Industrial magazine rack

Abstract

To provide an industrial magazine rack in which a biasing mechanism that biases a stopper member toward a closed position or an open position is prevented from contacting a plate member housed in a rack body.SOLUTION: An industrial magazine rack includes: a base fixed to a bottom of a top plate or a top of the bottom plate; a rotation bracket that is rotatably supported by the base around a rotation axis that extends in a vertical direction on an outside of a side plate and supports a stopper member; and a torsion coil spring having a first end attached to the base outside a rotation center of the rotation bracket in a left and right direction, and a second end attached to the rotation bracket between the rotation center of the rotation bracket in the left and right direction and the first end, in which the torsion coil spring biases the stopper member toward a closed position when the second end is located on one side of an imaginary line connecting the rotation center of the rotation bracket and the first end, and biases the stopper member toward the open position when the second end is located on the other side of the imaginary line.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an industrial magazine rack for storing plate-like members such as printed wiring boards, liquid crystal substrates, disk substrates, and semiconductor wafers.

Background Art

[0002] Industrial magazine racks are used for transporting plate-like members that are substrate materials in a product manufacturing line. For example, in a manufacturing line for producing a mounted substrate on which required electronic circuit components are mounted on a printed wiring board, an industrial magazine rack is installed on a transport base connecting the manufacturing process of the printed wiring board and the mounting process of the electronic circuit components. Then, after sequentially storing a plurality of printed wiring boards manufactured in the manufacturing process of the printed wiring board in an empty industrial magazine rack, this industrial magazine rack is transferred to the mounting process of the electronic circuit components. In the mounting process of the electronic circuit components, the printed wiring boards stored in the industrial magazine rack are taken out one by one to mount the electronic circuit components, and the manufactured mounted substrates are stored again in the industrial magazine rack. The industrial magazine rack in which the mounted substrates are stored is removed from the transport base by an operator and transferred to a required storage location or the next process.

[0003] As described above, since the industrial magazine rack may be removed from the transport base by an operator and transferred to another location, it is practically difficult to keep the industrial magazine rack horizontal at that time. Therefore, the stored plate-like members are likely to protrude from the industrial magazine rack during transfer, or in the worst case, fall off the industrial magazine rack. As a result, the operator has to carefully transport the industrial magazine rack, which reduces work efficiency. In addition, not only during transfer by an operator but also during acceleration and deceleration during transfer by an automatic transporter, there is a possibility of the plate-like members protruding or falling off. When the transport speed of the automatic transporter is increased to improve productivity, the possibility of the plate-like members protruding or falling off further increases. And when the stored plate-like members fall off the industrial magazine rack, those plate-like members become defective products, so the yield of good products decreases.

[0004] To prevent such problems from occurring, various industrial magazine racks equipped with a stopper mechanism at the opening have been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The stopper mechanism described in Patent Document 1 comprises a stopper member that can rotate to a closed position that closes the front end of a slit provided in the side plate and to an open position that opens the front end of the slit, and a coil spring that biases the stopper member toward the closed position or the open position. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Specification of Chinese Utility Model Publication No. 209536116 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] However, the coil spring described in Patent Document 1 has one end positioned inside the side plate and the other end positioned outside the side plate. Therefore, if a plate-shaped member housed in a slit or a component mounted on the plate-shaped member (for example, a resistor, capacitor, transistor, etc.) comes into contact with the coil spring, it results in a defective product and reduces the yield. Hereinafter, the plate-shaped member and the component mounted on the plate-shaped member will be collectively referred to simply as the "plate-shaped member".

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve the problems of the prior art described above, and its objective is to provide an industrial magazine rack in which a biasing mechanism that biases a stopper member to a closed or open position does not come into contact with a plate-shaped member housed in the rack body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above technical problems, the present invention provides an industrial magazine rack comprising: a rack body composed of a pair of side plates arranged opposite each other in the left-right direction, a top plate supporting the upper ends of the pair of side plates, and a bottom plate supporting the lower ends of the pair of side plates, wherein a plurality of slits for receiving the ends of plate-shaped members housed inside are formed on the inner surface of each of the pair of side plates; a stopper member rotatable to a closed position that closes the front end of the slit and an open position that opens the front end of the slit; and a biasing mechanism attached to the top plate and the bottom plate respectively for biasing the stopper member toward the closed position or the open position, wherein the biasing mechanism comprises a base fixed to the bottom surface of the top plate or the top surface of the bottom plate, and an externally positioned vertically on the outside of the side plates The invention provides a pivot bracket supported on the base so as to be rotatable around a pivot axis extending in the direction, and supporting the stopper member; and a torsion coil spring having a first end attached to the base outside in the left-right direction from the pivot center of the pivot bracket, and a second end attached to the pivot bracket between the pivot center of the pivot bracket and the first end in the left-right direction, wherein the torsion coil spring biases the stopper member toward the closed position when the second end is located on one side of a virtual line connecting the pivot center of the pivot bracket and the first end when viewed from above, and biases the stopper member toward the open position when the second end is located on the other side of the virtual line. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, an industrial magazine rack can be obtained in which a biasing mechanism that biases a stopper member to a closed or open position is prevented from coming into contact with a plate-shaped member housed in the rack body. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of an industrial magazine rack. [Figure 2] Enlarged view of the area around the biasing mechanism. [Figure 3] This is an exploded perspective view of the biasing mechanism. [Figure 4] This is a six-view drawing of the base. [Figure 5] This is a six-view drawing of the rotating bracket. [Figure 6] This diagram shows the positional relationships of the components when viewed from above around the biasing mechanism. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the industrial magazine rack 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to the figures. Note that the embodiments described below are merely examples of how the present invention can be implemented, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to those described. Therefore, the present invention can be implemented by making various modifications to the embodiments.

[0012] Figure 1 is an external perspective view of the industrial magazine rack 1. The industrial magazine rack 1 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with an open front and back. The industrial magazine rack 1 is also a box shape with an internal space for storing multiple plate-like members (e.g., printed circuit boards, liquid crystal substrates, disk substrates, semiconductor wafers) at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction.

[0013] Of the two open surfaces of the industrial magazine rack 1, the surface on which the plate-shaped member is inserted and removed is defined as the "front," the direction in which the plate-shaped member is inserted is defined as the "rear," and the direction in which the plate-shaped member is removed is defined as the "front." Furthermore, the left and right directions are defined when viewing the industrial magazine rack 1 from the front.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the industrial magazine rack 1 comprises a box-shaped rack body consisting of a top plate 2, a bottom plate 3, a pair of side plates 4 and 5, and support columns 6 and 7 (support column 7 is not shown). The top plate 2, bottom plate 3, and side plates 4 and 5 are made of resin materials such as polystyrene resin, ABS resin, or polyamide resin. On the other hand, the support columns 6 and 7 are made of metal materials such as aluminum alloy. However, the materials of the components of the industrial magazine rack 1 are not limited to the examples described above.

[0015] The top plate 2 defines the top surface of the rack body, the bottom plate 3 defines the bottom surface of the rack body, the side plate 4 defines the right side of the rack body, and the side plate 5 defines the left side of the rack body. The top plate 2 and the bottom plate 3 are positioned opposite each other in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the pair of side plates 4 and 5 are positioned opposite each other in the horizontal direction. In other words, the pair of side plates 4 and 5 are positioned between the top plate 2 and the bottom plate 3 at a predetermined distance apart in the horizontal direction, and each is erected vertically. A plate-like member is housed in the internal space enclosed by the top plate 2, the bottom plate 3, and the pair of side plates 4 and 5.

[0016] The upper end of the side plate 4 is detachably fastened to the right end of the lower surface of the top plate 2 by a bolt 8. The lower end of the side plate 4 is detachably fastened to the right end of the upper surface of the bottom plate 3 by a bolt (not shown). In other words, the side plate 4 (one side plate) is fixed to the right end of the top plate 2 and the bottom plate 3. However, the right ends of the top plate 2 and the bottom plate 3 each protrude to the right of the side plate 4. On the other hand, the side plate 5 (the other side plate) is supported by the top plate 2 and the bottom plate 3 so as to be slidable in the direction toward and toward the side plate 4 (i.e., left and right direction) along guides 2a and 3a provided on the lower surface of the top plate 2 and the upper surface of the bottom plate 3.

[0017] The upper end of the support column 6 is connected to the front left corner of the underside of the top plate 2, and the lower end is connected to the front left corner of the upper surface of the bottom plate 3. Although not shown in the diagram, the upper end of the support column 7 is connected to the rear left corner of the underside of the top plate 2, and the lower end is connected to the rear left corner of the upper surface of the bottom plate 3. In other words, the top plate 2 is supported by the side plate 4 and the support columns 6 and 7.

[0018] Furthermore, multiple slits 4a and 5a (see Figure 2 for slit 4a) are formed on the inner surfaces (faces facing each other) of the side plates 4 and 5. The multiple slits 4a are formed at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction. In addition, each of the multiple slits 4a extends in the front-rear direction. The multiple slits 4a are formed, for example, between multiple protrusions that project toward the side plate 5 from vertically spaced positions on the inner surface of the side plate 4 and extend in the front-rear direction. The same applies to the slits 5a formed on the inner surface of the side plate 5.

[0019] The slits 4a and 5a receive the left and right end portions of the plate-shaped member stored inside the industrial magazine rack 1. More specifically, the front ends of the slits 4a and 5a are open. Then, the plate-shaped member is inserted backward through the front ends of the open slits 4a and 5a. Thereby, the end portion of the plate-shaped member is supported by the ridge that defines the lower side of the slits 4a and 5a. Also, the plate-shaped member is removed forward through the front ends of the open slits 4a and 5a. On the other hand, the rear ends of the slits 4a and 5a may be open or closed. When the rear ends of the slits 4a and 5a are open, it is desirable to further provide a stopper member 9 for opening and closing the rear end of the slit 4a and a pair of biasing mechanisms 10A and 10B, but the description is omitted in this embodiment.

[0020] Furthermore, the industrial magazine rack 1 includes a stopper member 9 and a pair of biasing mechanisms 10A and 10B. The stopper member 9 and the biasing mechanisms 10A and 10B are attached to the side plate 4 side fixed to the top plate 2 and the bottom plate 3 among the pair of side plates 4 and 5. Also, the stopper member 9 and the biasing mechanisms 10A and 10B are detachably attached to the industrial magazine rack 1 (more specifically, the top plate 2 and the bottom plate 3).

[0021] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view around the biasing mechanism 10A. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the biasing mechanism 10A. FIG. 4 is a six-sided view of the base 20. FIG. 5 is a six-sided view of the rotation bracket 30. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the positional relationship of the components when viewed in plan around the biasing mechanism 10A.

[0022] The stopper member 9 is an L-shaped angle with an L-shaped cross-section (a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction). The stopper member 9 may be formed, for example, by bending a metal plate such as an aluminum alloy, or by extruding a metal material such as an aluminum alloy. The longitudinal dimension of the stopper member 9 generally coincides with the height of the side plate 4. The stopper member 9 is rotatably supported on the top plate 2 and the bottom plate 3 via biasing mechanisms 10A and 10B. More specifically, the stopper member 9 rotates around a pivot axis extending in the vertical direction to a closed position shown in Figure 2(A) and an open position shown in Figure 2(B).

[0023] As shown in Figure 2(A), the closed position is the position that closes the front end of slit 4a. That is, when the stopper member 9 is placed in the closed position, the plate-shaped member cannot be inserted into the rack body through the front ends of slits 4a and 5a, nor can the plate-shaped member be removed from the rack body. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 2(B), the open position is the position that opens the front end of slit 4a. That is, when the stopper member 9 is placed in the open position, the plate-shaped member can be inserted into and removed from the rack body through the front ends of slits 4a and 5a.

[0024] The biasing mechanisms 10A and 10B bias the stopper member 9 toward the closed position or the open position. More specifically, the biasing mechanisms 10A and 10B bias the stopper member 9 toward the closed position when it is closer to the closed position than an intermediate position between the closed and open positions, and bias the stopper member 9 toward the open position when it is closer to the open position. The biasing mechanism 10A is attached to the upper surface of the bottom plate 3, and the biasing mechanism 10B is attached to the lower surface of the top plate 2.

[0025] Although the biasing mechanisms 10A and 10B are reversed left and right, their basic configurations are the same, so the configuration of biasing mechanism 10A will be explained below. On the other hand, if we replace "bottom plate 3" with "top plate 2" in the explanation of biasing mechanism 10A, and reverse the top and bottom, the configuration and arrangement of biasing mechanism 10B will become clear.

[0026] As shown in Figure 3, the biasing mechanism 10A mainly comprises a base 20, a rotating bracket 30, a locking pin 40 (locking member), and a torsion coil spring 50. The base 20, the rotating bracket 30, and the locking pin 40 are formed of, for example, a resin material. The torsion coil spring 50 is formed of, for example, a metal material. However, the materials of the components of the biasing mechanism 10A are not limited to the examples described above.

[0027] The base 20 is fixed to the upper surface of the bottom plate 3. The base 20 also supports the rotating bracket 30 and the torsion coil spring 50 on its surface side (the upper surface side when the biasing mechanism 10A is attached to the bottom plate 3). As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the base 20 mainly comprises a main plate 21, a bracket support portion 22, contact portions 23 and 24, an engagement hole 25, a spring holding portion 26, and press-fit portions 27a and 27b.

[0028] The main plate 21 is a flat plate-shaped portion. On the surface of the main plate 21 (the surface that supports the rotating bracket 30 and the torsion coil spring 50), a bracket support portion 22, contact portions 23 and 24, and a spring holding portion 26 are formed. On the back surface of the main plate 21 (the surface opposite to the front surface), press-fit portions 27a and 27b are formed. Furthermore, the engagement hole 25 penetrates the main plate 21 in the thickness direction.

[0029] The bracket support portion 22 supports the rotating bracket 30 so that it can rotate around a rotation axis that extends in the vertical direction. The bracket support portion 22 also connects the base 20 and the rotating bracket 30. The bracket support portion 22 is composed of, for example, a projection 22a protruding from the surface of the main plate 21 and one or more engaging claws 22b provided at the tip of the projection 22a.

[0030] The projection 22a has a circular cross-section (cylindrical in this embodiment). The engaging claw 22b protrudes radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the projection 22a at its tip. In addition, the engaging claws 22b in this embodiment are provided at two locations separated by a predetermined interval (180° interval in this embodiment) in the circumferential direction of the projection 22a. The projection 22a enters the through hole 34 of the rotating bracket 30, which will be described later. The engaging claws 22b pass through the through hole 34 and engage with the wall surface defining the through hole 34. However, the number of engaging claws 22b is not limited to two; there may be one or three or more.

[0031] The contact portions 23 and 24 restrict the range of rotation of the rotating bracket 30. The contact portions 23 and 24 contact the rotating bracket 30 when the stopper member 9 is in the closed or open position, preventing the rotating bracket 30 (in other words, the stopper member 9) from rotating any further. More specifically, the contact portion 23 (first contact portion) contacts the rotating bracket 30 when the stopper member 9 is in the closed position, restricting the stopper member 9 from rotating any further in the direction from the open position toward the closed position (i.e., clockwise in Figure 6(A)). The contact portion 24 (second contact portion) contacts the rotating bracket 30 when the stopper member 9 is in the open position, restricting the stopper member 9 from rotating any further in the direction from the closed position toward the open position (i.e., counterclockwise in Figure 6(C)).

[0032] The engagement hole 25 is formed in a position into which the lock pin 40, supported by the rotating bracket 30, can enter when the stopper member 9 is in the open position. The spring holding portion 26 rotatably supports the first end portion 52 of the torsion coil spring 50, which will be described later. The press-fit portions 27a and 27b are the parts that fix the base 20 to the bottom plate 3 by being press-fitted between the reinforcing ribs provided on the upper surface of the bottom plate 3.

[0033] By loosening (removing) the bolts fastening the bottom plate 3 and the side plate 4, the base 20 of the biasing mechanism 10A can be attached to the upper surface of the bottom plate 3. Also, as shown in Figure 2, by fastening the bottom plate 3 and the side plate 4 again with bolts, the base 20 of the biasing mechanism 10A is sandwiched between the bottom plate 3 and the side plate 4. At this time, as shown in Figure 6, the bracket support portion 22 is located on the outside of the side plate 4 (opposite the internal space of the industrial magazine rack 1). The spring holding portion 26 is located outside the bracket support portion 22 in the left-right direction and behind the bracket support portion 22 in the front-rear direction.

[0034] The rotating bracket 30 is supported by the bracket support portion 22 of the base 20 so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis that extends in the vertical direction. That is, the rotation center of the rotating bracket 30 (= projection 22a of the bracket support portion 22) is located outside the side plate 4 in the left-right direction. In addition, the rotating bracket 30 of the biasing mechanism 10A supports the lower end of the stopper member 9, and the rotating bracket 30 of the biasing mechanism 10B supports the upper end of the stopper member 9. As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the rotating bracket 30 mainly comprises a stopper holding portion 31, a pin holding portion 32, a spring holding portion 33, and a through hole 34.

[0035] The stopper holding portion 31 holds the longitudinal end of the stopper member 9. The stopper holding portion 31 has a slit that corresponds to the shape (L-shape) of the longitudinal end of the stopper member 9. That is, the stopper member 9 is attached to and detached from the rotating bracket 30 by inserting and removing the lower end of the stopper member 9 in the vertical direction from the stopper holding portion 31. The pin holding portion 32 holds the lock pin 40. The pin holding portion 32 has a through hole formed therein to allow the tip of the lock pin 40 to extend and retract to the back side (bottom plate 3 side, base 20 side). The spring holding portion 33 rotatably supports the second end 53 of the torsion coil spring 50, which will be described later.

[0036] The through-hole 34 penetrates the rotating bracket 30 in the thickness direction at the pivot center of the stopper holding portion 31. The diameter of the through-hole 34 is set to be larger than the outer dimensions of the projection 22a and smaller than the diameter of the imaginary circle connecting the tips of the multiple engaging claws 22b. That is, when the projection 22a is pressed into the through-hole 34 and passes through the engaging claws 22b, the engaging claws 22b engage with the wall surface defining the through-hole 34 (i.e., the upper surface of the rotating bracket 30). This unitizes the base 20 and the rotating bracket 30. Furthermore, the rotating bracket 30 becomes rotatable relative to the base 20 with the projection 22a as the pivot center.

[0037] As shown in Figure 6, when the biasing mechanism 10A attached to the base plate 3 is viewed from above, the spring holding portion 33 (i.e., the second end portion 53 of the torsion coil spring 50) is located between the bracket support portion 22 (i.e., the pivot center of the rotating bracket 30) and the spring holding portion 26 (i.e., the first end portion 52 of the torsion coil spring 50) in both the front-rear and left-right directions. This positional relationship is maintained throughout the entire rotational range of the rotating bracket 30.

[0038] The lock pin 40 switches between locking or allowing the rotation of the pivot bracket 30 when the stopper member 9 is in a closed or open position. The lock pin 40 is a long, rod-shaped member. The lock pin 40 is held in the pin holding portion 32 with its longitudinal direction oriented vertically. The lock pin 40 is also held in the pin holding portion 32 so as to be able to move back and forth in the longitudinal direction (i.e., vertically).

[0039] The tip (lower end) of the lock pin 40 is inserted into the pin holding portion 32 from the front side (opposite the base 20) of the rotating bracket 30 and extends and retracts from the back side (facing the base 20) of the rotating bracket 30. On the other hand, the base end (upper end) of the lock pin 40 is provided with a gripping portion 41 for the operator to grasp when moving the lock pin 40 forward and backward.

[0040] As shown in Figure 2(A), when the stopper member 9 is in the closed position, the pin holding portion 32 is positioned so as to be able to enter the engagement groove 3b provided on the front surface of the bottom plate 3 in the vertical direction. When the lock pin 40 is pushed down in this state, causing its tip to protrude from the back surface of the rotating bracket 30, the lock pin 40 engages (enters) the engagement groove 3b. As a result, the lock pin 40 engages with the bottom plate 3 and locks the stopper member 9 in the closed position (in other words, it prevents the stopper member 9 from rotating to the open position). This position of the lock pin 40 is an example of the first locked position.

[0041] On the other hand, if the lock pin 40 is pushed up from the state shown in Figure 2(A) and its tip is retracted into the back surface of the rotating bracket 30, the engagement between the tip of the lock pin 40 and the engagement groove 3b is released (i.e., the lock pin 40 is removed from the engagement groove 3b). This allows the stopper member 9 to rotate to the open position. This position of the lock pin 40 is an example of the first release position.

[0042] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6(C), when the stopper member 9 is in the open position, the pin holding portion 32 is positioned to face the engagement hole 25 of the base 20 in the vertical direction. When the lock pin 40 is pushed down in this state, causing its tip to protrude from the back surface of the rotating bracket 30, the lock pin 40 enters the engagement hole 25. As a result, the lock pin 40 engages with the base 20 and locks the stopper member 9 in the open position (in other words, it prevents the stopper member 9 from rotating to the closed position). This position of the lock pin 40 is an example of a second lock position.

[0043] On the other hand, if the lock pin 40 is pushed up from the state shown in Figure 6(C) and its tip is retracted into the back surface of the rotating bracket 30, the tip of the lock pin 40 retracts from the engagement hole 25 and the engagement with the base 20 is released. This allows the stopper member 9 to rotate to the closed position. This position of the lock pin 40 is an example of the second release position.

[0044] Note that the first locked position and the second locked position differ only in the position of the prerequisite stopper member 9 (rotating bracket 30), while the vertical position of the lock pin 40 within the rotating bracket 30 is the same. Similarly, the first released position and the second released position differ only in the position of the prerequisite stopper member 9 (rotating bracket 30), while the vertical position of the lock pin 40 within the rotating bracket 30 is the same.

[0045] The torsion coil spring 50 is integrally formed by bending a metal wire. The torsion coil spring 50 indirectly biases the stopper member 9 supported by the rotating bracket 30 by biasing the rotating bracket 30 relative to the base 20. The torsion coil spring 50 mainly comprises a coil portion 51, a first end portion 52, and a second end portion 53.

[0046] The coil portion 51 is the part in which a metal wire is wound into a coil shape, giving it a cylindrical outer shape. The first end portion 52 is the part that protrudes radially outward from one end of the cylindrical coil portion 51 in the axial direction. The second end portion 53 is the part that protrudes radially outward from the other end of the cylindrical coil portion 51 in the axial direction. Furthermore, the first end portion 52 and the second end portion 53 protrude from different positions relative to each other at different circumferential positions of the cylindrical coil portion 51. That is, when the torsion coil spring 50 is viewed from the axial direction, the first end portion 52 and the second end portion 53 form a predetermined angle.

[0047] Furthermore, the first end 52 and the second end 53 protrude radially outward from the coil portion 51, then are bent in the axial direction of the coil portion 51, and further bent toward the coil portion 51. The bent portion of the first end 52 is attached to the spring retaining portion 26 of the base 20, and the bent portion of the second end 53 is attached to the spring retaining portion 33 of the rotating bracket 30. In other words, the first end 52 becomes the fixed end, and the second end 53 becomes the rotating end.

[0048] Furthermore, the torsion coil spring 50 is attached to the base 20 and the pivot bracket 30 in a compressed state that brings the first end 52 and the second end 53 closer together (in other words, reduces the angle between the first end 52 and the second end 53). As a result, the torsion coil spring 50 generates a biasing force that separates the first end 52 and the second end 53 (in other words, increases the angle between the first end 52 and the second end 53).

[0049] As shown in Figure 6(A), when the stopper member 9 is in the closed position, the second end portion 53 is located on one side of the imaginary line L connecting the pivot center of the pivot bracket 30 and the first end portion 52. In Figure 6, one side of the imaginary line L is the right front side of the imaginary line L (the side that is in front of the imaginary line L and farther from the side plate 4). As a result, the torsion coil spring 50 biases the pivot bracket 30 in a first direction (clockwise in the example of Figure 6) relative to the base 20 so that the stopper member 9 moves toward the closed position. At this time, the pivot bracket 30 comes into contact with the contact portion 23, preventing the pivot bracket 30 from rotating too far in the first direction.

[0050] Next, as shown in Figure 6(B), when the operator rotates the rotating bracket 30 in the second direction (counterclockwise in the example of Figure 6) against the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 50, the stopper member 9 supported by the rotating bracket 30 rotates toward the open position, and the second end 53 approaches the imaginary line L. As the second end 53 approaches the imaginary line L, the first end 52 and the second end 53 become closer together (i.e., the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 50 increases).

[0051] Then, when the second end portion 53 crosses the imaginary line L from one side to the other, the biasing direction of the rotating bracket 30 (i.e., the stopper member 9) by the torsion coil spring 50 reverses. In Figure 6, the other side of the imaginary line L is the left rear of the imaginary line L (the side behind the imaginary line L and closer to the side plate 4). As a result, the torsion coil spring 50 biases the rotating bracket 30 in the second direction relative to the base 20 so that the stopper member 9 moves toward the open position. Then, as shown in Figure 6(C), when the stopper member 9 reaches the open position, the rotating bracket 30 comes into contact with the contact portion 24, preventing the rotating bracket 30 from rotating too far in the second direction.

[0052] In other words, if the operator rotates the rotating bracket 30 in the second direction until the second end 53 crosses the imaginary line L from one side to the other, the stopper member 9 will then automatically move to the open position due to the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 50. On the other hand, to rotate the stopper member 9 from the open position to the closed position, the above operation should be performed in the reverse direction.

[0053] According to the above embodiment, for example, the following effects are achieved.

[0054] According to the above embodiment, by biasing the stopper member 9 toward the closed position with the biasing mechanisms 10A and 10B, it is possible to prevent the stopper member 9 from unintentionally opening even if the industrial magazine rack 1 tilts or collides with something. This prevents plate-shaped members from flying out of the industrial magazine rack 1 and getting damaged when the industrial magazine rack 1 is moved by an operator or by an automated conveyor. As a result, a decrease in yield can be suppressed and productivity can be improved.

[0055] Furthermore, since the projection 22a (the pivot center of the rotating bracket 30), the spring retaining portion 26 (first end portion 52), and the spring retaining portion 33 (second end portion 53) of the biasing mechanisms 10A and 10B according to this embodiment are arranged on the upper surface of the base 20 and on the outside of the side plate 4, it is possible to prevent the components of the biasing mechanisms 10A and 10B from coming into contact with the plate-shaped members housed in the internal space of the industrial magazine rack 1.

[0056] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, the biasing direction of the torsion coil spring 50 is switched by the second end portion 53 crossing the imaginary line L. As a result, one torsion coil spring 50 can bias the stopper member 9 to maintain the closed position when it is in the closed position, and bias the stopper member 9 to maintain the open position when it is in the open position. Consequently, the number of parts in the biasing mechanisms 10A and 10B is reduced, and the configuration becomes simpler.

[0057] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, as the second end portion 53 approaches the imaginary line L, the biasing force of the torsion coil spring 50 increases, so that even if a small force is applied to the stopper member 9 or the rotating bracket 30, it is possible to prevent the stopper member 9 from rotating unintentionally by the operator.

[0058] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, the stopper member 9 can be prevented from rotating by setting the lock pin 40 to the first or second lock position. This prevents the stopper member 9 from rotating unintentionally, even if a large force is applied to the stopper member 9 or the rotating bracket 30. In addition, since the stopper member 9 can be locked in both the closed and open positions with a single lock pin 40, the number of parts in the biasing mechanisms 10A and 10B is reduced, and the configuration is simplified.

[0059] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, the contact portions 23 and 24 can restrict the rotation range of the rotating bracket 30, thereby preventing the stopper member 9 from rotating too far. In particular, it is possible to prevent the stopper member 9 from rotating beyond the closed position, thus preventing the stopper member 9 from contacting the side plate 4.

[0060] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, the stopper member 9 and biasing mechanisms 10A and 10B are attached to the fixed side plate 4 of the pair of side plates 4 and 5. This simplifies the mounting structure compared to the case where the stopper member 9 and biasing mechanisms 10A and 10B are attached to the movable side plate 5.

[0061] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, the base 20 and the rotating bracket 30 can be unitized by inserting the projection 22a on which the engaging claw 22b is formed into the through hole 34. This makes the installation of the biasing mechanisms 10A and 10B easier compared to the case where the base 20 and the rotating bracket 30 are attached to the top plate 2 and the bottom plate 3 separately.

[0062] In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the projection 22a and the engaging claw 22b are provided on the base 20 and the through hole 34 is formed in the rotating bracket 30. However, the projection 22a and the engaging claw 22b may be provided on the rotating bracket 30 and the through hole 34 may be formed on the base 20. That is, the projection 22a and the engaging claw 22b may be provided on one of the base 20 and the rotating bracket 30, and the through hole 34 may be formed on the other of the base 20 and the rotating bracket 30. Furthermore, the method of unitizing the base 20 and the rotating bracket 30 is not limited to the combination of the projection 22a, the engaging claw 22b, and the through hole 34.

[0063] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, the base 20 is fixed to the top plate 2 and bottom plate 3 by press-fitting the press-fit portions 27a and 27b between the reinforcing ribs. Moreover, according to the above embodiment, the base 20 is fixed by sandwiching the base 20 between the top plate 2 or bottom plate 3 and the side plate 4. This allows the biasing mechanisms 10A and 10B to be attached to the industrial magazine rack 1 without the use of special tools. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0064] 1…Industrial magazine rack, 2…Top plate, 2a,3a…Guide, 3…Bottom plate, 3b…Engagement groove, 4,5…Side plate, 4a,5a…Slit, 6,7…Support column, 8…Bolt, 9…Stopper member, 9a…Engagement groove, 10A,10B…Biasing mechanism, 20…Base, 21…Main plate, 22…Bracket support part, 22a…Protrusion, 22b…Engagement claw, 23,24…Contact part, 25…Engagement hole, 26,33…Spring holding part, 27a,27b…Pressed-in part, 30…Rotating bracket, 31…Stopper holding part, 32…Pin holding part, 34…Through hole, 40…Lock pin, 41…Gripping part, 50…Torsion coil spring, 51…Coil part, 52…First end, 53…Second end

Claims

1. A rack body comprising a pair of side plates arranged opposite each other in the left-right direction, a top plate supporting the upper ends of the pair of side plates, and a bottom plate supporting the lower ends of the pair of side plates, wherein a plurality of slits for receiving the ends of plate-shaped members housed inside are formed on the inner surface of each of the pair of side plates, A stopper member that can rotate to a closed position that closes the front end of the slit and to an open position that opens the front end of the slit, An industrial magazine rack comprising a biasing mechanism attached to the top plate and the bottom plate respectively, which biases the stopper member toward the closed position or the open position, The biasing mechanism is, A base fixed to the bottom surface of the top plate or the top surface of the bottom plate, A rotating bracket that supports the stopper member is supported on the base so as to be rotatable around a pivot axis extending vertically on the outside of the side plate, The torsion coil spring comprises a first end attached to the base on the left and right side of the pivot center of the pivot bracket, and a second end attached to the pivot bracket between the pivot center of the pivot bracket and the first end in the left and right direction. The aforementioned torsion coil spring, when viewed from above in a plan view, When the second end is located on one side of the imaginary line connecting the pivot center of the pivot bracket and the first end, the stopper member is biased toward the closed position. An industrial magazine rack characterized in that the stopper member is biased toward the open position when the second end is located on the other side of the aforementioned imaginary line.

2. The torsion coil spring is attached to the base and the pivot bracket in a compressed state with its first and second ends facing each other. The industrial magazine rack according to claim 1, characterized in that the second end increases its biasing force as it approaches the imaginary line and gets closer to the first end.

3. The biasing mechanism is characterized in that it includes a locking member supported by the rotating bracket so as to be movable between a first locking position in which the stopper member engages with the top plate or the bottom plate to lock the stopper member in the closed position when the stopper member is in the closed position, and a first release position in which the engagement with the top plate or the bottom plate is released, allowing the stopper member to rotate to the open position, as described in claim 1.

4. The industrial magazine rack according to claim 3, characterized in that the locking member is configured to be movable between a second locking position in which it engages with the base and locks the stopper member in the open position when the stopper member is in the open position, and a second release position in which the engagement with the base is released and the stopper member is allowed to rotate to the closed position.

5. The aforementioned base is The stopper member has a first contact portion that contacts the rotating bracket when the stopper member is in the closed position, thereby restricting the rotation of the stopper member in the direction from the open position toward the closed position, The industrial magazine rack according to claim 1, characterized in that the stopper member has a second contact portion that contacts the rotating bracket when the stopper member is in the open position, thereby restricting the rotation of the stopper member in the direction from the closed position toward the open position.

6. One of the side panels is fixed to the top panel and the bottom panel. The other side plate is configured to slide toward and away from the other side plate. The industrial magazine rack according to claim 1, characterized in that the stopper member closes or opens the front end of the slit provided in one of the side plates.

7. A through hole is formed in either the base or the pivot bracket, with the pivot center of the pivot bracket located vertically. The other of the base and the pivot bracket is A projection inserted through the aforementioned through hole, The industrial magazine rack according to claim 1, further comprising one or more engaging claws that protrude radially outward from the outer circumferential surface of the tip of the projection and engage with the wall surface defining the through hole.

8. The industrial magazine rack according to claim 1, characterized in that the base has a press-fit portion on the side opposite to the surface supporting the rotating bracket, which is press-fitted between reinforcing ribs provided on the lower surface of the top plate or the upper surface of the bottom plate.

9. The industrial magazine rack according to claim 1, characterized in that the base is sandwiched between the top plate or the bottom plate and the side plate.

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