Automated storeroom system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11208266-B2
Application number	US-201916971651-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2019
Priority date	Mar 19, 2018
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

An automated storeroom system includes a plurality of automated storerooms including a rack extending in a first horizontal direction and having a plurality of shelves, and a stacker crane configured to travel on a crane passage along the rack, the automated storerooms disposed adjacent to each other in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction with back parts of the racks being close to each other; a transport vehicle configured to travel along a transport vehicle travelling passage provided in a lower portion of the rack and extending in the first horizontal direction; and a travelling restriction member disposed between the crane passage and a front part of the rack facing the crane passage, the travelling restriction member being movable between a travelling restriction position that restricts travelling of a worker and a travelling non-restriction position adapted to remove the restriction.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An automated storeroom system comprising:
a plurality of automated storerooms including a rack extending in a first horizontal direction and having a plurality of shelves, and a stacker crane configured to travel on a crane passage along the rack, the automated storerooms disposed adjacent to each other in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction with back parts of the racks being close to each other;
a transport vehicle configured to travel along a transport vehicle travelling passage provided in a lower portion of the rack and extending in the first horizontal direction; and
a travelling restriction member disposed between the crane passage and a front part of the rack facing the crane passage, the travelling restriction member being movable between a travelling restriction position that restricts travelling of a worker and a travelling non-restriction position adapted to remove the restriction.

2. The automated storeroom system according to claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to perform automatic operation of the stacker cranes, wherein
the controller performs the automatic operation of the stacker crane when the controller determines that the travelling restriction member is positioned at the travelling restriction position even if an automated storeroom next to the concerned automated storeroom is under maintenance.

3. The automated storeroom system according to claim 2 , wherein, if one of the stacker cranes is abnormally stopped, the controller performs:
stopping the automatic operation of other stacker cranes;
moving the travelling restriction member from the travelling restriction position to the travelling non-restriction position; and
restarting the automatic operation of the other stacker cranes.

4. The automated storeroom system according to claim 2 , wherein the travelling restriction member is in a retreat position lower than an opening portion of the lowest shelf of the rack when the travelling restriction member is positioned at the travelling non-restriction position, and the travelling restriction member is in a partition position to form a partition at the opening portion of the lowest shelf when the travelling restriction member is positioned at the travelling restriction position.

5. The automated storeroom system according to claim 4 , wherein the travelling restriction member is a member flexible with a predetermined rigidity, and the travelling restriction member takes a wound posture at the travelling non-restriction position, and an upwardly unwound posture at the travelling restriction position.

6. The automated storeroom system according to claim 3 , wherein the travelling restriction member is a stick shaped member, the travelling restriction member takes a standing posture near a side frame of the opening portion of the lowest shelf of the rack when the travelling restriction member is positioned at the travelling non-restriction position, and the travelling restriction member takes a lying posture partitioning the opening portion of the lowest shelf of the rack off the crane passage when the travelling restriction member is positioned at the travelling restriction position.

7. The automated storeroom system according to claim 2 , wherein the travelling restriction member is a stick shaped member, the travelling restriction member takes a standing posture near a side frame of the opening portion of the lowest shelf of the rack when the travelling restriction member is positioned at the travelling non-restriction position, and the travelling restriction member takes a lying posture partitioning the opening portion of the lowest shelf of the rack off the crane passage when the travelling restriction member is positioned at the travelling restriction position.

8. The automated storeroom system according to claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to perform the automatic operation of the transport vehicle, wherein
if the controller determines that the travelling restriction member is positioned at the travelling restriction position, the controller allows the transport vehicle to travel along the transport vehicle travelling passage provided in a lower portion of the rack even if an automated storeroom disposed next to the concerned automated storeroom is under maintenance.

9. The automated storeroom system according to claim 8 , wherein the travelling restriction member is in a retreat position lower than an opening portion of the lowest shelf of the rack when the travelling restriction member is positioned at the travelling non-restriction position, and the travelling restriction member is in a partition position to form a partition at the opening portion of the lowest shelf when the travelling restriction member is positioned at the travelling restriction position.

10. The automated storeroom system according to claim 9 , wherein the travelling restriction member is a member flexible with a predetermined rigidity, and the travelling restriction member takes a wound posture at the travelling non-restriction position, and an upwardly unwound posture at the travelling restriction position.

11. The automated storeroom system according to claim 8 , wherein the travelling restriction member is a stick shaped member, the travelling restriction member takes a standing posture near a side frame of the opening portion of the lowest shelf of the rack when the travelling restriction member is positioned at the travelling non-restriction position, and the travelling restriction member takes a lying posture partitioning the opening portion of the lowest shelf of the rack off the crane passage when the travelling restriction member is positioned at the travelling restriction position.

12. The automated storeroom system according to claim 1 , wherein the travelling restriction member is in a retreat position lower than an opening portion of the lowest shelf of the rack when the travelling restriction member is positioned at the travelling non-restriction position, and the travelling restriction member is in a partition position to form a partition at the opening portion of the lowest shelf when the travelling restriction member is positioned at the travelling restriction position.

13. The automated storeroom system according to claim 12 , wherein the travelling restriction member is a member flexible with a predetermined rigidity, and the travelling restriction member takes a wound posture at the travelling non-restriction position and takes an upwardly unwound posture at the travelling restriction position.

14. The automated storeroom system according to claim 1 , wherein the travelling restriction member is a stick shaped member, the travelling restriction member takes a standing posture near a side frame of the opening portion of the lowest shelf of the rack when the travelling restriction member is positioned at the travelling non-restriction position, and the travelling restriction member takes a lying posture partitioning the opening portion of the lowest shelf of the rack off the crane passage when the travelling restriction member is positioned at the travelling restriction position.

15. The automated storeroom system according to claim 1 , further comprising a second travelling restriction member disposed between the crane passage and a front part of the rack facing the crane passage, the second travelling restriction member being fixed to a portion facing the crane passage.

Assignees

• Murata Machinery Ltd

Inventors

• Kakinuki Tsuyoshi

Classifications

• B65G1/0485

  Check-in, check-out devices · CPC title

• B65G1/0407 Primary

  using stacker cranes (constructional features of stacker cranes B66F9/06) · CPC title

• B65G1/0492

  with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles · CPC title

• B65G1/137 Primary

  with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed · CPC title

• B65G2207/40

  Safety features of loads, equipment or persons · CPC title