Mobile shelving device equipped with a movement stopping mechanism

Abstract

The unit moving shelf will be reliably stopped when it comes into contact with an obstacle. [Solution] The unit movable shelf 2 comprises a unit movable shelf body 20, a wheel W provided at its lower end, and a movement stopping mechanism 100. The movement stopping mechanism 100 consists of an obstacle contact detection member 70, a drive shaft rotation stopping member 80 attached to the drive shaft 60 of the wheel W, and a stopper member 90 attached to the obstacle contact detection member 70. The obstacle contact detection member 70 is configured to be movable between a locked position in which the stopper member 90 is locked to the locking claw 81 of the drive shaft rotation stopping member 80 and an unlocked position in which it is separated from the locking claw 81. When the unit movable shelf 2 is moving and the obstacle contact detection member 70 comes into contact with an obstacle O, the obstacle contact detection member 70 moves from the unlocked position to the locked position. As a result, the stopper member 90 is locked to the locking claw 81, preventing the rotation of the drive shaft rotation stopping member 80 and stopping the rotation of the wheel W.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a movable shelf device, particularly a movable shelf device including a plurality of single-displacement shelves movable in a direction orthogonal to the shelf opening surface, and the single-displacement shelf is provided with a movement stop mechanism by obstacle contact detection.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in offices, libraries, factories, warehouses, etc., movable shelf devices including a plurality of single-displacement shelves movable via wheels are known. As such single-displacement shelves, manual ones that move by rotational driving operation of a handle and electric ones that move by button operation are known.

[0003] These single-displacement shelves are installed so that they can move on wheels on rails laid on an installation surface such as a floor surface. Each single-displacement shelf moves, for example, when an operator rotates the handle, and a space as a passage is formed between adjacent single-displacement shelves. Through that passage, an operator performs the operation of taking in and out stored items with respect to a desired single-displacement shelf.

[0004] In such a movable shelf device, when an operator is performing the operation of taking in and out articles with respect to the shelf in the space formed between adjacent single-displacement shelves, if another operator inadvertently moves the single-displacement shelf, there is a risk that the operator working in that space will be sandwiched between the single-displacement shelves. Also, when stored items or the like stored in the single-displacement shelf fall and exist as obstacles on the floor surface, there is also a problem that the obstacles are sandwiched between the single-displacement shelves. Therefore, each single-displacement shelf is known to be provided with a movement stop mechanism that stops the movement of the single-displacement shelf when the single-displacement shelf contacts an obstacle when there is an obstacle between the single-displacement shelves. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a movement stop mechanism in which a braking member is provided on the wheels of a single-displacement shelf.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-116606 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] In the conventional mobile shelving device stop mechanism shown in Patent Document 1 above, a roller-shaped braking member is configured to contact the wheel and rail when the stop mechanism is activated, thereby stopping the rotation of the wheel. However, because this braking member is roller-shaped, sufficient braking force may not be obtained between it and the wheel when it comes into contact with the wheel. In particular, when a large number of items are stored in the unit mobile shelving, there is a problem in that it is difficult to immediately and reliably stop the rotation of the wheel against the inertial force caused by the weight of the items.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a mobile shelf device equipped with a movement stopping mechanism that can reliably stop the movement of a unit mobile shelf in an emergency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, the present invention comprises the following means.

[0009] [1] A movable shelf device in which a plurality of unit movable shelves are movable in a direction perpendicular to the shelf opening surface, The aforementioned movable unit shelf is Unit movable shelf body, Wheels provided at the lower end of the unit movable shelf body, It includes a movement stopping mechanism that stops the rotation of the wheels and stops the movement of the unit moving shelf body, The aforementioned movement stopping mechanism is An obstacle contact detection member is provided at the front of the lower part of the unit movable shelf body in the direction of movement, A drive shaft rotation stopping member fixed to the drive shaft of the wheel and equipped with a plurality of locking claws along the circumferential direction, The obstacle contact detection member is provided with a stopper member that engages with the locking claw, The obstacle contact detection member is configured to be movable between a locked position in which the stopper member is engaged with the locking claw and an unlocked position in which it is separated from the locking claw. A mobile shelf device characterized in that, when an obstacle comes into contact with the obstacle contact detection member while the unit mobile shelf is moving, the obstacle contact detection member moves from the non-locking position to the locking position, the stopper member locks onto the locking claw, thereby preventing the rotation of the drive shaft rotation stop member and stopping the rotation of the wheel.

[0010] [2] The movable shelf device according to paragraph [1], wherein the obstacle contact detection member is provided so as to be able to swing with respect to the unit movable shelf body about a pivot point, and the stopper member is biased to the unlocked position by an elastic member.

[0011] [3] The obstacle contact detection member is composed of an L-shaped angle member in side view, which consists of a side wall portion extending in the vertical direction and an extension portion extending from the lower end of the side wall portion toward the inside of the unit movable shelf body, and a mounting portion provided on the inner surface of the side wall portion. The stopper member is composed of a locking rod that is provided so as to straddle a notch formed at the tip edge of the extension, The obstacle contact detection member is swingably attached to the unit movable shelf body with the lower part of the mounting portion as the pivot point. The movable shelf device according to paragraph [2] above, wherein the upper part of the mounting portion is attached to one end of the elastic member, the side wall portion is inclined by the biasing force of the elastic member such that the lower end of the side wall portion protrudes in the direction of movement of the unit movable shelf body, and the obstacle contact detection member is configured to be in the unlocked position.

[0012] [4] The mobile shelf device according to any one of the preceding paragraphs [1] to [3], wherein the obstacle contact detection member is provided to extend over the entire depth direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the unit mobile shelf body.

[0013] [5] The mobile shelf device according to any one of the preceding paragraphs [1] to [3], wherein a plurality of obstacle contact detection members are provided along the depth direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the unit mobile shelf body.

[0014] [6] The mobile shelf device according to any one of the preceding paragraphs [1] to [5], wherein the obstacle contact detection member is provided on both sides in the direction of movement of the unit mobile shelf body.

[0015] [7] A movement stopping mechanism for a unit mobile shelf configured to be movable via wheels, The aforementioned movable unit shelf is Unit movable shelf body, Wheels provided at the lower end of the unit movable shelf body, The system includes a wheel rotation stopping mechanism for stopping the rotation of the aforementioned wheels, The wheel rotation stopping mechanism is, An obstacle contact detection member is provided at the front of the lower part of the unit movable shelf body in the direction of movement, A drive shaft rotation stopping member fixed to the drive shaft of the wheel and equipped with a plurality of locking claws along the circumferential direction, The obstacle contact detection member is provided with a stopper member that engages with the locking claw, The obstacle contact detection member is configured to swing between a locked position in which the stopper member is engaged with the locking claw and an unlocked position in which it is separated from the locking claw. A movement stopping mechanism for a unit movable shelf, characterized in that when an obstacle comes into contact with the obstacle contact detection member while the unit movable shelf is moving, the obstacle contact detection member swings from the non-locked position to the locked position, the stopper member locks into the locking claw, thereby preventing the rotation of the drive shaft rotation stopping member and stopping the rotation of the wheel. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph [1], since an obstacle contact detection member is provided in front of the moving direction, when there are obstacles such as people or articles in the space as the passage formed between adjacent single-displacement moving shelves, when the single-displacement moving shelf moves, the obstacle contact detection member can detect the obstacle and stop the movement of the single-displacement moving shelf. In addition, since the stopper member of the obstacle contact detection member stops the rotation of the axle by engaging with the locking claw of the drive axle rotation stop member fixed to the drive axle of the axle, the rotational drive of the wheels can be surely stopped.

[0017] According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph [2], it is possible to surely detect an obstacle while having a simple structure.

[0018] According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph [3], it is possible to surely detect an obstacle and surely stop the single-displacement moving shelf while having a simple structure.

[0019] According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph [4], no matter where the obstacle is located in the depth direction of the single-displacement moving shelf body, the obstacle can be surely detected by contact, and the single-displacement moving shelf can be surely stopped.

[0020] According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph [5], a plurality of the obstacle contact detection members are provided along the depth direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the single-displacement moving shelf body. Therefore, the lightweight and compact design of each obstacle contact detection member can be achieved, and its installation work can be easily performed. In addition, the contact detection of obstacles can be performed more accurately.

[0021] According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph [6], since the obstacle contact detection members are provided on both sides in the moving direction of the moving shelf body, no matter whether the single-displacement moving shelf moves in the left or right direction, the obstacles on the floor surface can be detected and the single-displacement moving shelf can be surely stopped.

[0022] According to the invention described in the preceding paragraph [7], the movement of the unit moving shelves can be stopped when an obstacle consisting of a person or an object is present in the space that serves as a passage between adjacent unit moving shelves. Furthermore, since the stopper member of the obstacle contact detection member engages with the locking claw of the drive shaft rotation stopping member fixed to the drive shaft of the axle, thereby stopping the rotation of the axle, the rotation drive of the wheel can be reliably stopped. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0023] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an overall perspective view of a mobile shelving device equipped with a plurality of unit mobile shelves according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a front view of a unit mobile shelf that constitutes the mobile shelf device. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the schematic configuration of the drive mechanism of the unit movable shelf. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the base frame and obstacle contact detection member of the unit movable shelf in a separated state. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the obstacle contact detection member attached to the base frame of the unit movable shelf. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a partial perspective view showing the obstacle contact detection member and the mounting portion of the frame in a separated state. [Figure 7A] Figure 7A is an explanatory diagram of the movement stopping mechanism as seen from the cross section AA of Figure 5 on the left side of the unit moving shelf, showing the unlocked state in which the stopper member is not locked to the locking claw of the drive shaft rotation stopping member. [Figure 7B] Figure 7B is an explanatory diagram of the movement stopping mechanism as seen from the cross-sectional view of Figure 5B-B on the left side of the unit moving shelf, showing the locked state in which the stopper member is engaged with the locking claw of the drive shaft rotation stopping member. [Figure 8A] Figure 8A is an explanatory diagram of the movement stopping mechanism corresponding to Figure 7A on the right side of the unit moving shelf. [Figure 8B] Figure 8B is an explanatory diagram of the movement stopping mechanism corresponding to Figure 7B on the right side of the unit moving shelf. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0024] (Outline configuration of the mobile shelving system) Figure 1 is an overall perspective view showing a mobile shelving device 1, which is an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, this mobile shelving device 1 is equipped with a plurality of unit mobile shelves 2. In the illustrated embodiment, a total of five unit mobile shelves 2 are shown, but in this invention, the number of unit mobile shelves 2 is not particularly limited and any number is acceptable. Each unit mobile shelf 2 is movable along a pair of rails R, R laid on the floor surface F in a direction perpendicular to the shelf opening surface of the unit mobile shelf 2. In the illustrated embodiment, the rightmost unit mobile shelf 2 has been moved to the right, to a position away from the other unit mobile shelves 2. The other unit mobile shelves are arranged with almost no gaps between them.

[0025] In this state, a space is formed between the rightmost unit movable shelf 2 and the unit movable shelf 2 adjacent to its left, serving as a passageway. By entering this space, workers can perform tasks such as loading and unloading items from the shelves 21 of the unit movable shelves 2.

[0026] For example, if it is necessary to create a passageway between the second and third unit movable shelves 2 from the right, the second unit movable shelf 2 from the right is moved to the right from the state shown in Figure 1. This creates a passageway between the two unit movable shelves 2.

[0027] In the following description, to facilitate understanding of the invention, the unit movable shelf 2 will be described as having a movement direction in the direction perpendicular to its shelf opening, a depth direction in the direction perpendicular to this movement direction, and the side on which the handle H for moving the unit movable shelf 2 is provided as the front side.

[0028] (Unit movable shelf) As shown in Figure 1, the unit mobile shelf 2 consists of a unit mobile shelf body 20 (see Figure 2) with a rectangular base frame 10 (see Figure 4) extending in the depth direction at its bottom, and a total of four wheels W (see Figure 3) attached to the base frame 10 that constitutes the unit mobile shelf body 20. The unit mobile shelf body 20 is formed in two rows in the depth direction, each row having multiple shelves 21 on the top and bottom, and stored items can be easily loaded and unloaded from both sides of the shelf opening.

[0029] As shown in Figure 2, a panel P is attached to the front side of the unit movable shelf body 20 so as to cover it. A handle H for moving the unit movable shelf 2 is rotatably provided on the front side of the panel P. A sprocket 30, which acts as an interlocking gear, is rotatably supported on the front side of the frame 10, and the rotational force of this sprocket 30 is transmitted to the wheels W. A chain 31 is stretched between the handle H and the sprocket 30. As a result, when an operator rotates the handle H, the rotational force is transmitted simultaneously to the four wheels W via the chain 31 and the sprocket 30. By simultaneously rotating the four wheels W in this way, the unit movable shelf body 20 is configured to move along the rail R in a left-right direction perpendicular to the shelf opening surface.

[0030] (Wheel drive mechanism) The drive mechanism of the wheel W will be explained with reference to Figure 3. As shown in the figure, a first drive shaft 40 extends from the sprocket 30 in the depth direction of the frame 10 that constitutes the lower part of the unit movable shelf body 20. Two pulleys 41 and 42 are attached to the tip of this first drive shaft 40. In the figure, the pulley 41 on the front side is referred to as the first pulley, and the pulley 42 on the back side is referred to as the second pulley.

[0031] On the other hand, the two wheels W and W located on the right side in Figure 3 are attached to both ends of the second drive shaft 50, which extends in the depth direction of the frame 10. Also, the two wheels W and W located on the left side in the direction of movement in the same figure are attached to both ends of the third drive shaft 60, which is arranged parallel to the second drive shaft 50.

[0032] A third pulley 43 is mounted near the wheel W on the front side (front side) of the second drive shaft 50. A fourth pulley 44 is mounted near the wheel W on the front side (front side) of the third drive shaft 60. A first belt B1 is stretched between the first pulley 41 and the third pulley 43, and a second belt B2 is stretched between the second pulley 42 and the fourth pulley 44.

[0033] As described above, the drive mechanism is configured such that when an operator rotates the handle H, the rotational driving force is transmitted to the sprocket 30 via the chain 31 (see Figure 2). The rotational driving force transmitted to the sprocket 30 is then transmitted to the first drive shaft 40, which is rotated. This rotational driving force of the first drive shaft 40 is transmitted to the first pulley 41 and the second pulley 42. The rotational driving forces of the first pulley 41 and the second pulley 42 are then transmitted to the third pulley 43 and the fourth pulley 44 via the first belt B1 and the second belt B2, respectively. The driving force transmitted to the third pulley 43 and the fourth pulley 44 is then transmitted to the second drive shaft 50 and the third drive shaft 60, respectively, which rotates the wheels W attached to these drive shafts 50 and 60.

[0034] Therefore, for example, when the handle H is rotated to the right, the unit movable shelf 2 moves to the right. When the handle H is rotated to the left, the unit movable shelf 2 moves to the left. In this embodiment, a drive mechanism using the first pulley 41 to the fourth pulley 44 and the first belt B1 and the second belt B2 is used, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Sprockets may be used instead of these pulleys 41 to 44, and chains may be used instead of belts B1 and B2. By using sprockets and chains in this way, driving force and braking force can be reliably transmitted without slippage between them.

[0035] The second drive shaft 50 and the third drive shaft 60 correspond to the "drive shaft" as defined in the claims of the present invention.

[0036] The rotational driving force of the handle H is transmitted as rotational driving force to the four wheels W by the drive mechanism. As a result, the unit movable shelf body 20 moves left and right along the rails R and R in accordance with the rotation direction of the handle H, along a direction perpendicular to the shelf opening surface. In this way, in the movable shelf device 1 according to this embodiment, each unit movable shelf 2 is movable via the wheels W when multiple unit movable shelves 2 are lined up.

[0037] In the above embodiment, a configuration was shown in which an operator moves the unit movable shelf 2 by rotating the handle H, but the invention is not limited to this. Each unit movable shelf 2 may be configured to be electrically movable. In this case, an operating switch may be provided instead of the handle H, and the sprocket 30 may be rotated by driving an electric motor when the operating switch is operated.

[0038] In the above embodiment, since the four wheels W are driven to rotate simultaneously, the unit movable shelf 2 can be reliably moved. In particular, even when a large load is placed on the unit movable shelf 2, such as when a large number of items or heavy objects are placed on it, there is an advantage that all four wheels W can be rotated reliably without slipping, and the unit movable shelf 2 can be reliably moved.

[0039] However, in this invention, it is not necessarily required to drive all the wheels W simultaneously, as in this embodiment. This invention also allows for a configuration in which one or more of the wheels W are driven to rotate.

[0040] (Movement stop mechanism) The aforementioned mobile unit shelf 2 is equipped with a movement stopping mechanism 100. This movement stopping mechanism 100 is a mechanism that detects an obstacle on the floor surface when the mobile unit shelf 2 is moving along the rail R and R, and stops the movement of the mobile unit shelf 2. The movement stopping mechanism 100 will be described below.

[0041] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the movement stopping mechanism 100 according to this embodiment is provided in front of the base frame 10 that constitutes the lower part of the unit movable shelf body 20 in the direction of movement. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the unit movable shelf 2 is movable in either the left or right direction. Therefore, as shown in Figure 4, a total of four mechanisms are provided on both sides of the base frame 10 that constitutes the lower part of the unit movable shelf body 20 in the direction of movement, that is, on both the left and right sides of the base frame 10 in Figure 4, with the base frame 10 divided into two parts in the depth direction, and arranged almost without gaps along the depth direction.

[0042] In this embodiment, as described above, the movement stopping mechanism 100 is divided into two parts in the depth direction and is arranged side by side with almost no gap between them. This makes each movement stopping mechanism 100 lightweight and compact, which has the advantage of making it easy to manufacture and install. Furthermore, because they are arranged side by side with almost no gap in the depth direction, the obstacle detection range covers almost the entire depth of the unit movable shelf 2. Therefore, various obstacles on the floor can be detected without fail.

[0043] Furthermore, the movement stopping mechanism 100 is not limited to being divided into two parts in the depth direction as in the above embodiment, but may be divided into three or more parts. Alternatively, it may be configured as a single movement stopping mechanism 100 that extends across the entire depth direction of the unit movable shelf 2 without being divided.

[0044] The four movement stopping mechanisms 100 according to this embodiment all have the same configuration. Therefore, in the following description, we will describe one movement stopping mechanism 100 located on the left front in the direction of movement in Figure 4, and the descriptions of the other components will be omitted by assigning corresponding reference numerals.

[0045] As shown in Figure 4, the movement stopping mechanism 100 consists of an obstacle contact detection member 70, a drive shaft rotation stopping member 80, and a stopper member 90.

[0046] (Obstacle contact detection member) The obstacle contact detection member 70 detects the presence of obstacles such as stored items or people on the floor surface when the unit movable shelf 2 moves and comes into contact with the obstacle. As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the obstacle contact detection member 70 is positioned on the front side in the direction of movement of the base frame 10 that constitutes the lower part of the unit movable shelf body 20. As shown in Figure 6, the obstacle contact detection member 70 is made of a metal angle member that is roughly L-shaped in side view. This angle member has a side wall portion 71 that extends in the vertical direction and an extension portion 72 that extends from the lower end of the side wall portion 71 toward the unit movable shelf body 20. The tip edge of the extension portion 72 is bent upward.

[0047] The obstacle contact detection member 70 has the function of detecting the presence of obstacles, including objects and people, on the floor surface to which the unit mobile shelf body 20 moves by contact, and at the same time has the function of stopping the rotation drive of the wheels W. For this reason, the obstacle contact detection member 70 is made of a material that has sufficient strength to withstand the load applied when the rotation drive of the wheels W is stopped, as described later. The obstacle contact detection member 70 is preferably made of a metal angle member that is roughly L-shaped in side view.

[0048] (Drive shaft rotation stopping member) As shown in Figures 7A and 7B, the drive shaft rotation stopping member 80 is a gear-shaped member fixed to the third drive shaft 60 of the wheel W, and is equipped with a plurality of locking claws 81 along the circumferential direction. The locking claws 81 shown in Figures 7A and 7B engage with a stopper member 90, which will be described later, when the wheel W is rotating counterclockwise, thereby preventing the wheel W from rotating. Therefore, each locking claw 81 is not circumferentially symmetrical like a normal gear, but is formed in an inclined shape that extends in the counterclockwise direction so that it can reliably engage with the stopper member 90, which will be described later, when it is rotating counterclockwise. An arc-shaped recessed locking portion 81a is formed at the base of each locking claw 81 in the counterclockwise direction. As a result, the stopper member 90, which will be described later, is reliably locked by engaging with the locking portion 81a of any of the locking claws 81 when it is rotating counterclockwise.

[0049] (Stopper component) As described above, the stopper member 90 is locked onto the locking claw 81 of the drive shaft rotation stopper member 80 and is composed of a cylindrical rod-shaped or pin-shaped locking rod. When the locking rod constituting the stopper member 90 is locked onto either of the locking claws 81, the rotation of the drive shaft rotation stopper member 80 is prevented. This prevents the rotation of the third drive shaft 60 to which the drive shaft rotation stopper member 80 is fixed. When the rotation of the third drive shaft 60 is prevented, the rotation of the wheel W attached to the third drive shaft 60 stops.

[0050] In this way, the stopper member (locking rod) 90 locks onto the locking claw 81 of the drive shaft rotation stop member 80, thereby stopping the rotational drive of the drive shaft rotation stop member 80, which is fixed to the third drive shaft 60 of the wheel W. Therefore, the stopper member (locking rod) 90 is configured to have sufficient strength to withstand the rotational load of the drive shaft rotation stop member 80. The stopper member (locking rod) 90 is preferably composed of a metal rod or pin-shaped member.

[0051] The stopper member (locking rod) 90 is a metal rod-shaped member fixed by welding or the like, positioned along the depth direction in such a manner that it straddles a semicircular notch 72a formed at the tip edge of the extension portion 72 of the obstacle contact detection member 70, as is clearly shown in Figure 6.

[0052] (Mounting structure for obstacle contact detection component) Next, the mounting structure of the obstacle contact detection member 70 will be described with reference to Figure 6. The obstacle contact detection member 70 is equipped with an inverted L-shaped mounting plate 73 fixed to the inside of its side wall portion 71 in a manner that protrudes laterally. A pair of upper and lower mounting holes 73a and 73b are formed in this mounting plate 73. On the other hand, a slit 11a is formed in the side wall 11 of the base frame 10 at a position corresponding to the mounting plate 73. In addition, a mounting plate 14 is fixed to the side wall 11 and bottom wall 12 of the base frame 10 adjacent to the slit 11a on two sides by welding or the like. A mounting hole 14a is formed in this mounting plate 14. Furthermore, a U-shaped mounting member 15 is fixed downward with bolts or the like to the lower surface of the tip of the upper wall 13 of the base frame 10 at a position corresponding to the slit 11a.

[0053] As shown in Figures 7A and 7B, the obstacle contact detection member 70 is positioned with its mounting plate 73 inserted into a slit 11a formed in the side wall 11 of the frame 10. In this state, the mounting plate 73 of the obstacle contact detection member 70 and the mounting plate 14 of the frame 10 are pivotably fixed by a pin member 16 inserted through a mounting hole 73b formed in the mounting plate 73 and a mounting hole 14a formed in the mounting plate 14. Therefore, the obstacle contact detection member 70 is pivotable relative to the frame 10 with the pin member 16 as the pivot point.

[0054] Furthermore, one end of a coil spring (tension coil spring) S, an example of an elastic member, is attached to a mounting hole 73a formed at the upper end of the mounting plate 73 of the obstacle contact detection member 70. The other end of the coil spring S is attached to a pin 18 attached to a mounting member 15 of the frame 10. This coil spring (tension coil spring) S pulls the upper end of the mounting plate 73 of the obstacle contact detection member 70 to the right. As a result, the lower end of the side wall portion 71 of the obstacle contact detection member 70 protrudes outward, causing the side wall portion 71 to be inclined.

[0055] In this embodiment, a metal coil spring (tension coil spring) is used as the elastic member S. However, the elastic member S is not limited to a metal coil spring (tension coil spring); for example, spring members of various shapes and materials, or elastic tension members in the form of rubber cords can also be used. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a tension coil spring that pulls the upper end of the mounting plate 73 of the obstacle contact detection member 70 to the right is used as the elastic member S, but instead, for example, a compression coil spring that pushes the upper end of the mounting plate 73 to the right can also be used. In short, in this embodiment, as long as the lower end of the side wall portion 71 of the obstacle contact detection member 70 is biased to protrude in the direction of movement of the unit movable shelf 2 under normal circumstances, the specific shape, material, form, etc. of the elastic member S are not particularly limited.

[0056] When the upper end of the mounting plate 73 of the obstacle contact detection member 70 is pulled to the right by the coil spring (tension coil spring) S, as shown in Figure 7A, the stopper member (locking rod) 90 is in an unlocked position, separated from the locking claw 81 of the drive shaft rotation stop member 80. From this state, when the obstacle contact detection member 70 swings inward, as shown in Figure 7B, the stopper member (locking rod) 90 is positioned in a locked position, locked to one of the locking claws 81 of the drive shaft rotation stop member 80.

[0057] (Operation of the obstacle contact detection component) The operation of the obstacle contact detection member 70 will be explained below with reference to Figures 7A and 7B.

[0058] Figure 7A shows the wheel W rotating to the left. In this state, the upper end of the mounting plate 73 of the obstacle contact detection member 70 is biased to the right by the coil spring (tension coil spring) S. As a result, the obstacle contact detection member 70 is in an inclined state with the lower end of the side wall portion 71 protruding to the left, with the pin member 16 as the pivot point. At this time, the stopper member (locking rod) 90 attached to the tip of the extension portion 72 is in an unlocked position, separated from the locking claw 81 of the drive shaft rotation stop member 80. In this state, as the wheel W rotates to the left along the rail R, the unit movable shelf 2 moves to the left.

[0059] If there are no obstacles O on the floor surface F on which the rails R are laid, the wheels W will continue to rotate. However, if there are obstacles O on the floor surface, as shown in Figure 7B, the obstacles O will come into contact with the side wall portion 71 of the obstacle contact detection member 70, and the obstacles O will act to push the side wall portion 71 in the opposite direction to the direction of movement. At this time, the obstacle contact detection member 70 will swing around the pin member 16 as a pivot point. When the obstacle contact detection member 70 swings around the pin member 16 as a pivot point, the stopper member (locking rod) 90 will move closer to the drive shaft rotation stop member 80 and reach a locking position where it will be locked by the locking claw 81. As the stopper member (locking rod) 90 is locked by the locking claw 81 in this way, the rotation of the drive shaft rotation stop member 80 is prevented, the rotational drive of the third drive shaft 60 is stopped, and consequently the rotation of the wheels W attached to the third drive shaft 60 is stopped. As a result, the leftward movement of the unit moving shelf 2 is stopped.

[0060] As described above, the obstacle contact detection member 70 is configured to be movable between a locked position in which the stopper member (locking rod) 90 is locked to the locking claw 81 and an unlocked position in which it is separated from the locking claw 81.

[0061] The obstacle detection sensitivity of the obstacle contact detection member 70 is determined by the tensile strength of the coil spring (tension coil spring) S. Therefore, the obstacle detection sensitivity can be adjusted by using a coil spring (tension coil spring) S with an appropriate tensile strength.

[0062] As described above, in the state shown in Figure 7B where the wheel W is locked by the stopper member (locking rod) 90, the unit movable shelf 2 is prevented from moving further to the left. In this locked state, the stopper member (locking rod) 90 is securely locked by the locking claw 81 which is inclined in the rotational direction of the drive shaft rotation stop member 80, so the movement of the unit movable shelf 2 is reliably prevented.

[0063] When the obstacle O is removed while the stopper member (locking rod) 90 is locked in place by the locking claw 81, the obstacle contact detection member 70 returns to its original unlocked position shown in Figure 7A, with the pin member 16 as the pivot point, due to the tensile force of the coil spring (tension coil spring) S. As a result, the unit movable shelf 2 becomes movable to the left.

[0064] The left-side movement stop mechanism 100 on the front side of the unit movable shelf 2 has been described above, but the left-side movement stop mechanism 100 on the rear side has exactly the same configuration. Furthermore, the right-side movement stop mechanism 100 of the unit movable shelf 2 also has a similar configuration, as shown in Figures 8A and 8B, and its description is omitted by assigning corresponding reference numerals.

[0065] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the drive mechanism connects the two front wheels W and the two rear wheels W in the direction of movement to each other by belts B1 and B2. In other words, all wheels W operate in conjunction with each other. Therefore, when any of the movement stopping mechanisms 100 are activated and any of the drive shaft rotation stopping members 80 are activated, all wheels W stop simultaneously. This makes it possible to stop the unit moving shelf 2 even more reliably.

[0066] (Effects of the embodiment) In this embodiment, the obstacle contact detection member 70 is configured to be movable between a locked position in which the stopper member (locking rod) 90 is engaged with the locking claw 81 and an unlocked position in which it is separated from the locking claw 81. Therefore, when an external force is applied to the obstacle contact detection member 70, the obstacle contact detection member 70 swings against the tensile force of the coil spring S, causing the stopper member 90 to engage with the locking claw 81, and stopping the movement of the drive shaft rotation stop member 80. As a result, the rotation of the wheels W attached to the drive shafts 50 and 60 is prevented, and the movement of the wheels W can be completely stopped.

[0067] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the two obstacle contact detection members 70 are arranged on the front side in the direction of movement, covering the entire area in the depth direction. Therefore, the movement stopping mechanism 100 can be reliably operated regardless of whether an obstacle such as a person or object is present at any point in the space forming the passage between adjacent unit moving shelves 2.

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the obstacle contact detection members 70 are divided and arranged across the entire depth direction perpendicular to the direction of movement. This allows each obstacle contact detection member 70 to be made lighter and more compact, and also facilitates their installation.

[0069] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an elastic member consisting of a coil spring S is provided to bias the obstacle contact detection member 70 to an unlocked position. As a result, the obstacle contact detection member 70 can be stably positioned in an unlocked position, and the movement stopping mechanism 100 can be prevented from being activated unnecessarily.

[0070] In this embodiment, a notch 72a is formed in the extension 72 of the obstacle contact detection member 70, and a rod-shaped or pin-shaped stopper member (locking rod) 90 is positioned to span across this notch 72a. Therefore, the stopper member (locking rod) 90 can be reliably engaged with the locking claw 81 of the drive shaft rotation stop member 80.

[0071] (Other embodiments) In the above embodiment, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the base frame 10 of the unit movable shelf 2 is composed of multiple beams, but the number of beams is not limited, and for example, it may be composed of one beam.

[0072] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the gear-shaped drive shaft rotation stopping member 80 can preferably be made of a metal material, but it is not necessarily limited to metal, and may be made of resin or the like, for example, as long as a predetermined strength can be ensured.

[0073] Furthermore, although the stopper member 90 is shown as being formed in the shape of a rod or pin in the above embodiment, the shape of the stopper member 90 is not limited to these. The stopper member 90 may take any other form as long as it is shaped to be able to reliably engage with the locking claw 81 of the drive shaft rotation stop member 80 and can withstand the load received from the drive shaft rotation stop member 80.

[0074] In the above embodiment, the obstacle contact detection member 70 is divided and arranged over the entire depth direction perpendicular to the direction of movement. However, the installation location of the obstacle contact detection member 70 is not limited, and it can also be arranged over a portion of the depth direction perpendicular to the direction of movement. Furthermore, the obstacle contact detection member 70 is not limited to a divided shape, and may be composed of a single long member.

[0075] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the obstacle contact detection member 70 is configured to swing freely with the pin member 16 as a pivot point, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Of course, a swingable configuration is advantageous as it simplifies the structure. However, for example, the obstacle contact detection member 70 may be configured to slide freely in the direction of movement of the unit movable shelf 2. In this case, a biasing member such as a coil spring can be used to configure the obstacle contact detection member 70 to constantly protrude in the direction of movement.

[0076] Furthermore, although the above embodiment described an example in which the movement stopping mechanism 100 of the present invention is applied to a manually operated mobile shelving device, it is not limited to this. The movement stopping mechanism of the present invention can also be applied to an electrically operated mobile shelving device. [Industrial applicability]

[0077] The mobile shelving device of the present invention can be suitably used in mobile shelving devices equipped with multiple unit mobile shelves installed in factories, warehouses, libraries, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 1. Mobile shelving device 2 Unit Mobile Shelving 10-unit frame 20 Unit Mobile Shelf Body 50, 60 drive shafts 70 Obstacle contact detection member 71 Side wall section 72 Extension part 73 Mounting part 80 Drive shaft rotation stopping member 81 Locking claw 90 Stopper component (locking rod) 100 Movement stop mechanism F Floor R Rail S Elastic Member W wheels

Claims

1. A movable shelf device in which multiple unit movable shelves are movable in a direction perpendicular to the shelf opening surface, The aforementioned unit movable shelf is The main unit of the mobile shelf, Wheels provided at the lower end of the unit movable shelf body, The system includes a movement stopping mechanism that stops the rotation of the wheels and stops the movement of the unit moving shelf body, The aforementioned movement stopping mechanism is An obstacle contact detection member is provided at the front of the lower part of the unit movable shelf body in the direction of movement, A drive shaft rotation stopping member fixed to the drive shaft of the wheel and equipped with a plurality of locking claws along the circumferential direction, The obstacle contact detection member is provided with a stopper member that engages with the locking claw, The obstacle contact detection member is configured to be movable between a locked position in which the stopper member is engaged with the locking claw and an unlocked position in which it is separated from the locking claw. A mobile shelf device characterized in that, when an obstacle comes into contact with the obstacle contact detection member while the unit mobile shelf is moving, the obstacle contact detection member moves from the non-locking position to the locking position, the stopper member locks onto the locking claw, thereby preventing the rotation of the drive shaft rotation stop member and stopping the rotation of the wheel.

2. The movable shelf device according to claim 1, wherein the obstacle contact detection member is provided so as to be able to swing with respect to the unit movable shelf body about a pivot point, and the stopper member is biased to the unlocked position by an elastic member.

3. The obstacle contact detection member is composed of an L-shaped angle member in side view, which consists of a side wall portion extending in the vertical direction and an extension portion extending from the lower end of the side wall portion toward the inside of the unit movable shelf body, and a mounting portion provided on the inner surface of the side wall portion. The stopper member is composed of a locking rod that is provided so as to straddle a notch formed at the tip edge of the extension, The obstacle contact detection member is swingably attached to the unit movable shelf body with the lower part of the mounting portion as the pivot point. The movable shelf device according to claim 2, wherein the upper part of the mounting portion is attached to one end of the elastic member, the side wall portion is inclined by the biasing force of the elastic member such that the lower end of the side wall portion protrudes in the direction of movement of the unit movable shelf body, and the obstacle contact detection member is configured to be in the unlocked position.

4. The mobile shelf device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the obstacle contact detection member consists of a single member that extends over the entire depth direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the unit mobile shelf body.

5. The mobile shelf device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a plurality of obstacle contact detection members are provided along the depth direction perpendicular to the movement direction of the unit mobile shelf body.

6. The mobile shelf device according to claim 5, wherein the obstacle contact detection member is provided on both sides of the unit mobile shelf body in the direction of movement.

7. A movement stopping mechanism for a unit mobile shelf configured to be movable via wheels, The aforementioned unit movable shelf is The main unit of the mobile shelf, Wheels provided at the lower end of the unit movable shelf body, The system includes a wheel rotation stopping mechanism for stopping the rotation of the aforementioned wheels, The wheel rotation stopping mechanism is, An obstacle contact detection member is provided at the front of the lower part of the unit movable shelf body in the direction of movement, A drive shaft rotation stopping member fixed to the drive shaft of the wheel and equipped with a plurality of locking claws along the circumferential direction, The obstacle contact detection member is provided with a stopper member that engages with the locking claw, The obstacle contact detection member is configured to swing between a locked position in which the stopper member is engaged with the locking claw and an unlocked position in which it is separated from the locking claw. A movement stopping mechanism for a unit movable shelf, characterized in that when an obstacle comes into contact with the obstacle contact detection member while the unit movable shelf is moving, the obstacle contact detection member swings from the non-locked position to the locked position, the stopper member locks into the locking claw, thereby preventing the rotation of the drive shaft rotation stopping member and stopping the rotation of the wheel.

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