Abstract: Provided is an article storage apparatus capable of effectively utilizing the capacity of a building. The article storage apparatus includes an article moving device 3. The article moving device 3 includes an X-direction travel wheel 38, a Y-direction travel wheel 48, a travel wheel lifting and lowering unit that lifts and lowers the travel wheels, and an article lifting and lowering unit that lifts and lowers an article. It is possible to lower the X-direction travel wheel 38 or the Y-direction travel wheel 48 so as to be set down on a travel passage by the travel wheel lifting and lowering unit and rotate the set-down travel wheel to cause the article moving device to travel in an X direction or a Y direction. It is possible to lift the article lifting and lowering unit to pick up an article on an article supporting member or lower the article lifting and lowering unit to transfer the article previously lifted by the article lifting and lowering unit onto the article supporting member.

Abstract: An illumination light communication apparatus includes: a light source which emits illumination light; a power supply circuit for supplying constant current to the light source; a switch which is connected in series to the light source, and intermittently interrupts current which flows through the light source; a signal generating circuit which generates a binary communication signal which controls on and off of the switch to modulate the illumination light; and a current limiting circuit which is connected in series to the light source and the switch, and limits the current which flows through the light source to prevent the current from exceeding a current set value which is variable.

Abstract: A controller switches between modes each having a different connection state of a DC power supply and the capacitor with respect to first and second output points by controlling switches. A generation unit generates a reference wave including at least one carrier wave. The modes are classified into a sustaining mode in which no current is caused to flow to the capacitor, a charging mode in which a current is caused to flow to the capacitor, and a discharging mode in which a current in a direction opposite to that in the charging mode is caused to flow to the capacitor. The controller switches between the sustaining mode and a charging or discharging mode according to the comparison result between a signal wave and the reference wave.

Abstract: A path forming device for forming a part of a series of article conveying passage and opening a path for passing through when a worker crosses the article conveying passage, the path forming device including: a fixed side conveyor device located at a constant height position; a movable side conveyor device; a lifting and lowering function that lifts and lowers the movable side conveyor device; and a linear movement function that linearly moves the movable side conveyor device, wherein the movable side conveyor device is capable of taking: an article conveying posture in which the movable side conveyor device protrudes from the fixed side conveyor device in a cantilever state, and is linearly aligned with the fixed side conveyor at substantially the same height as the fixed side conveyor; and a path opening posture in which a height of the movable side conveyor device is lowered by the lifting and lowering function, the movable side conveyor device is made to move to the fixed side conveyor device by the linea

Abstract: Provided is a motor-incorporating roller capable of preventing a grease supply portion from separating. The motor-incorporating roller has a motor and a reducer in a cylindrical roller body and the reducer is provided with a gear train including a plurality of gears. The motor-incorporating roller has a grease supply portion that supplies grease to the plurality of gears in the reducer and is capable of containing grease therein. Furthermore, the motor-incorporating roller has a power output member that outputs power and a shaft portion that pivotally supports the gears. The grease supply portion is integrated with the power output member through the shaft portion to restrict movement of the shaft portion in an axial direction.

Abstract: An illumination light communication apparatus includes: a light source which emits illumination light; a power supply circuit for supplying constant current to the light source; a switch which is connected in series to the light source, and intermittently interrupts current which flows through the light source; a signal generating circuit which generates a binary communication signal which controls on and off of the switch to modulate the illumination light; and a current limiting circuit which is connected in series to the light source and the switch, and limits the current which flows through the light source to prevent the current from exceeding a current set value which is variable.

Abstract: A long roller conveyor device having a plurality of long rollers and a short roller conveyor device having a plurality of short roller rows each of which includes a plurality of short rollers are used. Rotation axes of the long rollers and rotation axes of the short rollers cross each other. Each of the short roller rows is arranged between the long rollers. On a conveying passage, any of the long rollers and the short roller rows are arranged.

Abstract: Provided is a conveyed-object discharge device that, when the conveyance destinations for a preceding conveyed object and a succeeding conveyed object are different, can convey the conveyed objects without stopping the conveyance of the succeeding conveyed object in a state in which the space between the preceding conveyed object and the succeeding conveyed object is small. The conveyed-object discharge device includes discharge members (9) that extend and retract between a plurality of conveying bodies (5) in a main conveying conveyor (2), come into contact with a conveyed object (25) when the discharge members (9) extend between the conveying bodies (5), and impart a conveying force to the conveyed object (25), the force being in the direction different from that of the conveying bodies (5), a base member (8) that supports the discharge members (9), and base swinging unit (75, 76) that swings the base member (8).

Abstract: An object is to provide a conveyor that enables the number of information read-out devices to be largely reduced and that can be easily constructed. An object identifying device (45) is installed in the first zone. The object identifying device (45) is a bar code reader. Information read by the bar code reader is transmitted to a host control device (46). The host control device (46) identifies an object from information described in a bar code, makes an inquiry about a conveyance destination of an object, transmits the address of the target place to a zone controller (10) of the second zone, and inputs the address to a conveyance destination storage unit of the zone controller (10) of the second zone. The conveyance destination information input to the conveyance destination storage unit is passed on to the downstream zone controller (10) with the conveyance of the object.

Abstract: The power transmission member includes a connecting member, an intermediate member, and an engagement member. The connecting member has an annular portion. The outer peripheral surface of the annular portion is provided with arc-like portions, and the inner peripheral surface of the annular portion is provided with concave-convex portions. The engagement member includes protrusions and a shaft insertion hole. The arc-like portions of the connecting member are in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the roller body, and the connecting member and the roller body are also secured together by securing means. The intermediate member engages with the concave-convex portions and the protrusions, the shaft insertion hole of the engagement member is maintained at the center of the roller body, and a power unit engages with the shaft insertion hole.

Abstract: In a transfer apparatus, a lifting unit has a lifting mechanism having a plurality of combined members and a motor. The lifting mechanism converts the rotation force of the motor to movement in the lifting direction, transmits the movement to at least one of first and second conveyors, raises or lowers at least one of first and second conveyors, and stops rotation of the motor when one of conveying paths reaches a predetermined height. In that process, a physical limit identification operation is executed in which the motor is rotated to operate the lifting mechanism to a physical operation limit and is then stopped, and control of the motor is changed so that the motor is rotated at low speed until the lifting mechanism reaches the physical operation limit.

Abstract: A lifting and lowering device that exhibits high conveyance efficiency with small occupation in floor space is provided. The lifting and lowering device includes lifting and lowering guides 6a, b, c, d, leading guides 7a, b, c, d, and lifting and lowering tables 8a, 8b. The lifting and lowering tables 8a, 8b include placing tables 13. A lifting and lowering member 12 of the lifting and lowering table 8 is vertically movable along the lifting and lowering guide 6. The leading guide 7 has a curved line, and the engagement unit 52 which is engaged therewith has a degree of freedom in a lateral direction. The lifting and lowering member 12 is guided by the lifting and lowering guide 6 to move only in a vertical direction. The engagement units 52a, 52b moves also in a lateral direction to move the placing table 13. The two lifting and lowering tables 8a, 8b pass each other without collision.

Abstract: An object is to improve a conveyor device including a curved passage and to provide a conveyor device that enables the curvature radius of a curved passage to be reduced. A conveyor device (1) includes an introducing side linear conveyor (2), a curved passage conveyor (3), and a discharging side linear conveyor (5). The curved passage conveyor (3) conveys an object with a rotation trajectory of approximately 180°. The curved passage conveyor (3) includes a circular plate (6), and the upper face of the circular plate (6) functions as a conveying surface. The circular plate (6) is curved or bent. A part of the circular plate (6) other than the curved passage conveyor (3) gets under the conveying surfaces of the introducing side linear conveyor (2) and the discharging side linear conveyor (5).

Abstract: To develop a transfer device which has a lower overall height than that of a conventional technology. A transfer device 1 includes a main conveying unit 3 equipped with main conveying bodies 82, a sub conveying unit 2 equipped with sub conveying bodies 14, a lifting and lowering mechanism 4 which lifts and lowers the main conveying unit 3 and the sub conveying unit 2 such that the respective units 3 and 2 are located at different positions in the up-down direction, and a motor 5 which operates the lifting and lowering mechanism 4. A planar position of the motor 5 resides in a planar area overlapping with the main conveying bodies 82 and the sub conveying bodies 14. A position of the motor 5 in the height direction is set such that a part or the whole of the motor 5 is located above a height of a lower end of a rotational track or a traveling track of any one of the conveying bodies 82 and 14 in a lowered state of any one of the conveying units 3 and 2.

Abstract: The objective is to develop a conveying device and a conveyer device having high conveying efficiency and high reliability when an article is transferred to a conveyer line with different height. Branching units (8) of a lower-level side conveyer line (5) and an upper-level side conveyer line (6) are connected to an inclined connection conveyer line (10). The branching unit (8) has a sub conveying passage (53) for conveying an article (60) in the same direction as a conveying direction of the connection conveyer line (10). The sub conveying passage (53) has a lifting and lowering motor-incorporating roller (43) and cams (46a, 46b). When the lifting and lowering motor-incorporating roller (43) is driven, the cams (46a, 46b) rotate, and the sub conveying passage (53) is connected to the connection conveyer line (10) in an inclined attitude. As a result, the article (60) can move between the lower-level side conveyer line (5) and the upper-level side conveyer line (6) via the connection conveyer line (10).

Abstract: The power transmission member includes a connecting member, an intermediate member, and an engagement member. The connecting member has an annular portion. The outer peripheral surface of the annular portion is provided with arc-like portions, and the inner peripheral surface of the annular portion is provided with concave-convex portions. The engagement member includes protrusions and a shaft insertion hole. The arc-like portions of the connecting member are in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the roller body, and the connecting member and the roller body are also secured together by securing means. The intermediate member engages with the concave-convex portions and the protrusions, the shaft insertion hole of the engagement member is maintained at the center of the roller body, and a power unit engages with the shaft insertion hole.

Abstract: The present invention aims to develop a dedicated control device for a transfer apparatus and a transfer apparatus controller that enables labor-saving wiring work, and to provide a conveying apparatus that switches a destination to which a conveyed object is to be conveyed by way of the transfer apparatus controller. A transfer apparatus includes a main conveying passage 101 that conveys a conveyed object 125 in one direction, an auxiliary conveying passage 102 for conveying a conveyed object 125 in a direction crossing the main conveying passage 101, and a lifting and lowering unit 115 that generates a height difference between both conveying passages 101 and 102 by lifting or lowering at least one of the conveying passages 101 and 102.

Abstract: A long roller conveyor device having a plurality of long rollers and a short roller conveyor device having a plurality of short roller rows each of which includes a plurality of short rollers are used. Rotation axes of the long rollers and rotation axes of the short rollers cross each other. Each of the short roller rows is arranged between the long rollers. On a conveying passage, any of the long rollers and the short roller rows are arranged.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a conveyor which estimates weight of a transport object while it is carried without using devices such as a load cell which directly measures weight. The conveyor has a plurality of zones forming a series of carriage ways. An approach-run zone and a weight-measurement zone are arranged adjacently in the conveying direction and are provided with different drive motors. The drive motor of the approach-run zone and the drive motor of the weight-measurement zone are controlled with respectively different predetermined rotation speeds as their target rotation speeds. A rotation speed sensing means obtains the change of rotation speed of the drive motor in the weight-measurement zone when a transport object is conveyed into the weight-measurement zone from the approach-run zone, and a weight sensing means then calculates the weight of the transport object based on the change of the rotation speed.

Abstract: There is provided a roller conveyor that has a function capable of specifying a failure part or a defective part. When a signal for executing a failure detection operation is transmitted from a host controller (50) to each zone controller (10), each zone controller (10) immediately activates the corresponding motor-incorporating roller (5a). Then, after a certain time, the motor-incorporating roller (5a) is stopped. A pulse interval thereafter is detected by a pulse interval monitoring program (36) to determine whether a delay phenomenon has occurred. The delay phenomenon is a phenomenon in which the pulse signal generation interval is temporarily extended.