JP4947359B2 - Article conveying device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention provides a transfer device for transferring an article, an elevating drive means for elevating and lowering the transfer device, and a transfer drive means for transferring an article mounting beam provided on a column of an article storage shelf. Elevating position detecting means for detecting the elevating position of the mounting apparatus, and control means for controlling the operation of the elevating drive means based on the detection information of the elevating position detecting means and for controlling the operation of the transfer apparatus. The present invention relates to a liftable article conveying apparatus.

  The lifting / lowering type article conveying apparatus as described above operates the lifting / lowering driving means to move the transfer apparatus to an appropriate transfer position, and the transfer apparatus is positioned at the appropriate transfer position. By operating, the article is transferred to the beam. The appropriate transfer position is a position for appropriately transferring to and from the beam. The appropriate transfer position is determined based on the position of the beam in the lifting direction of the transfer device.

  The existence height of the beam for placing the article changes from the initial setting due to bending or aging due to the load of the article to be placed. The appropriate transfer position changes in the vertical direction as the beam height changes. Therefore, in order to perform transfer appropriately, it is necessary to position the transfer device with respect to an appropriate transfer position that changes in the ascending / descending direction of the transfer device.

Therefore, in the conventional article conveying apparatus, the transfer device is provided with a single optical axis type optical sensor that detects the beam by projecting the measurement light from one point and receiving the light reflected by the beam, and the control means After moving the transfer device to the stop preparation position before the proper transfer position in the lifting / lowering direction of the transfer device, the transfer device is moved while the lifting / lowering speed is set to a low speed (for example, creep speed) and detection is performed by the optical sensor. By controlling the operation of the elevating drive means to acquire the beam distance information to the beam in the vertical direction by elevating and lowering the transfer device to the appropriate transfer position based on the beam distance information. (For example, refer patent document 1).
In this conventional article transport device, the actual beam is detected by the optical sensor, so that even when the existing height of the beam changes, the transfer device can be moved to an appropriate transfer position for the beam. Can be transferred to.

  Also, in such an article transport apparatus, double storage that erroneously transfers an article to a beam on which an article is already placed should be prevented, or the article should be taken out when the article is taken out from the beam. It is necessary to confirm whether the article is placed. Therefore, in the conventional article transport apparatus, an article presence / absence detection sensor that detects whether or not an article is present in the beam is provided in the transfer apparatus. And when the control means operates the transfer device in a state where the transfer device is positioned at the appropriate transfer position, the load information indicating whether or not the beam exists based on the detection information of the article presence / absence detection sensor. To get. If the control means determines that the article has already been placed on the beam based on the inventory information, double storage is prevented by stopping the article wholesale operation or the like. Moreover, if the control means can confirm whether or not an article to be taken out is placed on the beam based on the inventory information, an operation for taking out the article from the beam is performed (for example, see Patent Document 2).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-199010 JP 2006-264968 A

In the conventional article conveying apparatus, the beam is detected by the single optical axis type optical sensor. Therefore, when the beam is detected by the optical sensor, the lifting speed of the transfer apparatus is set to a low speed (for example, the creep speed). Is required. Therefore, the stop preparation position is set before the appropriate transfer position, and the transfer apparatus is moved up and down to the appropriate transfer position at the stop preparation position with a lowering speed of the transfer apparatus. Therefore, the transfer device must be raised and lowered from the stop preparation position to the appropriate transfer position at a low speed, and the distance for raising and lowering the transfer device at a low speed becomes long. Therefore, it takes time to move the transfer device to the appropriate transfer position.
In addition, in the conventional article transport apparatus, an optical sensor for detecting the beam and an article presence / absence detecting sensor for detecting whether or not an article exists in the beam are provided separately. In addition to performing an operation for acquiring the beam distance information, an operation for acquiring the inventory information using the article presence / absence detection sensor must be performed. Therefore, it takes time to acquire both the beam distance information and the inventory information.
As described above, in the conventional article transport device, it takes time to move the transfer device to the appropriate transfer position, and it takes time to acquire both the beam distance information and the in-stock information. There is a possibility that the time required for conveying the article becomes longer.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to such a point, and an object thereof is to provide an elevating type article conveying apparatus capable of shortening the time required for article conveyance.

In order to achieve this object, the first characteristic configuration of the elevating-type article transporting apparatus according to the present invention is to transfer an article using an article placement beam provided on a column of an article storage shelf as a transfer target. A transfer device, a lift drive unit that drives the transfer device to move up and down, a lift position detection unit that detects a lift position of the transfer device, and the lift drive unit based on detection information of the lift position detection unit And an elevating and lowering article conveying device provided with a control means for controlling the operation of the transfer device,
An object detection sensor capable of detecting whether or not a detection target object exists in the detection range and a distance to the detection target object in the vertical direction in the transfer device as a detection range having a width in the vertical direction The object detection sensor emits measurement light while changing the set angle around the horizontal axis and controls whether the measurement light is projected or not and receives reflected light. Whether or not a detection target object exists in the detection range and the distance to the detection target object in the vertical direction are detected based on whether or not the measurement light is projected and the time from when the measurement light is projected until the reflected light is received. And the control means includes an article in the beam based on detection information of the article detection sensor when the transfer device is moved up and down to a set stop position set corresponding to the beam. Whether or not Perform information detection operation for detecting the beam distance information in the load presence information and the vertical direction to the lower end of the beam, on the basis of the load presence information and the beam distance information in the information detection operation, between the beam In order to transfer the article, the operation of the lifting drive means and the transfer device is controlled.

That is, since the object detection sensor can detect whether or not the detection target object exists within the detection range and the distance to the detection target object in the vertical direction, the control means performs the information detection operation, thereby Information on whether or not an article is present and information on beam distance to the beam in the vertical direction can be obtained. Therefore, since both the inventory information and the beam distance information can be acquired only by performing the information detection operation, the time for acquiring both the beam distance information and the inventory information can be shortened.
The control means can detect the remaining distance from the set stop position to the appropriate transfer position based on the beam distance information acquired by performing the information detection operation. The control means transfers to the proper transfer position by controlling the operation of the raising / lowering drive means so as to raise and lower the transfer device by the remaining distance to the proper transfer position based on the detection information of the lift position detecting means. The device can be raised and lowered. In raising / lowering from the set stop position to the appropriate transfer position, the control means knows the remaining distance to the appropriate transfer position, so the control means moves up / down speed of the transfer device based on the detection information of the raising / lowering position detection means. The transfer device can be moved up and down to an appropriate transfer position while keeping the speed as high as possible. Therefore, the distance to move the transfer device up and down at a low speed can be shortened as much as possible.
From the above, the time for acquiring both the beam distance information and the in-stock information can be shortened, and the distance for moving the transfer device up and down at a low speed can be shortened as much as possible. An article conveying apparatus that can be shortened can be provided.

  According to a second characteristic configuration of the liftable article transporting apparatus according to the present invention, when the control means wholesales the article on the beam, the article is not present on the beam based on the inventory information in the information detection operation. If determined, based on the beam distance information, the transfer device is controlled to move the transfer device up and down to an appropriate transfer position with respect to the beam, and the transfer is performed so as to wholesale the article on the beam. It is configured to control the operation of the device.

  That is, when the article is wholesaled on the beam, the control means can detect whether or not the article has already been placed on the beam based on the inventory information acquired by performing the information detection operation. If it is determined that no article is present on the beam based on the information on the presence of information in the information detection operation, the control means determines that no article is placed on the beam, and transfers to the appropriate transfer position for the beam based on the beam distance information. In order to raise and lower the apparatus, the operation of the raising / lowering driving means is controlled, and the operation of the transfer apparatus is controlled in order to wholesale the article on the beam. Therefore, when an article is not present on the beam, the article can be wholesaled on the beam, thus preventing the occurrence of double storage in which the article is erroneously transferred to the beam on which the article is already placed. it can.

  According to a third characteristic configuration of the liftable article transporting apparatus according to the present invention, when the article is taken out from the beam, the control means determines that an article is present in the beam based on the cargo information in the information detection operation. Then, based on the beam distance information, the transfer device is controlled in order to move the transfer device up and down to an appropriate transfer position with respect to the beam, and to control the operation of the elevating drive means and to take out an article from the beam. It is in the point comprised so that the action | operation of may be controlled.

  That is, when the article is taken out from the beam, the control unit can detect whether or not the article to be taken out is placed on the beam based on the inventory information acquired by performing the information detection operation. If it is determined that an article is present on the beam based on the load information in the information detection operation, the control means determines that the article to be taken out is placed on the beam, and moves to an appropriate transfer position with respect to the beam based on the beam distance information. In order to move the loading device up and down, the operation of the lifting drive means is controlled, and in order to take out the article from the beam, the operation of the transfer device is controlled. Therefore, it is possible to take out the article from the beam while preventing the operation of taking out the article from the beak even though the article to be taken out is not placed on the beam.

  According to a fourth characteristic configuration of the liftable article transporting apparatus according to the present invention, the object detection sensor has a detection range defined by a boundary line connecting a plurality of boundary points set within a maximum measurement range. In addition, the detection range is configured to be freely changeable.

  That is, since the detection range of the object detection sensor can be changed and set, the detection range can be changed and set so that both the beam and the article enter the detection range according to the beam condition and the article condition. . Therefore, since the object detection sensor can accurately detect whether or not an article exists in the beam and the distance to the beam in the vertical direction, it is possible to accurately acquire the inventory information and the beam distance information, Goods can be transferred accurately.

An embodiment in which an article conveying device according to the present invention is applied to an automatic warehouse will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the automatic warehouse includes a pair of article storage shelves 1 that are installed at an interval so that the article loading / unloading directions face each other, and a work path 2 formed between the article storage shelves 1. And a stacker crane 3 that automatically travels. The stacker crane 3 corresponds to the liftable article conveying apparatus according to the present invention.

In the work path 2, a traveling rail 4 is installed on the lower side along the longitudinal direction of the article storage shelf 1, and a guide rail 10 is also installed on the upper side along the longitudinal direction of the article storage shelf 1.
On one end side of the work path 2, a ground-side controller 5 for inputting a loading / unloading command to the stacker crane 3 is provided, and a pair of loading platforms 6 are provided with the traveling rail 4 interposed therebetween.

As shown in FIG. 2, the article storage shelf 1 is used for placing a pair of front and rear articles provided across a plurality of support columns 7 standing at intervals in the horizontal direction and a plurality of support columns 7 arranged in the horizontal direction. It is comprised from the beam 8 and the some brace 9, and is comprised so that the articles | goods B may be accommodated in the state mounted over the pair of front and rear beams 8. FIG. The article B is placed on the beam 8 while being placed on the pallet P.
The stacker crane 3 places an article B on each of a plurality of article placement positions T spaced in the horizontal direction in each of the beams 8 with the beam 8 as a transfer target with respect to the article storage shelf 1. It is configured to let you.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the stacker crane 3 is provided on a traveling carriage 11 that can travel along the traveling rail 4, an elevator 13 that can be moved up and down with respect to the traveling carriage 11, and the elevator 13. And a transfer device 12 for transferring the article B. The transfer device 12 is configured by a fork-type transfer device that transfers the pallet P on which the article B is placed.
As described above, the stacker crane 3 is provided with the transfer device 12 that is movable in the horizontal direction and movable in the vertical direction by the traveling of the traveling carriage 11 and the elevation of the lifting platform 13. The stacker crane 3 receives the article B placed on the loading table 6 onto the beam 8 by the traveling movement of the traveling carriage 11, the up-and-down movement of the lifting platform 13, and the transfer operation of the transfer device 12. It is configured to perform an operation and an unloading operation for transferring the article B placed on the beam 8 to the loading table 6.

  The elevator 13 is guided and supported by a pair of front and rear elevating masts 14 erected on the traveling carriage 11, and is supported by being suspended by elevating chains 15 connected to the left and right sides thereof. The elevating chain 15 is wound around a guide rotator (not shown) provided on the upper frame, the elevating mast 14, etc. that couples the pair of elevating masts 14 to the front and rear, and a winding drum provided at one end of the traveling carriage 11. 16 is wound around. The take-up drum 16 is configured to be driven and rotated in the forward and reverse directions by the lifting electric motor 17. The lifting electric motor 17 corresponds to the lifting drive means. The lifting / lowering electric motor 17 drives and rotates the winding drum 16 in the forward and reverse directions so that the lifting / lowering chain 15 is fed out or the winding lifting / lowering base 13 is moved up and down.

  The traveling carriage 11 is provided with a lift rangefinder 18 that detects the lift position of the lift 12 on the lift path of the lift 12. The lift range finder 18 projects the beam light for distance measurement along the vertical direction which is the lift direction of the lift 12 toward the lift reflection plate 18 a installed on the lift 12, and the reflection for lift. By receiving the light reflected by the plate 18a, the distance to the lifting platform 12 is detected and the elevation position of the lifting platform 12 is detected. The lift rangefinder 18 corresponds to a lift position detection means.

  The traveling carriage 11 is provided with a pair of front and rear traveling wheels 19 that can travel on the traveling rail 4. One traveling wheel of the pair of front and rear traveling wheels 19 is configured as a drive wheel 19a that is rotationally driven by the traveling electric motor 20, and the other traveling wheel is configured as a freely driven wheel 19b.

  The traveling carriage 11 is provided with a traveling rangefinder 21 that detects the traveling position of the traveling carriage 11 on the traveling rail 4. The travel rangefinder 21 projects a distance measuring beam along the longitudinal direction of the travel rail 4 toward the travel reflector 21 a installed at one end of the travel rail 4, and travels the reflective plate. By receiving the light reflected by 21a, the distance to the traveling reflector 21a is detected, and the traveling position of the traveling carriage 11 is detected.

As shown in FIG. 4, the lifting platform 13 has a range having a width in the vertical direction as a detection range K, and whether or not a detection target object exists in the detection range K and the detection target object in the vertical direction. An object detection sensor 22 capable of detecting a distance is provided.
The object detection sensor 22, for example, controls whether the light projecting / receiving unit 23 projects the measurement light while changing the set angle around the horizontal axis, and projects or does not project the measurement light. The detection range K is configured to detect whether or not a detection target object exists and the distance to the detection target object in the vertical direction. The object detection sensor 22 is within the detection range K depending on whether the light projecting / receiving unit 23 receives the reflected light and the time from when the measuring light is projected until the light projecting / receiving unit 23 receives the reflected light. It is configured to detect whether there is a detection target object and the distance to the detection target object in the vertical direction.
In this embodiment, the object detection sensor 22 is illustrated as including the light projecting / receiving unit 23 integrally provided with the light projecting unit and the light receiving unit, but the light projecting unit and the light receiving unit are provided separately. It may be a thing.

As shown in FIG. 5, the object detection sensor 22 changes the detection range K so that the range defined by the boundary line connecting the plurality of boundary points A set in the maximum measurement range C is set as the detection range K. It is configured to be freely settable.
For example, the maximum measurement range C is configured in an arc shape larger than 180 degrees. By setting a plurality of boundary points A within the maximum measurement range C, a range defined by a boundary line connecting the plurality of boundary points A is set as a detection range K. Then, the detection range K can be changed and set by changing the position where the boundary point A is set. In FIG. 5A, five boundary points A are set in the maximum measurement range C, and the detection range K is set to be bifurcated. In FIG. 5B, two boundary points A are set within the maximum measurement range C, and the detection range K is set to be arcuate. Also, the detection range K can be set to a shape as shown in FIG. 5C or FIG.
In this way, it is possible to change and set to a plurality of detection ranges K, but a plurality of detection ranges K are set in advance, and the object detection sensor 22 sets each of the plurality of detection ranges K set in advance. I remember it. The object detection sensor 22 determines whether or not the detection target object exists in the detection range K in one detection range K selected from the plurality of preset detection ranges K stored in the vertical direction. The distance to the detection target object is detected.

  As shown in FIG. 6, a crane control device 27 is provided as a control means for controlling the operation of the stacker crane 3 based on a command from the ground-side controller 5. The ground-side controller 5 specifies the transfer target from among the plurality of article transfer positions T and the loading table 6 and determines whether to transfer the article B to the transfer target or to remove the article B from the transfer target. The determined command is configured to be given to the crane control device 27. The crane control device 27 controls the traveling operation of the traveling carriage 11 and the raising / lowering operation of the lifting platform 13 so as to move the transfer device 12 to the setting stop position corresponding to the article mounting position T or the loading platform 6 to be transferred. In addition, in the state where the transfer device 12 is stopped at the set stop position, the article B is taken out from the article placement position T or the loading stage 6 or the article B is to be wholesaled at the article placement position T or the loading stage 6. The transfer operation of the transfer device 12 is controlled.

The set stop position is set so that the article B can be transferred appropriately at the beginning of installing the article storage shelf 1. The set stop position at each article placement position T of each beam 8 is determined with reference to the position of the lower end portion of the beam 8 in the vertical direction and the center position of the article placement position T in the horizontal direction. Yes. The set stop position of the loading table 6 is determined based on the position of the mounting surface of the mounting table 8 in the vertical direction and the center position of the mounting table 8 in the horizontal direction.
The crane control device 27 stores all of a plurality of set stop positions determined in correspondence with the respective article placement positions T and the loading platforms 6 in the respective beams 8.

The crane control device 27 includes a travel control unit 27a that controls the travel operation of the travel carriage 11 to move the transfer device 12 to the set stop position in the horizontal direction based on the detection information of the travel rangefinder 21. Based on the detection information of the rangefinder 18, an elevating controller 27 b that controls the elevating operation of the elevating platform 13 to move the transfer device 12 to the set stop position in the vertical direction, and the article placement position T in the beam 8. Alternatively, the transfer control unit 27 c is configured to control the transfer operation of the transfer device 12 so as to take out the product B from the load mounting table 6, or to wholesale the product B to the product mounting position T in the beam 8 or the load mounting table 6. ing.
The crane control device 27 is configured to separately control the traveling operation of the traveling carriage 11 by the traveling control unit 27a and the lifting operation of the lifting platform 13 by the lifting control unit 27b.

  The traveling control unit 27a operates the traveling electric motor 20 to move the transfer device 12 in the horizontal direction so that the traveling vehicle 11 travels toward the set stop position while controlling the traveling speed of the traveling vehicle 11. When the transfer device 12 reaches the set stop position in the horizontal direction based on the detection information of the travel range finder 21, the travel electric motor 20 is deactivated, and the transfer device 12 is moved to the set stop position in the horizontal direction. It is configured to move.

  The elevator controller 27b operates the elevator motor 17 to move the transfer device 12 in the vertical direction so as to raise and lower the elevator 13 toward the set stop position while controlling the lifting speed of the elevator 13. When the transfer device 12 reaches the set stop position in the vertical direction based on the detection information of the lift rangefinder 18, the lift electric motor 17 is deactivated and the transfer device 12 is moved to the set stop position in the vertical direction. It is comprised so that it may transfer. Incidentally, when taking out the article B from the article placement position T of the beam 8 or the loading stage 6, the elevating control unit 27b sets the lower side of the stored set stop position as the set stop position for taking out. Thus, the transfer device 12 is moved up and down to the set stop position for taking out. On the contrary, when the article B is unloaded on the article placement position T of the beam 8 or the loading stage 6, the elevating control unit 27 b defines a set stop position for wholesale at a set distance above the stored set stop position. It can also be set.

When the article B is taken out from the article placement position T of the beam 8 or the loading stage 6, the transfer control unit 27c causes the fork type transfer device 12 to project and then moves up and down by a set distance by the lift control unit 27b. By raising the stage 13, the article placement position T in the beam 8 or the article B placed on the loading stage 6 is placed and supported on the transfer device 12. Thereafter, the transfer control unit 27c causes the fork-type article transfer device 12 to retreat.
Incidentally, when the article B is unloaded on the article placement position T of the beam 8 or the loading stage 6, after the fork-type article transfer device 12 is protruded, the elevation control unit 27b moves the elevation table 13 by a set distance. Only the lowering operation is different, and the other operations are the same as those when the article B is taken out from the article placement position T or the loading stage 6 in the beam 8.

Since the article placing beam 8 bends due to the load of the article B to be placed, the article placing position T of the beam 8 changes in the vertical direction. Therefore, there is a case where the proper transfer position where the article B can be properly transferred is shifted in the vertical direction from the stored set stop position. Further, since the beam 8 may change in the vertical direction due to secular change or the like, the proper transfer position may be shifted in the vertical direction from the set stop position stored.
Further, the double storage that erroneously transfers the article B to the beam 8 on which the article B is already placed can be prevented, or the article B to be taken out to the beam 8 when the article B is taken out from the beam 8. It is necessary to confirm whether or not is mounted.

  Therefore, when the article B is wholesaled to the article placement position T of the beam 8 or when the article B is taken out from the article placement position T of the beam 8, the crane control device 27 corresponds to the article placement position T of the beam 8. Based on the detection information of the article detection sensor 22 when the transfer device 12 is moved to the set stop position set as described above, the presence information on whether or not the article B exists in the beam 8 and the beam in the vertical direction. Elevating electric motor 17 and the like for performing an information detection operation for detecting beam distance information up to 8 and transferring articles to and from beam 8 based on the inventory information and beam distance information in the information detection operation Each operation of the transfer device 12 is configured to be controlled.

  As shown in FIG. 7, when the article B is unloaded at the article placement position T of the beam 8, the crane control device 27 controls the operation of the electric motor 20 for traveling by the traveling control unit 27a and moves up and down by the lifting control unit 27b. The transfer device 12 is moved to a set stop position corresponding to the article placement position T by controlling the operation of the electric motor 17. When the crane control device 27 stops the transfer device 12 at the set stop position, the crane control device 27 performs an information detection operation, so that the load information on whether or not the item B exists at the item placement position T and the beam in the vertical direction. The beam distance information to the lower end of 8 is acquired. When the crane control device 27 determines that the article B does not exist at the article placement position T of the beam 8 based on the inventory information, the crane control device 27 sets the appropriate transfer position with respect to the article placement position T of the beam 8 based on the beam distance information. In order to move the transfer device 12 up and down, the operation of the lifting electric motor 17 is controlled by the lifting control unit 27b. In FIG. 7, the article B is indicated by a dotted line on the assumption that the article B does not exist at the article placement position T.

  When the crane control device 27 determines that the article B does not exist at the article placement position T of the beam 8 based on the presence information, the crane control device 27 moves the transfer device 12 up and down to the appropriate transfer position and transfers the article of the beam 8. It is configured to perform an operation of unloading the article B at the position T. That is, when the current set stop position is deviated from the appropriate transfer position in the vertical direction, the crane control device 27 calculates the remaining distance N1 from the current set stop position to the appropriate transfer position based on the beam distance information. Ask. The lift control unit 27b of the crane control device 27 operates the lift electric motor 17 so as to lift and lower the transfer device 12 by the remaining distance N1 to the proper transfer position based on the detection information of the lift rangefinder 18. Is controlled to move the transfer device 12 up and down to an appropriate transfer position. When the transfer control unit 27c of the crane control device 27 raises or lowers the transfer device 12 to an appropriate transfer position, the transfer control unit 27c controls the transfer operation of the transfer device 12 and moves the article B to the article transfer position T of the beam 8. Wholesale.

Further, when the crane control device 27 determines that the article B is present at the article placement position T of the beam 8 based on the inventory information, it is determined that the article B has already been placed at the article placement position T, and the beam 8 If the operation of unloading the article B to the article transfer position T is double-stored, an abnormality process such as stopping the operation of unloading the article B to the article placement position T of the beam 8 and notifying the abnormality is performed. It is configured as follows.
In this way, even when the set stop position is deviated from the proper transfer position while preventing double storage, the work of unloading the article B to the article placement position T of the beam 8 can be accurately performed.

  As shown in FIG. 8, when the article B is taken out from the article placement position T of the beam 8, the crane control device 27 controls the operation of the traveling electric motor 20 by the traveling control section 27a and moves up and down by the lifting control section 27b. By controlling the operation of the electric motor 17, the transfer device 12 is moved to the setting stop position for taking out by a set distance from the setting stop position. When the crane control device 27 stops the transfer device 12 at the set stop position for taking out, by performing an information detection operation, the inventory information indicating whether or not the item B exists at the item placement position T, and The beam distance information to the lower end of the beam 8 in the vertical direction is acquired. When the crane control device 27 determines that the article B exists at the article placement position T of the beam 8 based on the presence information, the crane control device 27 moves to the appropriate transfer position with respect to the article placement position T of the beam 8 based on the beam distance information. In order to move the mounting device 12 up and down, the operation of the lifting electric motor 17 is controlled by the lifting control unit 27b.

  When the crane control device 27 determines that the article B is present at the article placement position T of the beam 8 based on the inventory information, the crane control device 27 moves the transfer device 12 up and down to the appropriate transfer position, and the article transfer position of the beam 8. An operation for taking out the article B from T is performed. In other words, if the set stop position for take-off deviates from the appropriate transfer position, the crane control device 27 detects the remaining distance N2 from the set stop position for take-out to the proper transfer position based on the beam distance information. To do. The lift control unit 27b of the crane control device 27 operates the lift electric motor 17 so as to lift and lower the transfer device 12 by the remaining distance N2 to the proper transfer position based on the detection information of the lift rangefinder 18. Is controlled to move the transfer device 12 up and down to an appropriate transfer position. When the transfer control unit 27c of the crane control unit 27 raises or lowers the transfer device 12 to an appropriate transfer position, the transfer control unit 27c controls the transfer operation of the transfer device 12 so that the article B is transferred from the article transfer position T of the beam 8. Take out.

Further, when the crane control device 27 determines that the article B does not exist at the article placement position T of the beam 8 based on the inventory information, it is assumed that there is no article B to be taken out at the article placement position T of the beam 8. An operation of taking out the article B from the article placement position T of the beam 8 is stopped, and an abnormality process such as notifying the abnormality is performed.
In this manner, while confirming that the article B to be taken out exists at the article placement position T of the beam 8, even if the setting stop position for taking out deviates from the proper transfer position, the beam 8 is moved to the proper transfer position. The operation of taking out the article B from the article placement position T of the beam 8 by moving the mounting device 12 can be performed accurately.

Hereinafter, the detection range of the object detection sensor 22 when performing the information detection operation will be described.
Since the object detection sensor 22 stores each of a plurality of detection ranges K set in advance, the crane control device 27 performs the situation of the beam 8 and the situation of the article B at the article placement position T to be transferred. Accordingly, one detection range K is selected from a plurality of preset detection ranges K, and the operation of the object detection sensor 22 is controlled so as to become the selected detection range K, and the information detection operation is performed. Configured to do.

For example, as shown in FIG. 9, in the article storage shelf 1, the vertical width of the beam 8 may differ depending on the height at which the beam 8 is disposed. 9A shows the beam 8 having a small vertical width, and FIG. 9B shows the beam 8 having a large vertical width. Thus, in the beam 8 having different vertical widths, the position of the beam 8 and the position of the article B are different in the vertical direction.
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9A, when the vertical width of the beam 8 at the article placement position T to be transferred is large, the crane control device 27 can move the article control position 27 at the article placement position T to be transferred. If the vertical width of the beam 8 is large, the bifurcated detection range K shown in FIG. 5A is selected from a plurality of preset detection ranges K, and the selected detection range K and Thus, the operation of the object detection sensor 22 is controlled to perform the information detection operation. Further, as shown in FIG. 9B, if the vertical width of the beam 8 at the article placement position T to be transferred is small, the crane control device 27 can detect a plurality of preset detection ranges K. The arc-shaped detection range K shown in FIG. 5B is selected from the inside, and the information detection operation is performed by controlling the operation of the object detection sensor 22 so as to become the selected detection range K. Yes.

  In this way, the crane control device 27 changes and sets the detection range K of the object detection sensor 22 in accordance with the state of the beam 8 and the state of the article B, whereby the object detection sensor 22 places the article 8 on the beam 8. Whether or not the article B exists at the position T and the distance to the lower end of the beam 8 in the vertical direction are accurately detected. Therefore, the crane control device 27 can accurately acquire the inventory information and the beam distance information.

[Another embodiment]
(1) In the above embodiment, the lift position detecting means is configured as the lift rangefinder 18, for example, a rotary encoder that detects the lift distance from the reference position of the lift path of the lift platform 13. You can also. Further, instead of the travel rangefinder 21, a rotary encoder that detects the travel distance of the travel carriage 11 may be used.

(2) In the above embodiment, the crane control device 27 that controls the operation of the stacker crane 3 is mounted on the stacker crane 3 based on a command from the ground controller 5. A communication network is formed between the ground-side controller 5, the inverter in the lifting electric motor 17, the inverter in the traveling electric motor 20, and the article transfer device 12 without being installed in the crane 3. By instructing various information such as operation start and operation stop to the inverter in the lifting electric motor 17, the inverter in the traveling electric motor 20, and the article transfer device 12 via the communication network, the stacker crane The operation of 3 can also be controlled.

(3) In the above-described embodiment, the stacker crane is exemplified as the elevating-type article conveying apparatus according to the present invention, but other elevating-type article conveying apparatuses can be applied, and the present invention is not limited to the stacker crane.

Perspective view of automated warehouse The perspective view which shows the principal part of an article | item storage shelf Side view of stacker crane Side view showing a beam detection sensor Side view showing the detection range of the beam detection sensor Automatic warehouse control block diagram The figure which shows the operation when wholesale the article to the beam The figure which shows the operation when taking out the article from the beam The figure which shows the detection range of the beam detection sensor in information detection operation

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Article storage shelf 4 Support | pillar 8 Article mounting beam 12 Transfer device 17 Lifting drive means 18 Lifting position detection means 22 Object detection sensor 27 Control means B Article

Claims (4)

A transfer device for transferring an article, using an article placement beam provided on a column of an article storage shelf as a transfer target; and
Elevating drive means for elevating and driving the transfer device;
Elevating position detecting means for detecting the elevating position of the transfer device;
An elevating-type article conveying apparatus provided with control means for controlling the operation of the elevating drive means based on detection information of the elevating position detecting means and for controlling the operation of the transfer device,
An object detection sensor capable of detecting whether or not a detection target object exists in the detection range and a distance to the detection target object in the vertical direction in the transfer device as a detection range having a width in the vertical direction Is provided,
Whether the object detection sensor receives the reflected light by projecting the measurement light while changing the set angle around the horizontal axis, and controlling whether or not to project the measurement light. And it is configured to detect whether or not the detection target object exists in the detection range and the distance to the detection target object in the vertical direction by the time from projecting the measurement light to receiving the reflected light,
The control means determines whether or not an article exists in the beam based on detection information of the article detection sensor when the transfer device is moved up and down to a set stop position set corresponding to the beam. An information detection operation for detecting the inventory information and the beam distance information to the lower end of the beam in the vertical direction is performed, and based on the inventory information and the beam distance information in the information detection operation, between the beam An elevating-type article conveying apparatus configured to control the operations of the elevating drive means and the transfer apparatus to transfer articles.   When the control means determines that no article is present in the beam based on the stock information in the information detection operation when the article is wholesaled to the beam, an appropriate transfer position with respect to the beam is determined based on the beam distance information. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation of the elevating driving means is controlled so as to elevate the transfer apparatus, and the operation of the transfer apparatus is controlled so as to wholesale articles on the beam. Elevating and lowering type article conveying apparatus.   When taking out the article from the beam, the control means determines that the article is present in the beam based on the load information in the information detection operation, and sets the appropriate transfer position with respect to the beam based on the beam distance information. 3. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the operation of the elevating drive means is controlled to move the transfer device up and down, and the operation of the transfer device is controlled to take out an article from the beam. The liftable article conveying apparatus according to the description.   The object detection sensor is configured to be able to change and set a detection range so that a range defined by a boundary line connecting a plurality of boundary points set within a maximum measurement range is set as a detection range. The elevating-type article conveying apparatus according to any one of 3.

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