JP2005225621A - Revolving transport device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a revolving transport device capable of smoothly revolving an object placing table while the spacing between a driving rotor and a driven member is kept constant or approximately in the constant condition even if the object placing table is located eccentrically. <P>SOLUTION: The revolving transport device includes the driven member furnished with an engagement part along the circumferential direction of the object placing table, and the driving rotor engaging with the driven member is provided in the condition supported movable in the far-near direction relative to the driven member and energized by an energizing means toward the driven member, and a restricting member is provided moving in a single piece with the driving rotor in the far-near direction relative to the driven member, and a receiving member is provided to receive and restrict the moving extent of the restricting member toward the driven member, and thereby the spacing between the driving rotor and the driven member is maintained constant or approximately in the constant condition. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention is provided with a driven body provided with a meshing portion along a circumferential direction of the article mounting table supported so as to be pivotable, and provided with a driving rotating body meshing with the driven body, The present invention relates to a revolving transport device configured to revolve the article mounting table by the rotation of the driving rotating body.

  In such a swivel type conveying device, conventionally, the driven body is provided along the circumferential direction in the circumferential direction of the article mounting table while maintaining a set interval from the pivot axis of the article mounting table, and the driving rotating body is in a fixed position. It was provided so that the distance between the drive rotating body and the driven body is maintained in a constant state (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2003-261217 A

  However, if the article mounting table is decentered due to design errors or aging, the distance between the drive rotating body and the driven body when the article mounting table is turned is not constant, and the distance between the driving rotating body and the driven body is narrowed. Damage to the double-acting body or the driving rotator due to the driven body being pressed against the driving rotator, or the distance between the driving rotator and the driven body is widened so that the driven body is separated from the driving rotator. There is a possibility that the article mounting table cannot be smoothly turned, for example, the engagement with the driving body is disengaged.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and the object thereof is to maintain a constant or substantially constant interval between the drive rotating body and the driven body even when the article mounting table is decentered. It is in the point which provides the turning-type conveyance means which can turn a mounting base smoothly.

The swivel type conveying apparatus of the present invention is a driven rotating body that is provided with a driven body provided with a meshing portion along a circumferential direction of the article mounting table that is supported so as to be swiveled, and meshes with the driven body. Is a revolving transport device configured to revolve the article mounting table by the rotation of the drive rotating body,
The first characteristic configuration is provided in a state in which the driving rotating body is supported so as to be movable in a perspective direction with respect to the driven body, and is biased to the driven body side by a biasing means, A restricting body that moves integrally with the drive rotating body along a perspective direction with respect to the driven body is provided, and receives and restricts a moving range of the restricting body toward the driven body, and the driving rotating body and the A receiving body that maintains a constant or substantially constant distance from the driven body is provided on the article mounting table along the circumferential direction thereof.

  In other words, a driving rotator that is supported so as to be movable in the perspective direction with respect to the driven body is provided in a state of being urged toward the driven body by the urging means, and a regulating body that moves integrally with the driving rotator is provided. The receiving body receives and restricts the movement range of the restricting body toward the driven side. In other words, the distance between the drive rotating body and the driven body can be maintained constant or substantially constant by urging the driven body side by the urging means and the receiving restriction of the restricting body, for example, due to design errors and aging. When the article mounting table is decentered and the article mounting table is turned, the biasing means and the regulating body are applied even if the driven body of the article mounting table approaches or separates from the driving rotating body. By the regulation of receiving, the driving rotating body can follow the driven body and the distance between the driving rotating body and the driven body can be maintained constant or substantially constant, so that the article mounting table can be smoothly turned. It was possible to provide a swivel type transfer device that can be used.

  The second characteristic configuration is characterized in that the driven body is constituted by a chain, and the driving rotary body is constituted by a sprocket.

  That is, in order to provide the driven body and the driving rotary body, the chain is provided on the article transport table along the circumferential direction thereof, and the sprocket is supported so as to be movable in the perspective direction with respect to the chain, and the biasing means. Thus, it is only necessary to provide it in a state of being biased toward the chain side, and the structure of the driving rotating body and the driven body can be simply arranged.

  In the third characteristic configuration, the restricting body is rotatably supported around a rotation axis that is parallel or substantially parallel to the pivot axis of the article mounting table, and an outer peripheral surface thereof is in contact with the receiving body. It is in the point which is comprised.

  That is, by supporting the restricting body so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis that is parallel or substantially parallel to the pivot axis of the article mounting table, the regulating body contacts the receiving body of the article mounting table as the article mounting table rotates. Since the regulating body to be rotated rotates and the contact friction between the regulating body and the receiving body is suppressed, the article mounting table can be smoothly turned.

The fourth characteristic configuration is characterized in that the restricting body is supported on a rotation shaft of the drive rotating body.
In other words, by supporting the regulating body on the rotating shaft of the driving rotator and using both the rotating shaft of the regulating body and the rotating shaft of the driving rotator, the driving rotator and the driven body are coaxially simplified while simplifying the configuration. It can be easily assembled to rotate on the heart.

  According to a fifth characteristic configuration, the drive rotator and a drive unit that rotationally drives the drive rotator are configured in a unit-shaped frame, and the unit-shaped frame has a perspective view of the drive rotator with respect to the driven body. It is characterized in that it is supported so as to be swingable in a perspective direction with respect to the driven body so as to be movably supported in the direction.

  That is, by swinging the unit frame composed of the drive rotator and the drive means in the perspective direction with respect to the driven body, the drive rotator in the unit frame moves in the perspective direction with respect to the driven body Since the drive rotator can be moved in the perspective direction with respect to the driven body without moving the drive rotator and the drive means relatively, a transmission mechanism from the drive means to the drive rotator Further, there is no need for a structure that allows relative movement between the drive rotator and the drive means, and the transmission mechanism from the drive means to the drive rotator can be simplified.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments in the case where a revolving transport device according to the present invention is applied to an automatic warehouse will be described below based on the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, this automatic warehouse includes a storage shelf 1 for storing and storing various articles A in a state of being placed on a pallet P. The storage shelf 1 has a structure in which a plurality of storage units for placing and holding the pallets P are arranged in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, and a plurality of sets each having a pair of opposing ones are arranged.
Between each pair of opposing storage shelves 1, a stacker crane 2 having a lifting platform and a fork that can be moved up and down is provided so as to be movable along the rail 3. The pallet P on the loading lifter 4 provided on the entrance side of the shelf 1 is loaded into the storage unit of the storage shelf 1, or the pallet P of the storage unit is carried out onto the unloading lifter 5. .

  On the side away from the storage shelf 1 of the carry-in lifter 4, a transfer lifter 6 for carrying-in is provided, and on the side away from the storage shelf of the carry-out lifter 5, a transfer lifter 7 for carrying out is also provided. Between the transfer lifter 6 for loading and the lifter 4 for loading, a conveyor 8 for carrying the pallet P on the transfer lifter 6 to the lifter 4 for loading is provided, and transfer for unloading is provided. An unloading conveyor 9 is provided between the lifter 7 and the unloading lifter 5 to convey the pallet P on the unloading lifter 5 to the transfer lifter 7.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a self-propelled article transport vehicle 10 having an extendable fork 10 a on its upper surface runs between each transfer transfer lifter 6 and transfer transfer lifter 7. A guide rail 11 that is configured to be able to travel on the floor surface as a road surface and guides the article transport vehicle 10 along the travel path is arranged in a loop shape.

  On the outside of the loop-shaped guide rail 11, there are provided an article carrying-in part 12 for warehousing, an article carrying-out part 13 for unloading, a carrying-in part 15 for picking, and an unloading part 16 for picking. The transport vehicle 10 picks up the pallet P on the article carry-in section 12 with the fork 10a and transports it to the transfer lifter 6 for carry-in, picks up the pallet P on the transfer lifter 7 for carry-out and picks it. The pallet P on the pick-out part 16 is picked up and transported to the article transport part 13 for unloading.

  Further, a revolving transport device S for picking work is provided on the side away from the guide rail 11 of the picking carry-in portion 15 and the picking carry-out portion 16, and the revolving transport device S and the picking carry-in portion 15 are connected to each other. Between them, there is provided a picking-in conveyor 17 composed of a roller conveyor that transports the pallet P on the picking-in part 15 to the revolving transport device S, and the revolving transport device S and the picking-out unit 16. Is provided with a picking carry-out conveyor 18 constituted by a roller conveyor for carrying the pallet P on the swivel conveying device S to the picking carry-out unit 16.

  Next, the turning conveyor device S will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 3, the swivel conveying device S includes a base frame 21 configured by standing a frame body 26 on a bottom plate 25, and a donut that is pivotally supported by the base frame 21 via a bearing 27. The article mounting table 22 having a shape and a transport conveyor 23 that is provided on the article mounting table 22 and transports articles from the picking-in conveyor 17 side to the picking-out conveyor 18 side.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a donut-shaped support member 28 is attached to the inner peripheral side of the lower surface of the article mounting table 22 supported by the bearing 27, and the support member 28 has an inner peripheral surface. The chain 29 is supported along the circumferential direction of the article mounting table 22. In addition, the base frame 21 includes an electric motor (corresponding to a driving unit) provided with an output shaft (corresponding to a rotational shaft) 32a that rotates around a rotational axis Y that is parallel or substantially parallel to the pivot axis X of the article mounting table 22. 32, and a sprocket 31 meshing with the chain 29 is attached to an output shaft 32a of the electric motor 32 so as to rotate integrally. Accordingly, the article mounting table 22 is configured to rotate around the rotation axis X by the rotation of the sprocket 31 by the electric motor 32.

  A sprocket 31 and an electric motor 32 that rotationally drives the sprocket 31 are formed in a unit-shaped frame U, and the unit-shaped frame U supports the sprocket 31 so as to be movable in a perspective direction with respect to the chain 29. The sprocket 31 is supported so as to be swingable in the perspective direction. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, when the electric motor 32 swings around the swing axis Z that is parallel or substantially parallel to the pivot axis X of the article mounting table 22, the sprocket 31 is moved. It is configured to move in the perspective direction with respect to the chain 29.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the bottom plate 25 of the base frame 21 is provided with a biasing means 33 that biases the sprocket 31 toward the chain 29, and this biasing means 33 is a fixed bracket fixed to the bottom plate 25. 35 and a plate member 36 connected and fixed to the electric motor 32, and a slide member 37 that is slidably movable along the floor surface. The electric motor 32 is biased to the chain 29 side by 33, that is, the sprocket 31 is biased to the chain 29 side.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, a regulating body 38 is provided around the rotation axis Y parallel or substantially parallel to the turning axis X of the article mounting table 22 on the output shaft 32 a of the electric motor 32 that is the rotation axis of the sprocket 31. The unit-shaped frame U is supported so as to be rotatable and swings around the swing axis Z, so that it moves integrally with the sprocket 31 along the perspective direction with respect to the chain 29. A donut-shaped receiving body 39 is attached to the lower surface of the support member 28 along the circumferential direction of the article mounting table 22, and the outer peripheral surface of the regulating body 38 contacts the inner peripheral surface of the receiving body 38. It is configured as follows. Accordingly, the movement range of the regulating body 38 toward the chain 29 is received and regulated by the receiving body 38, and the sprocket urged to the chain 29 side by the urging means 33 is received by the regulating body 38 and the receiving body 39. By regulating, the distance between the drive rotating body and the driven body is maintained constant or substantially constant.

In other words, due to design errors and aging, the article is placed so that the sprocket 31 and the chain 29 come closer to each other as shown in FIG. When the pedestal 22 is eccentric, the sprocket 31 is pushed toward the chain 29 by the urging force of the urging means 33 while being regulated by the regulating body 38 and the catching body 39, thereby The interval can be kept constant or substantially constant.
Further, in the case where the article mounting table 22 is eccentric so that the sprocket 31 and the chain 29 are separated from each other as shown in FIG. 6B from the state shown in FIG. 4, the urging force of the urging means 33 is resisted. By pushing the regulating body 38, that is, the sprocket 31 away from the chain 29 by the receiving body 39, the distance between the sprocket 31 and the chain 29 can be maintained constant or substantially constant.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the transport conveyor 23 placed and supported on the article placement table 22 has a plurality of drive rollers 42 rotatably supported by a roller frame 41, and the drive rollers Each of 42 is rotationally driven by the roller motor 43. Further, idle rollers 44 are rotatably supported at both ends of the roller frame 41 in the transport direction. It should be noted that two auxiliary rollers 46 are supported on the floor surface between the swivel transfer device S and the pick-in carry-in conveyor 17 and between the swivel transfer device S and the pick-out carry-out conveyor 18. The frame 45 is rotatably supported.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the swivel transfer device S is provided with swivel detection means 47 for detecting that the article mounting table 22 swivels a set amount with respect to the base frame 21. The state detection unit 47 includes a detection piece 47a provided on the lower surface of the article mounting table 22, and a detection sensor 47b provided on the frame body 26 of the base frame 21 to detect the presence or absence of the detection piece 47a. . That is, four detection sensors 47b are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the article mounting table 22, and the article mounting table 22 forms a series of transport paths with the picking-in conveyor 17 and the picking-out conveyor 18. The detection piece 47a is detected by the detection sensor 47b when it is turned to the reference turning position, the position turned 90 ° and 180 ° in the forward direction from the reference turning position, and the position turned −90 ° in the reverse direction. A turning detection means 47 is configured to detect the presence.
Then, the article mounting table 22 is moved in the forward direction from the reference turning position by the contact between the two stopper members 49 provided on the frame 26 in the base frame 21 and the elastic body 48 provided on the lower surface of the article mounting table 22. Is restricted from turning 180 ° and 90 ° or more in the opposite direction.

  The swivel transfer device S is in a posture in which the operator can easily perform the picking work by operating the operation box B (see FIG. 1) of the article A transferred from the pick-in carry-in conveyor 17 onto the swivel transfer device S. It can be turned. That is, in the operation box B, an operation switch for turning the article mounting table 22 to a position turned 90 ° in the forward direction from the reference turning position, a position turned 180 °, and a position turned 90 ° in the opposite direction. And the posture of the pallet P which is transferred from the picking-in conveyor 17 and is positioned on the swivel conveying device S due to the operation of the conveying conveyor 23 being stopped is set with respect to the article A placed on the pallet P. Therefore, the article mounting table 22 is swiveled by operating the operation switch of the operation box B so that the posture can be easily performed. When the picking operation is finished and the completion switch of the operation box B is pushed, when the article placement table 22 is turned by the operation box B, the article placement table 22 is turned to the reference turning position, and thereafter The transport conveyor 23 is operated and transferred to the picking / unloading conveyor 18.

[Another embodiment]
(1) In the above embodiment, the driven body provided with the meshing portion is configured by the chain 29, and the drive rotating body is configured by the sprocket 31, but the driven body provided with the meshing portion is defined as the internal tooth. You may comprise with a gearwheel and a drive rotary body may be comprised with a drive gearwheel.

(2) In each of the above embodiments, the unit frame U is constituted by the drive means and the drive rotator that rotates around the rotation axis Y by being attached to the output shaft so as to rotate integrally. A support frame that swings the frame body U about the swing axis Z, drive means that is fixedly supported by the support frame, and drive rotation that is supported by the support frame so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis Y The structure which comprises a body and interlock | cooperates and connects a drive means and a drive rotary body may be sufficient.

(3) In each of the above embodiments, the restricting body is rotatably supported, and the restricting body rotates as the article placement table turns. For example, the main body of the driving means and the above (2) The support frame may be fixedly supported so as to be in sliding contact with the receiving body.

(4) Although the conveyor 23 is provided on the article mounting table 22 in the above embodiment, the article mounting table 22 is formed in a disk shape without providing the conveying conveyor 23, and the article is directly placed on the article mounting table 22. A may be configured to place A. Specifically, the article A is directly placed on the article placing table 22 with a robot hand, or the article on the turning article placing table 22 is removed by a guide body. You may comprise so that it may be guided and transferred.

Floor plan of automated warehouse Plan view of swivel transfer device Side view of swivel transfer device Cross-sectional view of a swivel transfer device Side cross-sectional view enlarging a part of a swivel transfer device Action diagram of swivel transfer device

Explanation of symbols

22 article mounting table 29 chain (driven body)
32a Output shaft (rotary shaft)
31 Sprocket (drive rotor)
38 Regulating body 39 Receiving body S Revolving transport device U Unit-shaped frame X Revolving shaft center Y Rotating shaft center

Claims (5)

An article mounting table supported so as to be pivotable is provided with a driven body provided with a meshing portion along a circumferential direction thereof, and a driving rotary body that is meshed with the driven body is provided. A revolving transport device configured to revolve the article mounting table by rotation of:
The drive rotating body is provided in a state of being supported so as to be movable in a perspective direction with respect to the driven body, and being biased to the driven body side by a biasing means,
A restricting body that moves integrally with the drive rotating body along a perspective direction with respect to the driven body is provided,
A receiving body that receives and regulates the range of movement of the restricting body toward the driven body and maintains the distance between the driving rotating body and the driven body in a constant or substantially constant state is provided on the article mounting table. A swivel type conveying device provided along the circumferential direction of the.   The swivel type conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driven body is constituted by a chain, and the driving rotary body is constituted by a sprocket.   The restricting body is rotatably supported around a rotation axis that is parallel or substantially parallel to a pivot axis of the article mounting table, and an outer peripheral surface thereof is configured to contact the receiving body. 3. A swivel transfer device according to 1 or 2.   The revolving transport device according to claim 3, wherein the restricting body is supported by a rotating shaft of the driving rotating body.   The drive rotator and a drive means for rotating the drive rotator are configured in a unit-shaped frame, and the unit-shaped frame supports the drive rotator so as to be movable in a perspective direction with respect to the driven body. The swivel type conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is supported so as to be swingable in a perspective direction with respect to the driven body.

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