JP2000238905A - Article storage installation - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simplify installation work of an article storage installation. SOLUTION: A plurality of articles C are laterally arranged and stored on article placing members 9 supported by supports 6 which are adjacent to each other in a lateral direction of storage racks 2A, 2B, and in an article storage installation wherein a transfer equipment 3 drives to move an article transfer equipment LT which is for transferring the articles C, a transfer position learning mode is set for setting article transfer positions substantially uniformly in a lateral direction in the article placing members 9 between the adjacent supports 6, the article transfer positions which are for the transfer by the article transfer equipment LT. The article storage installation is constructed such that in the transfer position learning mode, the article transfer equipment LT and a support detecting means are laterally moved, a space between the laterally adjacent supports 6 is determined based on information detected by a moving quantity detecting means which detects the moving quantity of the article transfer equipment LT, and the article transfer position is set based on the thus- determined space and the number of the articles C to be placed between the adjacent supports 6, with reference to the position of the supports 6.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a storage shelf which is supported by columns which are adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction, and which stores a plurality of articles side by side on an article mounting member located therebetween. An article transfer device that transfers an article between the article mounting member and itself, a transfer device that drives the article transfer apparatus in the lateral direction, and the article transfer apparatus, The present invention relates to an article storage facility provided with transfer control means for controlling the operation of the transfer apparatus so as to be located at an article transfer position for transferring articles to and from a storage shelf.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Such an article storage facility is a facility for storing and storing a plurality of articles in a state in which a plurality of articles are arranged in a horizontal direction on a member for article mounting which is supported by a column adjacent in a lateral direction, that is, a lateral direction of a storage shelf. 2. Description of the Related Art An article transfer device for storing articles and taking out stored articles, and a transport device for moving and driving the article transfer apparatus are provided. As described above, in order to store a plurality of articles in the lateral direction on the article placing member between the columns adjacent in the lateral direction, the article transferring apparatus moves the article to the article storing position on the article placing member. It is necessary to place it properly in the working position. For this reason, conventionally, plates to be detected corresponding to each of the article storage positions are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction, and the transport device is provided with a detecting unit for detecting the plate to be detected. The stop position of the article transfer device in the lateral direction is controlled based on the control.

[0003]

However, in the above-described conventional configuration, it is necessary to install the detection target plates corresponding to the respective article storage positions on the article mounting member, and the installation work of the equipment is complicated. There was an inconvenience. The present invention
It was made in view of the above situation, and the purpose is
The point is to simplify the installation work of the equipment.

[0004]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the transfer control means for controlling the operation of the transfer device for driving the article transfer device in the lateral direction is provided in the transfer position learning mode. Moving the article transfer device in the lateral direction by the transport device, based on the detection information of the column detection means for detecting the presence or absence of the column and the movement amount detection means for detecting the horizontal movement amount of the article transfer device. The distance between the adjacent columns in the horizontal direction is determined, and from the distance and the number of articles placed between the adjacent columns, based on the position of the column,
The article transfer position in the lateral direction is set substantially uniformly in the article mounting member between adjacent columns. Therefore, when the equipment is installed, the transfer position learning mode is set, and learning for setting the article transfer position is performed. In this transfer position learning mode, the distance between the adjacent columns is moved. Since the position of each article is set based on the position of the support, the position is determined by the quantity detecting means.Therefore, there is no need to provide a detected plate or the like serving as a position reference for the stop position of the article transfer apparatus. The installation work can be simplified.

[0005] Further, with the above configuration, the transport control means can control the article transfer position in accordance with the number of articles to be mounted on the article mounting member between the horizontally adjacent columns. Is set in multiple stages. That is, instead of fixedly setting the number of articles to be stored side by side on the article mounting member between adjacent columns, the number of articles to be stored can be changed in a plurality of stages to efficiently store articles having different dimensions. It can respond to. Therefore, an article transfer position is set for each of a plurality of stages, and one of the article transfer positions set for the plurality of stages based on the dimensional information of the article first placed on the article mounting member. One of them is selected, and transport control is performed on the article placement member based on the article transfer position at the selected stage until there are no more articles placed on the article placement member. Therefore, while articles having different dimensions can be efficiently stored in the article placing member between the adjacent columns, the articles are first placed on the article placing member, and the articles are transferred to the article placing member. After selecting and setting the placement position, the transfer of the article transfer device is performed based on the selected article transfer position until the article is removed from the article placement member. It is possible to prevent the transport control of the apparatus from becoming complicated.

In addition, with the configuration according to the third aspect, the article mounting member is supported at a plurality of stages along the up and down direction on the horizontally adjacent columns, and the transport control means is provided at the horizontally adjacent position. Since the number of articles to be placed can be set separately for each of the plurality of article placing members located between the matching columns, the degree of freedom regarding the dimensions of the articles to be stored in the storage shelf is further increased. In addition, the article storage facility can be made more convenient.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of an article storage facility according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Article storage equipment LS
As shown in FIG. 1, is a facility for storing an article C such as a container or a cardboard box, and stores a pair of storage shelves 2A and 2B and a space sandwiched between the pair of storage shelves 2A and 2B. A stacker crane 3 as a transport device serving as a traveling passage, and a pair of stackers 2A and 2B arranged on one side in the longitudinal direction of the pair of storage shelves 2A and 2B for placing articles C that enter and leave the storage shelves 2A and 2B. The system is provided with a load receiving table 4 and a shelf management device 5 for instructing the loading and unloading of the stacker crane 3 and managing the stored articles C. The stacker crane 3 includes a traveling vehicle 10, a pair of masts 11 erected on the traveling vehicle 10, a connection frame 11 a that connects upper end portions of the pair of masts 11, and a lift guided by the pair of masts 11. A traveling rail 1 provided with a platform 12 and a traveling vehicle 10 laid on a floor of a traveling passage
3, and the connecting frame 11a travels while being guided by the guide rails 14 arranged on the ceiling side.

[0008] An article transfer device LT for transferring articles C between the storage shelves 2A and 2B and the receiving table 4 is provided on the elevating table 12.
Is provided. As schematically shown in FIG. 1, the article transfer device LT is movable in the approaching / separating direction with respect to the article C.
Is provided with a pair of transport belts 15 for sandwiching the side surfaces of
By the movement of the transport belt 15 toward and away from the storage shelves 2A and 2B and the transport drive of the transport belt 15,
The articles C are stored between the storage shelves 2A and 2B and the receiving table 4 and the self.
Transfer of.

The storage shelves 2A and 2B are provided with a plurality of long columns 6 standing upright in the vertical direction, horizontal beams 7 fixedly connected between the columns 6, and if necessary. An article placing plate 9 as an article placing member is fixed on the cross beam 7 by a plurality of braces 8 and the like. A plurality of articles C are arranged side by side on the article mounting plate 9 between the adjacent columns 6 (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as “frontage”). In particular,
As shown schematically in FIG.
Individual articles C can be stored side by side, and articles C of substantially the same size in the lateral direction of the storage shelves 2A and 2B are stored side by side in one frontage.

An optical column detecting sensor 16 as a column detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of the columns 6 constituting the storage shelves 2A and 2B is provided on the lifting platform 12 of the stacker crane 3, respectively, in each of the storage shelves 2A and 2B. A pair of columns 6 are provided so as to be able to detect the columns 6, and the column detection sensors 16 and the article transfer device LT, as shown in FIG.
Of the stacker crane 3 by controlling the traveling motor M1 and the lifting / lowering motor M2 provided in the vehicle. In addition to the detection information of the column detection sensor 16, detection information of a rotary encoder 17 that detects the traveling amount of the traveling carriage 10 of the stacker crane 3 is also input to the crane control unit 18. Since the article transfer device LT and the traveling vehicle 10 move integrally in the horizontal direction, the rotary encoder 17 detects the amount of movement of the article transfer device LT in the horizontal direction by the movement drive of the stacker crane 3. Functions as a means.

Next, the transfer control of the crane control unit 18 in the article storage facility LS configured as described above will be schematically described. The crane control unit 18 controls the traveling of the traveling vehicle 10 of the stacker crane 3 and the
Is carried out, the article transfer device LT is positioned at the article transfer position with respect to the article mounting plate 9. However, prior to the actual control for loading and unloading the articles C, the article transfer apparatus LT is controlled. Learning for setting the use position is performed. For this study,
As the processing executed by the shelf management device 5, a transfer position learning mode shown in the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 is set.

The processing in the transfer position learning mode is performed when the article storage facility LS is installed and before the facility starts operating.
Alternatively, it is executed by inputting a work instruction to the shelf management device 5 such as an operator as necessary after the operation of the equipment. Specifically, first, the stacker crane 3 is moved to the home position, that is, the end on the side where the load receiving table 4 is present (step # 1), and then the detection pulse of the rotary encoder 17 is counted and the side opposite to the home position is counted. (Step # 2).

During the movement, when the support detection sensor 16 detects the presence of the support 6 (step # 3), the count value at the time of detecting both edges of the support 6 is stored (step # 4). When the stacker crane 3 is moved to the end opposite to the home position and the storage of the count values for all the columns 6 of the storage shelves 2A and 2B is completed (step # 5), the setting of the article transfer position is completed. Is registered (step # 6). Specifically, the center position of each column 6 and the distance between the centers of the adjacent columns 6 are obtained, and these are stored in the memory of the crane control unit 18. In one frontage, the distance between the centers of the pillars 6 divided by the number of articles C placed on one frontage, that is, 3 to 6, is used as the pitch of the arrangement of the articles C in the frontage, and the frontage is used at that pitch. Since the objects are placed so as to be evenly arranged in the space, by determining the distance between the center position of the column 6 and the center of the adjacent column 6, the article transfer position is substantially set.

Next, the traveling control of the stacker crane 3 during the actual operation based on the information obtained in the above-described transfer position learning mode will be schematically described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. The flowchart of FIG. 5 shows only the traveling control of the traveling vehicle 10, and the control shown in FIG. 5 is executed in parallel with the elevation control of the elevator 12 not shown.
The loading / unloading to / from the crane control unit 18 is instructed from the shelf management device 5, and in the case of loading, the loading table 4 is designated as the first destination position, and the specific position in the storage shelves 2A and 2B as the second destination position. Is specified, and in the case of unloading, the specific position in the storage shelves 2A and 2B is specified as the first destination position, and the receiving table 4 is specified as the second destination position.

The specification of the specific position in the storage shelves 2A and 2B is related to the traveling control of the traveling vehicle 10 by the number of the frontage from the home position and the number of the frontage from the end on the home position side in the frontage. And an instruction as to which storage pattern of the storage pattern of the article C is to be selected. The storage patterns include four patterns shown in FIG. 2 depending on how many articles C are arranged and stored in one frontage.
Selects one of the storage patterns based on the dimensional information of the article C to be stored. The crane control unit 18 determines that the moving process to the first target position and the second target position designated as described above remains unprocessed (step # 1).
2) A “target count value” corresponding to the target position is obtained (step # 13).

"Objective count value" for the receiving table 4
Is set to a fixed set value, but the "target count value" for a specific position on the storage shelves 2A and 2B corresponding to the article transfer position differs depending on the position to be moved in and out. More specifically, based on the information on the number of the frontage from the home position, the center position of the support 6 on the home position side of the frontage (hereinafter referred to as “X”) and the adjacent position at the frontage The interval between the centers of the supporting columns 6 (referred to as “Y”) is read out from the memory, the number of articles stored in one frontage (referred to as “Z”) is specified from the information of the storage pattern, "P" for "Count value"
Then, P = X + Y / (2 × Z) + (n−1) × Y / Z (“n” means the n-th position from the end on the home position side in the frontage). In other words, the article placement positions in the horizontal direction are set uniformly on the article placement plate 9 between the adjacent columns 6, and the articles are placed on the article placement plate 9 between the horizontally adjacent columns 6. The article transfer position is set in a plurality of stages according to the number of articles C.

However, the center position “X” of the support 6 is
Since the position to be detected by the column detection sensor 16 is used as a reference, if the position to be detected is displaced from the center position between the pair of conveyor belts 15 in the article transfer device LT, the deviation is corrected. There is a need. When instructing the storage pattern to the crane control unit 18, the shelf management device 5 selects a storage pattern for the article C to be placed first, for a frontage in which no article C is stored. After that, the storage pattern for the frontage is not changed until there is no more article C to be placed from the frontage. In other words, one of the article transfer positions set in a plurality of stages is selected based on the dimensional information of the article C to be first placed on the article placing plate 9 between the horizontally adjacent columns 6. Then, for the article mounting plate 9, for the article mounting plate 9, the article mounting plate 9
Until there are no more articles C to be placed, the transfer control is performed based on the article transfer position at the selected stage. Conversely, when there is no article C placed on the article placement plate 9 between the columns 6 adjacent in the horizontal direction, the above four storage patterns regardless of the vertical and horizontal positions of the frontage. Any of them can be specified.

When the "target count value" is set as described above, the traveling of the stacker crane 3 is started (step # 14), and the count value of the output pulse of the rotary encoder 17 is set higher than the "target count value". When the count value reaches the "deceleration count value" in front of it, deceleration is started (steps # 15 and # 16), and when it reaches the "target count value", it stops (steps # 17 and # 18). Therefore,
The shelf management device 5 and the crane control unit 18 cause the stacker crane 3 to position the article transfer device LT at an article transfer position for transferring articles between the storage shelves 2A and 2B.
Function as a transport control means TC for controlling the operation of.

[Other Embodiments] Hereinafter, other embodiments of the present invention will be listed. In the above-described embodiment, in the transfer position learning mode, the center position of each column 6 and the distance between the centers of the adjacent columns 6 are determined and stored, but in the transfer position learning mode, Further, an article transfer position corresponding to each storage pattern may be obtained in advance as a "target count value" and stored. In the above-described embodiment, the vertical position of the column detection sensor 16 in the transfer position learning mode, that is, the vertical position of the elevator 12 is not specified. However, in consideration of the case where the column 6 is inclined, The height may be changed in a plurality of stages, and the center position of each column 6 and the distance between the centers of the adjacent columns 6 may be obtained for each stage.

In the above-described embodiment, in the transfer position learning mode, the stacker crane 3 is moved from the home position to the end on the opposite side, and the center position of each of the columns 6 is obtained for all the columns 6. Alternatively, only a part of the section may be run, and the distance between the centers of the columns 6 determined in the section may be represented by the center position of the column 6 using a design value. In the above-described embodiment, in the transfer position learning mode, the space between the centers of the columns 6 is obtained when the space between the columns 6 adjacent in the horizontal direction is obtained. However, when the width of the column 6 is relatively large, Alternatively, the interval between the inner edges of one frontage may be determined and used as the interval between the columns 6.

In the above-described embodiment, with regard to setting the article transfer positions in the horizontal direction equally, in one frontage, the article transfer position closest to the column 6 is the column 6
Is set to “Y / (2 × Z)” from the center position (“X”), that is, a position that is の of the arrangement pitch of the articles C in the lateral direction, but is further separated from the support 6 by a set amount. An article transfer position may be set at the position. In this case, the arrangement pitch of the articles C may be set by dividing a value obtained by subtracting a value twice as large as the above set amount by “Z”. In addition, for each storage pattern, the length obtained by multiplying the number of the articles C to be stored in one frontage by the width of the average article C to be stored is the distance between the centers of the columns 6 (“Y )), And the result is divided by the number obtained by adding “1” to the number of articles C to be stored, so that the result is the distance between the adjacent articles C and the distance between the article C and the support 6. Various methods can be used to set the article transfer position in the horizontal direction evenly, such as setting the mounting position. In the above-described embodiment, the case where three to six articles C are accommodated in one frontage in four accommodation patterns is illustrated, but two articles C are accommodated in one frontage. Alternatively, seven or more articles C may be stored.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view of an article storage facility according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a storage pattern of articles according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 LT article transfer device TC transfer control means 2A, 2B storage shelf 3 transfer device 6 support 9 article mounting member 16 support detection means 17 movement amount detection means

Claims (3)

[Claims] A storage shelf that is supported by horizontally adjacent columns and stores a plurality of articles arranged side by side on an article placement member positioned therebetween; and a storage shelf on the article placement member. And an article transfer device that transfers an article between itself and a self-transfer device that moves and drives the article transfer device in the lateral direction. An article storage facility provided with transport control means for controlling an operation of the transport apparatus so as to be located at an article transfer position for article transport, wherein the article is driven by movement of the transport apparatus. Movement amount detection means for detecting the amount of movement of the transfer device in the horizontal direction, and support column detection means for freely moving in the horizontal direction together with the article transfer device, and detecting the presence or absence of the support column are provided. Wherein the transport control means includes an article mounting member between the adjacent columns. A transfer position learning mode for setting the article transfer positions in the lateral direction substantially equally is set,
In the transfer position learning mode, the article transfer device is moved in the horizontal direction by the transport device, and the columns adjacent in the horizontal direction are detected based on the detection information of the column detection unit and the movement amount detection unit. Find the interval between
An article storage facility configured to set the article transfer position on the basis of the position of the post based on the interval and the number of articles placed between adjacent posts. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transport control unit sets the article transfer position in a plurality of stages according to the number of articles placed on the article placement member between the laterally adjacent columns, and Select one of the article transfer positions set in the plurality of stages based on the dimensional information of the article first placed on the article placement member, and for the article placement member, 2. The article storage facility according to claim 1, wherein transport control is performed based on the article transfer position at the selected stage until there are no more articles to be placed on the article placement member. 3. The article mounting member is supported on the columns adjacent in the horizontal direction in a plurality of stages along the vertical direction, and the transport control means includes a plurality of columns positioned between the columns adjacent in the horizontal direction. The article storage facility according to claim 2, wherein the number of articles to be placed can be set individually for each of the article placing members.