JP2001014030A - Conveyance device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently allocate a plurality of carriers to target conveying operation points and to improve the conveyance capability by providing a looped subordinate conveyance track which is different from a main conveyance track and at least >=2 connecting conveyance tracks which connects the main conveyance track and subordinate conveyance track together. SOLUTION: A control part 17 instructs for the allocation of carries 11a and 11b and controls tracks where the carriers 11a and 11b move. The carriers 11a and 11b have radio terminals respectively, receive the allocation indication sent by the control part 17 in the form of, for example, a radio signal, and move on the main conveyance track 14, subordinate conveyance track 15, or connecting conveyance track 16 according to the indication. Further, switching between the main conveyance track 14 and connecting track 16 where the carriers 11a and 11b travel and switching between the connecting track 16 and subordinate track 15 are performed according to the indication of the control part 17. When the control part 17 generates the allocation indication, the free carrier 11b moves to the main conveyance track 14 through the connecting conveyance track 16 to move to a target conveying operation point 13.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a transfer apparatus for articles used in a production line or a physical distribution line, and more particularly to a transfer apparatus having a transfer track for efficiently arranging a plurality of empty transfer vehicles. is there.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a production line or a distribution line, a transport device in which a transport vehicle moves on a fixed track is used. FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a conventional transport device.

[0003] The transport device includes a plurality of transport vehicles 61 (61a, 61a,
61b), the transported object 62 is transferred to the transport vehicle 61 (61a, 6).
1b), a main transport path 64 connecting a plurality of transport operation points 63 to be supplied or recovered, and a transport vehicle 61 (61).
a, 61b).

[0004] The control unit 65 includes a transport vehicle 61 (61a, 61a).
b), and at the same time as issuing a dispatch instruction, the transport vehicle 61 (61a, 61a,
61b) controls the path of movement. Transport vehicle 61 (6
1a and 61b) each have a wireless terminal, receive a dispatch instruction issued from the control unit 65 in the form of a wireless signal, and move on the main transport track 64 accordingly.

The operation of the carrier 61 (61a, 61b) is controlled by the control unit 65 as follows.

A transport vehicle 61a loaded with the transported object 62 or an empty transport vehicle 61b loaded with no transported object 62 moves on the same main transport path 64 in the same direction.

The transport vehicle 61 (6) traveling on the main transport track 64
When 1a, 61b) supplies or recovers the transported object 62 at the target transport work point 63, the transport vehicle 61 (61a, 61b) moves to the target transport work point 63 by traveling along the main transport path. I do. After the supply or collection of the transported object 62 is completed, the transport vehicle 61 (61)
a, 61b) heads for the next target transfer work point 63.

When each of the transport vehicles 61 (61a, 61b) is moving on the main transport track 64 and another transport vehicle is operating at the immediately preceding transport work point 63, the transport vehicles 61 (61a, 61b) are used to avoid collision. , 61b) are controlled so as to stop after the other carrier until the work or the movement is completed, and restart the movement after the work or the movement is completed.

However, if the transport device is controlled as described above, the transport vehicle 61 (61a, 61b) receives the dispatch instruction and moves to the other transport work point 63 until the transport vehicle 61 (61a, 61b) completes its movement. However, there is a problem that the vehicle stops, accelerates and decelerates due to the end of the work, and congestion associated therewith occurs frequently, which takes several times longer than in the case where there is no congestion, and lowers the transport capacity.

[0010] The above problem is caused by a plurality of transport vehicles 61 (61).
a, 61b) are on the same track, and
If another transport vehicle is working or moving at the immediately preceding transport work point while (61a, 61b) is moving, it stops behind the other transport vehicle until the end of the work, and starts moving again after the work is completed. It is considered that this is caused by such control.

[0011]

As described above, in the conventional transport apparatus, the work or the movement of another transport vehicle is completed by the time the transport vehicle receives the dispatch instruction and completes the movement to the target transport work point. Stopping and acceleration / deceleration due to waiting, and congestion associated therewith frequently occur, and there has been a problem that the transport capacity is reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a transport apparatus capable of efficiently distributing a plurality of transport vehicles to a target transport work point and improving the transport capacity. And

[0013]

According to the present invention, there are provided a plurality of transport vehicles for transporting an object to be transported, the transport vehicle traveling, and supplying the object to the transport vehicle or transferring the object to the transport vehicle. A transport device having a main transport track passing through a plurality of transport working points to be collected from the transport vehicle, further comprising: a loop-shaped sub transport track having a track different from the main transport track; A transport device comprising at least two or more coupled transport trajectories for coupling to a transport trajectory.

[0014] Further, it is preferable that the transport device includes a dispatch control device for controlling a dispatch situation of the transport vehicle, and the dispatch control device controls the empty transport vehicle to be arranged on the sub-transport track.

Further, it is desirable that the main transport track and the sub transport track of the transport device are arranged in a three-dimensional manner.

[0016] Further, the transfer device includes a dispatch control device for controlling a dispatch situation of the transport vehicle, and the dispatch control device recognizes a position of an empty transport vehicle on a main transport track and a sub-transport track. A transport time calculating device that calculates a route and a required time from an empty transport vehicle position recognized by the transport vehicle recognition device to a target transport work point, and the required time from a calculation result of the transport time calculating device. It is desirable to have a dispatch control device that selects an empty transport vehicle with the shortest time and issues a dispatch instruction to the selected empty transport vehicle to the target transport work point.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a main transfer path passing through a plurality of transfer operation points, and traveling on the main transfer path.
A plurality of transport vehicles, which deliver the transported object at the transport operation point and transport the transported object, and the plurality of transport operation points are divided into one or more groups including one or more transport operation points. A sub-transportation track provided for each of these groups, circulating around a transport work point in the group, and circulating an empty transport vehicle in a standby manner so as to be selectively supplied to a transport work point in the group; A transport apparatus comprising: a main transport track and the sub transport tracks connected to each other; and a coupled transport track for sending an empty transport vehicle on one transport track to the other transport track.

[0018]

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a transfer apparatus according to this embodiment.

The transport device of the present embodiment includes a plurality of transport vehicles 11.
(11a, 11b) and the transported object 12
A main transport path 14 connecting a plurality of transport operation points 13 to be supplied or recovered to (11a, 11b), a loop-shaped sub-transport path 15 having a separate path different from the main transfer path 14, The control unit 1 that controls the plurality of connection conveyance paths 16 that connect the main conveyance path 14 and the sub conveyance path 15 and the allocation of the conveyance vehicles 11 (11a and 11b).
7.

The control unit 17 controls the transport vehicle 11 (11a, 11a).
b), and at the same time as issuing a dispatch instruction, the transport vehicle 11 (11a, 11a,
11b) controls the trajectory to be moved. Carrier 11 (1
1a, 11b) have, for example, wireless terminals, respectively,
7 receives, for example, a radio signal in the form of a radio signal, and moves on the main transport track 14, the sub transport track 15 or the connecting transport track 16 accordingly. Also, the transport vehicle 11
Switching between the main transport track 14 and the connecting track 16 on which (11a, 11b) travels, and the connecting track 16 and the sub-transport track 15
Switching between them is also performed according to an instruction from the control unit 17.

In the above-described transport device, the transport vehicle 11 (11
The operation of (a, 11b) will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. FIG. 2 shows a transport vehicle 11 (11a, 11a).
It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of b).

In FIG. 1, the transport vehicle 11a loaded with the transported object 12 is moving in one direction on the main transport track 14. The transport vehicle 11a has a target transport work point 1
The vehicle is stopped at 3, and the conveyed object 12 is lowered to complete the conveyance and becomes the empty conveyance vehicle 11b (FIG. 2-21).

Next, the empty transport vehicle 11b moves to the sub-transport track 15 through the shortest connected transport track 16 (FIG. 2-22).

The empty transport vehicle 11 that has moved on the sub-transport track 15
b waits on the sub-conveying track 14 or circulates in one direction until the next dispatching instruction is issued from the control unit 17. (FIG. 2-23).

When a dispatch instruction is issued from the control unit 17, the idle transport vehicle 11b, which has been waiting and circulating on the sub-transport track 14, moves through the coupled transport track 16 and further to the main transport track 14, and the target transport path is moved to the desired position. Move to the transfer work point 13 (FIG. 2)
-24).

The empty transport vehicle 11b arriving at the target transport work point 13 becomes the transport vehicle 11a in which the transported objects 12 are loaded and the transported objects 12 are stacked (FIG. 2-25).

The transport vehicle 11a on which the transported objects 12 are stacked moves to the next target transport work point 13 through the main transport track 14 in accordance with the dispatch instruction of the control unit 17 (FIG. 2-2).
6).

The vehicle is stopped at the next transfer work point 13 and the load 12 is lowered to complete the transfer and the empty transfer vehicle 11b
(FIG. 2-27).

The empty transport vehicle 11b moves to the sub-transport track 15 through the shortest connected transport track 16 (FIG. 2).
-22).

The above cycle is repeatedly performed.

The transfer device of the present embodiment includes a main transfer path 14 passing through a plurality of transfer operation points 13, and traveling on the main transfer path 14.
A plurality of transport vehicles 11 (11a, 11b) for transferring the transported object 12 and transporting the transported object 12, and one or more of the transport operation points 13 including one or more transport operation points 13; Divided into multiple groups,
Each of these groups is provided for each of the groups.
b in standby circulation, and the transfer work point 1 in the group
3, the main transport path 14 and each of the auxiliary transport paths 15 are connected to each other, and the empty transport vehicle 11b on one transport path is sent to the other transport path. And a transport track 16.

According to the present embodiment, a loop-shaped sub-transport track 15 and a connecting transport track 16 for connecting the main transport track 14 and the sub-transport track 15 are provided separately from the main transport track 14. The empty transport vehicle 11b is moved to the sub-transport track 15 through the connecting transport path 16 and is made to stand by and circulate on the sub-transport track 15 so that the main transport path 14b is moved.
The empty carrier 11b can be separated from above. As a result, the number of transport vehicles on the main transport track 14 is reduced, congestion of the transport vehicles by the empty transport vehicle 11b is reduced, and the transport time can be reduced. The idle transport vehicle 1 circulating on standby on the auxiliary transport track 15
1b can be distributed to the main transport path 14 again through the coupled transport path 16, so that the time required for completing the distribution from the establishment of the transport request to the completion of the distribution is reduced.

FIG. 3 shows a conventional transport device having only a main transport track described in [Prior Art], and a transport device of the present invention in which a main transport track, a sub-transport track, and a connecting transport track of this embodiment are installed. 4 shows the results of trial calculation of the time from the generation of the transfer request to the completion of the transfer and the transfer capacity (the transfer amount) for the number of transfer vehicles in FIG. Compared with the conventional transport device having only the main transport track, the transport device of the present invention in which the main transport track, the sub-transport track, and the connecting transport track of the present embodiment are installed, the number of transport vehicles increases as the number of transport vehicles increases. There is almost no increase in the time from the generation of the transfer request to the completion of the transfer, and the transfer capability is high.

Therefore, it is possible to flexibly cope with a change in the production amount without changing the number of vehicles.

In addition, the sub-transportation track 15 is configured such that the plurality of transfer operation points 13 are one or more transfer operation points 1.
3 and is provided for each of these groups. Transfer work point 13
Are divided into a plurality of groups, and when two or more sub-transport tracks 15 are provided for one main transfer path 14, a large number of idle transfer vehicles 11b can be made to stand by and circulate, and the number of transfer vehicles can be increased. Therefore, the empty transport vehicle 11b can be efficiently dispatched, and improvement in transport efficiency can be expected. Further, the number of the transport work points 13 and the sub-transport trajectories 15 are made as close as possible, and more preferably, the number of the transport work points 13 and the sub-transport trajectories 15 is set to be the same as each other, so that the loss from the dispatch instruction is generated. Empty carrier 1 without
1b can be dispatched, and a further improvement in transport efficiency can be expected.

Further, by arranging the main transport track 14 and the sub transport track 15 three-dimensionally, for example, in a plurality of upper and lower floor structures, it is possible to reduce the installation area of the transport device. (Embodiment 2) In the transfer apparatus of Embodiment 1, an empty carrier 1
1b passes mainly through the sub-transport track 15, and the transport vehicle 11a loaded with the load passes mainly through the main transport track 14. Here, since the sub-transport track 15 has a loop shape, the transport vehicle 11b traveling on the sub-transport track has to travel a curve. However, in general, it is desirable that the speed of a vehicle traveling on a track traveling on a curve be suppressed to 1/3 to 1/4 of that on a straight line for safety reasons. Therefore, when the transport vehicle moves to the target transport work point, the transport distance is longer when the main transport track is used than when the sub transport track 14 is used, and the transport time is high. May be shorter.

FIG. 4 is a characteristic diagram showing the relationship between the position of the transport vehicle on the track (movement distance to the target transport work point) and the shortest vehicle allocation completion time. As shown in FIG. 4, when the transfer vehicle position (moving distance to the target transfer work point) is short, the use of the sub-transport trajectory may arrive later.

For this reason, the controller 17 determines in which route the empty transport vehicle 11b located in relation to the target transport work point 13 can be shortened in which route.
Need to judge.

The transport device of this embodiment is the same as the transport device of the first embodiment, except that the control device 17 is a transport vehicle position recognizing device 18 for recognizing the positions of the empty transport vehicles on the main transport track and the sub transport track. A transport time calculating device 19 for calculating the route and required time of each empty transport vehicle from the position of the empty transport vehicle recognized by the position recognition device 18 to the next transport work point; and A vehicle having a dispatch control device 20 for selecting an empty transport vehicle with the shortest required time, designating a route to the target transport work point for the selected empty transport vehicle, and issuing a dispatch instruction is used.

In the above transport device, the transport vehicle 11 (11
a) and 11b) and the operation of the control device 17 will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device 17.

In FIG. 1, a transport vehicle 11a loaded with an object 12 is moving in one direction on a main transport path 14. The transport vehicle 11a has a target transport work point 1
The transported vehicle 12 is stopped at 3, and the transported object 12 is lowered to complete the transport, and becomes the empty transport vehicle 11b (FIG. 5-51).

At this time, if a dispatch request is issued from a certain transport work point 13, the transport vehicle position recognition device 18 transmits the empty transport vehicle 11 b on the main transport track 14 and the sub transport track 15.
Is recognized (FIG. 5-52).

Based on the recognized position of the empty transport vehicle 11b, the transport time calculating device 19 calculates the route to the next transport work point and the required time from the speed of the transport vehicle (FIG. 5-53). .

After the calculation, the vehicle allocation control device 20 compares the result of the required time calculated by the transport time calculation device 19, determines and selects the empty transport vehicle 11b which requires the shortest required time, and determines its route, that is, the auxiliary transport. It is determined whether or not the track 4 is used. (FIG. 5-54) Empty carrier 11 on main carrier track 14
If it is more advantageous to dispatch the vehicle b on the sub-transport track 15 than to dispatch the transport vehicle b, a dispatch instruction of "moving on the main transport track 14 as it is and heading to the next transport work point 13" is given. If it is disadvantageous to dispatch the empty transport vehicle 11b of the main transport track 14, the dispatch control device 20 issues a dispatch instruction of "go to the sub-transport track 15 near the current transport work point and wait while circulating". The data is transmitted to the empty carrier 11b. On the other hand, the empty transport vehicle 11 on the sub-transportation track 15
b, the vehicle is instructed to move to the main transport path 14 from the sub-transport path 15 and head to the next transport operation point 13. The empty carrier 11b starts moving based on the received dispatch instruction (FIG. 5-55). The vehicle allocation control device also controls the switching of the track on the route at the same time.

By allocating the empty transport vehicles 11b in accordance with the vehicle allocation control, it is possible to allocate the empty transport vehicles 11b more advantageous in response to the allocation request, and it is possible to improve the transport efficiency more than the effect of the first embodiment.

[0046]

According to the present invention, an empty transport vehicle can be made to stand by and circulate on the sub-transport route, the number of transport vehicles on the main transport route can be reduced, and congestion due to the interference of the transport vehicles can be reduced. Become. As a result, the delivery completion time and the actual transport time of the empty transport vehicle are reduced. Furthermore, by having the same number of sub-transport trajectories as the number of transport operation points, it is possible to distribute the transport vehicles without loss from the generation of the dispatch instruction.

Further, since the idle transport vehicle waits and circulates on the sub-transport track, the transport time is not increased due to the increase in the number of transport vehicles, and the amount of the transported object can be flexibly adjusted without controlling the number of transport devices. Can respond.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a transport device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the carrier.

FIG. 3 is a characteristic diagram showing the results of trial calculation of the time from the generation of a transport request to the completion of transport and the transport capacity (transport amount) for the number of transport vehicles in the conventional transport device and the transport device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a characteristic diagram showing a relationship between a position of a transport vehicle on a track and a shortest dispatch time.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a conventional transport device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Transportation vehicle 11a ... Transportation vehicle which carried the conveyed object 11b ... Empty conveyance vehicle 12 ... Conveyed object 13 ... Conveyance work point 14 ... Main conveyance track guide 15 ... Sub-transportation track 16 ... Transportation track 17 ... Control device 18 ... Transportation position recognition device 19: Transportation time calculation device 20: Vehicle distribution control device

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of transport vehicles for transporting a transported object, and a plurality of transports on which the transport vehicle travels and supplies the transported object to the transport vehicle or collects the transported object from the transport vehicle. In a transfer device including a main transfer path passing through a work point, a loop-shaped sub transfer path having a different path from the main transfer path, and at least two or more connecting the main transfer path and the sub transfer path. A transport device comprising: a coupled transport track. 2. The vehicle allocation control device for controlling the allocation status of the transport vehicles, wherein the allocation control device controls the empty transport vehicles to be arranged on the sub-transport track. The transfer device as described in the above. 3. The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the main transfer path and the sub transfer path are three-dimensionally arranged with respect to each other. 4. A vehicle location control device for controlling a vehicle allocation status of the transport vehicle, wherein the vehicle allocation control device recognizes a position of an empty transport vehicle on a main transport track and a sub transport track, and A transport time calculation device that calculates a route and a required time from the position of the empty transport vehicle recognized by the transport vehicle recognition device to a target transport work point, and the required time is calculated from the calculation result of the transport time calculation device. 2. The transport device according to claim 1, further comprising a dispatch control device that selects a short empty transport vehicle and issues a dispatch instruction to the selected empty transport vehicle to the target transport work point. 5. A main transport path passing through a plurality of transport operation points, and a plurality of transport vehicles traveling on the main transport path, delivering and transporting the transported object at the transport operation point. The plurality of transfer work points are 1 or 2
It is divided into one or a plurality of groups including the above-mentioned transport operation points, and is provided for each of these groups. A sub-transport track that can be selectively supplied to a work point; a connecting transport track that interconnects the main transport track and each of the sub-transport tracks to send an empty transport vehicle on one transport track to the other transport track; A transport device comprising: