Conveying mechanism

Abstract

To provide a transport mechanism capable of smoothly switching the travel path of a transport cart while achieving lower cost and simplification of the equipment configuration.SOLUTION: A transport mechanism located in a work area in an automatic warehouse system comprises a switchback mechanism configured to switch back a transport cart traveling along a main travel path extending along one direction to transfer it to a branch travel path extending at an intersection with the main travel path. The switchback mechanism includes a guide member with a first guide surface forming a travel surface connecting the travel surface of the main travel path and the travel surface of the branch travel path and a second guide surface forming a travel surface of the main travel path divided at the intersection of the main travel path and the branch travel path, where the guide member is configured to be switchable between the main travel path and the branch travel path is provided.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a transport mechanism configured to be able to switch the travel path of a transport carriage that travels on a travel rail.

Background Art

[0002] In an automated warehouse system in which workpieces are loaded and unloaded by a transport carriage that travels on a travel rail, a circulation path of the transport carriage is configured between a storage for storing workpieces and a work area where the unloading operation (picking operation) of the workpieces is performed. For example, Patent Document 1 describes that an access travel path from a storage to a work area and an exit travel path from the work area to the storage are arranged so as to extend horizontally in parallel at different level positions in the height direction, and the transport carriage is moved from the access travel path to the exit travel path by a vertical transport mechanism, thereby forming a circulation path of the transport carriage (see FIGS. 26A to 26C). Also, Patent Document 1 describes that, from the viewpoints of visibility of the transported workpieces and picking workability, the attitude of the transport carriage is inclined by inclining the access travel path in the work area.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Thus, in the automated warehouse system described in Patent Document 1, after the picking operation of the workpiece, the transport carriage is vertically transported in an inclined posture by a vertical transport mechanism using a rack and pinion method, and travels on the inclined exit travel path. However, due to the configuration that allows the transport cart to travel on an inclined track, there is a problem in that a large amount of power is required to drive the transport cart when it is moved out of the work area.

[0005] To address this problem, one possible solution is to install a rack that meshes with the pinion gear of the transport trolley in the exit path. However, when a vertical transport mechanism is configured to transport a transport trolley at an incline, the rack surface on which the pinion gears mesh is separated by the vertical transport path and the exit path. This leads to a problem where it takes time to switch the meshing of the pinion gears.

[0006] On the other hand, the entry and exit tracks are configured to extend horizontally, and in order to position the transport trolley in an inclined position within the work area, it is conceivable to tilt the entry track using, for example, an actuator. However, with this configuration, after the picking operation, it is necessary to perform separate processes: rotating the travel path from an inclined state to a horizontal state, switching the drive system to transport the transport cart vertically, and switching the drive system again to transport the transport cart horizontally along the exit travel path. This results in a time loss when switching the transport cart's travel path. Furthermore, it requires drive mechanisms such as actuators, which increases manufacturing costs.

[0007] The present invention aims to solve these problems and provide a transport mechanism that enables smooth switching of the transport trolley's travel path while reducing the cost of the device and simplifying the device configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention relates to a transport mechanism for an automated warehouse system that uses a self-propelled transport cart to move along a travel rail to perform work loading and unloading operations, the transport mechanism being positioned in a work area where work is unloaded from a storage area, comprising: a main travel path connected to an entry travel rail leading from the storage area to the work area and extending in one direction; a branch travel path intersecting the main travel path and extending toward an exit travel rail from the work area; and a mechanism provided at the intersection of the main travel path and the branch travel path to switch back the transport cart traveling on the main travel path and transfer it to the branch travel path. The problem is solved by providing a switchback mechanism and having drive wheels for running on a main track, which are provided on both the left and right sides on the same axis and capable of rotating in both forward and reverse directions, and the switchback mechanism includes a guide member configured to switch between the main track and the branch track, and the guide member having a first guide surface that forms a running surface connecting the running surface of the main track and the running surface of the branch track, and a second guide surface that forms a running surface of the main track that is separated at the intersection of the main track and the branch track. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the transport mechanism of claim 1, by reversing the rotation direction of the drive wheels for main track travel from the direction of rotation when traveling on the main track, the transport trolley can be switched back and enter a branch track. This makes it possible to smoothly and easily switch the transport trolley's travel path while reducing the cost of the device and simplifying the device configuration. As a result, the cycle of the transport trolley returning from the storage area to the work area and back to the storage area is shortened, and work efficiency is improved.

[0010] According to the configuration of claim 2, the guide member can be activated simply by moving the transport trolley along the main travel path, making it possible to switch the travel path of the transport trolley with a simple configuration.

[0011] According to the configuration of claim 3, the posture of the transport trolley can be tilted simply by running the transport trolley along the main travel path, and moreover, the pinion gear can be engaged with the rack of the branch travel path from the rack of the main travel path without switching the meshing of the pinion gear, thus making it possible to shorten the circulation cycle of the transport trolley.

[0012] According to the configuration of claim 4, the transport trolley can be landed on the exit run rail in a horizontal position, so that the transport trolley can be easily moved out of the work area by running it horizontally, and the cycle of the transport trolley can be shortened.

[0013] According to the configuration of claim 5, by supporting the transport trolley at two points—the drive wheels and the running wheels for travel on the main travel path—it becomes possible to correct the posture of the transport trolley with a simple configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This figure schematically shows one example configuration of an automated driving system using the transport mechanism of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing one example configuration of a transport trolley. [Figure 3] This diagram schematically shows the configuration of the transport mechanism. [Figure 4] This diagram schematically shows a portion of the configuration of the main fixed guide rail and the first branch fixed guide rail. [Figure 5] This is an enlarged view showing the configuration of the first switch guide rail. [Figure 6A] This figure shows the state in which the first switch guide rail is activated so that the running surface of the divided main fixed guide rail becomes continuous. [Figure 6B] This figure shows the state in which the second switch guide rail is activated so that the running surface of the divided main fixed guide rail becomes continuous. [Figure 6C]The figure shows a state in which the traveling path of the transfer cart is switched so that the transfer cart can enter the branch traveling path from the main traveling path. [Figure 6D] The figure shows a state in which the transfer cart travels on the first switch guide rail and the second switch guide rail. [Figure 6E] The figure shows a state in which the transfer cart travels along the branch traveling path. [Figure 6F] The figure shows a state in which the transfer cart is grounded on the exit traveling rail.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

[0016] FIG. 1 schematically shows a configuration example of an automatic warehouse system including a transfer mechanism of the present invention. This automatic warehouse system is a system that performs the loading and unloading operations of the work W by running a self-propelled transfer cart 110 along a running rail, and includes an entry running rail 101 from the storage 100 to the work area 105, an exit running rail 102 from the work area 105, and a transfer mechanism 120 that connects the entry running rail 101 and the exit running rail 102 in the work area 105 to form a circulating running path for the transfer cart 110. In this embodiment, the entry running rail 101 and the exit running rail 102 are arranged so as to extend horizontally in parallel with each other at different level positions in the vertical direction. The work area 105 is set so that an operator can enter and perform the unloading operation (picking operation) of the work W carried by the transfer cart 110. [[ID=^{}28]]

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the transfer cart 110 has a work mounting portion 111 at the central portion. On both the left and right sides of the transport trolley 110, there are horizontal transport drive wheels 112 that are rotated in both forward and reverse directions by an appropriate drive source and run on a horizontally extending rail. The horizontal transport drive wheels 112 are provided so as to be movable forward and backward in the axial direction, and when the horizontal transport drive wheels 112 are moved away from the transport trolley 110, they are positioned on the horizontally extending rail, enabling horizontal transport of the workpiece W. When transporting the workpiece W vertically, the horizontal transport drive wheels 112 are positioned in a retracted position close to the transport trolley 110.

[0018] Above the horizontal transport drive wheel 112, two travel shafts 113 and 114 are provided, extending parallel to the drive shaft of the horizontal transport drive wheel 112, spaced apart vertically, with both ends protruding outward from each of the left and right sides of the transport trolley 110. At both ends of one of the travel shafts 113, pinion gears 115 are provided as drive wheels for traveling along the main travel path of the conveying mechanism 120, and are rotated in both forward and reverse directions by an appropriate drive source. Furthermore, a first guide roller 116 is provided on the axially inward side of the pinion gear 115. At both ends of the other running shaft 114, second guide rollers 117 are rotatably provided as running wheels that run on the same running surface as the first guide roller 116 in the main running path. One travel axle 113 and the other travel axle 114 are configured to move forward and backward in the axial direction, and the pinion gear 115, the first guide roller 116, and the second guide roller 117 are moved away from the transport trolley 110, thereby enabling travel on the travel rails that constitute the main travel path of the transport mechanism 120 and the vertically extending travel rails in the storage facility 100. Furthermore, when transporting the workpiece W horizontally, the travel axles 113 and 114 are moved so that the pinion gear 115, the first guide roller 116, and the second guide roller 117 are positioned in a retracted position close to the transport trolley 110.

[0019] As shown in Figure 3, the transport mechanism 120 includes a main track 121 connected to the entry track 101 and extending in one direction (vertically in this embodiment), a branch track 131 that intersects with the main track 121 and extends toward the exit track 102, and a switchback mechanism 140 provided at the intersection of the main track 121 and the branch track 131, configured to switch back the transport trolley 110 traveling on the main track 121 and transfer it to the branch track 131.

[0020] The main travel track 121 includes a main fixed guide rail 122 that allows the transport trolley 110, which is in a horizontal position, to travel while tilting. The main fixed guide rail 122 extends upward and inclined horizontally outward, and has an inclined travel section 124 that allows the transport trolley 110 to travel in a tilted position relative to the horizontal plane, passing through the intersection with the branch travel track 131. The travel surface of the main fixed guide rail 122 is divided at the intersection with the branch travel track 131.

[0021] The branched track 131 is configured to extend perpendicularly to the inclined running section 124 of the main fixed guide rail 122, and includes a first branched fixed guide rail 132 which constitutes a first path for the pinion gear 115 and the first guide roller 116 of the transport trolley 110 to run on, and a second branched fixed guide rail 136 which constitutes a second path for the second guide roller 117 of the transport trolley 110 to run on. The first branch fixed guide rail 132 and the second branch fixed guide rail 136 have horizontal travel sections 134 and 137 that change the posture of the transport trolley 110 from an inclined state to a horizontal state, thereby making it possible to move the transport trolley 110 along the branch travel path 131 and land the transport trolley 110 on the exit travel rail 102 in a horizontal position.

[0022] As shown in Figure 4, the main fixed guide rail 122 and the first branch fixed guide rail 132 are provided with racks 125 and 135 that mesh with the pinion gear 115 of the transport trolley 110. The rack surfaces of the racks 125 and 135 constitute the running surface of the pinion gear 115, while the areas where the racks 125 and 135 are not provided constitute the roller running surfaces 123 and 133 on which the first guide roller 116 and the second guide roller 117 roll. The second branch fixed guide rail 136 is configured similarly to the first branch fixed guide rail 132, except that it does not have a rack, and has a roller running surface 138 on which the second guide roller 117 rolls.

[0023] The switchback mechanism 140 includes a first switch guide rail 141 and a second switch guide rail 151, which are guide members provided at the intersection of the main track 121 and the branch track 131 and configured to allow switching between the main track 121 and the branch track 131.

[0024] As shown in Figure 5, the first switch guide rail 141 has a first guide surface 142 that forms a running surface connecting the running surface of the main fixed guide rail 122 and the running surface of the first branch fixed guide rail 132, and a second guide surface 145 that forms the running surface of the main fixed guide rail 122 that is separated at the intersection of the main fixed guide rail 122 and the first branch fixed guide rail 132. The first guide surface 142 is formed by an arc-shaped curved surface. The first guide surface 142 is provided with a rack 144 that meshes with the pinion gear 115 of the transport trolley 110. The rack surface of the rack 144 forms the running surface of the pinion gear 115, while the area where the rack 144 is not provided forms the roller running surface 143 on which the first guide roller 116 rolls. The second guide surface 145 is formed in a planar shape.

[0025] The second switch guide rail 151 has the same configuration as the first switch guide rail 141, except that it does not have a rack. Specifically, the second switch guide rail 151 has a first guide surface 152 that forms a running surface connecting the running surface of the main fixed guide rail 122 and the roller running surface 138 of the second branch fixed guide rail 136, and a second guide surface 153 that forms the running surface of the main fixed guide rail 122 that is separated at the intersection of the main fixed guide rail 122 and the second branch fixed guide rail 136. The first guide surface 152 is made of an arc-shaped curved surface, and the second guide surface 153 is formed in a planar shape.

[0026] The first switch guide rail 141 and the second switch guide rail 151 are rotatable around an axis extending horizontally, and are constantly biased so that the first guide surfaces 142 and 152 are continuous with the running surface of the main fixed guide rail 122. The first switch guide rail 141 and the second switch guide rail 151 may be biased by appropriate biasing means such as springs, but in this embodiment, when the main fixed guide rail 122 is arranged to extend upward and inclined horizontally outward, the first guide surfaces 142 and 152 may be configured to be continuous with the running surface of the main fixed guide rail 122 by utilizing gravity. With this configuration, the first switch guide rail 141 and the second switch guide rail 151 can be activated simply by moving the transport trolley 110 along the main travel path 121, making it possible to switch the travel path of the transport trolley 110 with a simple configuration. In other words, the first switch guide rail 141 and the second switch guide rail 151 are pushed by the transport trolley 110 and rotate against the biasing force, allowing the transport trolley 110 to travel on the main travel path 121, and after the transport trolley 110 has passed, the first switch guide rail 141 and the second switch guide rail 151 rotate due to the biasing force, allowing the transport trolley 110 to enter the branch travel path 131.

[0027] The transport trolley 110, having entered the work area 105 from the storage area 100 via the entry rail 101, maintains a horizontal position. When performing picking operations, the transport trolley 110 is moved along the main fixed guide rail 122 to transport the workpiece W vertically to the designated position (see Figure 1).

[0028] When the transport trolley 110 is moved along the main fixed guide rail 122, each of the two travel axes 113 and 114 is moved axially to engage the pinion gear 115 with the rack 125 of the main fixed guide rail 122, and the first guide roller 116 and the second guide roller 117 are positioned on the roller running surface 123 of the main fixed guide rail 122. In this state, the transport trolley 110 moves along the main fixed guide rail 122 by rotating the pinion gear 115, thereby changing the posture of the transport trolley 110 to an inclined posture. At this time, the transport trolley 110 is supported at two points by the pinion gear 115 and the second guide roller 117, making it possible to correct the posture of the transport trolley 110.

[0029] As shown in Figure 6A, when the second guide roller 117 on the transport trolley 110 reaches the intersection of the main fixed guide rail 122 and the first branch fixed guide rail 132, the second guide roller 117 pushes up the first switch guide rail 141, causing the first switch guide rail 141 to rotate. As a result, the running surface of the separated main fixed guide rail 122 becomes continuous with the second guide surface 145 of the first switch guide rail 141, allowing the transport trolley 110 to travel on the main fixed guide rail 122. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6B, when the second guide roller 117 on the transport trolley 110 reaches the intersection of the main fixed guide rail 122 and the second branch fixed guide rail 136, the second guide roller 117 pushes up the second switch guide rail 151, causing the second switch guide rail 151 to rotate. As a result, the running surface of the separated main fixed guide rail 122 becomes continuous with the second guide surface 153 of the second switch guide rail 151, allowing the transport trolley 110 to travel on the main fixed guide rail 122.

[0030] As the pinion gear 115 and the first guide roller 116 pass over the first switch guide rail 141, the first switch guide rail 141 rotates due to the biasing force, as shown in Figure 6C, and the first guide surface 142 of the first switch guide rail 141 becomes continuous with the running surface of the main fixed guide rail 122. Also, as the second guide roller 117 passes over the second switch guide rail 151, the second switch guide rail 151 rotates due to the biasing force, and the first guide surface 152 of the second switch guide rail 151 becomes continuous with the running surface of the main fixed guide rail 122. As a result, the running path is switched so that the transport trolley 110 can enter the branch running path 131 from the main running path 121.

[0031] By temporarily stopping the transport trolley 110 when the pinion gear 115 and the first guide roller 116 have passed the first switch guide rail 141 and the second guide roller 117 has passed the second switch guide rail 151, it is possible to perform the workpiece picking operation with the transport trolley 110 tilted. Performing the workpiece picking operation with the transport trolley 110 positioned on the main travel path 121, that is, when the transport trolley 110 is closest to the worker, makes it easier to see the workpiece W and allows for more efficient picking.

[0032] After the picking operation of workpiece W is completed, the pinion gear 115 is rotated in the opposite direction to when it was traveling on the main travel path 121, thereby switching back the transport trolley 110. As a result, as shown in Figure 6D, the pinion gear 115 is moved onto the rack 144 on the first guide surface 142 of the first switch guide rail 141, and the first guide roller 116 and the second guide roller 117 are moved onto the roller travel surface 143 of the first switch guide rail 141 and the first guide surface 152 of the second switch guide rail 151, respectively. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6E, the pinion gear 115 is moved onto the rack 135 on the first branch fixed guide rail 132, and the first guide roller 116 and the second guide roller 117 are moved onto the roller running surface 133 on the first branch fixed guide rail 132 and the roller running surface 138 on the second branch fixed guide rail 136, respectively, and the transport trolley 110 is moved along the branch running path 131. In this way, the pinion gear 115 can be engaged with the rack 125 of the main travel path 121 and the rack 135 of the branch travel path 131 without switching the meshing of the pinion gear 115, thus shortening the circulation cycle of the transport trolley 110.

[0033] As the transport trolley 110 travels along the branched track 131, its posture is changed from an inclined position to a horizontal position by the action of the horizontal travel sections 134 and 137 of the branched track 131, and as shown in Figure 6F, the horizontal transport drive wheels 112 of the transport trolley 110 make contact with the exit travel rail 102. Therefore, by simply driving the horizontal transport drive wheels 112 of the transport trolley 110 to travel horizontally, it is possible to easily exit the work area 105, thereby shortening the cycle of the transport trolley 110. When the transport trolley 110 exits the work area 105, the transport trolley 110 is moved along the exit rail 102, and the two travel axles 113 and 114 are moved to a retracted position so that the pinion gear 115, the first guide roller 116, and the second guide roller 117 approach the transport trolley 110, thereby preventing the pinion gear 115, the first guide roller 116, and the second guide roller 117 from obstructing the movement.

[0034] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various design modifications can be made without departing from the present invention as described in the claims. For example, in the above embodiment, a configuration was described in which the main travel path is configured to extend vertically, and the transport trolley is switched back to a branch travel path that extends horizontally. However, the transport mechanism of the present invention may be configured to switch between travel paths that transport the transport trolley horizontally. In such a configuration, the drive mechanism of the transport trolley is not limited to a rack and pinion system. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the running rail located at the lower level in the vertical direction is designated as the entry running rail, and the running rail located at the upper level is designated as the exit running rail. However, a circulating path may be configured with the running rail located at the upper level being the entry running rail and the running rail located at the lower level being the exit running rail. In other words, the direction of transport of the transport trolley is not particularly limited, and if the transport trolley is configured to travel from top to bottom, the first switch guide rail and the second switch guide rail should be configured to bias so that the second guide surface of each is always continuous with the running surface on the main travel path. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0035] 100... Storage 101... Rail for entry 102... Exit rail 105 ··· Work Area 110 ··· Transport cart 111 ··· Workpiece mounting section 112 ··· Drive wheels for horizontal transport 113... Running axle 114... Running axle 115... Pinion Gear 116 ··· First guide roller 117 ··· Second guide roller 120 ··· Conveying mechanism 121 ··· Main track 122 ··· Main fixed guide rail 123... Roller running surface 124... Inclined running section 125 ··· Rack 131... Branching road 132 ··· First branch fixed guide rail 133... Roller running surface 134... Horizontal travel section 135 ··· Rack 136 ··· Second branch fixed guide rail 137 ··· Horizontal travel section 138... Roller running surface 140... Switchback mechanism 141 ··· First switch guide rail 142 ··· First guide surface 143... Roller running surface 144 ··· Rack 145 ··· Second guide surface 151 ··· Second switch guide rail 152 ··· First guide surface 153 ··· Second guide surface W ··· Work

Claims

1. In an automated warehouse system that performs work loading and unloading operations by moving a transport trolley, which has drive wheels for traveling on a main travel path and is provided to be driven in both forward and reverse directions, along a travel rail, the transport mechanism is positioned in the work area where work unloading operations are performed, The system comprises a main track that is connected to an entry track leading from the work storage area to the work area and extends in one direction, a branch track that intersects with the main track and extends toward an exit track from the work area, and a switchback mechanism provided at the intersection of the main track and the branch track, configured to switch back the transport trolley traveling on the main track and transfer it to the branch track. The switchback mechanism includes a guide member configured to allow switching between the main track and the branch track. The conveying mechanism is characterized in that the guide member has a first guide surface that forms a running surface connecting the running surface of the main running path and the running surface of the branch running path, and a second guide surface that forms a running surface of the main running path that is separated at the intersection of the main running path and the branch running path.

2. The guide member is rotatably mounted in a state in which the first guide surface is biased to be continuous with the running surface of the main running path, The transport mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the switchback mechanism is configured such that it is pushed by the transport trolley and rotates against the biasing force, enabling the transport trolley to travel on the main travel path, and after the transport trolley has passed, it is rotated by the biasing force, enabling the transport trolley to enter the branch travel path.

3. The drive wheels for traveling on the main travel path in the aforementioned transport trolley are configured with pinion gears. The main track, the branch track, and the first guide surface of the guide member are provided with racks that mesh with the pinion gear. The aforementioned main track is arranged to extend in the vertical direction. The transport mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the main travel path has an inclined travel section that causes the transport trolley to travel through the intersection in a posture inclined with respect to the horizontal plane.

4. The transport mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that the branching travel path is configured to allow the transport trolley to travel while changing from an inclined position to a horizontal position.

5. The transport trolley has running wheels that travel on the main travel path, provided on a running shaft that extends parallel to the drive shaft of the drive wheel for traveling on the main travel path, The aforementioned branching track has a first branching path through which the drive wheels for the main track travel, and a second branching path through which the driving wheels travel. The transport mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that the guide members are provided at the intersection of the main travel path and the first branch path and at the intersection of the main travel path and the second branch path.

Images