EP0242409A1 — Goods-storing system

Claim 1

Independent Claim 124 words

A goods-storing system comprising: rotary shelves for storing goods, said rotary shelves being pile up in a plurality of steps and respectively having trays rotatable independently of each other; a taking-out port provided on one side of said rotary shelves; a taking-in port provided on the other side of said rotary shelves; carry-out units respectively provided at said taking-out port and said taking-in port and each having a station movable up/down corresponding to said respective rotary shelves; a conveyor disposed between said carry-out units; a first pushing-out unit provided on each of said stations of said respective carry-out units, for moving a container on said station; and a second pushing-out unit provided at said taking-out port for pushing-out a container onto a carry-out unit.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 124 words

A goods-storing system comprising: rotary shelves for storing goods, said rotary shelves being pile up in a plurality of steps and respectively having trays rotatable independently of each other; a taking-out port provided on one side of said rotary shelves; a taking-in port provided on the other side of said rotary shelves; carry-out units respectively provided at said taking-out port and said taking-in port and each having a station movable up/down corresponding to said respective rotary shelves; a conveyor disposed between said carry-out units; a first pushing-out unit provided on each of said stations of said respective carry-out units, for moving a container on said station; and a second pushing-out unit provided at said taking-out port for pushing-out a container onto a carry-out unit.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 238 words

A goods-storing system according to Claim 1, in which endless chains are arranged so as to be vertically piled up in a plurality of steps respectively corresponding to the steps of said rotary shelves, said chains being arranged each horizontally and being arranged to be turned by individual motors independently of each other, each of said chains having a container removably supported at the outer circumference of said chain; position detecting means for detecting positions of said containers are provided respectively corresponding to said steps; said carry-out units are disposed at a defined delivery position and said station of each of said carry-out units is arranged to be movable up/down and to be capable of being stopped at a height corresponding to each of the containers on said respective steps; movement amount detecting means for detecting distances from any one of said containers which is designated at any one of said steps of said respective delivery position on the basis of a signal from said position detecting means are provided respectively corresponding to said steps; and a control unit having means for comparing amounts of movement of the designated ones of said containers and for producing a signal corresponding to a selected one of said steps the designated container on which will first reach said delivery position and means for moving a carry-out table of said carry-out unit to said selected step on the basis of said signal.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 41 words

A goods-storing system according to Claim 1 or 2, in which each of said stations of said respective carry-out units is arranged to be capable of moving by at least angles of 90 degrees between said rotary shelves and said conveyor.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 141 words

A goods-storing system according to any of Claims 1 to 3, in which said carry-out units are provided with a pair of endless transfer chains, half-shelves, and a conveyor unit, said pair of endless chains being up/down rotatably disposed on opposite sides at position in opposition to the pushing-out directions of said pushing-out units respectively and being turned by shafts having axes parallel to the pushing-out directions of said pushing-out units, said half-shelves being horizontally stuck on the outer periphery of said respective transfer chains at intervals about equivalent to the distance between the upper and lower adjacent containers, each of said transfer chains having a length capable of stopping said half-shelves respectively in the front of corresponding ones of said containers by said transfer chain, said conveyor unit being disposed at a lower portion between said pair of transfer chains.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 26 words

A goods-storing system according to any of Claims 1 to 4, in which said conveyor is provided with a handling stand at a middle point thereof.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 169 words

A goods-storing system comprising: rotary shelves for storing goods, said rotary shelves being piled up in a plurality of steps and respectively having trays rotatable independently of each other; a taking-out port provided on one side of said rotary shelves; a taking-in port provided on the other side of said rotary shelves; carry-out stands provided at both of said taking-out port and said taking-in port and corresponding to said respective rotary shelves; carry-out units respectively provided at both of said carry-out stands and each having a station up/down movable; a conveyor disposed between said carry-out units; a handling stand provided at a middle position of said conveyor; first pushing-out units respectively provided on said carry-out stands for pushing out containers from said respective carry-out stands; second pushing-out units respectively provided on said stations of said respective carry-out units for pushing out containers from said respective stations; and a third pushing unit provided at said taking-out port for pushing out a container onto said carry-out unit at said taking-out port.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 169 words

A goods-storing system comprising: rotary shelves for storing goods, said rotary shelves being piled up in a plurality of steps and respectively having trays rotatable independently of each other; a taking-out port provided on one side of said rotary shelves; a taking-in port provided on the other side of said rotary shelves; carry-out stands provided at both of said taking-out port and said taking-in port and corresponding to said respective rotary shelves; carry-out units respectively provided at both of said carry-out stands and each having a station up/down movable; a conveyor disposed between said carry-out units; a handling stand provided at a middle position of said conveyor; first pushing-out units respectively provided on said carry-out stands for pushing out containers from said respective carry-out stands; second pushing-out units respectively provided on said stations of said respective carry-out units for pushing out containers from said respective stations; and a third pushing unit provided at said taking-out port for pushing out a container onto said carry-out unit at said taking-out port.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 84 words

A goods-storing system according to Claim 6, in which said rotary shelves are provided with endless chains and a pair of support arms, said pair of support arms being stuck on a frame at the end portion thereof on the center side in the lengthwise direction of said endless chains, said endless chains being turned by shafts and sprocket wheels mounted thereon, said shafts being vertically provided on the free end portions of said support arms, said trays being mounted on said endless chains.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 69 words

A goods-storing system according to Claim 7, in which said rotary shelves are provided with bearings and mount pads, said bearings being provided for said shafts of said sprocket wheels for turning said trays of said rotary shelves by said chains and being movable in the lengthwise direction of the chains, said mount pads being provided for motors for driving said shafts and being movable in the same direction.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 93 words

A goods-storing system according to any of Claims 6 to 8, in which each of said trays is provided for removably mounting a container being firmly attached onto an endless chain at one end of its bottom and being disposed on the outer periphery of said chain; and wheels having their axes put in the widthwise direction of said chain are mounted on opposite ends of the bottom lower surface of said respective tray in the widthwise direction of said chain on the outer periphery of said chain are put on horizontal rails.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 176 words

A goods-storing system according to any of Claims 6 to 9, in which said rotary shelves comprise: position detecting means for detecting distances to defined delivery positions from the respective trays mounted in alignement on endless chains forcedly horizontally turned by respective motors; a control unit for changing over the speed of the respective chains to a low speed when a designated container reaches in the front of the delivery positions, that is, reaches a speed change-over position, during movement of the container; and deceleration signal output means for producing a deceleration signal upon detecting an amount of movement of a designated tray as a arrival or passage time or as a distance to a defined position after the control unit has designated the tray between delivery positions or in the vicinity thereof to turn the chain; whereby the chain can be operated at a constant speed regardless of a stop position of the designated tray, and the turn speed of the chain is reduced by said control unit on the basis of said deceleration signal.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 39 words

A goods-storing system according to Claim 10, in which said deceleration signal output means are constituted by sensors each for detecting passage or the like of actuators provided on turning portions of said trays to thereby produce a signal.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 53 words

A goods storing system according to Claim 1, in which the inside of a container is partitioned into a plurality of portions to indicate the direction of the container; detecting means are provided for detecting said direction; and a display unit is provided for displaying the position of the inside of the container.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 41 words

A goods-storing system according to Claim 6, in which said carry-out stands are provided in a plurality of steps corresponding to the step number and height of said respective rotary shelves and have said pushing-out units for pushing out containers therefrom.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 125 words

A goods-storing system according to Claim 13, in which said pushing units have a support rail, a movable body forcedly movably hung down from said support rail, and a pair of link bars mutually pivoted through a shaft at the middle thereof and disposed between said movable body and a pole, one of said link bars having one end pivotally attached on said pole and the other end slidably attached on said movable body, the other of said link bars having one end pivotally attached on said movable body and the other end slidably attached on to said pole, said movable body having a surface opposite to said link bars, said movable body being provided on said surface with pushing-out means such as an air-cylinder.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 67 words

A goods-storing system according to Claim 6, in which said carry-out units have stations up/down movable with respect to a pole, a pair of transfer units provided on both sides of the upper surface of said respective station and parallelly to said respective chains of said rotary shelves, and U-shaped grooves provided between said transfer units to provide pushing-out units movable frontward and backward in said grooves.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 66 words

A goods-storing system according to Claim 15, in which said carry-out units having pushing-out means slidably mounted on a guide rod horizontally provided on the upper surface of a table for putting a container or the like thereon, and a connection pivoted on said endless chain and slidably mounted on a support rod stuck on said pushing-out means, whereby said chain is moved in one direction.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 28 words

A goods-storing system according to Claim 16, in which said pushing-out means comprises a support mounted on the guide rod, and a pushing arm up/down movably mounted thereon.

Goods-storing system

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