JPH0444481Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Field of industrial application] The present invention is a storage shelf for storing thin items such as file folders (hereinafter simply referred to as file folders) that can be carried with documents sandwiched between them in a predetermined location. This invention relates to the structure of an apparatus in which a plurality of storage shelf units are arranged side by side, and the file folders released from the outlet of each storage shelf unit are transferred via a conveyor.

[Conventional technology]

Medical records at the hospital and various documents at each office are stored in the file folder storage shelf in a state that they are sandwiched between file folders, and are taken out when necessary and returned to the original location when the business is completed. However, conventionally, as a device for this purpose,
A transport platform is installed on the front of the file folder storage shelf and moves up and down, left and right, and forward and backward along the transport platform, and an address code is assigned to each file folder storage position on the file folder storage shelf. A mark corresponding to the address code is attached to the file folder in the storage section, and the file folder in the storage section is stored in a predetermined position on the file folder storage shelf under the automatic control of the transport platform, and conversely, the file folder is placed in the file folder from a predetermined position on the file folder storage shelf. A device configured to take out the food and discharge it to the outlet is known from the prior art, such as Japanese Patent Publication No. 10967/1983.

By the way, the present applicant previously proposed in Japanese Patent Application No. 60-215848 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 62-74808) that a plurality of file folder storage units were arranged side by side, and a wide conveyor was arranged along the front of the unit. A slide is placed perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the transport conveyor from the outlet on the front side of each file folder storage shelf unit, and a slide is provided above the transport conveyor along its longitudinal direction from each slide point to the terminal end of the transport conveyor. By arranging guide rails, the width direction of the conveyor is divided into a plurality of conveyance paths, and file folders sliding down from each slide are guided along the length of the conveyor in each conveyance path. We proposed a device that transports objects simultaneously and in parallel in an upright position.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

In order to hold multiple file folders in an upright position on the transport conveyor in this way, a guide rail is required as mentioned above, and a large space for the erect file folders must be provided on the transport conveyor. This makes the entire unloading device bulky.
Further, even if the file folder is held in an upright position in this manner, there is a problem in that instability in the posture of the file folder, such as tilting or falling down, cannot be resolved.

The present invention allows the file folder to be transferred in a lying state on the conveyor, and
The purpose is to solve the inconvenience in that case.

[Means for solving problems]

Therefore, in the present invention, storage shelf units storing a large number of file folders at predetermined positions are arranged at appropriate intervals on the left and right, and the exit ports for the file folders are opened at the upper front of each of the storage shelf units. In a file folder transfer device in which a slide from an exit is placed facing a transport conveyor arranged along the front surface of a storage shelf unit, above the transport conveyor there is a slide for discharging from each slide for each exit. A cradle is provided to support the file folder in a lying state, and each cradle is tilted by a driving means to transfer the file folder onto a conveyor, and the file folder on the conveyor is A plurality of discrimination sensors are provided at appropriate intervals along the longitudinal direction of the transport conveyor for each of the cradle locations to determine whether the pedestal has approached the vicinity, and the drive means for the cradle is activated by the detection by the discrimination sensors. The configuration is such that the drive of the controller is controlled.

[Action/Effect]

In the present invention, a conveyor is disposed along the front surface of a plurality of storage shelf units each having an exit for file folders on the front surface, and the file folders discharged from each of the exits are placed on the transport conveyor. Since a cradle is provided to temporarily support items that slide down the slide, even if the file folders are taken out from each storage shelf unit almost at the same time, the file folders will be held in the position of the cradle. It is not carried directly onto the conveyor.

Therefore, there is no fear that the file folders falling along the slide will gather force and overflow outside the conveyor.

In addition, since the file folder is supported in a lying position on each cradle, there is no need to increase the height of the cradle compared to a case where the file folder is supported in an upright position.
Fileholder's posture is also stable.

Each of the cradle is tilted by the driving means to drop the file folder on the cradle onto the conveyor, but the file folder placed on the conveyor and transferred is moved to another cradle. If each cradle is tilted close to the transfer point, the file folders will be stacked on top of each other on the conveyor, which could lead to accidents such as clogging of the file folders at the end of the transfer of the conveyor. may occur.

In this invention, multiple discrimination sensors are installed along the longitudinal direction of the conveyor at each pedestal location.
These multiple discrimination sensors detect the presence or absence of a file folder approaching the cradle, and if there is no approaching file folder, the cradle is tilted and the file folder is transferred onto the conveyor, and if there is an approaching file folder, the file folder is moved onto the conveyor. Since the drive means is controlled so as to tilt the cradle after the file holders have been used, the overlapping phenomenon of the file folders on the conveyor does not occur.

〔Example〕

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, reference numeral 1 indicates a file folder automatic take-out and storage device.
A pair of left and right file folder storage shelves 21, 21, which can be stored in a predetermined position in a suspended state from a hanger (not shown), and both file folder storage shelves 2.
1 and 21. A plurality of storage shelf units 2 are arranged in a horizontal row (in this embodiment, a plurality of storage shelf units 2 are arranged in a horizontal line, each consisting of a support 22 that moves along rails arranged vertically in the passageway between the front surfaces of 5) Consists of things arranged.

At the end of each of the file folder storage shelves 21, 21 in each of the storage shelf units 2, there is an inlet/outlet section 4 into which the trolley 3 storing the file folder F is placed, and a transport platform 23 to move the file folder storage shelf 21 to a predetermined position. A single storage unit 13 is provided to take out the file folders F taken out from the storage unit to the front of the file folder storage unit, while a temporary storage unit 6 (in the embodiment, a file folder on the left side when viewing the device 1 from the front) is provided for each storage shelf unit 2. Folder storage shelf 2
1), and the exit section 6 communicates with an exit opening 10 that opens at the upper front side of the file folder storage unit.

From the exit port 10 of the file folder that opens on the front side of each storage shelf unit 2, a conveyor 7 (described later)
Slides 71 are provided upwards, and the file folders F that slide down along each slide 71 are placed on a cradle 8 provided on the conveyor 7. The pedestal 8 is configured to be tiltable by a driving means 9, which will be described later.

A transfer device 12 is installed at the end of the transfer conveyor 7 to transfer the file folders F in a lying state to the side conveyor 11, and the file folders F are transferred from the transfer end of the side conveyor 11 to the accumulation box via a chute section (not shown). It is something that can be collected.

The conveyor table 23 is moved by a control device (not shown) according to commands to its input terminal, and performs operations such as loading and unloading the file folder F into the file folder storage shelf 21.

In the loading/unloading section 4, the trolley 3 inside it
From the pair of left and right holding bodies 24, 2 of the conveyance table 23
At step 4, the front side of the upper end of the file folder F is held and taken out from the left and right sides, transferred to a predetermined position on the file folder storage shelf 21 and stored, and conversely taken out from the predetermined position to the trolley 3. The single storage unit 13 and the storage unit 6 discharge the file folders F taken out from predetermined positions of the file folder storage shelves 21 by means of the conveyor table 23 to the outside of each storage shelf unit 2.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the delivery section 6 is formed in a space obtained by removing a plurality of upper and lower shelves near the front of the file folder storage shelf 21. and the sending section 61
It consists of an inclined passage 62 that communicates from the lower end to the exit port 10 of the file folder that opens on the front side of each storage shelf unit 2, and a pair of left and right guide members 65, 65 are disposed at the upper end position of the delivery section 61, The guide members 65, 65 guide the left and right side surfaces of the upper end of the file folder F, which is inserted while being held between the pair of right and left holding bodies 24, 24 of the conveyance platform 23, along its longitudinal direction. invite. The front ends of both guide members 65, 65 are curved in the direction away from each other so that the file folder F to be inserted can be easily inserted therein.

Further, the conveyance table 23 includes the guide member 65,
It is slidably supported by guide rods 25, 25 which are movable up and down along the support column 22 so as to be able to move back and forth in parallel with the column 65.

Reference numeral 66 denotes a mounting table disposed below the pair of guide members 65, 65 and adjacent to the upper end of the inclined passage 62, and the mounting table 66 extends in the same direction as the longitudinal direction of the guide members 65. A crank 6 is formed to be long, is rotatably supported around a pivot shaft 661 at the front and rear ends of the mounting table 66, and is attached to a rotating plate of a control motor 662 provided in the file folder storage shelf 21.
63 and the arm 6 protruding from the lower surface of the mounting table 66.
64 by a link 665, and when a sensor (not shown) senses that the file folder F is placed on the mounting table 66, the control motor 662
is rotated once, and the upper surface of the mounting table 66 is configured to tilt toward the upper end of the inclined passageway 62 and then return to its original substantially horizontal state.

On the other hand, a slide 71 faces approximately perpendicularly from the exit port 10 of the file folder, which opens at the front of each storage shelf unit 2 at the lower end of the inclined passageway 62, toward the top of the wide endless belt-shaped transport conveyor 7. The lower end of the slide 71 is connected to the upper end of a side cover plate 73 erected on the upper surface of the frame 72 on the side closer to each storage shelf unit 2 among the left and right frames 72, 72 of the conveyor 7. code 74
A side cover plate 74 stands upright on the side facing the side cover plate 73 and functions as a shield to prevent the file folders F from the slide 71 from jumping out from the conveyor 7.

The file folder F that slides down along each slide 71 in a lying state is transferred to a cradle 8 provided on the conveyor belt 7 in a lying state.

In this embodiment, the pedestal 8 extends from the lower end of the slide 71 to the conveyor 7 along both left and right sides thereof.
It consists of a pair of left and right support frames 81 and 82 extending in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the file folder F. Both support frames 81 and 82 have an L-shaped cross section, and horizontal plate portions of both support frames 81 and 82 are attached to both left and right sides of the file folder F. It supports the bottom surface.

One support frame 8 located on the rear side of the file folder F transfer direction (arrow A) by the transfer conveyor 7
1 is the frame body 7 on both the left and right sides of the conveyor 7
It is fixed across the top of 2,72.

The other support frame 82 located on the front side in the direction in which the file folder F is transferred by the conveyor 7 is vertically movable via pins 93, 93 on brackets 92, 92 protruding from both left and right sides of a support stand 91 of the drive means 9. It is pivotally supported.

A crank arm 95 and a link 9
6, and as the control motor 94 rotates in the direction of arrow B, the support frame 82 rotates once the free end of the support plate portion 82a downwards as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. It is configured to return to a horizontal position.

That is, one of the support frames 82 is tilted by the driving means 9, and the file folder F supported thereby is transferred onto the conveyor 7.

This pedestal 8 is formed into a flat rectangular plate or the like that supports substantially the entire lower surface of the file folder F, and is rotatably supported on the rear side of the conveyor 7 in the transfer direction, so that the other side can be rotated downward. It may also be connected to the drive means 9 separately.

The central control device 5 is connected to a plurality of controllers 51 for controlling the drive of the conveyor 7 and for individually controlling the timing at which the file folders F on each receiving table 8 are transferred to the conveyor 7. Each controller 51 includes an acceptance sensor 52 that detects the presence or absence of a file folder F on each pedestal 8, and a sensor 52 that detects whether the file folder F on the conveyor 7 is approaching each pedestal 8. It receives signals from a plurality of discrimination sensors 53a, 53b, and 53c for discriminating, and controls the drive of the control motor 92, which is the drive means 9, on and off according to these signals.

The acceptance sensor 52 is a light-reflecting non-contact type sensor provided downward at the upper end of the one side cover plate 74, and the light from its light emitting part is transmitted to the receiving pedestal 8.
By reflecting off the upper surface of the file folder F placed in a lying position and receiving it at the light receiving section, a signal is issued to determine that the file folder is present.

Further, each of the discrimination sensors 53a, 53b, 5
In the embodiment, reference numeral 3c is of a light reflection type in which each discrimination sensor is disposed on the inner surface of one frame 72 of the conveyor 7 so as to be oriented horizontally to the upper surface of the belt.

The discrimination sensor 53a is disposed below the tilting support frame 82, and the discrimination sensor 53b,
and 53c are file folders F facing toward the rear side in the transfer direction (arrow A) by the transfer conveyor 7.
They are arranged at dimensional intervals (W2) shorter than the width dimension (W1) of .

In this configuration, in order to store the file folders F placed in the trolley 3, use the light pen of the input terminal (not shown) to mark the code mark attached to each file folder hanging part of the trolley 3 and the code mark attached to each file folder F. The attached code marks are read alternately and sequentially. Next, the trolley 3 is placed in the opening of either the left or right loading/unloading section 4 of a predetermined storage shelf unit 2. Thereafter, by pressing the storage switch of the input terminal, the carrier 23 moves each file folder F in the carrier 3 to the file folder storage shelves 21 and 21 according to a controlled operation.
sequentially store them in predetermined positions.

Empty trolley 3 in the entrance of the loading/unloading section 4
When taking out the file folder F, input the necessary code data into the operation panel of the input terminal, and then give a take-out command to the loading/unloading section 4, and the file folder will be stored in the specified file folder by the reverse operation. The file folder F, which is clamped and taken out from the shelf 21 by the conveyor table 23, is carried into the cart 3.

When taking out the file folder F to the single storage section 5 or the temporary storage section 6, input the necessary code data into the operation panel of the input terminal, and then take out the file folder F from either the single storage section 5 or the temporary storage section 6. By giving a take-out command to, for example, in the delivery section 6, the file folder F, which has been taken out from a predetermined position of the file folder storage shelf 21 by the clamping bodies 24, 24 of the transport platform 23, is placed in front of the delivery section 61. position. Next, guide rod 2
When the conveyance platform 23 slidably supported by the guide members 5 and 25 moves forward toward the front of the pair of guide members 65 and 65, the outer sides of the upper end of the file folder F on both left and right sides are guided. The lower end goes into the back along the top of the mounting table 66.

When a position sensor (not shown) detects a state in which the file folder F can be placed on the mounting table 66, the holding bodies 24, 24 on the conveyance table 23 are separated, and the file folder F is placed on the mounting table 6 in an upright state.
I will be riding 6.

When the control motor 662 is rotated with an appropriate delay after the contact sensor provided on the top surface of the mounting table 66 is turned on or the position sensor is turned on, the mounting table 66 is tilted as shown by the dashed line in FIG. , is approximately equal to the slope of the slope passage 62, so the file folder F in the standing state slides down with its lower end moving onto the slope passage 62, and then slides down from the slide 71 of the exit 10 onto the cradle 8. Transfer while lying down.

Each acceptance sensor 52 detects the presence or absence of a file folder F on the pedestal 8, and enters a standby state in which the control motor 94 can be turned on via the controller 51.

When the conveyor 7 is in operation, the receiving table 8 at the left end of FIG.
When the file folder F is dropped into the receiving table 8 by the tilting of the receiving table 8, it is immediately transported in the direction of the arrow A. Therefore, there is little need to determine whether or not a file folder F is approaching below the receiving table 8. However, the presence or absence of the file folder F is confirmed by the sensor 54.

When the file folders F taken out almost simultaneously from the plurality of exit ports 10 at the midway point in the longitudinal direction of the transport conveyor 7 are placed on each of the receiving stands 8, the discrimination sensors 53a, 5 at the eight positions of each of the receiving stands are activated.
3b and 53c, it is determined whether there is a file folder F approaching that location, and if there is no file folder F approaching, the control motor 94 is turned on to tilt one support frame 82 of the cradle 8, When a file folder F is dropped onto the transport conveyor 7 and the file folder F approaches, the cradle 8 is controlled so as not to tilt, and the file folder F on the transport conveyor 7 is prevented from passing below the cradle 8. After waiting, the pedestal 8 is controlled to be tilted after an appropriate period of time has elapsed.

In this case, the interval (W2) between the three discrimination sensors in the embodiment is the width dimension (W2) of the file folder F.
1) Since it is narrower, if any one of the three discrimination sensors is ON, it can be determined that the file folder F exists between the three discrimination sensors. Furthermore, if the transport speed of the transport conveyor is high, it is sufficient to increase the number of the above-mentioned discrimination sensors installed.

The discrimination sensor may be any non-contact sensor such as a light reflection type, a light transmission type, an ultrasonic transmission type, or a reflection type thereof.

In this way, in the present invention, the conveyor 7
Even if the file folders F are delivered to the cradle 8 at each location almost simultaneously from a plurality of delivery ports along the longitudinal direction, the tilting movement of each pedestal 8 is caused by the tilting movement of the file folder F transferred by the transport conveyor 7. Since it detects the approach of the file folder F and tilts it, it eliminates the inconvenience of transporting the file folders F vertically on top of each other on the transport conveyor 7. Furthermore, the file folders F are placed in a state where they are laid down on the receiving table 8 and the transport conveyor 7. Because of this, it is possible to stabilize the transfer attitude of the file folder F, and at the same time, the transfer device as a whole does not become bulky.

Note that the driving means 9 may be an electromagnetic solenoid, a pneumatic actuator, or the like.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention, in which Fig. 1 is a front view of the entire device, Fig. 2 is a plan view, Fig. 3 is a partial perspective view of the device, and Fig. 4 is indicated by the - line in Fig. 1. An enlarged sectional view of the main part, Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the main part of Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the main part of Fig. 4.
The figure is an enlarged front view of the main part indicated by the - line in Fig. 2, Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken from - in Fig. 6, Fig. 8 is a plan view of Fig. 6, and Fig. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the control block. be. 1...File folder removal and storage device, F...
...File folder, 2...Storage shelf unit, 2
1, 21... File folder storage shelf, 23...
Transport platform, 24, 24... Holding body, 3... Dolly, 4
... Warehouse entry/exit department, 6... Warehouse exit department, 10... Warehouse exit,
61... Sending part, 62... Inclined passage, 66...
...Placement table, 7...Transport belt, 71...Slide,
72... Frame body, 73, 74... Side cover plate, 8...
... cradle, 81, 82 ... support frame, 9 ... drive means, 94 ... control motor, 96 ... crank arm, 96 ... link, 5 ... central control device, 51
... Controller, 52 ... Acceptance sensor, 5
3a, 53b, 53c...Discrimination sensor.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A storage shelf unit in which a number of file folders are stored at predetermined positions is arranged at appropriate intervals on the left and right, an exit opening for the file folders is opened at the upper front of each storage shelf unit, and a slide is provided from each exit opening. In the file folder transfer device, the file folders are arranged so as to face a transfer conveyor arranged along the front surface of the storage shelf unit, and above the transfer conveyor, the file folders discharged from each slide at each exit are placed. A cradle is provided to support the file folder in a lying state, and each cradle is tilted by a driving means to transfer the file folder onto a conveyor, and the file folder on the conveyor is placed near each of the cradle. A plurality of discrimination sensors for determining the approach are provided at appropriate intervals along the longitudinal direction of the conveyor for each pedestal location, and the drive of the driving means for the pedestal is controlled by the detection by the discrimination sensors. A file folder transfer device characterized by: