Automated warehouse

Abstract

To provide a shuttle type automated warehouse that allows an operator to perform both maintenance of an upper part of the automated warehouse and take-out of a shuttle truck.SOLUTION: A shuttle type automated warehouse 1 of the present invention includes: a rack 2; a shuttle truck 4 provided in a plurality of stages and moving on a traveling path 12; buffer conveyors 34 and 36 in the plurality of stages provided at an end part of the rack; a vertical conveyance device 18 provided to be adjacent to the buffer conveyor; and in-rack maintenance decks 14 at least one of which is provided at an intermediate height. A shuttle truck take-out area S is provided which is an atrium space, adjacent to an end part 12a of the traveling path of the buffer conveyor and the shuttle truck. In a predetermined area S1 including the shuttle truck take-out area S, there are provided movable ladders 40 and 42 that are provided so as to be slidable between a rack side and an opposite side and a guide member 44 that guides a slide ladder.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an automated warehouse, and particularly to a shuttle-type automated warehouse including a rack, a shuttle cart, a buffer conveyor, a vertical conveyor disposed adjacent to the buffer conveyor, and a maintenance deck within the rack.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a shuttle-type automated warehouse including a shuttle cart (transport cart), its transport rail, a maintenance table for an operator to perform maintenance on the shuttle cart, and a moving cart capable of transferring the shuttle cart between the transport rail and the maintenance table, and the moving cart includes a holding rail for holding the shuttle cart (for example, Patent Document 1). In the automated warehouse of this Patent Document 1, at the end of the transport rail, after raising and lowering the holding rail of the moving cart to the height of the transport rail on which the shuttle cart that requires maintenance is mounted, the shuttle cart is transferred to the holding rail and moved to the maintenance table. Thus, a technique for holding and raising and lowering the shuttle cart at a position adjacent to the end of the transport rail is known.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] On the other hand, it is naturally necessary to perform maintenance not only on the shuttle cart but also on each device and component constituting the automated warehouse (for example, the rack, the buffer conveyor, etc.). In this case, for example, in automated warehouses with many rack levels and relatively high heights, a maintenance deck may be provided at a predetermined height (predetermined floor) for workers to move horizontally to perform maintenance on the upper parts of the automated warehouse. Traditionally, to move to such a maintenance deck, workers would either place a ladder over the edge of the automated warehouse in the front-to-back direction (direction of shuttle trolley movement), either on the origin side or the opposite side, or use a vertical ladder fixed in a predetermined location.

[0005] However, in the case of an automated warehouse layout with multiple maintenance decks and vertical conveyors installed on both the origin and anti-origin sides, manually moving long and heavy ladders between levels is difficult. Furthermore, in the lifting area of ​​a shuttle cart with a vertical conveyor behind it, manually moving the ladder to a location that does not obstruct the lifting of the shuttle cart is also difficult. On the other hand, while a fixed vertical ladder allows access to each level, it is difficult to secure a lifting area for the cart.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a shuttle-type automated warehouse that can simultaneously allow workers to perform maintenance on the upper part of the automated warehouse and to retrieve the shuttle trolley. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a shuttle-type automated warehouse comprising a rack, a plurality of shuttle trolleys arranged in multiple tiers and each moving along a travel path, a plurality of buffer conveyors arranged at the end of the rack, a vertical transport device arranged adjacent to these buffer conveyors, and at least one flat plate-shaped rack-type maintenance deck arranged at an intermediate height, wherein a shuttle trolley retrieval area, which is an open space, is provided adjacent to the ends of the travel paths of the buffer conveyors and shuttle trolleys, and a sliding ladder is provided in a predetermined area including the shuttle trolley retrieval area so as to be slidable between the rack side and the opposite side, and a guide member for guiding the sliding ladder.

[0008] With the present invention configured in this way, when removing a shuttle cart using the shuttle cart removal area, the sliding ladder is moved to a position where it does not interfere with the shuttle cart (a position outside the shuttle cart removal area). On the other hand, when an operator performs maintenance on the automated warehouse, the sliding ladder is moved to any position appropriate to the work, and in particular, by moving it closer to the maintenance deck inside the rack on the rack side, the operator can access the upper part of the automated warehouse. Therefore, the sliding ladder guided by the guide member makes it possible to perform maintenance on the upper part of the automated warehouse by an operator and to remove the shuttle cart simultaneously.

[0009] Furthermore, in the present invention, preferably, racks are arranged in pairs on both sides of the shuttle trolley's travel path, buffer conveyors and vertical transport devices are provided in pairs on the left and right corresponding to the pair of racks, and sliding ladders and guide members are provided in pairs on the left and right adjacent to the pair of buffer conveyors. With the present invention configured in this way, since the sliding ladders are provided in pairs adjacent to the left and right buffer conveyors, workers can not only move to the maintenance deck to perform maintenance on the automated warehouse, but also use the sliding ladders for maintenance on the buffer conveyors.

[0010] Furthermore, preferably in the present invention, a fixing member is provided for fixing the sliding ladder at an arbitrary position with respect to the direction in which the buffer conveyor extends. According to the present invention configured in this way, by fixing the sliding ladder at any position relative to the direction in which the buffer conveyor extends using a fixing member, maintenance can be effectively performed along the entire length of the buffer conveyor.

[0011] Furthermore, in the present invention, preferably, the guide member is positioned in the upper part of the automated warehouse, the sliding ladder is slidably suspended and guided by the guide member, and the sliding ladder has a length such that its lower end is at a predetermined distance from the floor surface of the automated warehouse (for example, a distance that does not obstruct the movement of various devices moving on the floor surface). According to the present invention configured in this way, the worker can easily move the sliding ladder.

[0012] Furthermore, the present invention preferably further includes a fixed member for a sliding ladder provided at a predetermined height relative to the floor surface of the automated warehouse, and a fixing member for fixing the lower end of the sliding ladder to the fixed member at an arbitrary position relative to the direction in which the buffer conveyor extends. With the present invention configured in this way, the worker can easily fix the sliding ladder, thereby enabling effective maintenance along the entire length of the buffer conveyor. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to perform maintenance on the upper part of the automated warehouse by an operator and to retrieve the shuttle cart simultaneously. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a shuttle-type automated warehouse according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a shuttle-type automated warehouse according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a rear view showing a schematic configuration of a shuttle-type automated warehouse according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a magnified view of the part indicated by the symbol A in Figure 1, showing a magnified view of the upper end of the movable ladder and the guide structure of the movable ladder. [Figure 5] This is a magnified view of the part indicated by the symbol B in Figure 1, showing a magnified view of the lower end of the movable ladder and the fixing structure of the movable ladder.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Next, a shuttle-type automated warehouse according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0016] First, the schematic configuration of a shuttle-type automated warehouse according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is a side view showing the schematic configuration of a shuttle-type automated warehouse according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the schematic configuration of a shuttle-type automated warehouse according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a rear view showing the schematic configuration of a shuttle-type automated warehouse according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, reference numeral 1 indicates a shuttle-type automated warehouse (hereinafter referred to as an “automated warehouse”) according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, this automated warehouse 1 includes a rack 2 and a plurality of loading / unloading carts (hereinafter referred to as “carts”) 4. The rack 2 includes a plurality of shelf stages 8 having a series of shelves 6 arranged in the front-rear direction (the direction connecting the origin side and the anti-origin side shown in FIG. 1) in the vertical direction. Each of the plurality of shelves 6 may be separate or integrally formed.

[0017] Next, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, each of the plurality of shelf stages 8 is provided with a traveling path 12 having a pair of rails 10, and the plurality of carts 4 move independently of each other in the front-rear direction along these traveling paths 12. A cargo transfer device 5 is provided on the cart 4 to transfer the cargo to and from the rack 2, that is, to unload (transfer) the cargo onto the rack 2 and load the cargo from the rack 2 onto the cart 4. The plurality of carts 4 are arranged one by one on the plurality of shelf stages 8.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the rack 2 has a pair of racks 2 facing each other with the traveling path 12 of the cart 4 interposed therebetween, and the pair of racks 2 is composed of a left-side row rack 2a and a right-side row rack 2b when viewed from the origin side. Incidentally, as a modification of the automated warehouse 1 of the present embodiment, for example, an automated warehouse 1 may be provided in which a loading / unloading cart with a lifter is arranged for every three shelf levels 8, and goods can be stored on each of the three shelf levels 8 using that single cart.

[0019] Here, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the automated warehouse 1 has a defined origin side (origin side) for determining the reference position of the travel of the cart 4 and the coordinate positions of each shelf 6 of the rack 2, etc., which is controlled by a controller (not shown), and a non-origin side on the opposite side.

[0020] Further, the automated warehouse 1 of the present embodiment has a height approximately equivalent to a four-story building. As shown in FIG. 1, in this automated warehouse 1, flat maintenance decks 14 on which an operator can walk are provided at the intermediate height position of the automated warehouse 1 for four levels (four stories). These maintenance decks 14 are used for an operator to directly perform maintenance on each part of the upper location of the automated warehouse 1. More specifically, after the operator climbs the movable ladders 40 and 42 described later, they move to the maintenance deck 14 and move on the maintenance deck 14 to access the locations that require maintenance.

[0021] The maintenance deck 14 extends in the front-rear direction along the rack 2. Also, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, one end 14a of the maintenance deck 14 is at the same position as one end 12a of the travel path 12 of the cart 4, and the other end 14b of the maintenance deck 14 is at the same position as the other end 12b of the travel path 12 of the cart 4. The maintenance deck 14 is not limited to the four levels of the present embodiment, and the necessary number of levels can be provided as appropriate in consideration of the height of the automated warehouse, maintainability, adoption of a cart with a lifter according to a modification example, etc.

[0022] Next, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the automated warehouse 1 includes vertical conveying devices (lifting and conveying devices) 16 and 18 on both sides in its front-rear direction. As shown in Figure 2, the vertical conveying device 16 on the origin side consists of a pair of vertical conveying devices 16a and 16b arranged back-to-back on the left and right column sides when viewed from the origin side, and each is equipped with conveyors 20 and 22 on a lifting platform. Similarly, the vertical conveying device 18 on the opposite side of the origin also consists of a pair of vertical conveying devices 18a and 18b arranged back-to-back on the left and right column sides, and each is equipped with conveyors 24 and 26 on a lifting platform.

[0023] These vertical conveying devices 16 and 18 mediate the transfer of goods between the receiving and dispatching stations (not shown) and other facilities. Note that in Figure 3, for the sake of clarity, the vertical conveying device 18 on the opposite side of the origin is not shown. In this embodiment, both conveyors 20 and 22 on the origin side are used as receiving conveyors to receive goods to be stored in rack 2, and both conveyors 24 and 26 on the opposite side are used as receiving conveyors to receive goods taken out of rack 2. However, as a variation, one conveyor 22(20) on the origin side may be set for outbound shipping, and one conveyor 24(26) on the opposite side may be set for receiving shipping.

[0024] Next, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the automated warehouse 1 is equipped with buffer conveyors 30 and 32 between the inbound and outbound conveyors 20 and 22 of the vertical conveying device 16 and the racks 2a and 2b on the origin side. Also, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the automated warehouse 1 is equipped with buffer conveyors 34 and 36 between the inbound and outbound conveyors 24 and 26 of the vertical conveying device 18 and the racks 2a and 2b on the opposite side of the origin. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the buffer conveyors 20, 22, 24 and 36 extend in the front-rear direction of the automated warehouse 1.

[0025] These buffer conveyors 30, 32, 34, and 36 have the role of temporarily storing goods received from the vertical conveying device 16(18) until the trolley 4 comes to pick them up, or temporarily storing goods unloaded from the trolley 4 and handing them over to the vertical conveying device 18(16) at a predetermined time. In addition, each of the buffer conveyors 30, 32, 34, and 36 has the function of temporarily storing, for example, three items at a predetermined interval, and is equipped with a sensor (not shown) to detect the interval between those items. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, buffer conveyors 34 and 36 are provided for every multiple shelf level 8 of rack 2. The buffer conveyors 30 and 32 on the origin side are arranged similarly.

[0026] Next, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, a trolley retrieval area (shuttle trolley retrieval area / shuttle trolley lifting area) S is provided on the reverse-origin side of the automated warehouse 1. This open space is used to lower trolleys 4 in multiple-tiered increments onto the floor of the automated warehouse 1 for maintenance purposes. The trolley retrieval area S is also used when returning the trolleys 4 to their original positions. Furthermore, the buffer conveyors 34 and 36 described above are longer than the length of the trolley removal area S in the front-to-back direction of the automated warehouse 1, in order to form such a trolley removal area S.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, the trolley removal area S is located adjacent to the left-right inner edges 34a and 36a of the left and right rows of buffer conveyors 34 and 36 in a plan view, and adjacent to the end 12a of the trolley 4's running path 12 (the end of the pair of rails 10). In other words, the inner edges 34a and 36a of the buffer conveyors 34 and 36 are also the left-right outer edges of the trolley removal area S, and the end 12a of the trolley 4's running path 12 is also the front inner edge of the trolley removal area S. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the trolley removal area S is located in an inward region (an area on the origin side, a predetermined distance from the vertical conveying device 18) in a plan view.

[0028] In other words, as shown in Figure 2, the trolley removal area S is formed in a region S1 enclosed by a pair of left and right buffer conveyors 34 and 36, the end 12a of the trolley 4's travel path 12, and a pair of left and right vertical conveying devices 18a and 18b. The predetermined distance between the vertical conveying device 18 and the trolley removal area S is such that the movable ladders (sliding ladders) 40 and 42, which will be described later, do not interfere with the trolley removal area S, and that the movable ladders 40 and 42 can be accommodated. In Figure 2, one of the movable ladders 40 is moved to a position adjacent to the vertical conveying device 18 in region S1 so as not to interfere with the trolley removal area S. As will be described later, the other movable ladder 42 can similarly slide towards the vertical conveying device 18b and move to a similar position. Thus, region S1 is defined as the sliding area for the movable ladders 40 and 42.

[0029] The trolley removal area S has an area larger than the projected area of ​​the trolley 4 in a plan view, and is formed as a space that is open vertically. In other words, this trolley removal area S is a space that is penetrated vertically without any shelves or other structures installed within it. The trolley 4, which requires maintenance, can be lowered to the floor of the automated warehouse 1 via the trolley removal area S using a predetermined device and method. Figure 1 shows a caster trolley 38 on the floor of the automated warehouse 1. This caster trolley 38 is a hand truck equipped with caster wheels, and is used by workers to place the trolley 4, which has been lowered via the trolley removal area S, onto and move it to a predetermined maintenance location. The caster trolley 38 is moved into the automated warehouse 1 when it is necessary to transport the trolley 4, and is normally kept outside the automated warehouse 1.

[0030] Next, the movable ladders 40 and 42 installed in the automated warehouse 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the automated warehouse 1 is provided with a trolley retrieval area S and a pair of movable ladders (sliding ladders) 40 and 42 that can slide in the front-rear direction (the direction connecting the origin side and the opposite side) within the region S1 including the area S. More specifically, the first movable ladder 40 is provided adjacent to the inner edge 34a of the buffer conveyor 34 in the left column (the outer left edge of the trolley retrieval area S), and the second movable ladder 42 is provided adjacent to the inner edge 36a of the buffer conveyor 36 in the right column (the outer right edge of the trolley retrieval area S).

[0031] Here, within the area S1 which includes the trolley removal area S, a refuge area S2 is formed, which is a refuge space for the movable ladders 40 and 42. This refuge area S2 is a continuous space with the trolley removal area S and is an open space similar to the trolley removal area S. The length of this refuge area S2 in the front-to-back direction is longer than the length of the movable ladders 40 and 42 in the front-to-back direction (the width of the movable ladders 40 and 42).

[0032] In the examples shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first movable ladder 40 is located in a retraction area S2, which is a retraction position that avoids the trolley removal area S, and the second movable ladder 42 is located in a usage position (within the trolley removal area S) adjacent to the maintenance deck 14, along the buffer conveyor 34. Although not shown in the illustration, the first movable ladder 40 can slide to any usage position along the buffer conveyor 34, including the position adjacent to the maintenance deck 14, and the second movable ladder 42 can slide to the retraction area S2, which is a retraction position that avoids the trolley removal area S, similar to the first movable ladder 40 shown in the illustration. In other words, the first and second movable ladders 40 and 42 can slide independently of each other, and both the first and second movable ladders 40 and 42 can slide individually between the aforementioned retraction position, the usage position adjacent to the maintenance deck 14, and any usage position along the buffer conveyors 34 and 36.

[0033] Here, the configuration for sliding the movable ladders 40 and 42 will be explained with reference to Figures 1 and 4. Figure 4 is a partially enlarged view of the part indicated by the reference numeral A in Figure 1, and shows an enlarged view of the upper end portion of the movable ladder and the guide structure of the movable ladder. First, as shown in Figure 1, the upper ends 40a and 42a of the movable ladders 40 and 42 are connected to a guide member 44 provided on the ceiling of the automated warehouse 1, and the movable ladders 40 and 42 are guided by this guide member 44. More specifically, as shown in Figure 4 with an example of the second movable ladder 42, the upper end 42a of the movable ladder 42 is connected to a ladder support member (trolley) 50 with wheels 48 via a ladder connecting member 46. The upper end 42a of the movable ladder 42 and the ladder connecting member 46, and the ladder connecting member 46 and the ladder support member 50 with wheels are both connected via a predetermined connecting member 52 and a shaft member (pin or bolt) 54 that pivotably holds the connecting member 52, as shown in Figure 4. The first movable ladder 40 is configured similarly, although it is not shown. Guide member 44, although not shown in the figure, is an I-shaped rail member extending in the front-rear direction of the automated warehouse 1. Ladder support members 50 are fitted to both sides of the I-shaped rail so that the wheels 48 contact the I-shaped rail, thereby guiding the movable ladders 40 and 42 in the front-rear direction.

[0034] Next, with reference to Figures 1 and 5, the structure for fixing the sliding movable ladders 40 and 42 in any position will be described. Figure 5 is a partially enlarged view of the part indicated by the reference numeral B in Figure 1, and shows an enlarged view of the lower end portion of the movable ladder and the fixing structure of the movable ladder. First, as shown in Figures 1 and 5, the automated warehouse 1 is provided with a stay member 56 at its lowest level for fixing movable ladders 40 and 42. As shown in Figure 5, this stay member 56 has a plurality of holes 58 formed at predetermined intervals in the front-rear direction of the automated warehouse 1. After sliding the movable ladders 40 and 42 to any desired position, the position of the movable ladders 40 and 42 is fixed by inserting the pin members (fixing members) 60 on the movable ladders 40 and 42 into the holes 58. In the example shown in Figure 5, the lower end 42b of the second movable ladder 42 is fixed to the stay member 56 by the pin members 60 and the holes 58. Although not shown, the first movable ladder 40 is configured similarly.

[0035] Here, as shown in Figure 1, the height H of the stay member 56 from the floor surface G is set to a height that does not obstruct the movement of the caster trolley 38 that carries the trolley 4 described above.

[0036] Furthermore, the multiple holes 58 in the stay member 56 described above are pre-formed at desired positions when the movable ladders 40 and 42 are in use. These desired positions are those required by the worker for maintenance of the upper parts of the automated warehouse 1 (for example, components of the racks 2 and rails 10, components of the buffer conveyors 30, 32, 34, and 36, and sensors). In other words, in this embodiment, the movable ladders 40 and 42 can be fixed in either a first usage position where the movable ladders 40 and 42 can be moved towards the end of the rack 2 to access the maintenance deck 14, or in any of the multiple positions (second positions) that allow access to any location along the longitudinal direction (front-to-back direction of the automated warehouse 1) of the buffer conveyors 30, 32, 34, and 36 described above.

[0037] In this embodiment, the movable ladders 40 and 42 are not fixed in the retracted position, that is, in the position where the movable ladders 40 and 42 do not interfere with the trolley 4 moving up and down within the trolley removal area S. However, as a modification, they may be fixed using a configuration similar to that of the stay member 56, hole 58, pin member 60, etc., described above.

[0038] Next, the effects and advantages of the automated warehouse according to an embodiment of the present invention will be explained. First, the shuttle-type automated warehouse 1 of this embodiment comprises a rack 2, a plurality of shuttle trolleys 4 arranged in multiple tiers and each moving along a travel path 12, a plurality of buffer conveyors 34, 36 arranged at the ends of the rack 2, a vertical transport device 18 arranged adjacent to these buffer conveyors 34, 36, and a flat plate-shaped rack-type maintenance deck 14, at least one of which is arranged at an intermediate height. Adjacent to the ends 12a of the travel paths 12 of the buffer conveyors 34, 36 and the shuttle trolleys 4, there is a shuttle trolley retrieval area S which is an open space, and within a predetermined area S1 including the shuttle trolley retrieval area S, there are movable ladders (sliding ladders) 40, 42 that are slidably moved between the rack side and the opposite side, and guide members 44 that guide the movable ladders 40, 42. According to this embodiment, when removing the shuttle cart 4 using the shuttle cart removal area S, the movable ladders 40 and 42 are moved to a position where they do not interfere with the shuttle cart 4 (a position within the area S1 outside the shuttle cart removal area S). On the other hand, when an operator performs maintenance on the automated warehouse 1, the movable ladders 40 and 42 are moved to any position appropriate to the work, and in particular, by moving them closer to the maintenance deck 14 inside the rack on the rack 2 side, the operator can access the upper part of the automated warehouse 1. Therefore, the movable ladders 40 and 42 guided by the guide member 44 make it possible to perform maintenance on the upper part of the automated warehouse 1 by an operator and to remove the shuttle cart 4 simultaneously.

[0039] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, racks 2a and 2b are arranged in pairs on both sides of the travel path 12 of the shuttle trolley 4, buffer conveyors 34 and 36 and vertical conveying devices 18a and 18b are provided in pairs on the left and right corresponding to the left and right pair of racks 2a and 2b, and movable ladders 40 and 42 and guide members 44 are provided in pairs on the left and right corresponding to the left and right pair of racks 2a and 2b and adjacent to the left and right pair of buffer conveyors 34 and 36. As a result, workers can not only move to the maintenance deck 14 to perform maintenance on the automated warehouse 1, but can also use the sliding ladders for maintenance of the buffer conveyors 34 and 36.

[0040] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the automated warehouse 1 is equipped with fixing members 60 for fixing the movable ladders 40 and 42 at any position relative to the direction in which the buffer conveyors 34 and 36 extend, so that maintenance can be effectively performed along the entire length of the buffer conveyors 34 and 36.

[0041] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the guide member 44 is positioned in the upper part of the automated warehouse 1, the movable ladders 40 and 42 are slidably suspended and guided by the guide member 44, and the movable ladders 40 and 42 have a length such that their lower ends are at a predetermined distance from the floor surface G of the automated warehouse 1, so that workers can easily move the movable ladders 40 and 42.

[0042] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the system includes a stay member 56 which is a fixed member of the movable ladders 40 and 42 that are provided at a predetermined height H relative to the floor surface G of the automated warehouse 1, and a fixing member 60 for fixing the lower ends 40b and 42b of the movable ladders 40 and 42 to the stay member 56 at any position relative to the direction in which the buffer conveyors 34 and 36 extend, the operator can easily fix the sliding ladder, thereby enabling effective maintenance along the entire length of the buffer conveyor.

[0043] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the stay member 56, which is the fixed member of the movable ladders 40 and 42, has holes 58 formed at predetermined positions in the direction in which the buffer conveyors 34 and 36 extend, and the fixing member 60 is a pin member 60 that is inserted into any of the multiple holes 58 of the stay member 56 to fix the lower ends 40b and 42b of the movable ladders 40 and 42 at any position, so that the worker can easily fix the sliding ladder.

[0044] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the lower ends 40b and 42b of the suspended movable ladders 40 and 42 are fixed to a plurality of holes 58 in the stay member 56 by pin members 60. The stay member 56 is provided at a predetermined height H relative to the floor surface G of the automated warehouse 1. In this embodiment, this predetermined height H is such that it does not obstruct the movement of the caster cart 38 that carries the shuttle cart 4, which has been lowered onto the floor surface G, to the maintenance area. In other words, the stay member 56 provided at height H is higher than the overall height of the caster cart 38 with the shuttle cart 4 being maintained on it. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the lower ends 40b and 42b of the movable ladders 40 and 42 can be fixed to the stay member 56 without obstructing the movement of the caster cart 38 that carries the cart 4 that requires maintenance. In addition, by adjusting the height H, it is possible to avoid obstructing the movement of conveyors, carts, etc. that travel on the floor surface, not limited to the caster cart 38. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0045] 1. Shuttle-type automated warehouse 2 racks 2a Left-hand column rack 2b Racks in the right column 4. Inbound / Outbound Trolley (Shuttle Trolley) 5 Transfer equipment 6 shelves 8 shelves 10 pairs of rails 12 Bogie Tracks 12a One end of the road 12b Other end of the roadway 14 Maintenance Deck 14a One end of the maintenance deck 14b Other end of the maintenance deck 16, 18 Vertical conveying device (lifting conveying device) 16a, 16b A pair of vertical transport devices on the origin side 18a, 18b A pair of vertical conveying devices on the anti-origin side 20, 22 Origin-side inbound / outbound conveyor 24, 26 Inbound / Outbound Conveyor on the Anti-Origin Side 30, 32 Buffer conveyor on the origin side 34, 36 Buffer conveyor on the anti-origin side 34a Inner edge of buffer conveyor 36a Inner edge of buffer conveyor 38. Caster trolley for carts 40, 42 Movable ladder (sliding ladder) 40a, 40b Upper end of the movable ladder 40b, 42b Lower end of the movable ladder 44 Guide members (rail members) 46 Ladder connecting member 48 wheels 50 Ladder support member 52 Connecting member 54 Shaft member 56. Stay member (member to be fixed) 58 holes 60 Pin component (fixing component) G Floor surface Height of H-bracket member from the floor S Shuttle cart removal area S1 Movable area of ​​the movable ladder including the shuttle trolley removal area

Claims

1. A shuttle-type automated warehouse comprising: a rack; multiple shuttle trolleys arranged in multiple tiers and each moving along a travel path; multiple buffer conveyors positioned at the ends of the rack; vertical transport devices positioned adjacent to these buffer conveyors; and at least one flat plate-shaped rack-type maintenance deck positioned at an intermediate height, Adjacent to the ends of the buffer conveyor and the shuttle trolley's travel path, a shuttle trolley removal area, which is an open space, is provided. In a predetermined area including the shuttle cart removal area, a sliding ladder is provided that is slidable between the rack side and the opposite side, A shuttle-type automated warehouse characterized by comprising a guide member for guiding the above-mentioned sliding ladder.

2. The above racks are arranged in pairs, left and right, on both sides of the shuttle trolley's travel path. The buffer conveyor and the vertical transport device are provided in pairs, one on the left and one on the right, corresponding to the pair of left and right racks. The shuttle-type automated warehouse according to claim 1, wherein the sliding ladder and the guide members are provided in a pair on the left and right adjacent to the pair of left and right buffer conveyors.

3. Furthermore, the shuttle-type automated warehouse according to claim 1 or claim 2 is further provided with a fixing member for fixing the sliding ladder at an arbitrary position relative to the direction in which the buffer conveyor extends.

4. The above guide member is positioned in the upper part of the automated warehouse. The above-mentioned sliding ladder is suspended and guided by the above-mentioned guide member so as to be slidable, The shuttle-type automated warehouse according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the sliding ladder has a length such that its lower end is at a predetermined distance from the floor surface of the automated warehouse.

5. Furthermore, the fixed member of the sliding ladder, which is provided at a predetermined height position relative to the floor surface of the automated warehouse, The shuttle-type automated warehouse according to claim 4, further comprising a fixing member for fixing the lower end of the sliding ladder to the fixed member at an arbitrary position in the direction in which the buffer conveyor extends.

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