JPH0589312U - Simple positioning mechanism for transfer machine - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] When transferring an article between two places, the forward / backward movement position of the article is positioned by a simple mechanism. [Structure] The automatic shelf 10 has an elevating table 20 that moves up and down between a front row shelf 14 and a rear row shelf 16. A transfer machine 36 is attached to the lifting table 20. Transfer machine 36
Transports articles to and from the loading / unloading port 18, or between the front row shelf 14 and the rear row shelf 16. The transfer machine 36 includes a chain 40 suspended by a sprocket 44 and a sprocket 4
And a motor 50 that drives the motor 4 to rotate. Transfer machine 36
Further has a proximity switch 64 for measuring the number of rotating teeth of the sprocket 44.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a transfer machine, and more particularly, to a positioning mechanism for determining a stop position at each place in a transfer machine for transferring an article between two places.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 As an apparatus for storing articles, there is an automatic shelf 110 shown in FIG. The automatic shelf 110 has a front row shelf 114 and a rear row shelf 116. An entrance / exit opening 118 is provided in a part of the front row shelf 114, and the articles 124 put into the entrance / exit opening 118 are transferred to a predetermined shelf via an elevating table 120 that moves up and down between the front row shelf 114 and the rear row shelf 116. Received. Further, the articles 124 stored in the shelves are transferred to the loading / unloading port 118 by the lifting table 120.

In order to load and unload an article, a transfer machine is required to move the article between the loading / unloading port 118 and the elevating table 120 and between the ascending / descending table 120 and the shelves 114 and 116. .. In the automatic shelf 110 shown in FIG. 5, the transfer machine is mounted on the lifting table 120. The transfer machine pulls or pushes the article by a hook attached to a chain or a toothed belt, and moves the article between the loading / unloading port 118 and the lifting table 120, and between the lifting table 120 and the shelves 114 and 116. Is transferred. At the time of transfer, it is necessary to determine the transfer amount of the article.

Conventionally, in determining the amount of movement, the number of revolutions of the chain sprocket or toothed belt pulley or the drive motor is detected as a pulse number by the rotary encoder, and the desired count number is obtained. If so, the motor was stopped.

[0005]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, in order to detect the number of rotations of a rotary shaft such as a motor or sprocket with a rotary encoder, the rotary shaft such as a motor or sprocket and the shaft of the rotary encoder can be directly connected by a coupling or the like, or Pulleys must be provided and connected by chains or belts. Therefore, there is a problem that the structure is complicated and expensive.

Further, the rotary encoder can generate 1000 to 2000 pulses per revolution to control the rotational position with extremely high accuracy, but depending on the type of position control, such an excessive specification is unnecessary. There are cases. For example, in the above automatic shelves, it is not always necessary to perform highly accurate positioning using a rotary encoder.

An object of the present invention is to provide a positioning mechanism having a comparatively simple structure capable of controlling the forward / backward movement positions of articles to be loaded and unloaded.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 The present invention has a chain or toothed belt suspended on a sprocket or toothed pulley, and a motor for driving the sprocket or toothed pulley to rotate, and an article is engaged with the chain or toothed belt. In the transfer machine for transferring the article between two places, a proximity switch for measuring the number of rotating teeth of the sprocket or toothed pulley is provided, and the motor is controlled by a signal from the proximity switch. The above-mentioned problem was solved by the positioning mechanism of the transfer machine.

[0009]

[Action]

 While a chain or toothed belt (hereinafter referred to as a chain) transfers an article from one place to another, the proximity switch determines the number of rotating teeth of a sprocket or toothed pulley on which the chain is suspended. To count. The amount of movement of goods is proportional to the number of counts. When the count reaches a predetermined number, the proximity switch sends a stop signal to the motor and the article stops at the correct position.

[0010]

【Example】

 First, an automatic shelf to which the present invention can be applied will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. The automatic shelf 10 lifts and lowers a front row shelf 14 and a rear row shelf 16 partitioned by a frame 12, a loading / unloading port 18 formed in a part of the front row shelf, and a space between the front row shelf 14 and the back row shelf 16. It has a lifting table 20 and a controller 22. The stored items are placed on the tray 24 at the loading / unloading port 18. The article, that is, the tray 24 is transferred from the loading / unloading port 18 to a predetermined shelf via the elevating table 20.

The width of the tray 24 is slightly narrower than the width of the loading / unloading port 18. The depth of the tray 24 is slightly smaller than the distance between the front shelves 14 and the rear shelves 16. The tray 24 has downward flanges 26 at the center of the front and rear ends.

The front row shelves 14 are stacked above and below the loading / unloading port 18. All the front row shelves 14 have the same width and depth. However, the heights are not the same. The rear row shelf 16 faces the front row shelf 14 and is formed over the entire height of the automatic shelf 10. All the rear row shelves 16 have the same width and depth. However, the heights are not the same. Each shelf 14, 16 is provided with a roller (not shown) for facilitating transfer of the tray 24.

The loading / unloading port 18 has a width and a depth such that the tray 24 can be placed thereon. Further, rollers (not shown) for facilitating the movement of the tray 24 are provided.

The elevating table 20 has a frame 32 having rollers 30 fitted in two pairs of channel members 28. The frame 32 is provided with a large number of rollers 34 (see FIG. 1) for facilitating the transfer of the tray 24. A transfer device 36 for the tray 24 is provided on the frame 32. The lift table 20 is lifted and lowered by a motor 38 provided at the bottom of the frame.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the transfer machine 36 includes a chain 40 circulating in a horizontal plane on the frame 32 and four sprockets 42, 44, 46 on which the chain 40 is suspended. , 48, and a motor 50 for rotating the chain 40. A chain 52 is suspended around the rotating shafts of one sprocket 48 and a motor 50.

A pair of pin assemblies 54 and 56 are attached to the chain 40 so as to face each other. One pin assembly 54 is a pull pin assembly and the other pin assembly 56 is a push pin assembly. The pull pin assembly 54 draws a slightly larger trajectory than the push pin assembly 56. The pulling pin assembly 54 is for engaging with the inside of the flange 26 of the tray 24 standing by at the loading / unloading port 18 or each of the shelves 14 and 16, and pulling the tray 24 into the lifting table 20. The push pin assembly 56 contacts the outside of the flange 26 of the tray 24 and pushes the tray 24 on the lifting table 20 into the loading / unloading port 18 or each of the shelves 14 and 16.

The transfer machine 36 has guide rails 58 and 60. The respective pin assemblies 54 and 56 move along the guide rails 58 and 60. The pin assemblies 54 and 56 are, for example, at the retracted position on the guide rail 58 and at the protruding position on the guide rail 60. The pin assemblies 54 and 56 describe an inclined track on the short side of the chain track.

As shown in detail in FIG. 2, the transfer machine 36 further includes a proximity switch 64 attached to the sensor fitting 62 so as to face the tooth tips of one sprocket 44. The proximity switch 64 is turned on when the tooth tip of the sprocket 44 comes closest to the proximity switch 64, is turned off at the valley of the sprocket 44, and counts the pulses. By counting the number of teeth of the sprocket 44, the movement amount of the chain 40 is calculated from the pitch. When the proximity switch 64 detects a predetermined count number, that is, the movement amount of the chain 40, the proximity switch issues a stop signal to the motor 50.

The transfer machine 36 further includes a magnet reader 66. The magnet reader 66 is provided at an intermediate position in the longitudinal direction of the frame 32. A magnet is attached to one of the pin assemblies. The magnet reader 66 detects the moment when one of the pin assemblies passes. This time is treated as the origin. The proximity switch 64 counts the number of teeth of the sprocket 44 with the origin as a reference and issues a chain stop signal.

In the above embodiment, the combination of the chain and the sprocket has been described, but the combination of the toothed belt and the toothed pulley functions similarly.

[0021]

[Effect of the device]

 Since the present invention is configured as described above, by counting the number of rotating teeth of the sprocket or toothed pulley, which is indispensable for suspending the chain or toothed pulley, with a proximity switch, it is possible to use an extra encoder, etc. The positioning mechanism can be realized at low cost without providing such a device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a transfer machine including a positioning mechanism of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged plan view of FIG.

3 is a perspective view of an automatic shelf having the transfer machine of FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the automatic shelf of FIG. 3 excluding an outer wall.

FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a conventional automatic shelf.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 automatic shelves 14, 16 shelves 18 loading / unloading ports 20 lifting tables 24 trays (articles) 36 transfer machines 40 chains (or toothed belts) 42, 44, 46, 48 sprockets (or toothed pulleys) 50 motors 54, 56 Pin assembly 64 Proximity switch

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A chain or toothed belt suspended on a sprocket or toothed pulley, and a motor for rotationally driving the sprocket or toothed pulley, wherein an article is engaged with the chain or toothed belt. In a transfer machine for transferring the article between two locations, a proximity switch for measuring the number of rotating teeth of the sprocket or toothed pulley is provided, and the motor is controlled by a signal from the proximity switch. The positioning mechanism of the transfer machine.