IP Library Granted Patent US 12697694
Granted Patent B2
US 12697694 · App. 18/367,251 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Workpiece stocker

Inventors: Shojiro Tanaka (Nara, JP); Shotaro Morikawa (Sapporo, JP); Tomoya Sadano (Nara, JP); Yuki Kumano (Nara, JP)
Assignee: DMG MORI CO., LTD.
B23Q7/14B25J5/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12697694
App. No.
18/367,251
Granted
Aug 4, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A workpiece stocker houses a workpiece setting member such that the workpiece setting member is able to be pulled out from a housed position to a vehicle working position side and an opposite vehicle working position side. An automated transport system identifies a target workpiece stocker and a target workpiece setting member for an operation to be performed by a robot mounted on an automated guided vehicle and drives a pullout restriction mechanism unit to prevent the workpiece setting member from being pulled out to the opposite vehicle working position side or being pulled out to the vehicle working position side before the automated guided vehicle arrives at a working position and the robot pulls out the workpiece setting member to the vehicle working position side after the identification.

Claims (31)

1 . A workpiece stocker housing a workpiece setting member for setting a workpiece thereon, wherein the workpiece stocker houses the workpiece setting member such that the workpiece setting member is able to be pulled out from a predetermined housed position to a vehicle working position side and an opposite vehicle working position side as both sides along a predetermined pullout path, the workpiece setting member is configured to be pulled out to the vehicle working position side by a robot mounted on an automated guided vehicle, the workpiece stocker comprising:

a pullout restriction mechanism unit configured to be switchable between a restriction state in which the pullout restriction mechanism unit restricts movement of the workpiece setting member mechanically such that the workpiece setting member cannot be pulled out from the predetermined housed position to at least the opposite vehicle working position side and a restriction-release state in which the pullout restriction mechanism unit releases the restriction of movement of the workpiece setting member, wherein the pullout restriction mechanism unit includes a locking mechanism unit that restricts pullout movement of the associated workpiece setting member, wherein the locking mechanism unit includes

an air cylinder,

a cylinder drive unit that drives the air cylinder, and

a locking pin that is driven by the air cylinder; and

a stocker controller configured to control driving of the pullout restriction mechanism unit,

wherein the stocker controller is configured to, in the case that the stocker controller determines that a job has been generated by a job generation unit that generates jobs to be executed by the automated guided vehicle and the robot and identifies the workpiece setting member that will perform the work specified in the job, control the pullout restriction mechanism unit for the workpiece setting member in the restriction state until the automated guided vehicle arrives at the vehicle working position and switch the pullout restriction mechanism unit to the restriction-release state when the automated guided vehicle arrives at the vehicle working position.

2 . The workpiece stocker according to claim 1 , wherein:

a plurality of workpiece setting members are provided; and

the stocker controller is configured to, in the case that the stocker controller determines that a job has been generated by a job generation unit that generates jobs to be executed by the automated guided vehicle and the robot and identifies a workpiece setting member among the plurality of workpiece setting members that will perform the work specified in the job, control the pullout restriction mechanism unit for the workpiece setting member in the restriction state until the automated guided vehicle arrives at the vehicle working position and switch the pullout restriction mechanism unit to the restriction-release state when the automated guided vehicle arrives at the vehicle working position.

3 . A workpiece stocker housing a workpiece setting member for setting a workpiece thereon, wherein the workpiece stocker houses the workpiece setting member such that the workpiece setting member is able to be pulled out from a predetermined housed position to a vehicle working position side and an opposite vehicle working position side as both sides along a predetermined pullout path, the workpiece setting member is configured to be pulled out to the vehicle working position side by a robot mounted on an automated guided vehicle, the workpiece stocker comprising:

a pullout restriction mechanism unit configured to be switchable between a restriction state in which the pullout restriction mechanism unit restricts movement of the workpiece setting member mechanically such that the workpiece setting member cannot be pulled out from the predetermined housed position to at least the opposite vehicle working position side and a restriction-release state in which the pullout restriction mechanism unit releases the restriction of movement of the workpiece setting member, wherein the pullout restriction mechanism unit includes a locking mechanism unit that restricts pullout movement of the associated workpiece setting member, wherein the locking mechanism unit includes

an air cylinder,

a cylinder drive unit that drives the air cylinder, and

a locking pin that is driven by the air cylinder; and

a stocker controller configured to control driving of the pullout restriction mechanism unit,

wherein the stocker controller is configured to prohibit the release of the restriction state of the workpiece setting member that will perform the work specified in a job before the automated guided vehicle starts moving toward the vehicle working position specified in the job, and switch the pullout restriction mechanism unit to the restriction-release state when the automated guided vehicle arrives at the vehicle working position.

4 . The workpiece stocker housing a workpiece setting member for setting a workpiece thereon, wherein the workpiece stocker houses the workpiece setting member such that the workpiece setting member is able to be pulled out from a predetermined housed position to a vehicle working position side and an opposite vehicle working position side as both sides along a predetermined pullout path, the workpiece setting member is configured to be pulled out to the vehicle working position side by a robot mounted on an automated guided vehicle, the workpiece stocker comprising:

a pullout restriction mechanism unit configured to be switchable between a restriction state in which the pullout restriction mechanism unit restricts movement of the workpiece setting member mechanically such that the workpiece setting member cannot be pulled out from the predetermined housed position to at least the opposite vehicle working position side and a restriction-release state in which the pullout restriction mechanism unit releases the restriction of movement of the workpiece setting member, wherein the pullout restriction mechanism unit includes

a locking pin that moves between a locking position in which the pullout restriction mechanism unit is in the restriction state and an unlocking position in which the pullout restriction mechanism unit is in the restriction-release state, and

a restricting surface that comes into contact with the locking pin when the locking pin is positioned at the locking position; and

a stocker controller configured to control driving of the pullout restriction mechanism unit,

wherein the stocker controller is configured to, in the case that the stocker controller determines that a job has been generated by a job generation unit that generates jobs to be executed by the automated guided vehicle and the robot and identifies the workpiece setting member that will perform the work specified in the job, control the pullout restriction mechanism unit for the workpiece setting member in the restriction state until the automated guided vehicle arrives at the vehicle working position and switch the pullout restriction mechanism unit to the restriction-release state when the automated guided vehicle arrives at the vehicle working position.

5 . The workpiece stocker according to claim 4 , wherein

the stocker controller is configured to, in the case that the stocker controller determines that the job has been generated by the job generation unit that generates jobs to be executed by the automated guided vehicle and the robot and identifies the workpiece setting member that will perform the work specified in the job, maintains the locking pin and the restricting surface in contact with each other until the automated guided vehicle arrives at the vehicle working position and switch the state so that the locking pin and the restricting surface are separated when the automated guided vehicle arrives at the vehicle working position.

6 . A workpiece stocker housing a workpiece setting member for setting a workpiece thereon, wherein the workpiece stocker houses the workpiece setting member such that the workpiece setting member is able to be pulled out from a predetermined housed position to a vehicle working position side and an opposite vehicle working position side as both sides along a predetermined pullout path, the workpiece setting member is configured to be pulled out to the vehicle working position side by a robot mounted on an automated guided vehicle, the workpiece stocker comprising:

a pullout restriction mechanism unit configured to be switchable between a restriction state in which the pullout restriction mechanism unit restricts movement of the workpiece setting member mechanically such that the workpiece setting member cannot be pulled out from the predetermined housed position to at least the opposite vehicle working position side and a restriction-release state in which the pullout restriction mechanism unit releases the restriction of movement of the workpiece setting member, wherein the pullout restriction mechanism unit includes

a locking pin that moves between a locking position in which the pullout restriction mechanism unit is in the restriction state and an unlocking position in which the pullout restriction mechanism unit is in the restriction-release state, and

a restricting surface that comes into contact with the locking pin when the locking pin is positioned at the locking position; and

a stocker controller configured to control driving of the pullout restriction mechanism unit,

wherein the stocker controller is configured to prohibit the release of the restriction state of the workpiece setting member that will perform the work specified in a job before the automated guided vehicle starts moving toward the vehicle working position specified in the job, and switch the pullout restriction mechanism unit to the restriction-release state when the automated guided vehicle arrives at the vehicle working position.