How to inspect a stacker crane

Abstract

To provide a method of inspecting a stacker crane allowing for enhancing easiness and safety in inspection work.SOLUTION: A method of inspecting a stacker crane includes the steps of: attaching a winding mechanism 9 to a hoisting / lowering body 4; winding first and second cord-formed bodies 8A, 8B to the winding mechanism 9; moving the hoisting / lowering body 4 over one pair of lift rails; attaching first and second sliders respectively to the one pair of lift rails; attaching a first inspection device 7A to the first slider and a second inspection device 7B to a second slider; attaching a first end 8Aa of the first cord-formed body 8A to the first inspection device 7A and a second end 8Ba of the second cord-formed body 8B to the second inspection device 7B; hoisting / lowering the first and second inspection devices 7A, 7B by operating portions of the first and second cord-formed bodies 8A, 8B closer to the third and fourth ends 8Ab, 8Bb; and hoisting / lowering the inspection devices 7A, 7B and measuring a spacing distance between them.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for inspecting a stacker crane. [Background technology]

[0002] The following Patent Document 1 discloses a stacker crane (14) including a traveling carriage (20) that travels along a travel path (17), a pair of masts (19) that are fixed to the traveling carriage and installed along the vertical direction, and a lifting body (21) that rises and falls along the pair of masts. Note that the reference numerals in parentheses in the description of the background art are those in Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4626821 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the stacker crane 14 as described above, an inspection is sometimes performed to check whether the mast 19 is tilted or distorted. During this inspection, an operator climbs a ladder 25 attached to the stacker crane 14 and measures the tilt, etc. of the mast 19 at multiple points in the vertical direction.

[0005] Therefore, in the conventional stacker crane inspection method, the inspection work by the worker is easily complicated. Furthermore, since the worker performs the inspection work at a high place, it is necessary to ensure the safety of the worker.

[0006] Therefore, it is desirable to realize a stacker crane inspection method that can improve the ease and safety of inspection work. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In view of the above, the feature configuration of the inspection method for a stacker crane is as follows: A traveling vehicle that travels along a travel route; A pair of masts fixed to the traveling carriage and arranged along the vertical direction; a lift rail attached to each of the pair of masts and provided along the up-down direction; A method for inspecting a stacker crane comprising: a preparation process for preparing a pair of inspection sliders, each of which can be raised and lowered along the lift rail, a first inspection device and a second inspection device for measuring a distance between the sliders, a first string-like body and a second string-like body formed into a string shape, and a wrapping mechanism around which the first string-like body and the second string-like body are wrapped; a wrapping mechanism attachment step of attaching the wrapping mechanism to the lifting body; a winding step of winding the first string-like body and the second string-like body around the winding mechanism; a lifting body raising step of moving the lifting body to an upper portion of the pair of lifting rails while holding both ends of the first string-like body and both ends of the second string-like body after the winding step; a slider mounting process of mounting a first slider, which is one of the pair of inspection sliders, to one of the pair of lift-down rails and mounting a second slider, which is the other of the pair of inspection sliders, to the other of the pair of lift-down rails; an inspection device mounting step of mounting the first inspection device on the first slider and mounting the second inspection device on the second slider; a string-like body attaching step of attaching a first end portion of the first string-like body to at least one of the first slider and the first inspection device, and attaching a second end portion of the second string-like body to at least one of the second slider and the second inspection device; an inspection device lifting step of lifting and lowering the first inspection device and the second inspection device along the lift rail by manipulating a portion of the first string-like body on the side of a third end which is the other end thereof and a portion of the second string-like body on the side of a fourth end which is the other end thereof, after the winding mechanism attaching step, the winding step, the lifting body lifting step, the slider attaching step, the inspection device attaching step, and the string-like body attaching step; The inspection method further comprises a measuring step of measuring a distance between the first inspection device and the second inspection device by raising and lowering the first inspection device and the second inspection device in the inspection device raising and lowering step.

[0008] According to this characteristic configuration, the tilt and distortion of the pair of masts and the pair of lift rails can be inspected by measuring the distance between the first inspection device and the second inspection device at multiple points in the vertical direction. When performing such an inspection, the need for workers to work at height, such as climbing a ladder to measure the tilt and distortion of the masts, can be reduced. This makes it possible to improve the ease and safety of the inspection work. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a stacker crane according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] Partially enlarged view of a stacker crane according to an embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration in the vicinity of a mast of a stacker crane according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] A flowchart showing an inspection method for a stacker crane according to an embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state after the winding mechanism installation process and the winding process according to the embodiment are completed. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a state after a slider mounting step and an inspection device mounting step according to an embodiment are completed. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a slider mounting step according to an embodiment; [Figure 8] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a slider mounting step according to an embodiment is being performed; [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which an inspection device lifting and lowering step according to an embodiment is being performed; [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a state in which a measurement process according to an embodiment is being performed; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] In the following, an inspection process S100 for the stacker crane 100, which relates to an inspection method for a stacker crane, will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] First, a stacker crane 100 will be described. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the stacker crane 100 includes a traveling carriage 1 that travels along a travel path 11, a pair of masts 2 that are fixed to the traveling carriage 1 and provided along the vertical direction Z, lifting rails 3 that are attached to each of the pair of masts 2 and provided along the vertical direction Z, and a lifting body 4 that rises and falls along the pair of lifting rails 3.

[0012] As shown in Fig. 10, in this embodiment, the stacker crane 100 further includes a guided part G that is guided by a guide rail R provided on the ceiling side. The upper ends of the pair of masts 2 are fixed to the guided part G. In the example shown in Fig. 10, the stacker crane 100 includes a connector C that is provided on the opposite side of the lifting body 4 from the pair of masts 2 along the vertical direction Z and connects the traveling cart 1 to the guided part G, but this connector C is not shown in the drawings other than Fig. 10.

[0013] In the following description, the direction in which the pair of masts 2 face each other is referred to as the "facing direction X." Also, the direction perpendicular to the facing direction X when viewed in the up-down direction along the up-down direction Z is referred to as the "facing orthogonal direction Y." One side of the facing orthogonal direction Y is referred to as the "facing orthogonal direction first side Y1," and the other side of the facing orthogonal direction Y is referred to as the "facing orthogonal direction second side Y2." In this embodiment, the up-down direction Z coincides with the vertical direction.

[0014] 1, in this embodiment, the travel path 11 is formed of rails extending along the opposing orthogonal direction Y. That is, in this embodiment, the traveling carriage 1 travels along the opposing orthogonal direction Y.

[0015] In this embodiment, the pair of masts 2 are configured similarly to each other except that they are symmetrical in the opposing direction X. The pair of lift rails 3 are also configured similarly to each other except that they are symmetrical in the opposing direction X. For convenience, therefore, in Figs. 2 and 3, one mast 2 and the lift rail 3 attached thereto are illustrated, and the other mast 2 and the lift rail 3 attached thereto are omitted. Unless otherwise specified, description of the other mast 2 and the lift rail 3 attached thereto is omitted.

[0016] 3, the mast 2 is formed with a first storage section A1 and a second storage section A2 which form an internal space of the mast 2. In this embodiment, the mast 2 includes a partition section 21 formed to separate the first storage section A1 and the second storage section A2, a cover member 22 formed to cover a portion of the first storage section A1, a first side wall section 23 formed to cover a portion of the first storage section A1, and a second side wall section 24 formed to cover the second storage section A2.

[0017] The partition portion 21 is formed to extend along the opposing direction X. The partition portion 21 is disposed to separate the first accommodation portion A1 and the second accommodation portion A2 in the opposing perpendicular direction Y. In this embodiment, the first accommodation portion A1 is disposed on a first side Y1 of the partition portion 21 in the opposing perpendicular direction, and the second accommodation portion A2 is disposed on a second side Y2 of the partition portion 21 in the opposing perpendicular direction.

[0018] The cover member 22 is formed to cover the first storage section A1 from one side in the facing direction X (the left side in FIG. 3) and the first side Y1 in the facing orthogonal direction. The cover member 22 is configured to be detachable from the partition wall 21. In the illustrated example, the cover member 22 is formed to extend from an end of the partition wall 21 on one side in the facing direction X (the left side in FIG. 3) to the first side Y1 in the facing orthogonal direction, and to be curved further toward the other side in the facing direction X (the right side in FIG. 3). An end of the cover member 22 on the second side Y2 in the facing orthogonal direction is fixed to an end of the partition wall 21 on one side in the facing direction X (the left side in FIG. 3) by a bolt.

[0019] The first side wall portion 23 is formed so as to cover the first storage portion A1 from the other side in the facing direction X (the right side in FIG. 3) and the first side Y1 in the facing orthogonal direction. The first side wall portion 23 is fixed to the partition wall portion 21. In the illustrated example, the first side wall portion 23 is formed so as to extend from an end portion of the partition wall portion 21 on the other side in the facing direction X (the right side in FIG. 3) to the first side Y1 in the facing orthogonal direction, and to be curved further toward one side in the facing direction X (the left side in FIG. 3). The first side wall portion 23 is formed integrally with the partition wall portion 21.

[0020] The second side wall portion 24 is formed so as to cover the second accommodation portion A2 from both sides in the opposing direction X and from the second side Y2 in the opposing perpendicular direction. The second side wall portion 24 is fixed to the partition wall portion 21. In the illustrated example, the second side wall portion 24 is formed integrally with the partition wall portion 21.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 3, in this embodiment, the pair of masts 2 are connected to each other by a connecting member 25 extending along the opposing direction X (see also Fig. 6). In the illustrated example, the connecting member 25 is arranged so as to connect the second side wall portions 24 of the pair of masts 2 to each other. Although not shown in the figure, a plurality of connecting members 25 are arranged at intervals from each other in the up-down direction Z.

[0022] 1, in this embodiment, a plurality of cover members 22 are arranged side by side in the up-down direction Z. In the following description, the cover member 22 located at the bottom among the plurality of cover members 22 is referred to as the "lowermost cover member 22L."

[0023] In Fig. 2, the bottom cover member 22L has been removed. As shown in Fig. 2, in this embodiment, the lift rail 3 is composed of a plurality of rail members 31. The plurality of rail members 31 are continuously arranged along the up-down direction Z. In the following description, the rail member 31 located lowest among the plurality of rail members 31 is referred to as the "bottom rail member 31L."

[0024] 3, the lift rail 3 is configured to be detachable from the mast 2. In this embodiment, the lift rail 3 is disposed in the first accommodation section A1. The lift rail 3 is fixed to the partition wall section 21 of the mast 2 from the first side Y1 in the opposing orthogonal direction. In the illustrated example, the lift rail 3 is fixed to the partition wall section 21 using bolts.

[0025] As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, the lifting body 4 includes a main body 41, a pair of lifting sliders 42 each of which slides along the lifting rail 3, and a pair of lifting connecting members 43 connecting the main body 41 and the pair of lifting sliders 42 (see also Figure 1).

[0026] The main body 41 is disposed on a first side Y1 in the opposing perpendicular direction relative to the pair of masts 2. The main body 41 is formed in a platform shape extending in the opposing direction X and the opposing perpendicular direction Y. In this embodiment, the main body 41 is configured to support a transfer device (not shown) from below. Although not shown, the transfer device is configured to transfer articles between a specified transfer target location.

[0027] The lift slider 42 is configured to slide on the lift rail 3 in the vertical direction Z. Note that an existing linear motion mechanism can be used for the lift slider 42 and the lift rail 3.

[0028] The lifting / lowering connecting member 43 extends along the opposing orthogonal direction Y so as to connect the main body 41 and the lifting slider 42. The cover member 22 and the first side wall 23 are arranged with a gap in the opposing direction X so that the lifting / lowering connecting member 43 does not interfere with the cover member 22 and the first side wall 23 of the mast 2. In this embodiment, a slit-shaped gap is formed along the up-down direction Z between the opposing direction X between a portion of the cover member 22 of the mast 2 covering the first storage section A1 from the first side Y1 in the opposing orthogonal direction and a portion of the first side wall 23 of the mast 2 covering the first storage section A1 from the first side Y1 in the opposing orthogonal direction.

[0029] 2 and 3, in this embodiment, the lifting body 4 is connected to a drive belt 51. The drive belt 51 is disposed on at least one of the pair of masts 2 so as to extend along the up-down direction Z. In this embodiment, the drive belt 51 is disposed on each of the pair of masts 2.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 2, in this embodiment, a drive belt 51 is wound around a drive pulley 52 and a driven pulley (not shown). The drive pulley 52 is rotated by a lifting motor 53 (see Fig. 1). In this embodiment, the drive pulley 52 is disposed below the mast 2. In the example shown, the drive pulley 52 is disposed inside the traveling carriage 1. Although not shown, the driven pulley is disposed above the mast 2.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, the drive belt 51 includes a first vertical extension portion 51a and a second vertical extension portion 51b extending along the vertical direction Z. The first vertical extension portion 51a is disposed in the first storage portion A1, and the second vertical extension portion 51b is disposed in the second storage portion A2. The drive belt 51 is rotated by the lifting motor 53 via the drive pulley 52 and the driven pulley, but the positions of the first vertical extension portion 51a and the second vertical extension portion 51b do not change. In this way, the first vertical extension portion 51a and the second vertical extension portion 51b do not refer to a specific portion of the drive belt 51, but refer to a portion of the drive belt 51 that is not in contact with the drive pulley 52 and the driven pulley.

[0032] In this embodiment, the lift slider 42 and the lift connecting member 43 are connected to the first vertical extending portion 51a. Therefore, as the drive belt 51 rotates, the main body 41 moves in the vertical direction Z via the lift slider 42 and the lift connecting member 43. In other words, as the drive belt 51 rotates, the lift body 4 moves up and down.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 2, in this embodiment, a restricting member 10 that restricts the downward movement of the lift body 4 is fixed to the bottom rail member 31L of the lift rail 3. The restricting member 10 restricts the downward movement of the lift slider 42 when the lift slider 42 abuts against the restricting member 10 from above. In this embodiment, the restricting member 10 is configured to be slidable in the up-down direction Z on the bottom rail member 31L. The restricting member 10 is fixed to the bottom rail member 31L by a fixing member such as a bolt.

[0034] Next, the inspection process S100 of the stacker crane 100 will be described. As shown in Fig. 4, the inspection process S100 includes a preparation process S1, a winding mechanism attachment process S2, a winding process S3, a lifting body raising process S4, a slider attachment process S5, an inspection device attachment process S6, a string-like body attachment process S7, an inspection device lifting process S8, and a measurement process S9.

[0035] The preparation process S1 is a process of preparing a pair of inspection sliders 6, each of which can be raised and lowered freely along the lifting rails 3, a first inspection device 7A and a second inspection device 7B that measure the distance between them, a first string-like body 8A and a second string-like body 8B that are formed into string shapes, and a wrapping mechanism 9 around which the first string-like body 8A and the second string-like body 8B are wrapped.

[0036] The winding mechanism installation step S2 is a step of installing the winding mechanism 9 to the lifting body 4. In this embodiment, the winding mechanism installation step S2 is performed after the preparation step S1.

[0037] 5, in this embodiment, the wrapping mechanism 9 includes a first wrapping member 91 and a second wrapping member 92. In the wrapping mechanism installation step S2 of this embodiment, the lifting body 4 is moved to a position in the vertical direction Z that is within reach of the worker W, and the first wrapping member 91 and the second wrapping member 92 are attached to the underside of the main body 41 of the lifting body 4.

[0038] The first and second wrapping members 91 and 92 are configured to wrap the first and second string-like bodies 8A and 8B around them, respectively. In this example, the first and second wrapping members 91 and 92 are eye bolts.

[0039] The winding step S3 is a step of winding the first string-like body 8A and the second string-like body 8B around the winding mechanism 9. In the winding step S3, the first string-like body 8A and the second string-like body 8B are wound around the winding mechanism 9 so that each of the first string-like body 8A and the second string-like body 8B is movable relative to the winding mechanism 9. As the first string-like body 8A and the second string-like body 8B, a wire, a rope, a belt, or the like can be used. In this embodiment, the winding step S3 is performed after the winding mechanism attachment step S2.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 5, in this embodiment, the first string-like body 8A is hooked onto a first winding member 91. A first end 8Aa, which is one end of the first string-like body 8A, and a third end 8Ab, which is the other end, are positioned at approximately the same position in the vertical direction Z. In this embodiment, the second string-like body 8B is hooked onto a second winding member 92. A second end 8Ba, which is one end of the second string-like body 8B, and a fourth end 8Bb, which is the other end, are positioned at approximately the same position in the vertical direction Z.

[0041] The lifting body lifting step S4 is a step of moving the lifting body 4 to the upper part of the pair of lifting rails 3 while holding both ends (first end 8Aa and third end 8Ab) of the first string-like body 8A and both ends (second end 8Ba and fourth end 8Bb) of the second string-like body 8B after the winding step S3. In the lifting body lifting step S4 of this embodiment, the lifting body 4 is lifted to the upper part of the pair of lifting rails 3 by driving the lifting motor 53 while holding both ends of the first string-like body 8A and both ends of the second string-like body 8B. Note that the "upper part of the lifting rail 3" means, for example, the uppermost part when the lifting rail 3 is divided into three equal parts in the vertical direction Z. Preferably, the "upper part of the lifting rail 3" is the uppermost position in the lifting range of the lifting body 4 along the lifting rail 3.

[0042] The slider mounting step S5 is a step of mounting a first slider 61, which is one of a pair of inspection sliders 6, to one of the pair of lifting rails 3, and mounting a second slider 62, which is the other of the pair of inspection sliders 6, to the other of the pair of lifting rails 3. As shown in FIG. 6, in the slider mounting step S5, the first slider 61 is slidably mounted to the rail member 31 of one of the lifting rails 3, and the second slider 62 is slidably mounted to the rail member 31 of the other lifting rail 3. Each of the first slider 61 and the second slider 62 is configured similarly to the lifting slider 42. In this embodiment, the slider mounting step S5 is performed after the lifting body raising step S4.

[0043] 7, in the slider attachment process S5 of this embodiment, the bottom rail member 31L and the regulating member 10 (see FIG. 2) are removed from the mast 2. Then, by utilizing the area created by removing the bottom rail member 31L, the inspection slider 6 is attached from below to the rail member 31 that was adjacent to and above the bottom rail member 31L.

[0044] As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, in the slider mounting step S5 of this embodiment, the drive belt 51 is fixed to the mast 2 using the fixing member 20 so that the drive belt 51 is separated from the lift rail 3. In this embodiment, the fixing member 20 is configured to be able to fix the drive belt 51 to the first side wall 23 of the mast 2 in a state in which the first vertical extension portion 51a of the drive belt 51 is brought close to the first side wall 23 of the mast 2. In the illustrated example, the fixing member 20 is formed in a U-shape when viewed in the vertical direction along the vertical direction Z. In this way, by fixing the drive belt 51 to the mast 2 using the fixing member 20, a large space can be secured around the lift rail 3. Therefore, the mounting work of the inspection slider 6 to the lift rail 3 as described above can be easily performed.

[0045] The inspection device mounting step S6 is a step of mounting the first inspection device 7A to the first slider 61 and mounting the second inspection device 7B to the second slider 62. In this embodiment, the inspection device mounting step S6 is performed after the slider mounting step S5.

[0046] 6, in this embodiment, the first inspection device 7A includes a first connecting member 71A connected to the first slider 61 and a first sensor member 72A constituting the distance sensor 70. The second inspection device 7B includes a second connecting member 71B connected to the second slider 62 and a second sensor member 72B constituting the distance sensor 70.

[0047] In this embodiment, the first connecting member 71A includes a first protrusion 711A protruding toward the first side Y1 in the opposing perpendicular direction relative to the first slider 61, a first mounting portion 712A attached to the first slider 61, and a first connection portion 713A formed to connect the first protrusion 711A and the first mounting portion 712A.

[0048] In addition, in this embodiment, the second connecting member 71B includes a second protruding portion 711B that protrudes toward the first side Y1 in the opposing perpendicular direction relative to the second slider 62, a second mounting portion 712B that is attached to the second slider 62, and a second connecting portion 713B formed to connect the second protruding portion 711B and the second mounting portion 712B.

[0049] The first protruding portion 711A is formed so as to extend along the counter-orthogonal direction Y. In this embodiment, the first protruding portion 711A is disposed from the first counter-orthogonal direction first side Y1 of the first vertical extending portion 51a of the drive belt 51 in the first housing portion A1 of one mast 2 to the outside of the mast 2. In this embodiment, the first mounting portion 712A is disposed between the first vertical extending portion 51a of the drive belt 51 and the first slider 61 in the counter-orthogonal direction Y. The first mounting portion 712A is fixed to the first slider 61 by a fixing member such as a bolt in a state in which the first mounting portion 712A abuts against the first slider 61 from the first vertical extending portion Y1. The first connecting portion 713A connects the first protruding portion 711A and the first mounting portion 712A by detouring to one side of the counter-orthogonal direction X (here, the left side in FIG. 6) so as not to interfere with the first vertical extending portion 51a of the drive belt 51.

[0050] The second protruding portion 711B is formed so as to extend along the counter-orthogonal direction Y. In this embodiment, the second protruding portion 711B is disposed from the first counter-orthogonal direction first side Y1 of the first vertical extending portion 51a of the drive belt 51 in the first housing portion A1 of the other mast 2 to the outside of the mast 2. In this embodiment, the second mounting portion 712B is disposed between the first vertical extending portion 51a of the drive belt 51 and the second slider 62 in the counter-orthogonal direction Y. The second mounting portion 712B is fixed to the second slider 62 by a fixing member such as a bolt in a state of abutting against the second slider 62 from the first vertical extending portion Y1. The second connecting portion 713B connects the second protruding portion 711B and the second mounting portion 712B by detouring to the other side of the counter-orthogonal direction X (here, the right side in FIG. 6) so as not to interfere with the first vertical extending portion 51a of the drive belt 51.

[0051] As described above, the first sensor member 72A and the second sensor member 72B constitute the distance sensor 70. In this embodiment, the first sensor member 72A includes an oscillator that oscillates a laser beam and a receiver that receives the laser beam. The second sensor member 72B is configured to reflect the laser beam oscillated from the oscillator of the first sensor member 72A toward the receiver of the first sensor member 72A. In this embodiment, a calculation device (not shown) communicably connected to the first sensor member 72A calculates the separation distance between the first sensor member 72A and the second sensor member 72B based on the time from when the laser beam is oscillated from the oscillator of the first sensor member 72A to when it is received by the receiver. Thus, in this embodiment, the distance sensor 70 is configured as a reflective laser distance sensor.

[0052] In this embodiment, the first sensor member 72A and the second sensor member 72B are disposed to face each other in the facing direction X. The first sensor member 72A is attached to a first protruding portion 711A of the first connecting member 71A. The second sensor member 72B is attached to a second protruding portion 711B of the second connecting member 71B. In this example, a surface of the second protruding portion 711B facing the first sensor member 72A functions as the second sensor member 72B.

[0053] 6, in this embodiment, a pair of first sensor members 72A are arranged side by side in the opposing orthogonal direction Y. In addition, a pair of second sensor members 72B are arranged side by side in the opposing orthogonal direction Y. That is, in this embodiment, a pair of distance sensors 70 are arranged side by side in the opposing orthogonal direction Y.

[0054] The string-like body attaching step S7 is a step of attaching the first end 8Aa of the first string-like body 8A to at least one of the first slider 61 and the first inspection device 7A, and attaching the second end 8Ba of the second string-like body 8B to at least one of the second slider 62 and the second inspection device 7B. In this embodiment, the string-like body attaching step S7 is performed after the inspection device attaching step S6.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 9, in the string-like body attachment step S7 of this embodiment, a first fixing member 73A is attached to a first protruding portion 711A of a first connecting member 71A in a first inspection device 7A, and a first end portion 8Aa of a first string-like body 8A is fastened to the first fixing member 73A. Then, a second fixing member 73B is attached to a second protruding portion 711B of a second connecting member 71B in a second inspection device 7B, and a second end portion 8Ba of a second string-like body 8B is fastened to the second fixing member 73B. In the illustrated example, the first fixing member 73A is fixed to the upper surface of the first protruding portion 711A, and the second fixing member 73B is fixed to the upper surface of the second protruding portion 711B. In this example, each of the first fixing member 73A and the second fixing member 73B is an eyebolt.

[0056] The inspection device lifting step S8 is performed after the winding mechanism attaching step S2, the winding step S3, the lifting body raising step S4, the slider attaching step S5, the inspection device attaching step S6, and the string-like body attaching step S7. The inspection device lifting step S8 is a step of operating the part of the first string-like body 8A on the third end 8Ab side and the part of the second string-like body 8B on the fourth end 8Bb side to lift and lower the first inspection device 7A and the second inspection device 7B along the lifting rail 3. Here, the "part of the first string-like body 8A on the third end 8Ab side" refers to the part of the first string-like body 8A wound around the winding mechanism 9 (first winding member 91) that is closer to the third end 8Ab than the winding mechanism 9 (first winding member 91). In addition, "the portion of the second string-like body 8B on the side of the fourth end 8Bb" refers to the portion of the second string-like body 8B wound around the winding mechanism 9 (second winding member 92) that is closer to the fourth end 8Bb than the winding mechanism 9 (second winding member 92).

[0057] In the inspection device lifting and lowering step S8 of this embodiment, the first string-like body 8A and the second string-like body 8B are pulled out or drawn in by the same length, so that the first inspection device 7A and the second inspection device 7B are lifted up by the same height. For example, in the inspection device lifting and lowering step S8, the first inspection device 7A and the second inspection device 7B are lifted up by the same height, so that the first string-like body 8A and the second string-like body 8B are pulled in by the same length. Alternatively, in the inspection device lifting and lowering step S8, the first inspection device 7A and the second inspection device 7B are lowered by the same height, so that the first inspection device 7A and the second inspection device 7B are lowered by the same height. In this example, the part of the first string-like body 8A on the side of the third end 8Ab and the part of the second string-like body 8B on the side of the fourth end 8Bb are tied together to form a knot. Then, for example, the worker W pulls the knot downward at a constant speed, thereby raising the first inspection device 7A and the second inspection device 7B at a constant speed.

[0058] The measurement step S9 is a step of measuring the distance between the first inspection device 7A and the second inspection device 7B by raising and lowering the first inspection device 7A and the second inspection device 7B in the inspection device raising and lowering step S8. As shown in FIG. 10, in the measurement step S9 of this embodiment, the distance between the first sensor member 72A of the first inspection device 7A and the second sensor member 72B of the second inspection device 7B, which are configured as distance sensors 70, is measured at a plurality of positions spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction Z. The measurement of the distance between the first sensor member 72A and the second sensor member 72B may be performed while the first inspection device 7A and the second inspection device 7B are raising and lowering (while the raising and lowering operation is being performed) or while the first inspection device 7A and the second inspection device 7B are stopped (while the raising and lowering operation is stopped).

[0059] Other embodiments (1) In the above embodiment, the winding mechanism attachment step S2, the winding step S3, the lifting body raising step S4, the slider attachment step S5, the inspection device attachment step S6, the string-like body attachment step S7, and the inspection device lifting and lowering step S8 are performed in the order described above. However, as long as the lifting body raising step S4 is performed after the winding step S3, and the inspection device lifting and lowering step S8 is performed after the winding mechanism attachment step S2, the winding step S3, the lifting body raising step S4, the slider attachment step S5, the inspection device attachment step S6, and the string-like body attachment step S7, the inspection device lifting and lowering step S8 can be performed in any order. For example, the winding step S3 may be performed before the winding mechanism attachment step S2, and the inspection device attachment step S6 may be performed before the slider attachment step S5.

[0060] (2) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the winding mechanism 9 includes a first winding member 91 and a second winding member 92, and the first string-like body 8A and the second string-like body 8B are wound around the first winding member 91 and the second winding member 92, respectively. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and for example, the winding mechanism 9 may include only one winding member, and both the first string-like body 8A and the second string-like body 8B may be wound around the winding member.

[0061] (3) In the above embodiment, the first winding member 91 and the second winding member 92 are each an eyebolt. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and for example, at least one of the first winding member 91 and the second winding member 92 may be a pulley.

[0062] (4) In the above embodiment, the first end 8Aa of the first string-like body 8A is fastened to the first fixing member 73A attached to the first connecting member 71A of the first inspection device 7A, and the second end 8Ba of the second string-like body 8B is fastened to the second fixing member 73B attached to the second connecting member 71B of the second inspection device 7B, that is, the first end 8Aa of the first string-like body 8A is attached to the first inspection device 7A, and the second end 8Ba of the second string-like body 8B is attached to the second inspection device 7B. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and for example, the first end 8Aa of the first string-like body 8A may be attached to the first slider 61, and the second end 8Ba of the second string-like body 8B may be attached to the second slider 62.

[0063] (5) In the above embodiment, in the inspection device lifting and lowering step S8, a configuration has been described in which the worker W operates the knot that ties together the part of the first string-like body 8A on the third end 8Ab side and the part of the second string-like body 8B on the fourth end 8Bb side. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and for example, the part of the first string-like body 8A on the third end 8Ab side may be operated with one hand of the worker W, and the part of the second string-like body 8B on the fourth end 8Bb side may be operated with the other hand of the worker W. Alternatively, the part of the first string-like body 8A on the third end 8Ab side may be operated by the worker W, and the part of the second string-like body 8B on the fourth end 8Bb side may be operated by another worker other than the worker W. In addition, the inspection device lifting and lowering process S8 does not have to be performed manually by the worker W, but may be performed automatically using a gripping device that grips the portion of the first string-like body 8A on the side of the third end 8Ab and the portion of the second string-like body 8B on the side of the fourth end 8Bb.

[0064] (6) In the above embodiment, in the inspection device lifting and lowering step S8, the worker W pulls (pulls in) downward the portion of the first string-like body 8A on the side of the third end 8Ab and the portion of the second string-like body 8B on the side of the fourth end 8Bb, thereby lifting the first inspection device 7A and the second inspection device 7B. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and in the inspection device lifting and lowering step S8, the worker W may unreel the portion of the first string-like body 8A on the side of the third end 8Ab and the portion of the second string-like body 8B on the side of the fourth end 8Bb, thereby lowering the first inspection device 7A and the second inspection device 7B by their own weights. In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which the first inspection device 7A and the second inspection device 7B are raised from the inspection device lifting and lowering process S8 and the measurement process S9 is performed at multiple locations. However, the measurement process S9 may also be performed at multiple locations while the first inspection device 7A and the second inspection device 7B are lowered from the inspection device lifting and lowering process S8.

[0065] (7) In the above embodiment, the distance sensor 70 is a reflective laser distance sensor. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the first sensor member 72A may be configured to emit laser light toward the second sensor member 72B, and the second sensor member 72B may be configured to receive the laser light emitted from the first sensor member 72A.

[0066] (8) In the above embodiment, a configuration in which two distance sensors 70 are arranged side by side in the opposing orthogonal direction Y has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and three or more distance sensors 70 may be arranged side by side in the opposing orthogonal direction Y. Alternatively, a configuration in which one distance sensor 70 is provided may be used.

[0067] (9) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the fixing member 20 is used to fix the drive belt 51 to the mast 2 in the slider attachment step S5 so that the drive belt 51 is spaced apart from the lifting rail 3. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, in the slider attachment step S5, the worker W may manually fix the drive belt 51 so that the drive belt 51 is spaced apart from the lifting rail 3.

[0068] (10) The configurations disclosed in the above-described embodiments can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, as long as no contradiction occurs. As for other configurations, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples in all respects. Therefore, various modifications can be made as appropriate within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0069] [Summary of the above embodiment] The following provides an overview of the inspection method for the stacker crane described above.

[0070] The inspection method for stacker cranes is as follows: A traveling vehicle that travels along a travel route; A pair of masts fixed to the traveling carriage and arranged along the vertical direction; a lift rail attached to each of the pair of masts and provided along the up-down direction; A method for inspecting a stacker crane comprising: a preparation process for preparing a pair of inspection sliders, each of which can be raised and lowered along the lift rail, a first inspection device and a second inspection device for measuring a distance between the sliders, a first string-like body and a second string-like body formed into a string shape, and a wrapping mechanism around which the first string-like body and the second string-like body are wrapped; a wrapping mechanism attachment step of attaching the wrapping mechanism to the lifting body; a winding step of winding the first string-like body and the second string-like body around the winding mechanism; a lifting body raising step of moving the lifting body to an upper portion of the pair of lifting rails while holding both ends of the first string-like body and both ends of the second string-like body after the winding step; a slider mounting process of mounting a first slider, which is one of the pair of inspection sliders, to one of the pair of lift-down rails and mounting a second slider, which is the other of the pair of inspection sliders, to the other of the pair of lift-down rails; an inspection device mounting step of mounting the first inspection device on the first slider and mounting the second inspection device on the second slider; a string-like body attaching step of attaching a first end portion of the first string-like body to at least one of the first slider and the first inspection device, and attaching a second end portion of the second string-like body to at least one of the second slider and the second inspection device; an inspection device lifting step of lifting and lowering the first inspection device and the second inspection device along the lift rail by manipulating a portion of the first string-like body on the side of a third end which is the other end thereof and a portion of the second string-like body on the side of a fourth end which is the other end thereof, after the winding mechanism attaching step, the winding step, the lifting body lifting step, the slider attaching step, the inspection device attaching step, and the string-like body attaching step; and a measuring step of measuring a distance between the first inspection device and the second inspection device by raising and lowering the first inspection device and the second inspection device in the inspection device raising and lowering step.

[0071] According to this configuration, the tilt and distortion of the pair of masts and the pair of lift rails can be inspected by measuring the distance between the first inspection device and the second inspection device at multiple points in the vertical direction. When performing such an inspection, the need for workers to work at height, such as climbing a ladder to measure the tilt and distortion of the masts, can be reduced. This makes it possible to improve the ease and safety of the inspection work.

[0072] Here, in the inspection device lifting and lowering process, it is preferable to raise and lower the first inspection device and the second inspection device to the same height by performing an operation of pulling out or retracting the first string-like body by the same length as each other.

[0073] According to this configuration, the vertical positional relationship between the first inspection device and the second inspection device can be kept constant, making it easier to ensure high inspection accuracy.

[0074] In addition, the direction in which the pair of masts face each other is defined as a facing direction, the direction perpendicular to the facing direction when viewed in the up-down direction is defined as a facing orthogonal direction, and one side of the facing orthogonal direction is defined as a facing orthogonal direction first side, the first inspection device includes a first connecting member connected to the first slider and a first sensor member constituting a distance sensor; the second inspection device includes a second connecting member connected to the second slider and a second sensor member constituting the distance sensor, the first connecting member includes a first protruding portion protruding toward a first side in the opposing perpendicular direction relative to the first slider, the second connecting member includes a second protruding portion protruding toward a first side in the opposing perpendicular direction relative to the second slider, It is preferable that the first sensor member and the second sensor member are attached to the first protruding portion and the second sensor member are attached to the second protruding portion such that the first sensor member and the second sensor member face each other in the facing direction.

[0075] According to this configuration, the separation distance between the first inspection device and the second inspection device can be appropriately measured in the measurement process.

[0076] In a configuration in which the first inspection device includes the first connecting member and the first sensor member, and the second inspection device includes the second connecting member and the second sensor member, A pair of the first sensor members are arranged side by side in the opposing orthogonal direction, It is preferable that a pair of the second sensor members are arranged side by side in the opposing perpendicular direction.

[0077] With this configuration, the inclination angle of the pair of masts relative to the opposing direction can be measured.

[0078] Further, the lifting body is connected to a drive belt arranged to extend along the up-down direction on at least one of the pair of masts, It is preferable that the drive belt is fixed to the mast by a fixing member so that the drive belt is spaced from the lift rail during the slider mounting step.

[0079] According to this configuration, the slider mounting process can be easily performed. [Industrial Applicability]

[0080] The technology disclosed herein can be used in an inspection method for a stacker crane. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 100: Stacker crane 1: Traveling cart 11: Travel route 2: Mast 3: Lift rail 4: Lifting body 6: Inspection slider 61: First slider 62: Second slider 7A: First inspection device 7B: Second inspection device 8A: 1st string body 8Aa: First end 8Ab: 3rd end 8B: Second cord-like body 8Ba: Second end 8Bb: 4th end 9: Winding mechanism Z: Vertical direction

Claims

1. A traveling vehicle that travels along a travel route; A pair of masts fixed to the traveling carriage and arranged along the vertical direction; a lift rail attached to each of the pair of masts and provided along the up-down direction; A method for inspecting a stacker crane comprising: a preparation process for preparing a pair of inspection sliders, each of which can be raised and lowered along the lift rail, a first inspection device and a second inspection device for measuring a distance between the sliders, a first string-like body and a second string-like body formed into a string shape, and a wrapping mechanism around which the first string-like body and the second string-like body are wrapped; a wrapping mechanism attachment step of attaching the wrapping mechanism to the lifting body; a winding step of winding the first string-like body and the second string-like body around the winding mechanism; a lifting body raising step of moving the lifting body to an upper portion of the pair of lifting rails while holding both ends of the first string-like body and both ends of the second string-like body after the winding step; a slider mounting process of mounting a first slider, which is one of the pair of inspection sliders, to one of the pair of lift-down rails and mounting a second slider, which is the other of the pair of inspection sliders, to the other of the pair of lift-down rails; an inspection device mounting step of mounting the first inspection device on the first slider and mounting the second inspection device on the second slider; a string-like body attaching step of attaching a first end portion of the first string-like body to at least one of the first slider and the first inspection device, and attaching a second end portion of the second string-like body to at least one of the second slider and the second inspection device; an inspection device lifting process for lifting and lowering the first inspection device and the second inspection device along the lift rail by manipulating a portion of the first string-like body on the side of a third end which is the other end thereof and a portion of the second string-like body on the side of a fourth end which is the other end thereof, after the winding mechanism attaching process, the winding process, the lifting body raising process, the slider attaching process, the inspection device attaching process, and the string-like body attaching process; a measurement process for measuring the distance between the first inspection device and the second inspection device by raising and lowering the first inspection device and the second inspection device using the inspection device lifting and lowering process.

2. The stacker crane inspection method of claim 1, wherein in the inspection device lifting and lowering process, the first inspection device and the second inspection device are raised and lowered to the same height by performing an operation to pay out or pull in the first string-like body by the same length as each other.

3. The direction in which the pair of masts face each other is defined as a facing direction, the direction perpendicular to the facing direction as viewed in the up-down direction is defined as a facing orthogonal direction, and one side of the facing orthogonal direction is defined as a facing orthogonal direction first side, the first inspection device includes a first connecting member connected to the first slider and a first sensor member constituting a distance sensor, the second inspection device includes a second connecting member connected to the second slider and a second sensor member constituting the distance sensor, the first connecting member includes a first protruding portion protruding toward a first side in the opposing perpendicular direction relative to the first slider, the second connecting member includes a second protruding portion protruding toward a first side in the opposing perpendicular direction relative to the second slider, 3. A method for inspecting a stacker crane as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the first sensor member is attached to the first protrusion and the second sensor member is attached to the second protrusion so that the first sensor member and the second sensor member face each other in the opposing direction.

4. A pair of the first sensor members are arranged side by side in the opposing orthogonal direction, The method for inspecting a stacker crane according to claim 3 , wherein a pair of the second sensor members are arranged side by side in the opposing perpendicular direction.

5. The lifting body is connected to a drive belt arranged to extend along the up-down direction on at least one of the pair of masts, 3. The method for inspecting a stacker crane according to claim 1, further comprising the step of fixing the drive belt to the mast using a fixing member so that the drive belt is spaced from the hoisting rail during the slider mounting step.

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