelves.

[0032] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, a stopper 22a is provided at the front end (lower end in Figure 4) of each support member 14, a stopper 22b is provided at the front end of each luggage placement section 16a of the first movable shelf 16, and a stopper 22c is provided at the front end of each luggage placement section 18a of the second movable shelf 18. These stoppers 22a, 22b, and 22c are plate-shaped members that are mounted to protrude upward and are configured to restrict the movement of luggage P and the first movable shelf 16 and the second movable shelf 18 toward the front side (downward in Figure 4).

[0033] As shown in Figure 5, stopper 22a is mounted so as to protrude upward from the upper front end surface of the support member 14 and extends to a height that engages with the front end of the first movable shelf 16 (luggage placement section 16a). This prevents the first movable shelf 16 from falling off to the front of the rack 4. Stopper 22b is mounted so as to protrude upward from the upper front end surface of the first movable shelf 16 and extends to a height that engages with the front end of the second movable shelf 18 (luggage placement section 18a). This prevents the second movable shelf 18 from falling off to the front of the rack 4. Furthermore, stopper 22c is mounted so as to protrude upward from the upper front end surface of the second movable shelf 18. This prevents luggage P placed on the second movable shelf 18 from falling off to the front of the rack 4.

[0034] Furthermore, as described above, each support member 14 is mounted such that its front side is slightly lower than the horizontal plane, and the first movable shelf 16 and the second movable shelf 18 are moved to the front side of the rack 4 by gravity. However, the movement of the first movable shelf 16 and the second movable shelf 18 toward the front is restricted by stoppers 22a and 22b, respectively, and each movable shelf stops at the front end of the support member 14. In this embodiment, the first movable shelf 16 and the second movable shelf 18 are moved to the front side of the rack 4 by gravity, but as a modification, the present invention can also be configured so that the movable shelves are moved toward the front by a biasing force such as a spring.

[0035] Next, with reference to Figure 6, the configuration of the slide fork 10a provided on the lifting platform 10 of the stacker crane 2 will be described. Figure 6 is a top view showing the state when the pallet 24, which is placed on the slide fork 10a, is transferred to the second movable shelf 18. In this embodiment, "cargo P" refers to the items to be stored in the automated warehouse 1, which are placed on the pallet 24 and stored in each cargo storage section 4a of the rack 4. In Figure 6, the items placed on the pallet 24 are not shown. Furthermore, cargo P may be the items to be stored in a container (not shown), or the items themselves, which are standardized to dimensions within a predetermined range, may be considered cargo P.

[0036] As shown in Figure 6, in this embodiment, the pallet 24 is a rectangular plate-shaped member standardized to predetermined dimensions. Four rectangular recesses 24a are formed on the underside of the pallet 24. These four rectangular recesses 24a are arranged in two vertical and two horizontal rows. On the other hand, the slide fork 10a in this embodiment is a known three-stage fork, but its illustration is simplified in each figure. Four engaging protrusions 10b are formed on the rectangular plate-shaped portion of the upper tip of the slide fork 10a. These engaging protrusions 10b are rectangular protrusions provided on the upper surface of the slide fork 10a. Each engaging protrusion 10b is positioned to fit into the recesses 24a provided on the underside of the pallet 24 when the pallet 24 is placed on the slide fork 10a. This engages the slide fork 10a and the pallet 24, preventing the pallet 24 from sliding on the slide fork 10a during transfer and preventing the cargo P from falling off during transfer.

[0037] Furthermore, if the cargo P is an item stored in a container (not shown), recesses (not shown) that engage with each engaging protrusion 10b of the slide fork 10a can be provided on the bottom surface of the container. The number, dimensions, and shape of the engaging protrusions 10b and recesses 24a can be arbitrarily set. Alternatively, if a sufficiently large frictional force acts between the slide fork 10a and the cargo P, the engaging protrusions 10b and recesses 24a can be omitted.

[0038] Next, the operation of the automated warehouse 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to Figures 7 to 13. Figures 7 to 13 are side cross-sectional views of the cargo storage section 4a in the automated warehouse 1 of this embodiment, illustrating the operation when cargo P is stored in the rack 4.

[0039] First, when storing cargo P in rack 4, the cargo P, which has been brought to the receiving station 6 (Figure 1), is received by the stacker crane 2 and placed on the lifting platform 10. Next, the stacker crane 2 is moved along rack 4 to the location of cargo storage section 4a where the received cargo P should be stored. Furthermore, the lifting platform 10 of the stacker crane 2 is raised along the mast 2c to the floor where cargo storage section 4a is located.

[0040] Next, as shown in Figure 7, after moving the luggage P to the front of the luggage storage section 4a where it is to be stored, the slide fork 10a of the lifting platform 10 is extended toward the rack 4. Here, Figure 7 shows an example in which luggage P is newly stored in the luggage storage section 4a where luggage P is not currently stored. In this case, the first movable shelf 16 and the second movable shelf 18 located in the luggage storage section 4a are moved to the front end of the rack 4 (the right end in Figure 7). The slide fork 10a extended toward the rack 4 then moves the luggage P above the second movable shelf 18 which has been moved to the front end of the rack 4.

[0041] Here, the front end of the second movable shelf 18 is provided with a stopper 22c that protrudes upward, but the slide fork 10a extends toward the rack 4 at a height such that the underside of the pallet 24 of the cargo P passes above the upper end of the stopper 22c. As a result, the pallet 24 of the cargo P is moved above the second movable shelf 18, passing above the stopper 22c.

[0042] Next, the lifting platform 10 lowers the slide fork 10a and places the load P on the second movable shelf 18. At this time, the slide fork 10a descends through the opening 18c (Figure 4) formed in the second movable shelf 18 and the opening 16c formed in the first movable shelf 16. As a result, the slide fork 10a descends without interfering with the first movable shelf 16 and the second movable shelf 18 and can retract to its original position.

[0043] Next, Figures 8 to 11 show an example of storing a second piece of luggage P in a luggage storage section 4a that already contains one piece of luggage P. That is, one piece of luggage P is placed on the second movable shelf 18 at the front end of the luggage storage section 4a (the right end in Figure 8). In this case, as shown in Figure 8, the lifting platform 10 raises the slide fork 10a to a height where the pallet 24 of the luggage P placed on it faces the stopper 22c provided on the second movable shelf 18. That is, the slide fork 10a is raised to a height where the upper surface of the slide fork 10a is higher than the stopper 22b and lower than the upper end of the stopper 22c.

[0044] In this state, when the slide fork 10a is extended toward the rack 4, as shown in Figure 9, the front end (left end in Figure 8) of the pallet 24 placed on the slide fork 10a comes into contact with the stopper 22c of the second movable shelf 18, and the second movable shelf 18 is pressed by the pallet 24. As a result, the second movable shelf 18 and the cargo P placed on it are moved toward the back of the cargo storage section 4a (to the left in Figure 9). At this time, a reaction force acts on the pallet 24 placed on the slide fork 10a toward the front side of the rack 4 (to the right in Figure 9). However, because the engaging protrusion 10b provided on the upper surface of the slide fork 10a and the recess 24a provided on the lower surface of the pallet 24 are engaged, the cargo P (pallet 24) does not slide on the slide fork 10a due to the reaction force.

[0045] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, the slide fork 10a extends until the rear end (right end in Figure 10) of the pallet 24 on which it is placed moves to the rear (left side in Figure 10) beyond the stopper 22b provided on the first movable shelf 16. As a result, the second movable shelf 18, which was covering the first movable shelf 16, moves to the rear, and the load P on the slide fork 10a is positioned above the first movable shelf 16.

[0046] As shown in Figure 11, in this state, by lowering the slide fork 10a, the luggage P on the slide fork 10a is placed on the first movable shelf 16. At this time, the slide fork 10a descends through the opening 16c (Figure 4) formed in the first movable shelf 16, and then retracts to its original position. As a result, as shown in Figure 12, the luggage P placed on the first movable shelf 16 is positioned at the front end (right end in Figure 12) of the luggage storage section 4a, and the luggage P placed on the second movable shelf 18 is positioned in the middle section.

[0047] Furthermore, a force acts on the second movable shelf 18 on which the cargo P is placed, directed toward the front side of the rack 4 (to the right in Figure 12) due to the inclination of each support member 14. However, as the front end of the second movable shelf 18 (right end in Figure 12) comes into contact with the rear end (left end in Figure 12) of the pallet 24 of cargo P placed on the first movable shelf 16, the second movable shelf 18 stops in the middle of the rack 4 as shown in Figure 12. In addition, although the pallet 24 placed on the first movable shelf 16 is pressed toward the front by the second movable shelf 18, it does not slide off the first movable shelf 16 because it engages with the stopper 22b provided at the front end of the first movable shelf 16. Furthermore, although the first movable shelf 16 is also pressed toward the front by the second movable shelf 18, the front end of the first movable shelf 16 (the right end in Figure 12) engages with the stopper 22a provided on the front end of the support member 14, so the first movable shelf 16 does not fall toward the front from the support member 14.

[0048] Next, we will explain an example of storing a third piece of luggage P in the luggage storage section 4a, which already contains two pieces of luggage P, as shown in Figure 12. In this case, as shown in Figure 12, the lifting platform 10 raises the slide fork 10a to a height where the pallet 24 of the luggage P placed on it faces the stopper 22b provided on the first movable shelf 16. That is, the slide fork 10a is raised to a height where the upper surface of the slide fork 10a is higher than the stopper 22a, and lower than the upper end of the stopper 22b.

[0049] In this state, when the slide fork 10a is extended toward the rack 4, the front end (left end in Figure 12) of the pallet 24 placed on the slide fork 10a comes into contact with the stopper 22b of the first movable shelf 16, and the first movable shelf 16 is pressed against by the pallet 24. Similarly, the front end (left end in Figure 12) of the pallet 24 placed on the first movable shelf 16 comes into contact with the second movable shelf 18, and the second movable shelf 18 is pressed against by the pallet 24. As a result, the first and second movable shelves and the cargo P placed on them are moved to the back of the cargo storage section 4a. Furthermore, even if a reaction force acts on the pallet 24 placed on the slide fork 10a at this time, the pallet 24 will not shift due to the engagement between the engaging protrusion 10b of the slide fork 10a and the recess 24a of the pallet 24.

[0050] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 13, the slide fork 10a extends until the rear end (right end in Figure 13) of the pallet 24 on which it is placed moves further back (left side in Figure 13) than the stoppers 22a provided on the front ends of each support member 14. As a result, the first movable shelf 16 and the second movable shelf 18 are moved further back, and the load P on the slide fork 10a is positioned above the front ends of the pair of support members 14.

[0051] In this state, by lowering the slide fork 10a, the luggage P on the slide fork 10a is placed on the pair of support members 14. At this time, the slide fork 10a passes between the pair of support members 14 as it descends, and then retracts to its original position. As a result, three pieces of luggage P are stored in one luggage storage section 4a, in order from the back: the luggage P on the second movable shelf 18, the luggage P on the first movable shelf 16, and the luggage P on the support members 14.

[0052] Furthermore, a force acting toward the front side of the rack 4 (to the right in Figure 13) is exerted on the first and second movable shelves on which the cargo P is placed, due to the inclination of each support member 14. However, the front end of the first movable shelf 16 (right end in Figure 13) comes into contact with the rear end (left end in Figure 13) of the pallet 24 of the cargo P placed on the support member 14, causing the first and second movable shelves to stop at the positions shown in Figure 13. In addition, although the pallet 24 placed on the support member 14 is pressed toward the front by the first movable shelf 16, the front end of the pallet 24 (right end in Figure 13) engages with the stopper 22a provided on the front end of the support member 14, preventing the cargo P from falling off the support member 14 toward the front.

[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a guide rail member 20 is provided on each of the pair of support members 14 that constitute one luggage storage section 4a (Figure 4), and the width of the luggage pallet 24 is set to be greater than the distance between these guide rail members 20. However, the guide rail members 20 are embedded in grooves formed in the support members 14 so that their upper surfaces are flush with the upper surfaces of the support members 14 (Figure 5). For this reason, in this embodiment, the luggage pallet 24 can be stably placed on the guide rail members 20 provided on the support members 14, and the space between the pair of support columns 12 can be effectively utilized as a space for storing luggage P. Also, in this embodiment, both the first guide rail 20a and the second guide rail 20b are provided below the upper surface of the support member 14, but as a modification, only the inner first guide rail 20a can be provided below the upper surface of the support member 14. In this case, it is best to set the width of the pallet 24 such that the pallet 24 is placed between the second guide rails 20b and only on the upper side of the first guide rail 20a.

[0054] On the other hand, when three packages P are stored in one package storage section 4a and a package P needs to be removed, the lifting platform 10 of the stacker crane 2 is moved in front of the package storage section 4a. Then, the slide fork 10a of the lifting platform 10 is extended to the underside of the package P that is placed on the support member 14 at the frontmost side of the package storage section 4a. In this state, the slide fork 10a is raised and then retracted, thereby transferring the package P from the rack 4 to the stacker crane 2. The transferred package P is then transported by the stacker crane 2 to the removal station 8 and removed.

[0055] When the cargo P stored at the very front of the cargo storage section 4a is transferred to the stacker crane 2, the first and second movable shelves are moved to the front of the cargo storage section 4a by gravity. The first and second movable shelves then stop when the front end of the first movable shelf 16 comes into contact with the stopper 22a attached to the front end of the support member 14. As a result, the cargo P placed on the first movable shelf 16 is positioned at the front end of the cargo storage section 4a, and the cargo P placed on the second movable shelf 18 is positioned in the middle of the cargo storage section 4a.

[0056] Next, when loading more cargo P, the lifting platform 10 is moved in front of the cargo storage section 4a, and the sliding fork 10a is extended to the underside of the cargo P placed on the first movable shelf 16 at the frontmost end of the cargo storage section 4a. At this time, the sliding fork 10a is inserted into the opening 16c formed in the first movable shelf 16. Then, when the cargo P is transferred from the rack 4 to the stacker crane 2, the second movable shelf 18 is moved to the front side of the cargo storage section 4a by gravity. The second movable shelf 18 then stops when its front end contacts the stopper 22b attached to the front end of the first movable shelf 16.

[0057] As a result, the first movable shelf 16 and the second movable shelf 18 are positioned overlapping at the front end of the cargo storage section 4a, with cargo P placed on the second movable shelf 18. To retrieve cargo P from this state, the lifting platform 10 is moved in front of the cargo storage section 4a, and the slide fork 10a is extended to the underside of cargo P placed on the second movable shelf 18 at the frontmost end of the cargo storage section 4a, thereby transferring cargo P from the rack 4 to the stacker crane 2. At this time, the slide fork 10a is inserted into the inside of the respective openings formed in the first movable shelf 16 and the second movable shelf 18. In this way, in the automated warehouse 1 of this embodiment, the stacker crane 2 can store and retrieve cargo P in multiple rows in the depth direction of the rack 4 simply by transferring cargo P to the frontmost storage position of the cargo storage section 4a of the rack 4.

[0058] According to the automated warehouse 1 of this embodiment of the present invention, the first and second movable shelves 16 and 18 are arranged to move in the depth direction of the rack 4 by guide rails 20, so that multiple items can be stored in the depth direction of the rack 4 without significantly extending the slide fork 10a. As a result, multiple items can be stored in the depth direction of the rack 4 with a relatively simple mechanism. Furthermore, according to the automated warehouse 1 of this embodiment, the first and second movable shelves 16 and 18 each have an item placement section 16a and 18a that extends in the depth direction of the rack 4, and a connecting section 16b and 18b that connects the rear ends of the item placement sections 16a and 18a, and openings 16c and 18c are formed between the item placement sections 16a and 18a, respectively, through which the slide fork 10a can pass. Therefore, even when the first and second movable shelves 16 and 18 are made thin, the slide fork 10a can pass through the openings 16c and 18c, making it possible to store a large amount of luggage in the rack 4 in the height direction.

[0059] Furthermore, according to the automated warehouse 1 of this embodiment, a pair of support members 14 are provided with a first and a second pair of guide rails (a first guide rail 20a and a second guide rail 20b), and the second pair of guide rails (the second guide rail 20b) is provided on the outside of the first pair of guide rails (the first guide rail 20a). Since the first pair of guide rails (the first guide rail 20a) is positioned below the surface of the support member 14 that supports the cargo (the upper surface of the support member 14), the space above the first pair of guide rails (the first guide rail 20a) can also be used as a space for placing cargo P, making it possible to store a large amount of cargo in the width direction in the rack 4.

[0060] While embodiments of the present invention have been described above, various modifications can be made to the embodiments described above. In particular, in the embodiments described above, the guide rail members were embedded in the support members, and the first and second guide rails were positioned below the upper surface of the support members. In contrast, as a modification, a pair of support members may be provided with a first pair of guide rails (first guide rails) for guiding the first movable shelf and a second pair of guide rails (second guide rails) for guiding the second movable shelf, with the second pair of guide rails positioned outside the first pair of guide rails. Furthermore, the first pair of guide rails may be provided so as to protrude upward from the support members, and the present invention may be configured so that the items to be stored are placed on the support members between the first pair of guide rails. According to this modification, since the first pair of guide rails is provided so as to protrude upward from the support members, the shape of the support members can be simplified. This makes it possible to reduce the cost of the rack. Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the forward movement of the first movable shelf 16 and the second movable shelf 18 was restricted by stoppers 22a and 22b. In contrast, as a modification, the present invention can also be configured such that a stopper is provided at the front end of the guide rail 20, and the wheels of the first movable shelf 16 and the second movable shelf 18 are brought into contact with this stopper, thereby stopping each movable shelf at the front end of the support member 14. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0061] 1. Automated warehouse 2. Stacker crane 2a Running rail 2b Running rails 2c Must 4 racks 4a Luggage compartment 6. Parking Station 8 Departure Station 10 Elevating platform 10a Slide Fork 10b Engagement ridge 12 pillars 14 Support Member 16. First movable shelf 16a Luggage storage area 16b Connection part 16c opening 16d leg 16e wheels 18. Second movable shelf 18a Luggage storage area 18b Connection section 18c opening 18d leg 18e wheels 20 Guide rail members 20a First guide rail 20b Second guide rail 22a Stopper 22b Stopper 22c stopper 24 pallets 24a recess

Claims

1. An automated warehouse that uses a stacker crane to store goods, A stacker crane is installed to be able to travel in a predetermined direction and is equipped with a sliding fork for transferring loads, The racks arranged along the above-mentioned direction of travel of this stacker crane, It has, The above rack is Multiple vertically extending support columns, Between these support columns are multiple pairs of support members fixed so as to protrude from each of the above support columns in the width direction of the rack, to support the load, Guide rails are provided on each of the support members so as to extend in the depth direction of the rack, A movable shelf is positioned to move in the depth direction of the rack, guided by guide rails provided on each of the pair of support members, It has, The above adjustable shelves are The above rack has luggage loading sections provided at both ends so as to extend in the depth direction, The rear ends of these luggage loading sections are connected by connecting parts that extend in the width direction of the rack, An automated warehouse characterized in that an opening is formed between each of the above-mentioned cargo loading sections, through which the slide fork of the stacker crane can pass.

2. The automated warehouse according to claim 1, wherein the pair of support members is provided with a first pair of guide rails to guide a first movable shelf and a second pair of guide rails provided outside the first pair of guide rails to guide a second movable shelf, and the first pair of guide rails is positioned below the surface of the support members that supports the cargo.

3. The automated warehouse according to claim 1, wherein the pair of support members are provided with a first pair of guide rails to guide a first movable shelf and a second pair of guide rails provided outside the first pair of guide rails to guide a second movable shelf, the first pair of guide rails are provided to protrude upward from the support members, and the goods to be stored are placed on the support members between the first pair of guide rails.

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