Article storage facility

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12084282-B2
Application number	US-202217856143-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 1, 2022
Priority date	Jul 8, 2021
Publication date	Sep 10, 2024
Grant date	Sep 10, 2024

Abstract

Two transport units are provided with a partition device. The partition device includes a partition body, a partition body guide mechanism, and a movement assist mechanism. The movement assist mechanism includes a cable body and a cable body guide mechanism. A coupling portion is coupled to an upper portion of the partition body. A grip portion is provided on the cable body spaced apart from the coupling portion. The cable body guide mechanism includes a guide body. The cable body extends along a curved extending direction along the guide body. A portion of the cable body on the coupling portion side relative to the guide body extends along a width direction on a protruding side in the width direction relative to the guide body, and a portion of the cable body on the grip portion side relative to the guide body extends along an up-down direction below the guide body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An article storage facility comprising:
a pair of storage racks disposed on opposite sides of an aisle; and
a transport device configured to move along the aisle and transport an article,
wherein:
the transport device comprises two transport units,
each of the two transport units comprises:
a cart configured to travel along a traveling path set along the aisle;
a support fixed to the cart;
an elevation body configured to ascend and descend along the support; and
a transfer device supported by the elevation body and configured to hold the article and transfer the article to the storage racks,

the article storage facility further comprises a partition device configured to partition the aisle, at a prescribed position in an intermediate portion of the traveling path,
the partition device comprises:
a partition body configured to slide along a width direction to move to a protruding position at which the partition body protrudes into the aisle and a retracted position at which the partition body is retracted from the aisle, and the width direction is a direction orthogonal to, when viewed in an up-down direction, a path direction extending along the traveling path;
a partition body guide mechanism configured to support the partition body and guide the sliding movement of the partition body; and
a movement assist mechanism configured to assist the sliding movement of the partition body,

the partition body comprises, in an upper portion, a guided portion configured to be guided by the partition body guide mechanism in the width direction,
the movement assist mechanism comprises:
a cable body; and
a cable body guide mechanism configured to guide the cable body,

the cable body comprises a coupling portion coupled to the upper portion of the partition body,
the cable body further comprises a grip portion to be gripped by a worker, at a position on the cable body spaced apart from the coupling portion,
the cable body guide mechanism comprises a guide body at a fixed position relative to the partition body guide mechanism,
the cable body extends along an extending direction that is curved along the guide body, a portion of the cable body that is on a coupling portion side relative to the guide body extending along the width direction on a protruding side in the width direction relative to the guide body, and a portion of the cable body that is on a grip portion side relative to the guide body extending along the up-down direction below the guide body, the protruding side in the width direction is a side toward which the partition body moves when moving from the retracted position toward the protruding position, and
the grip portion is in an operation capable range both while the partition body is at the protruding position and while the partition body is at the retracted position, the operation capable range is a range of height reachable by a hand of the worker.

2. The article storage facility according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a holding mechanism configured to hold the grip portion at a retracted state grip portion position at which the grip portion is placed when the partition body is at the retracted position, and
wherein the holding mechanism comprises an adjusting mechanism configured to adjust a position in the up-down direction at which the grip portion is held.

3. The article storage facility according to claim 1 ,
wherein the coupling portion is coupled to the partition body via an elastic body.

4. The article storage facility according to claim 1 , wherein:
the partition body comprises a plurality of plate-like door members,
the plurality of door members is disposed in parallel to each other and guided by the partition body guide mechanism to be capable of performing the sliding movement at respective positions shifted from each other in the path direction,
the plurality of door members are coupled to each other via a linear motion guide mechanism to be movable relative to each other in the width direction,
while the partition body is at the protruding position, the plurality of door members overlap each other in the width direction a smaller amount than while the partition body is at the retracted position, and
the coupling portion is coupled to a door member of the door members that is closest to the protruding side in the width direction while the partition body is at the protruding position.

5. The article storage facility according to claim 1 ,
wherein the guided portion comprises a roller configured to rotate about a rotation shaft fixed to the upper portion of the partition body, and
wherein the partition body guide mechanism comprises a rail configured to guide the roller in such a manner that the roller rolls along the width direction.

6. The article storage facility according to claim 1 ,
wherein a display region that has at least either a different color or a different pattern from that of another portion of the partition body is provided in a portion of the partition body extending along an edge on the protruding side in the width direction on at least one of surfaces of the upper portion of the partition body facing opposite sides in the path direction.

Assignees

• Daifuku Kk

Inventors

• Kawamura Shinsuke

Classifications

• B65G1/16 Primary

  Special arrangements of articles in storage spaces · CPC title

• B65G1/0492 Primary

  with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles · CPC title

• B65G1/02 Primary

  Storage devices (furniture A47B; shop fittings A47F) · CPC title