JP2001261126A - Picking system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automate picking work and to deal with both shipment in case units and shipment in individual article units. SOLUTION: In this picking system, a case housing articles in an automated storage and retrieval warehouse 2 is unpacked, and is stored in a case storage part in an upper part of a shelf 14 by a carrier 12. The carrier 12 is provided with a takeout means for separating the individual articles from the case and transfers the articles separated from the case to a flow shelf in a lower part of the shelf 14. The necessary article is picked from the flow shelf by a picking robot and is carried to a piece sorter.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a picking system for picking up and shipping articles from an automatic warehouse or the like, and more particularly to automation of a picking system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an apparatus for automating picking, there is known an apparatus which stores articles taken out of a case on a fluidized shelf and picks a required number of articles from the fluidized shelf according to a shipping destination or the like. Although picking from a fluidized shelf can be performed quickly, replenishment of articles to the fluidized shelf is performed manually. For this reason, automation is not advanced as a whole picking system.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a picking system which can automate a picking system and can respond to shipment in case units or individual article units. ~ 3). Another object of the present invention is to automate the sorting operation.
An additional object of the third aspect of the present invention is to automatically unpack cardboard used for a case.

[0004]

A picking system according to the present invention comprises: case storage means for storing articles in case units; individual article storage means for storing articles taken out of the case; A transport device for entering and leaving the storage means, an extraction means for extracting individual articles from the case, an individual article supply means for supplying the extracted articles to the individual article storage means, and the individual article storage means Picking means for picking an article from
Are provided. Here, as the case, in addition to corrugated cardboard or the like, a plastic insulated container such as polystyrene foam, or various dedicated containers are used. The term “individual item” means an article taken out of the case and separated from the case.

[0005] Preferably, a sorting means for sorting the articles picked by the picking means is further provided. Here, preferably, the carrying device is provided with a take-out means and an individual product supply means, and the carrying device moves the case into and out of the case storage means, separates the case into articles taken out of the case, and stores the individual product storage means. To supply. Here, more preferably, a plurality of transport devices and case storage means, a plurality of individual product storage means are provided, the transport device is arranged to move along one surface of the case storage device and the individual product storage device, and the picking device is provided. It is arranged to move along the other surface of the case storage means or the individual article storage means.

[0006] Preferably, the case is a cardboard, further provided with unpacking means for unpacking the cardboard, and the cardboard unpacked by the unpacking means is supplied to the transport means. Here, preferably, the cardboard is cut and unpacked by the unpacking means so as to go around the side surface of the cardboard, so that collapse of the load or the like does not occur during the following handling. Here, preferably, for the supply of the goods to the picking system, an automatic warehouse for storing the goods in pallet units or case units is provided, and the automatic warehouse is unpacked to the transport means via the unpacking means. Supply cardboard.
Here, more preferably, the unpacked cardboard is supplied to the transport device so that it can be stored in the case storage means.

[0007]

According to the present invention, the articles are stored in the case storage means on a case-by-case basis, the articles are taken out of the stored cases by the take-out means, supplied to the individual article storage means by the individual article supply means, and stored. Picking is performed by picking means.
For this reason, the picking system can be automated, and it can be shipped in case units if it is shipped from case storage means, etc., bypassing the take-out means, and can be shipped both in case units and in individual product units. It can respond (claims 1-3).

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the sorting means for sorting the articles picked by the picking means according to the shipping destination or the delivery destination is provided, the sorting operation can be automated.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the cardboard is unpacked by providing the unpacking means, the article can be picked without using a dedicated container.

[0010]

1 to 9 show a picking system according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a picking system according to the embodiment. Reference numeral 2 denotes an automatic warehouse such as a pallet type, and 4 denotes a known unpacking means per se, which unpacks articles taken out of the automatic warehouse 2. I do. The articles are stored in the automatic warehouse 2 in units of pallets, for example, and a large number of cases, such as cardboard, which accommodate a plurality of articles are stacked on the pallets. The unpacking means 4 is, for example, the side near the lid at the top of the cardboard, 1
Cut and unpack the package so that it rotates around the circumference, and discard the cut cardboard lid. The case unpacked by the unpacking means 4 is transported by the transport device 12 or the like and stored in the case storage means on the shelf 14. The transfer device 12 is provided with a take-out means for taking out and separating individual articles from a case such as cardboard. The case stored in the case storage means or the like is taken out by the transfer device 12, and the individual articles are taken out of the case. , And transferred to a fluidized shelf provided on the shelf 14. Through these processes, the articles stored in the automatic warehouse 2 on a pallet basis are separated into individual articles and stored on the flowing shelf of the shelf 14.

The articles stored on the fluidized shelves are picked by a picking robot 18. For goods to be shipped in case units, the pallet-type automatic warehouse 2 starts unpacking means 4
Is transported by the transport device 12 without passing through. In this transporting process, the unopened case may be temporarily stored in the case storage means of the shelf 14. 26 is a take-out means,
Provided separately from the take-out means. Reference numeral 28 denotes an inspection station, which transmits and displays a list of items to be shipped from a computer or the like (not shown), automatically reads a barcode label or the like with a barcode reader, or recognizes the shape of the item with a camera or the like, and inspects the product. I do. The unloading means 26 is for unloading the articles transported by the transport device 12 on a case-by-case basis from the case, for example, immediately before the inspection station 28, and need not be provided. The articles that have passed through the inspection station 28 are conveyed to a known piece sorter 30, and sorted and shipped according to a shipping destination, a delivery destination, and the like. Articles to be shipped on a case-by-case basis are transported to the case shipping area 32 and shipped in the same manner. The piece sorter 30 and the case shipping place 32 are examples of sorting means, and it is well known that a barcode label or the like is read and automatically sorted, and is not limited to the piece sorter 30.

In the picking system shown in FIG. 1, articles stored in pallets in the automatic warehouse 2 are unpacked from the case by the unpacking means 4 and temporarily stored in the case storage means of the shelf 14 by the transport device 12. Then, the unpacked case is unloaded from the case storage means by the transport device 12, and the individual articles are removed from the case by the removal means and transferred to the fluidized shelf.
Instead of temporarily storing the articles in the case storage means, individual articles may be immediately taken out of the case received from the unpacking means 4 and transferred to the fluidized shelf. The articles that have been transferred to the fluidizing shelf are picked by the picking robot 18 for each article, and are sent to the piece sorter 30 via the inspection station 28.
Transported and shipped. Therefore, everything from picking to sorting can be performed automatically.

The articles to be shipped in case units are unpacked by unpacking means 4.
If the product is transported to the inspection station 28 via the transport device 12 and the like and is shipped from the case shipping place 32, it is possible to ship the product in case units. Extraction means 2
According to 6, if individual articles can be taken out of the case immediately before the inspection station 28, articles that need to be supplied to the piece sorter 30 in case units can be quickly supplied.

2 and 3 show a specific configuration of the picking system. The same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1 denote the same parts, 2 is the above-mentioned automatic warehouse, 6 is an original packing picking device, which picks up articles from a pallet taken out of the automatic warehouse 2 in case units, and sends it to the unpacking means 4. Supply. Reference numeral 8 denotes a depalletizer for supplying articles in case units without unpacking.

Reference numeral 10 denotes an automatic warehouse.
And a shelf 16 for supplying cases to the transfer device 12 and a picking robot 18. Then, on one side of the shelf 14, the transport device 12 is provided.
On the other side, a picking robot 18 is arranged, and preferably a plurality of shelves 14 are provided, and a transfer device 12 is provided between the shelves.
And the picking robot 18 are alternately arranged. In the case of the embodiment, for example, the shelf 14 has 10 shelves, and the six transfer devices 1
Two and five picking robots 18 are arranged.
By reversing this arrangement, six picking robots 18
Five transfer devices 12 may be arranged. Reference numeral 20 denotes a case replenishing conveyor, which conveys articles from the unpacking means 4 and the depalletizer 8 to the station 16 in case units, and 22, an individual article conveying conveyor, which conveys articles picked by the picking robot 18 to the inspection station 28. . In this specification, an individual article means an article which is taken out of a case and separated into a state in which individual articles can be picked. Reference numeral 24 denotes a case shipping conveyor, which receives articles to be transported in case units from the transport device 12 and transports them to the inspection station 28 side. 26 is the take-out means, 3
Numeral 0 denotes the piece sorter, and numeral 32 denotes the case shipping area.

The shelf 14 has, for example, an upper portion used as case storage means and a lower portion serving as a fluidized shelf. Depending on these,
The case replenishing conveyor 20 and the case shipping conveyor 24 occupy a higher position than the individual product conveying conveyor 22 so that they can cross three-dimensionally or overlap vertically. The upper part of the shelf 14 may be assigned to the fluidized shelf, and the lower part may be assigned to the case storage means.

FIG. 3 shows the vertical arrangement of the automatic warehouse 10. The upper part of each shelf 14 is assigned to the case storage means 40, and the lower part is assigned to the fluidizing shelf 42. A space between the shelves 14 and the outermost of a plurality of shelves arranged in parallel are allocated to a traveling path of the picking robot 18 and a traveling path of the transport device 12. An empty space facing the case storage means 40 at the upper part of the traveling path of the picking robot 18, that is, between the shelves 14, 14, is used for the case storage means and the maintenance area. FIG. 3 shows the height levels of the case replenishment conveyor 20, the individual article transport conveyor 22, and the case exit conveyor 24.

The case storage means 40 has one surface facing the traveling path of the transfer device 12, and can receive articles from the transfer device 12 in units of cases, and can discharge articles to the transfer device 12 in units of cases. Similarly, the flow shelf 42 has one side facing the traveling path of the transport device 12, and can receive the articles separated into individual articles by the take-out means in the transport device 12. The other surface of the flow shelf 42 faces the traveling path of the picking robot 18, and the articles are stored in the flow shelf 42.
And can be picked up by the picking robot 18 in units of articles.

FIG. 4 shows the structure of the take-out means in the transfer device 12. The transfer device 12 is provided with a lift on a mast of a truck traveling on rails, and FIG. 4 shows a main mechanism mounted on the lift. Numeral 50 denotes a case transfer means, which transfers articles in case units between the station 16, the case delivery conveyor 24, and the case storage means 40 by using, for example, a known slide fork or drawer. 52
Is a take-out means, takes out the article from the case and separates the case and the article, and 54 is an individual article transfer means using a conveyor or the like, and transfers the taken-out article to the fluidizing shelf 42.

The take-out means 52 includes a reversing means 56 such as a frame which is turned 180 ° or turned upside down.
Is provided. The reversing means 56 includes a pressing plate 58 for pressing the upper portion of the case, an elevating means 60 for moving the pressing plate 58 up and down, and supporting the periphery of the case to prevent the case from shifting during the inversion, and A support means 62 is provided for holding the case by hooking with a pin or vacuum suction when the holding plate 58 is lowered, and separating the case from the article. Then, the holding plate 58 to the supporting means 62 are inverted together with the case by the inverting means 56, and the holding plate 58 is lowered after the inversion, and at this time, the case is held by the supporting means 62, thereby separating the case and the individual articles. .

Reference numeral 64 denotes an article transfer means such as a pusher.
Reference numeral 6 denotes a second elevating means, which prevents the article transfer means 64 from interfering with the pressing plate 58 and the second elevating means 66. To prevent interference, for example, the article separated from the case by inversion,
The article is transferred onto the second lifting / lowering means 66 from above the holding plate 58 by the pusher of the article transferring means 64, or only the holding plate 58 is pulled out by the article transferring means 64 to transfer the article onto the second lifting / lowering means 66. To do it. Thereafter, the second lifting / lowering means 66 is lowered, and the articles are transferred to the individual article transfer means 54 in row units by the row transport means 68. In the row conveying means 68,
As shown in FIG. 4, a suction transfer device using vacuum suction or the like may be used.

FIG. 5 shows a specific structure of the transfer device 12. Referring to FIG. 5, reference numeral 70 denotes a mast, 72 denotes an elevator, and the elevator 72 is divided into an upper area 74 and a lower area 76.
The frame 4 is provided with a frame 77 so as to be able to move on a moving rail 78 in the horizontal direction. The case transfer means 50 is provided in a pair here. The reversing means 56 is provided on the frame 77, and 80 is a motor.
5 is rotated 180 ° in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 5, and a conveyor 82 moves the article transfer means 64 in the horizontal direction, and
Numeral 6 denotes a conveyor for moving the column conveying means 68, and numeral 88 denotes an elevating device for elevating and lowering the line conveying means 68, which also serves as a vacuum source.

FIG. 6 shows the operation of the transfer device 12. The transfer device 12 transfers the case from the case replenishment conveyor, transfers the case to and from the case storage means, and transfers the case to the case delivery conveyor. The transport device 12 further takes out individual articles (individual articles) from the case. In order to disassemble the case into individual articles, the opening at the top of the case is pressed with a pressing plate, the side surface of the case is supported by the supporting means, and the case is inverted by the inverting means in this state. Next, when the holding plate is lowered by the elevating means and the side surface of the case is supported and held by the supporting means, the case and individual articles can be separated. Next, the article is shifted by the article transfer means 64 and moved to the second elevating means to prevent interference with the pressing plate. Thereafter, the articles are lowered by the second lifting and lowering means, and are conveyed line by line by the column conveying means to the individual article transfer means such as a conveyor.

FIG. 7 schematically shows the separation of the case 46 and the article 48 in the transport device 12. The lifting plate 60 holds the holding plate 58 at a position that closes the upper part of the article 48, advances the support device 62 toward the case 46, and supports both side surfaces of the case 46. From this state, the reversing means 56
Is turned 180 °, the case 46 appears at the upper part, and the lower part of the article 48 is held by the pressing plate 58. From here, the upper part of the case 46 is supported by the support means 62,
When the holding plate 58 is lowered using the lifting / lowering means 60, the article 48 and the case 46 can be separated. Next, the article pile is shifted by the article transfer means 64 onto the second elevating means 66. As a result, the separation of the case 46 and the article 48 is completed, and when the holding plate 58 is raised and the reversing means 56 is reversed, the reversing means 56 returns to the original state. Further, in the example of FIG. 7, since the pair of case transfer units 50 is provided, the frame 77 is horizontally moved using the moving rail 78 for the next processing of the case 46 on the case transfer unit 50.

When the second elevating means 66 descends, the articles 48 are suctioned and conveyed in units of rows by the row conveying means 68 and are transferred on the individual article transferring means 54 in units of rows. Empty cases are generated in these processes, and these are, for example, the case transfer means 50.
It is returned to the top and returned to the station 16 or the like, or is conveyed to a not-shown empty case retrieval station or the like.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show how the picking robot 18 picks up an article 48 from the fluidized shelf 42. FIG. The flow shelf 42 is provided with a large number of individual inclined shelves 90, which are inclined so that the picking robot 18 side is at the lower side, and a stopper is provided at the tip, and the article 4 is provided.
8 does not fall. The inclined shelf 90 is preferably made of a plate material having a low coefficient of friction, or provided with a roller or the like, so that articles can be smoothly sent out. 92 is the mast of the picking robot 18 and 9
Numeral 4 is the elevator. 96 is a picking conveyor,
Reference numeral 98 denotes a conveyor for sending out articles toward the opening 100,
The articles that have passed through the opening 100 descend on the conveyor 102 and are supplied to, for example, the individual article conveyor 22. The picking conveyor 96 enters the gap of the stopper at the tip of the inclined shelf 90, picks up the article to be picked, and conveys it to the conveyor 98. Conveyor 98
Transports the articles to the opening 100, and the articles sent to the opening 100 are passed through the conveyor 102 to the individual article conveyor 2
Conveyed to 2. Instead of supplying to the individual goods transport conveyor 22, a plurality of article storage units may be provided in the picking robot 18 and stocked for each shipping destination.

In the embodiment, the configuration itself of the transfer device 12, the picking robot 18, the shelf 14, and the like is arbitrary.
Further, management of data from delivery from the automatic warehouse 2 to shipment at the piece sorter 30 and the case shipping area 32 can be performed by computer control based on a shipping command.

In the embodiment, articles stored in the automatic warehouse 2 in pallet units can be sorted and shipped by the piece sorter 30 or the case shipping area 32 with little manual intervention. In addition, it is possible to support both shipment in units of articles and shipment in units of cases. The picking robot 18 can supply a large number of articles to the individual article conveyor 22 from the fluidizing shelf 42 in a short time. The articles stored in the case storage means 40 on a case-by-case basis in the unpacked state can be replenished to the fluidizing shelf 42 at night when the transport device 12 is idle.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a picking system according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a layout of the picking system according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a warehouse in the picking system according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a pickup unit in the picking system according to the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a take-out means mounted on a lifting platform of the transport device in the picking system of the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the operation of a take-out means in the picking system in the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the case where the picking system of the embodiment reverses the case, takes out the article from the case, conveys the article to the lower position, and conveys the article to the individual article transfer means in units of rows. Schematic

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing picking of an article by a picking robot from a fluidized shelf in the embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a side view of a main part of the picking robot in the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Automatic warehouse 4 Unpacking means 6 Original packing picking device 8 Depalletizer 10 Automatic warehouse 12 Transport device 14 Shelf 16 Station 18 Picking robot 20 Case replenishment conveyor 22 Individual product transport conveyor 24 Case unloading conveyor 26 Extraction means 28 Inspection station 30 Piece sorter 32 Case Shipping place 40 Case storage means 42 Flow shelf 46 Case 48 Article 50 Case transfer means 52 Extraction means 54 Individual article transfer means 56 Inversion means 58 Press plate 60 Elevating means 62 Support means 64 Article transfer means 66 Second elevating means 68 Row conveying means 70 Mast 72 Elevating table 74 Upper area 76 Lower area 77 Frame 78 Moving rail 80 Motor 82 Conveyor 86 Conveyor 88 Elevating device 90 Inclined shelf 92 Mast 94 Elevating table 96 Picking Nbeya 98 conveyor 100 opening 102 conveyor

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A case storage means for storing articles in case units, an individual article storage means for storing articles taken out of the case, and an article storage and retrieval unit in and out of the case storage means for each case. Conveying device, a take-out means for taking out individual articles from the case, an individual article supply means for supplying the taken-out articles to the individual article storage means, and a pick-up means for picking up articles from the individual article storage means. A picking system comprising: 2. The picking system according to claim 1, further comprising sorting means for sorting the articles picked by said picking means. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the case is a cardboard, further provided with unpacking means for unpacking the cardboard, and the cardboard unpacked by the unpacking means is supplied to the transport means. 3. The picking system of claim 1 or 2.