Method for shifting goods and apparatus therefor

• US 5,427,492 A
• Filed: 02/08/1994
• Issued: 06/27/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: KAO Corporation
• Original Assignee: KAO Corporation
• Inventors: Tawara, Hirotoshi, Hirata, Eiji, Tanaka, Nobuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Bucci, David A.
• Application Number:
  US08/194,322
• Time in Patent Office: 504 Days
• Field of Search: 414/403-405, 414/414, 221/75, 221/112, 221/114, 221/115, 221/153, 221/253, 206/203, 206/427, 220/507, 220/509, 220/553
• US Class Current: 414/414
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1376 the orders being assembled on a commissioning conveyor

Abstract

A method for shifting goods in which goods arranged in a predetermined manner within a container having an opening portion are taken out of the container in such a manner as to correspond to the arrangement of the storing state of the goods. The method comprising the steps of superposing a goods take-out tool including partitions which are formed in such a manner as to correspond to the arrangement of the storing state of the goods on the opening portion of the container, and inverting the superposed container and goods take-out tool. The goods in the container can be taken into the goods take-out tool without changing the arrangement of the storing state of the goods.

Claims

1. A goods take-out tool in which goods arranged in a predetermined manner within a container having an opening portion are taken out in such a manner as to correspond to the arrangement of the storing state of the goods, the tool comprising:

partitions for separating the goods contained in the container according to the arrangement of the storing state of the goods, foremost ends of the partitions extending from the tool to be insertable into the opening portion of the container, the foremost ends of the partitions having a chamfer only around a periphery of the goods take-out tool; and

an openable and closable shutter being provided at an end portion side of the partitions.

2. The goods take-out tool as recited in claim 1, wherein the partitions are arranged in an intersecting manner to separate the goods contained in the container according to the arrangement of the storing state of the goods by inserting the foremost ends into the opening portion of the container, tips of the intersecting portion of the partitions being formed in a serrated shape, the tips being provided with a guide piece projecting therefrom for guiding the partitions between the goods.

3. The goods take-out tool as recited in claim 1, wherein the partitions are crisscrossed, the tool having a first opening and a second opening, the first opening being opposed to the second opening and the foremost ends of the partitions extending through the first opening of the tool, the shutter being provided at the second opening.

4. The goods take-out tool as recited in claim 3, wherein the goods from the container enter the tool through the first opening and exit the tool through the second opening when the shutter is opened, intersecting partitions being generally perpendicular to one another.

5. The goods take-out tool as recited in claim 1, wherein the partitions form a plurality of storing portions provided in columns and rows within the goods take-out tool, the storing portions corresponding to the arrangement of the storing state of the goods in the container, each of the partitions being arranged in either a first or second direction and the first and second directions being generally perpendicular.

6. The goods take-out tool as recited in claim 1, further comprising a transferable casing, a first opening being provided at an end of the transferable casing, the transferable casing having a plurality of sides, the foremost ends of the partitions extending through the opening beyond the sides of the transferable casing.

7. The goods take-out tool as recited in claim 1, wherein the shutter is a single sheet plate movable from one side to an opposed side of the goods take-out tool, the partitions dividing the tool into a plurality of storing portions, the storing portions being arranged in a plurality of rows and columns, the storing portions in each row being simultaneously opened as the sheet plate moves to an open position and the columns being sequentially opened as the sheet plate moves to the open position.

8. The goods take-out tool as recited in claim 1, wherein the foremost ends of the partitions are generally flat thereby terminating in the plane except for a chamfer of the partitions around the periphery thereof.

9. The goods take-out tool as recited in claim 1, wherein the partitions crisscross and wherein intersections of the foremost ends of the partitions have conical upper portions, a guide piece being provided at an apex of at least one of the conical portions at the intersections of the partitions, the guide piece as well as the conical portions of the partitions being insertable into the opening portion of the container, the guide piece and the conical portions repositioning goods in the container which are displaced from the arrangement of the storing state.

10. The goods take-out tool as recited in claim 1, wherein the goods have a first periphery at a first end and a second periphery at a second end thereof, the first end of the goods being adjacent the opening of the container and the second end being distal from the opening when the goods are in the container, the first periphery being less than the second periphery such that the goods have a neck, the partitions of the goods take-out tool having intersections at the foremost ends which have conical upper portions, the foremost ends of the partitions having a sufficient length to extend into the container past the first ends of the goods in order to reposition goods in the container which are displaced from the arrangement of the storing state.

11. The goods take-out tool as recited in claim 1, wherein sides of the goods take-out tool are open and the goods take-out tool has a basic portion, the shutter being located within the basic portion and the partitions being mounted on the basic portion of the goods take-out tool.

12. The goods take-out tool as recited in claim 11, wherein the basic portion includes at least two c-shaped bars, the shutter being received between the bars.

13. The goods take-out tool as recited in claim 1, wherein the goods take-out tool comprises a transferable casing with a plurality of sides, intersections of the foremost ends of the partitions having conical upper portions, the conical portions of the partitions being insertable into the opening portion of the container and extending beyond the sides of the transferable casing, the partitions including sloped edges forming the conical portions and flat edges between the conical portions, an angle greater than 90°

being formed between the sloped edges and flat edges of the partitions.

14. The goods take-out tool as recited in claim 1, wherein the shutter comprises a plurality of shutter sections for sequentially removing the goods from the container, the shutter sections being independently movable.

15. The goods take-out tool as recited in claim 14, wherein sides of the goods take-out tool are open, the shutter sections engaging the goods in the container when the foremost ends of the partitions are inserted in the opening portion of the container and when the shutter sections are in a closed position.

16. The goods take-out tool as recited in claim 1, wherein sides of the partitions including the foremost ends thereof are generally smooth and flat such that the partitions and the foremost ends have a generally uniform thickness.

17. The goods take-out tool as recited in claim 1, wherein the foremost ends of the partitions and the partitions are made from the same material, the foremost ends being extensions of the partitions and the goods being engageable with the foremost ends during transfer of the goods from the container to the goods take-out tool.

18. The goods take-out tool as recited in claim 1, wherein the partitions extend through an opening in the tool, the partitions being smaller than the opening.

19. A goods take-out tool in which goods arranged in a predetermined manner within a container having an opening portion are taken out in such a manner as to correspond to the arrangement of the storing state of the goods, She tool comprising:

partitions for separating the goods contained in the container according to the arrangement of the storing state of the goods, foremost ends of the partitions extending from the tool to be insertable into the opening portion of the container; and

an openable and closable shutter being provided at an end portion side of the partitions, and wherein the foremost ends of the partitions include alternating first and second serrated protrusions, the first serrated protrusions being larger than the second serrated protrusions.