The specific embodiment
The invention provides a kind of new improved automatic storage system, comprise the memory space in constant space, load the loading attachment of workpiece in the memory space, controller.This automatic storage system is the accumulation type with memory space and loading attachment.
On the position of piler shown in Figure 3 100, this system combines with the Fabricating machinery of manufacturing line, or separates so that load the workpiece that has stood constant procedure of processing with this Fabricating machinery.Automatic guided vehicle (AGV) 150 is used for transporting workpiece 120 at bay (bay).AGV150 transports workpiece in bay and between the bay.Compare with the railway guidance car (RGV) that moves along track, AGV do not need track and can direct motion to the ground of manufacturing line.As shown in Figure 3, the AGV from piler 100 reception workpiece 120 carries out the operation that workpiece 120 is transported to the appointment piler according to control command.As another kind workpiece 120 is transported to the method for transporting of specifying piler, the single track 142 that is attached on the piler 100 is used for workpiece 120 is transported to another piler 100 from a piler 100, or transports between different bays.Single track 142 passes through from a side of piler 100.The gyrocar 110 of operation loads and transports workpiece 120 from piler 100 on single track 142, carries out a series of transfer operations and workpiece 120 is transported to another piler 100a.
Move instruction is transferred to the piler controller 202 of control piler 100 from mainframe computer 200.In piler controller 202, a series of move instructions are transferred to crane controller 204 subsequently.
The workpiece 120 that transports by automatic guided vehicle 150 or gyrocar 110 is loaded in the piler 110.In this case, describe in more detail workpiece 120 loadings (loading) method with reference to Fig. 1 and 2 to assigned address.
Automatic storage system of the present invention has the storage area 101 of loading workpiece, the first piler hoisting crane 112, the second piler hoisting crane 114, the hoisting crane path 103 that has the first piler hoisting crane 112 and the second piler hoisting crane 114 to move thereon, control controller 202 (see figure 3)s of automatic storage system, control crane controller 204 (see figure 3)s of the first piler hoisting crane 112 and the second piler hoisting crane 114.The structure of storage area 101 is shown in Figure 1.For place work piece efficiently, framework 121 levels form well-regulated interval.On the lateral surface of framework 121, form the prodger 122 that has the rule height.Be formed on to storage area 101 final multilayers the square space that has regular size on length and the width.The square space can be adjusted according to the kind and the size of storage workpiece.
Piler hoisting crane 112 and 114 is used for workpiece 120 is loaded in square space.The first piler hoisting crane, 112 structures are described below.Be formed with wheel 130 in the bottom of the first piler hoisting crane 112, it moves on hoisting crane path 103.Bearing 132 support body 134.Cable 137 links to each other with bearing 132, is used to transmit the instruction of crane controller 204.The groove 135 of constant length forms on main body 134, and horizontal arm 136 can be moved vertically along the groove 135 of main body 134.Can form at an end of horizontal arm 136 around the swivel arm 138 that the vertical axes of horizontal arm 136 is rotated.The plate shaped contact element 140 of broad forms in a side of swivel arm 138, in order to load workpiece safely.In having the piler hoisting crane 112 of structure like this, the step of loading workpiece 120 is safely described below with reference to Fig. 2.By above-mentioned automatic guided vehicle 150 (see figure 3)s, workpiece 120 reaches first inlet 104 of the automatic storage system 100 that will transmit.Subsequently, in automatic storage system 100, alignment device 108 and 108a rotate 90 ° with the workpiece 120 that transmits.So as shown in Figure 2, all workpiece 120 align in a direction in the automatic storage system.As mentioned above, the workpiece 120 of alignment is loaded by hoisting crane 112 at the ad-hoc location of storage area 101.Ad-hoc location is specified by controller 202, and controller 202 receives from the move instruction of the summary whole production line of mainframe computer and controls automatic storage system 100.Move instruction is transferred to the crane controller 204 of control hoisting crane 112, and hoisting crane 112 loads workpiece 120 at the ad-hoc location of storage area 101.Move near the hoisting crane 112 mobile and horizontal arm 136 vertically the ad-hoc location along hoisting crane path 103, so that load workpiece at ad-hoc location.And hoisting crane 120 rotates swivel arm 138, safely workpiece 120 is loaded in ad-hoc location.Certainly, adopt in the same way and can carry out recovery operation.Because automatic storage system can have a plurality of entrance and exits, as shown in Figure 2, in system, form 102 and first outlet 106 of second inlet.
As mentioned above, setting device 116 and 118 and gyrocar 110 workpiece is sent to another bay from an operation bay, or between automatic storage system, transmit.At first, workpiece 120 arrives setting device 116 and 118 by means of hoisting crane 112.Since the device 116 and 118 and gyrocar 110 between have constant diff-H, setting device 116 and 118 vertically travelling workpiece 120 to match with gyrocar 110.Therefore, setting device 116 and 118 plays the effect that safely workpiece 120 is placed on the gyrocar 110.
If the storage of workpiece and conveying capacity are very big, in a preferred embodiment, the automatic storage system of storage and withdrawal workpiece adopts two hoisting cranes simultaneously.Piler hoisting crane of the present invention is described with reference to Fig. 4 to 7.
Fig. 4 shows the controlled step of automatic storage system of the present invention.This automatic storage system is divided into the double mode of at least two hoisting cranes of employing with operation mode and only adopts the monotype of a hoisting crane.Under double mode situation,, transport operation and generally carry out in each designated area as rule.If send in extra designated area and to transport instruction, transport operation and adopt control method based on the additional areas treatment step.
The method of control automatic storage system of the present invention comprises the steps.Setting operation pattern in having the automatic storage system of at least two hoisting cranes (initialization step S100); Transport operation (S110).In transporting operating process, present operation mode changed under monotype or the double mode situation, check in transporting operation whether pattern changes (S120) at present.If present pattern needs to change, execution pattern conversion process operation (S130).Check whether be that additional areas is transported (S140).If carry out additional areas and transport operation (S150).Subsequently, check whether transport operation finishes (S160).If finish, shut-down operation.
Fig. 5 shows the details of initialization step shown in Figure 4.Check preceding mode, employing be double mode (S200) that only adopts the monotype of a hoisting crane or adopt two hoisting cranes.Under the situation of monotype, but check the manipulating crane (S210) whether fill order's pattern is arranged.But if there is not manipulating crane, (S220) gives the alarm.Subsequently, the system operation device is handled above-mentioned situation (S230).The system operation device corrects the mistake of hoisting crane, makes hoisting crane can operate or send another instruction., but check whether not selected hoisting crane (S240) is arranged on the transfer path of whole manipulating crane if but manipulating crane is arranged.If not selected hoisting crane is arranged, it is transported to (S250) outside the transfer path.Subsequently, initialization step finishes.
Under double mode, check two hoisting cranes whether all normal (S260).If mal, (S270) gives the alarm.The system operation device is handled above-mentioned situation (S280) subsequently.If normal, the position of inspection hoisting crane is so that be sent to appointed positions (S250) with each hoisting crane.Subsequently, initialization step finishes.
Basically there is not the piler of operation whether to be positioned at safety zone (as bus stop) through one of initialized autonomous cruise speed system inspection.So, the piler hoisting crane of another operation has all operation power.Under double mode situation, two hoisting cranes in the piler are transported in a zone basically, and isolated operation.If two hoisting cranes are invaded the other side's zone mutually, then these hoisting cranes are by other method operation of appointment.
If because the fault of piler hoisting crane or the variation of conveying capacity need pattern conversion, then by control method control automatic storage system shown in Figure 6.
As shown in Figure 6, pattern conversion (S310) if desired, operation stops (S320) and the current operation mode of conversion.If previous pattern is monotype (S340), then require to change this pattern in both cases.A kind of situation is to be increased in piler hoisting crane that does not adopt in the monotype or the operation of restarting a piler hoisting crane of fault restoration.In these cases, monotype is transformed to double mode (S332).Even not shown, another kind of situation is to replace the fault piler hoisting crane that uses at present with another heap heavy-duty machine in monotype.In these cases, monotype is converted to monotype.
Another situation, double mode continuation also was converted to monotype afterwards.If having fault, in two hoisting cranes one have only another to operate, or system operation device pattern conversion as required, the then double mode monotype (S334) that is transformed to.
Because the mode converting following step is identical with above-mentioned steps, the descriptions thereof are omitted.
As mentioned above, in double mode, two hoisting cranes move in a zone of piler individually.Yet, exceeding each region of operation if transport instruction, these two hoisting cranes will be according to method operation shown in Figure 7.
With reference to Fig. 7, under the situation that additional areas is transported (S400), need to check that default parameter is directly to transport or cushion to transport (S410).In directly transporting, the hoisting crane of operation directly moves to other and transports the district, and workpiece is sent to terminal point.In buffering was transported, the buffer area is arranged on transported between the district, workpiece is transported to terminal point and can make hoisting crane break away from an operation area.
In directly transporting, if the hoisting crane of land is positioned at (S420) on the transfer path, then hoisting crane moves to transfer path outer (S440) to load workpiece.In buffering was transported, the hoisting crane that transports in the district was sent to buffer domain (S450) with workpiece, and the hoisting crane in terminal point territory is transported to terminal point (S460) with this workpiece.
With reference to Fig. 2 is following above-mentioned control method described exemplarily.Suppose that the hoisting crane path is divided into A district and B district wittingly, first and second instructions are then just arranged, and (first instruction is loaded into A2 with workpiece from A1 by single track, and second instruction is loaded into B2 with workpiece from B1.) if two hoisting cranes 112 and 114 all check normally, select the first heavy-duty machine 112 to carry out first move instruction.Because the first heavy-duty machine 112 does not have other hoisting crane when A1 moves to A2 in first move instruction, so another heavy-duty machine 114 need not to move.Another heavy-duty machine 114 is chosen to be second hoisting crane 114.Because transfer path is not overlapping, the first heavy-duty machine 112 moves to A2 from A1, and second hoisting crane 114 moves to B2 from B1, carries out move instruction respectively.Therefore, might carry out the transfer operation that respectively workpiece is transported to A2 and B2 from A1 and B1 simultaneously.Adopt this control method, can operate two hoisting cranes simultaneously.
Also have another kind of situation, i.e. first move instruction is the move instruction of A1 to A2, and second instruction is the move instruction of A3 to A4.
In this case, because first instruction and second transfer path that instructs non-overlapping copies mutually, two hoisting cranes also can be operated simultaneously.The A district of no matter having a mind to divide still is the B district, and two hoisting cranes are operated in a district simultaneously.Certainly, those of ordinary skill in the art can understand: set junctional area and prevent that two hoisting cranes from colliding mutually.
Yet, first instruction be A1 to the B2 move instruction, second instruction be B1 under the situation of A2 move instruction, the transfer path of first and second move instructions can be overlapped.In order to carry out first instruction, must move to the B district for carrying out the selected the first heavy-duty machine 112 of first move instruction.Therefore, transport instruction for making second hoisting crane 114 can carry out B1 to second of A2, transfer path is overlapped inevitably.In this case, two hoisting cranes move in proper order.That is, a hoisting crane operation earlier, behind this hoisting crane end of run, another hoisting crane reruns, and bumps against on transfer path separately to prevent them.
Fig. 8 shows the improved type of automatic storage system shown in Figure 2 100.Follow-on system comprises an auxiliary piler machine hoisting crane 160 and two piler hoisting cranes.The description of part same as shown in Figure 2 is omitted.Auxiliary piler hoisting crane 160 is positioned at the center (C district) in hoisting crane path.If two crane operations of automatic storage system are normal, then auxiliary piler hoisting crane 160 remains on stand-by state.If as hoisting crane 112 et out of orders, then auxiliary hoist 160 replaces the hoisting crane 112 of fault to carry out the move instruction in A district.And fault hoisting crane 112 is placed on the bus stop in C district and repairs.Adopt this mode, the piler hoisting crane of fault can not influence the conveying capacity of total system, and total system can under any circumstance constant, running safely.
Fig. 9 shows another preferred embodiment of automatic storage system.Compare with described automatic storage system, except two hoisting cranes moved simultaneously, automatic storage system shown in Figure 9 only turned round in the own zone of having a mind to set.
The detailed description of same section is omitted between Fig. 9 and Fig. 2.C district shown in Figure 9 is a kind of buffer zone, and expression is transported to workpiece the instruction of B1 from A1.Hoisting crane 112 is as shown by arrows in the free-running operation of A district, but can not enter the C district.Therefore, hoisting crane 112 is stored workpiece and is returned the A district in temporary 164.Hoisting crane 114 in the B district moves to temporary 164, receives workpiece and loads workpiece at the B1 place in B district.
As mentioned above, owing to can use two hoisting cranes simultaneously, an automatic storage system can be handled very big conveying capacity.Therefore, the cost of production facilities reduces, and, even a hoisting crane et out of order can also use other hoisting crane.Therefore the fault hoisting crane can not influence total system.
Although describe the present invention in detail with regard to specific embodiment, should be understood that the present invention is not limited to embodiment, under the premise without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, can carry out multiple conversion and remodeling.