Storage apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9511933-B2
Application number	US-201313896928-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2013
Priority date	Sep 22, 2011
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

A storage apparatus includes: a storage member provided with a pair of first rail members, extending along a horizontal direction, on both side faces thereof; a storage rack; a carrying mechanism to carry the storage member placed thereon in the horizontal direction to a storage location of the storage rack; and a pair of walls, provided so as to be opposed to the side faces of the storage member, respectively, having a pair of second rail members, extending in the horizontal direction, provided on side faces thereof opposed to the pair of first rail members, respectively, in a state where the storage member is stored in the storage rack, the storage member being guided to the storage rack with the pair of first rail members being supported by the pair of second rail members, when the carrying mechanism is moved in the horizontal direction toward the storage rack.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A storage apparatus comprising:
a storage member configured to store a plurality of containers including liquid, the storage member provided with a pair of first rail members on side faces thereof, the pair of first rail members extending along a horizontal direction;
a storage rack configured to store the storage member;
a carrying mechanism configured to carry the storage member placed thereon in the horizontal direction to a storage location of the storage rack so that the storage member will be stored in the storage rack; and
a pair of walls, provided so as to be opposed to the side faces of the storage member, respectively, having a pair of second rail members provided on side faces thereof opposed to the pair of first rail members, respectively, in a state where the storage member is stored in the storage rack, the pair of second rail members extending in the horizontal direction,
the storage member being guided to the storage rack with the pair of first rail members being supported by the pair of second rail members, when the carrying mechanism is moved in the horizontal direction toward the storage rack;
wherein each of the pair of first rail members is provided with first and second convex portions at first and second predetermined positions on a face thereof in contact with each of the pair of second rail members,
each of the pair of second rail members is provided with first and second fitting portions to be respectively fitted with the first and the second convex portions, at positions opposed to the first and the second predetermined positions of each of the pair of first rail members, in a state where the storage member is stored in the storage rack,
the second predetermined position is a position spaced apart from both of a straight line passing through the first predetermined position and extending in a storage direction of the storage member and another straight line, orthogonal to the straight line, passing through the first predetermined position, and
the first fitting portion is displaced from the second fitting portion in a direction orthogonal to the storage direction of the storage member.

2. The storage apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
each of the pair of first rail members is provided with a convex portion at a predetermined position on a face thereof in contact with each of the pair of second rail members, and wherein
each of the pair of second rail members is formed with a fitting portion to be fitted with the convex portion of each of the pair of first rail members, at a position opposed to the predetermined position of each of the pair of first rail members, in a state where the storage member is stored in the storage rack.

3. The storage apparatus of claim 2 , wherein
the storage rack includes a wall face opposed to a front face of the storage member, which the front face is in the storage direction of the storage member, in a state where the storage member is stored in the storage rack, wherein
the wall face is formed with first and second protruding portions arranged in line in a vertical direction, and wherein
the first and the second protruding portions are formed such that the first and the second protruding portions are brought into contact with the front face of the storage member when the convex portions of the pair of first rail members are fitted with the fitting portions of the pair of second rail members, respectively.

4. The storage apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
each second rail member includes:
a support rail configured to support each first rail member when said each first rail member is moved in the storage direction of the storage member; and
a guide rail provided above the support rail and arranged in parallel with the support rail, the guide rail configured to guide the first rail member so as not to be derailed from the support rail.

5. The storage apparatus of claim 4 , wherein
the guide rail of each second rail member is provided with a rotatable roller configured to elastically bias each first rail member toward the support rail.

6. The storage apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
each first rail member is formed at a height substantially equal to a height at which the storage member has a center of gravity.

Assignees

• Sanyo Electric Co
• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kobayashi Masahiko
• Houjou Mikio

Classifications

• C12M23/48 Primary

  Holding appliances; Racks; Supports (holding devices for laboratory apparatus B01L9/00) · CPC title

• C12M23/50

  Means for positioning or orientating the apparatus (C12M41/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65G1/04

  mechanical · CPC title

• B65G1/065 Primary

  with self propelled cars · CPC title