Container raising/lowering conveyance apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10053339-B2
Application number	US-201615358902-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 22, 2016
Priority date	Jun 13, 2014
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

A container raising/lowering conveyance apparatus has a supporting structure (a secondary traveling body) which supports four gripping raising/lowering bodies capable of being raised and lowered, and has an X-direction drive means by which the four gripping raising/lowering bodies are moved closer to and away from each other synchronously and symmetrically with respect to a Y-direction center line and a Y-direction drive means by which the four gripping raising/lowering bodies are moved closer to and away from each other synchronously and symmetrically with respect to an X-direction center line. Both the X-direction drive means and the Y-direction drive means are used to enlarge and shrink a right-angled parallelogram surrounded by the four gripping raising/lowering bodies, without changing the center position and the orientation of the right-angled parallelogram.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A container raising/lowering conveyance apparatus comprising:
four gripping raising/lowering bodies capable of being respectively horizontally fitted to and detached from four corners of an article-conveyance container;
a supporting structure operable to support the four gripping raising/lowering bodies so that the gripping raising/lowering bodies are capable of being raised and lowered;
the supporting structure having an X-direction drive means, by which the four gripping raising/lowering bodies are moved closer to and away from each other synchronously and symmetrically with respect to a Y-direction center line, among the Y-direction center line and an X-direction center line, passing through a center position of a right-angled parallelogram surrounded by the four gripping raising/lowering bodies and being parallel to respective side edges of said right-angled parallelogram;
the supporting structure having a Y-direction drive means, by which the four gripping raising/lowering bodies are moved closer to and away from each other synchronously and symmetrically with respect to the X-direction center line;
by operation of both the X-direction drive means and the Y-direction drive means, the right-angled parallelogram surrounded by the four gripping raising/lowering bodies is enlarged and shrunk without changing the center position and orientation of the right-angled parallelogram;
the supporting structure having a pair of main movable bases and a pair of secondary movable bases provided on each of the main movable bases;
the main movable bases being positioned symmetrical to each other with respect to the Y-direction center line and capable of moving closer to and away from each other in the X direction, and each pair of secondary movable bases being positioned symmetrical to each other with respect to the X-direction center line and capable of moving closer to and away from each other in the Y direction;
the gripping raising/lowering bodies being supported respectively by the secondary movable bases so as to be capable of being raised and lowered and positioned between the pair of main movable bases;
the X-direction drive means being operable to move the pair of main movable bases closer to and away from each other symmetrically and synchronously;
the Y-direction drive means being operable to move each of the pairs of secondary movable bases closer to and away from each other symmetrically and synchronously;
the X-direction drive means including a Y-direction pair of winding transmission bodies stretched along the X direction on the supporting structure so as to be adjacent to both end portions in the Y direction of the pair of main movable bases;
a motor operable to drive both of the winding transmission bodies to rotate forward and in reverse in synchronization; and
both Y-direction end portions of one main movable base are coupled to path portions of the Y-direction pair of winding transmission bodies that turn in the forward direction, and both Y-direction end portions of the other main movable base are coupled to path portions of the Y-direction pair of winding transmission bodies that turn in the reverse direction.

2. A container raising/lowering conveyance apparatus comprising:
four gripping raising/lowering bodies capable of being respectively horizontally fitted to and detached from four corners of an article-conveyance container;
a supporting structure operable to support the four gripping raising/lowering bodies so that the gripping raising/lowering bodies are capable of being raised and lowered;
the supporting structure having an X-direction drive means, by which the four gripping raising/lowering bodies are moved closer to and away from each other synchronously and symmetrically with respect to a Y-direction center line, among the Y-direction center line and an X-direction center line, passing through a center position of a right-angled parallelogram surrounded by the four gripping raising/lowering bodies and being parallel to respective side edges of said right-angled parallelogram;
the supporting structure having a Y-direction drive means, by which the four gripping raising/lowering bodies are moved closer to and away from each other synchronously and symmetrically with respect to the X-direction center line;
by operation of both the X-direction drive means and the Y-direction drive means, the right-angled parallelogram surrounded by the four gripping raising/lowering bodies is enlarged and shrunk without changing the center position and orientation of the right-angled parallelogram;
the supporting structure having a pair of main movable bases and a pair of secondary movable bases provided on each of the main movable bases;
the main movable bases being positioned symmetrical to each other with respect to the Y-direction center line and capable of moving closer to and away from each other in the X direction, and each pair of secondary movable bases being positioned symmetrical to each other with respect to the X-direction center line and capable of moving closer to and away from each other in the Y direction;
the gripping raising/lowering bodies being supported respectively by the secondary movable bases so as to be capable of being raised and lowered and positioned between the pair of main movable bases;
the X-direction drive means being operable to move the pair of main movable bases closer to and away from each other symmetrically and synchronously;
the Y-direction drive means being operable to move each of the pairs of secondary movable bases closer to and away from each other symmetrically and synchronously;
the Y-direction drive means including a Y-direction pair of interlocking rod-shaped bodies positioned in parallel to the X direction at outer sides in the Y direction of the four secondary movable bases;
an X-direction pair of winding transmission bodies stretched along the Y direction on the supporting structure so as to be adjacent to both end portions in the X direction of the Y-direction pair of interlocking rod-shaped bodies;
a motor operable to drive both of the winding transmission bodies to rotate forward and in reverse in synchronization;
both X-direction end portions of one interlocking rod-shaped body are coupled to path portions of the X-direction pair of winding transmission bodies that turn in the forward direction, and both X-direction end portions of the other interlocking rod-shaped body are coupled to path portions of the X-direction pair of winding transmission bodies that turn in the reverse direction; and
the two X-direction pairs of secondary movable bases adjacent to respective inner sides of the Y-direction pair of interlocking rod-shaped bodies are engaged respectively with the respective outwardly adjacent interlocking rod-shaped bodies so as to be movable in the X-direction.

3. The container raising/lowering conveyance apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising:
the X-direction drive means including a Y-direction pair of winding transmission bodies stretched along the X direction on the supporting structure so as to be adjacent to both end portions in the Y direction of the pair of main movable bases;
a motor operable to drive both of the Y direction pair of winding transmission bodies to rotate forward and in reverse in synchronization; and
both Y-direction end portions of one main movable base being coupled to path portions of the Y-direction pair of winding transmission bodies that turn in the forward direction, and both Y-direction end portions of the other main movable base being coupled to path portions of the Y-direction pair of winding transmission bodies that turn in the reverse direction.

Assignees

• Daifuku Kk

Inventors

• Kyotani Hisashi
• Ogawa Kazuki

Classifications

• B66C19/007

  for containers · CPC title

• B65G1/04

  mechanical · CPC title

• B65G47/90

  Devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials · CPC title

• B66C1/42

  Gripping members engaging only the external or internal surfaces of the articles (for handling or stripping castings or ingots during manufacture B22D29/00) · CPC title

• B66C1/663 Primary

  for containers (fastening of containers on vehicles B60P7/13, B60P7/132) · CPC title