Vertical conveyor

Abstract

To provide a vertical conveyance machine capable of easily storing a conveyor used for carrying in / out articles.SOLUTION: A vertical conveyance machine 1 comprises: a frame-shaped frame 10 that extends in a vertical direction; a conveyance base 15 that can move up and down in the frame 10; a lifting mechanism 14 that lifts the conveyance base 15; and a conveyor 16 rotatably attached to an entrance 11 through which an article conveyed on the conveyance base 15 is input / output, the conveyor 16 being allowed to be horizontal during article input / output through rotation and upward during storage.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vertical conveyor. [Background technology]

[0002] A vertical conveyor used in a logistics center or the like is a device that conveys an article placed on a conveying platform between a lower layer and an upper layer. One example of a conventional vertical conveyor is known from Patent Document 1.

[0003] In the vertical conveyor described in Patent Document 1, a conveyor (horizontal conveyor) is provided at the article inlet / outlet section. The conveyor can be driven in both directions and can assist in carrying articles onto the conveyor bed and carrying articles off the conveyor bed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2007-290804 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] While the conveyor described in Patent Document 1 is convenient for transporting items onto and off a vertical conveyor, it extends along the floor surface, and therefore ends up wasting floor space when the vertical conveyor is not in use.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVETION In view of the above-mentioned background, an object of the present invention is to provide a vertical conveying machine capable of easily storing a conveyor used for carrying in and out articles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The vertical conveying machine of the present invention comprises a frame-shaped frame extending vertically, a conveying table that can be raised and lowered within the frame, a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the conveying table, and a conveyor that is rotatably attached to an input / output section that inserts and removes items conveyed on the conveying table, and that can be rotated to make the conveying table horizontal when inserting or removing items, and to face upward or downward when storing.

[0008] According to the present invention, since the conveyor is rotatably mounted, when not in use the conveyor can be faced up or down and stored so that the vertical conveyor does not take up space. The upward or downward facing can be vertical or at an angle close to vertical. By standing the conveyor upright, the space occupied by the vertical conveyor can be reduced compared to when the conveyor is left horizontal.

[0009] The vertical conveyor of the present invention comprises a support member that abuts against the underside of the conveyor in a horizontal position, and a mounting plate that mounts the conveyor and the support member and has a mechanism for adjusting the height relative to the frame.

[0010] By providing the support members, the conveyor can be reliably supported in a horizontal state. In addition, since the conveyor and the support members are attached to a mounting plate, the positions of the conveyor and the support members can be changed by adjusting the height of the mounting plate while maintaining the positional relationship in which the support members support the conveyor.

[0011] In the vertical conveyor of the present invention, the support member is a member whose longitudinal direction is the conveying direction of the conveyor in a horizontal state, and is configured to be attached to the mounting plate so as to be rotatable within a horizontal plane. Since the support member has the conveying direction of the conveyor as its longitudinal direction, it can properly support the conveyor. In addition, since the support member can be rotated within a horizontal plane, the vertical conveyor can be made to occupy a small space by making the longitudinal direction of the support member parallel to the frame.

[0012] The vertical conveyor of the present invention may further include a setting unit that sets a position where the conveyor table stops, and the lifting mechanism may control the stop position of the conveyor table based on the setting by the setting unit. With this configuration, the stop position of the conveyor table can be easily adjusted according to the height of the conveyor.

[0013] In the vertical conveyor of the present invention, the rotation center of the conveyor may be located above the upper surface of the conveyor and outside a door provided at the entrance / exit section. With this configuration, the conveyor can be oriented upward or downward without interfering with the door.

[0014] A vertical conveying device according to another aspect of the present invention comprises a frame-shaped frame extending vertically, a conveying platform that can rise and fall within the frame, a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the conveying platform, and a conveyor attached to the frame so as to be slidable horizontally through an entrance / exit section for loading and unloading items conveyed by the conveying platform, the conveyor being capable of sliding between a state in which it is housed inside the frame and a state in which it protrudes from the frame and does not interfere with the elevator path of the conveying platform by sliding it.

[0015] According to the present invention, since the conveyor is slidably mounted, the conveyor can be stored in a frame when not in use, thereby making it possible to reduce the space taken up by the vertical conveyor. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, the space occupied by the vertical conveyor can be reduced by directing the conveyor upward or downward when not in use. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the appearance of a vertical conveyor. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the appearance of a vertical conveyor. [Diagram 3] 1A is a diagram showing a state in which the conveyor is in use, and FIG. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are plan and cross-sectional views showing a conveyor. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a phantom line view of the conveyor in a vertical position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] The vertical conveyor of the present embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description is merely an example of a preferred embodiment, and is not intended to limit the invention described in the claims.

[0019] 1 and 2 are diagrams showing the external appearance of the vertical conveyor 1. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the shutter-type door is closed, and FIG. 2 shows a state in which the door is open. The vertical conveyor 1 has a frame 10 that is in the shape of a frame extending in the vertical direction. The frame 10 has entrance / exit sections 11 formed in at least two places, the lower and upper parts of the frame 10. The entrance / exit sections 11 correspond to a lower floor (e.g., the first floor) and an upper floor (e.g., the second floor) where articles are transported. When the vertical conveyor 1 is installed, the frame 10 penetrates at least the floor between the lower and upper floors, and transports articles between the lower and upper floors.

[0020] The entrance / exit section 11 is configured with an opening for passing articles between the transport platform 15, and the opening is provided with a shutter-type door 12. When the door 12 is open, it is housed in the upper case 13. By closing the door 12 after placing the article on the transport platform 15, the risk of accidentally dropping an object from the entrance / exit section 11 into the frame 10 can be reduced.

[0021] The two input / output sections 11 are provided on opposite sides of the vertical conveyor 1. In FIG. 1, the upper input / output section 11 is not visible because it is located behind the vertical conveyor 1. A type in which the two input / output sections 11 are provided on opposite sides is called a "Z-type." A type in which the two input / output sections 11 are provided on the same side is called a "C-type." FIG. 1 shows a Z-type vertical conveyor 1 as an example, but the vertical conveyor 1 of the present invention can also be applied to a C-type. Also, in this embodiment, an example with two input / output sections 11 is given, but there may be three or more input / output sections 11.

[0022] In the vertical conveyor 1, a conveyor platform 15 moves up and down inside a frame 10. The conveyor platform 15 is a platform for conveying articles between a lower layer and an upper layer. The conveyor platform 15 is raised and lowered by a lifting mechanism 14. The lifting mechanism 14 moves the conveyor platform 15 up and down in response to a lifting or lowering command input by a user.

[0023] The vertical conveyor 1 has a conveyor 16 in the entrance / exit section 11. The conveyor 16 has a role of assisting conveyance so that when an article is placed on the conveying table 15 or when an article placed on the conveying table 15 is removed, the article can be slid on the conveyor 16 to be inserted. FIG. 1 illustrates the conveyor 16 in the lower entrance / exit section 11. Although only a part of the conveyor 16 is visible in FIG. 1, the upper entrance / exit section 11 also has a similar conveyor 16. The conveyor 16 is attached to the frame 10 so as to be rotatable. FIG. 1 shows the conveyor 16 in a horizontal state, which is the state in which the conveyor 16 is in use.

[0024] Fig. 3(a) is a perspective view showing the conveyor 16 in use. Fig. 4 is a plan view and a cross-sectional view showing the conveyor 16. The conveyor 16 is horizontal when in use, and is supported by a support member 17 that abuts against the underside of the conveyor 16. As shown in Fig. 3(a), the support member 17 is a member that extends in the same direction as the conveyor 16. The support member 17 restricts the rotation of the conveyor 16 so that the conveyor 16 remains horizontal.

[0025] FIG. 3(b) is a diagram showing the conveyor 16 in a stored state. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the conveyor 16 in a vertical state in phantom lines. By rotating the conveyor 16 so that it faces upward and is vertical, the conveyor 16 does not protrude in the horizontal direction, and the space occupied by the vertical conveyor 1 can be reduced. As shown in FIG. 3(b), the two support members 17 are pivoted by hinges 19. The support members 17 rotate within a horizontal plane by the hinges 19. In the stored state, the support members 17 are directed inward, and the longitudinal direction of the support members 17 is aligned with the frame. As a result, the support members 17 do not protrude in the horizontal direction, and the space occupied by the vertical conveyor 1 can be reduced.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 3(a) and FIG. 3(b), the conveyor 16 and the support member 17 are connected to the frame 10 via a mounting plate 18. The mounting plate 18 is attached to the frame 10 in a height-adjustable manner. Specifically, a plurality of bolt holes (not shown) are formed for attaching the mounting plate 18 to the frame 10. The height at which the mounting plate 18 is attached can be changed by aligning a bolt hole 20 of the mounting plate 18 with any of a plurality of bolt holes formed in the frame 10 and fastening a bolt to the aligned bolt hole 20. Since the conveyor 16 and the support member 17 are attached to the mounting plate 18, the height of the conveyor 16 can be easily changed without changing the positional relationship between the conveyor 16 and the support member 17.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 4, the conveyor 16 is rotatably attached to a mounting plate 18 at a rotation center R above the upper surface of the conveyor 16 and outside the entrance / exit section 11. Therefore, when the conveyor 16 is rotated to be vertical, a gap G is formed between the conveyor 16 and the frame 10, as shown by the imaginary line in Fig. 5. This gap G is wider than the thickness of the door 12 and the case 13 provided at the entrance / exit section 11 (in other words, it may be said that the protrusion from the frame 10). Therefore, the conveyor 16 can be made vertical without interfering with the door 12 and the case 13.

[0028] The vertical conveyor 1 of the embodiment has a setting unit (not shown). The setting unit has a function of setting the height at which the conveyor table 15 stops. The setting unit has a configuration for receiving user instructions via a touch panel or the like, and a mechanism for controlling the lifting mechanism according to the received instructions. The positions at which the conveyor table 15 stops on the lower and upper layers can be raised or lowered using, for example, "+" and "-" buttons, or the stop position can be set by receiving input of a numerical value indicating the stop position. With this configuration, it is possible to set the conveyor table 15 to stop at the height of the conveyor 16 when the height of the conveyor 16 is changed.

[0029] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the conveyor 16 is rotated upward for storage, but the vertical conveyor of the present invention can also adopt a configuration in which the conveyor 16 is rotated downward for storage.

[0030] In the above embodiment, the vertical conveyor is described as being configured to be stored by rotating the conveyor, but the vertical conveyor of the present invention may be configured such that the conveyor is slidably attached to the frame and stored inside the frame. That is, the vertical conveyor includes a frame-like frame extending in the vertical direction, a conveyor platform that can rise and fall within the frame, a lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the conveyor platform, and a conveyor attached to the frame that can slide horizontally through an inlet / outlet section that inserts and removes items transported by the conveyor platform. By sliding the conveyor, it is possible to switch between a state in which the conveyor is stored inside the frame and a state in which the conveyor protrudes from the frame and does not interfere with the elevator path of the conveyor platform, and by storing the conveyor inside the frame when no items are being inserted or removed, it is possible to save space. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] 1 Vertical conveyor 10 Frames 11 Entrance and Exit 12 Doors 13 Cases 14 Lifting mechanism 15 Transport platform 16 Conveyor 17 Support member 18 Mounting plate 19 Hinge 20 Bolt holes

Claims

1. A frame extending vertically; A conveyance platform capable of ascending and descending within the frame; A lifting mechanism for lifting and lowering the conveyance platform; a conveyor that is rotatably attached to an entrance / exit section that takes in and takes out the articles transported by the transport platform, and that can be rotated to make the conveyor horizontal when taking in and taking out the articles, and can be rotated to face upward or downward when storing the articles; A vertical conveying machine in which the center of rotation of the conveyor is located outside a door provided at the entrance / exit section.

2. A support member that abuts against the lower surface of the conveyor in a horizontal state; a mounting plate for mounting the conveyor and the support member and having a mechanism for adjusting the height of the mounting plate relative to the frame; The vertical conveyor of claim 1 .

3. 3. The vertical conveyor according to claim 2, wherein the support member is a member whose longitudinal direction is the conveying direction of the conveyor in a horizontal state, and is attached to the mounting plate so as to be rotatable within a horizontal plane.

4. A setting unit is provided to set a position where the conveyance table stops, The vertical conveyor according to claim 2 , wherein the lifting mechanism controls a stop position of the conveyor table based on a setting made by the setting unit.

5. A frame extending vertically; A carrier platform that can move up and down within the frame; A lifting mechanism for lifting and lowering the conveyance platform; a conveyor attached to the frame so as to be slidable in a horizontal direction through an entrance / exit section for inserting and removing an article to be transported by the transport platform, the conveyor being capable of switching between a state in which the conveyor is housed inside the frame and a state in which the conveyor protrudes from the frame and does not interfere with an elevator shaft of the transport platform by sliding the conveyor; A vertical conveyor comprising:

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