Book storage/retrieval apparatus
AssigneeNippon Filing Co., Ltd.
InventorJinichi Yoshie
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An automated book storage/retrieval apparatus is used in a library or the like storing a large number of books. A designated container is removed from a rack storing a plurality of containers, each having an internal space occupied by a plurality of subcontainers, each subcontainer being capable of storing a plurality of books. The designated container is conveyed to a working station where a selected subcontainer storing a book requested to be borrowed is raised to a position higher than that of the remaining subcontainers. With this operation, the spines of the books in the raised subcontainer can be easily seen by an operator at the working station, thus facilitating a search for and the removal of the desired book from the raised subcontainer.
Claims13
An automated storage/retrieval apparatus for removing and filing books, comprising:
- a plurality of containers, each having an inner space;
- a plurality of subcontainers located within each of said containers, each subcontainer including a plurality of books such that spines of the books face in one direction;
- a rack means for housing the plurality of containers;
- a working station for receiving and holding a designated container with a selected subcontainer storing a requested book;
- means for transferring the designated container from said rack means to the working station, and for returning the designated container from the working station to said rack means;
- lift plate means, located at said working station, for raising/lowering the selected subcontainer from the designated container at the working station to allow viewing of the spines of the plurality of books stored in the selected subcontainer so that the requested book can be removed therefrom;
- and
- wherein each of the plurality of containers has a bottom grid with openings formed therein at positions underneath aligned bottoms of the plurality of subcontainers so that said lift plate means is raised/lowered through a selected one of the openings in the bottom of the designated container to raise/lower the selected subcontainer with the requested book.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.