JP2001233404A - Automated storage and retrieval warehouse - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To ensure high working efficiency in an automated storage and retrieval warehouse with a bench outside its storage rack, by putting aside a sufficient unworked and worked load while using the space effectively. SOLUTION: A working conveyor 9 is connected to an upstream buffer conveyor 11 where an unworked load W is put aside and a downstream buffer conveyor 10 where a worked load W is put aside. Both buffer conveyors 10 and 11 are introduced into storage racks 1. The spatial use can permit a large load W to be put aside without a degradation in the efficiency of space use. The horizontal stroke of a stacker crane 2 can be reduced for another improvement in the efficiency of storing and retrieving work.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic warehouse provided with a work table having a conveyor shape or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, in the case of an automatic warehouse in which articles are stored in containers, trays, or buckets and stored on shelves, containers (work) are transferred from shelves to work tables provided outside the hangars.
, And work such as putting goods in and out of containers and inspecting them at the workbench.

FIG. 16 shows a conventional example of a type equipped with a work table in an automatic warehouse of the stacker crane type.

FIGS. 16A to 16C are plan views, and the automatic warehouse is arranged in a pair of hangars 1 arranged opposite to each other and in a passage between the two hangars 1. The stacker crane 2 includes a base 5 that runs along a rail 4, a support (or mast, column) 6 erected on the base 5, and a lift attached to the mast 6 so as to be able to move up and down. 7 is provided.

In this case, the base 5 has an elongated shape along the running direction in order to ensure stability, and the column 6 stands upright at a substantially central portion of the base 5. Since the power unit and the control box are provided at a portion opposite to the lift 7 with the support 6 interposed therebetween, the rail 4 protrudes outward from the one end 1 a of the hangar 1.

FIG. 16A shows the simplest form, in which a workbench 8 is provided outside the other end 1b of the hangar 1, and the luggage W taken out of the hangar 1 by the stacker crane 2 is provided. Is transferred to the worktable 8, and when the work is completed, the stacker crane 2 returns the load W to the original position of the hangar 1 again.

However, in the configuration shown in FIG. 1A, since the packages W are directly transferred one by one between the work table 8 and the hangar 1, the next package W is transferred to the work table 8 after the work is completed. Until the worker is transferred, the worker M has to suspend the work and wait, so that there is a problem that work efficiency is poor.

Further, in the case of the type (A), a portion outside the one end 1a of the storage 1 is a dead space where the rails 4 protrude, so that the use efficiency of the space is poor. It was a problem.

Therefore, as shown in (B) and (C), the work table is constituted by the conveyor 9 and the work conveyor 9 is provided with the work table.
An upstream buffer conveyor 11 for storing the luggage W before the work and a downstream buffer conveyor 10 for storing the luggage W after the work are connected, and both the buffer conveyors 10 and 11 are connected to each other by the stacker crane 2. The luggage W is configured to be transferable.

In the example shown in FIG. 1B, the buffer conveyor 1 is located on the side of the rail 4 opposite to the protruding portion 4a.
0, 11 are provided, and in the example shown in FIG.
Buffer conveyor 1 so as to surround the protruding portion 4a.
0 and 11 and a work conveyor 9 are provided.

[0011]

By the way, in order to eliminate the waiting time of the worker M and to operate the stacker crane 2 efficiently, the length of the buffer conveyors 10 and 11 must be sufficiently ensured so that a large number of loads are required. It is necessary to be able to stock W.

However, in any of FIGS. 16B and 16C, since the buffer conveyors 10 and 11 extend outside the hangar 1, if the length of the buffer conveyors 10 and 11 is increased, the floor area becomes larger. Is required, and as a result, there is a problem that the space use efficiency is deteriorated.

On the other hand, when the luggage W is put in and out of the hangar 1 via the conveyor 8 with the workbench 8 set aside, the end of the conveyor is extended to the end of the hangar and the luggage W is transferred outside the hangar. It is carried out.

In this case, assuming that the load is uniformly loaded and unloaded from each part of the hangar, the average horizontal traveling distance of the stacker crane 2 is a half of the length of the hangar 1, and therefore, the work efficiency of the loading and unloading (in other words, the working efficiency) There is a problem that there is a limit in improving the operating efficiency of the stacker crane 2).

An object of the present invention is to solve these problems.

[0016]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic warehouse, comprising: a hangar having a plurality of shelves; a conveyer that has entered the inside of the hangar; and a baggage being transferred between the shelves and the conveyor. And a transfer means that can be replaced.

The number of conveyors may be one or more. In the case of one cable, loading and unloading may be shared, or only one of them may be performed. When there are a plurality of conveyors, loading and unloading may be dedicated, or both conveyors may be used for both loading and unloading. When a plurality of conveyors are provided, at least one conveyor may be inserted into the hangar.

When the conveyor is to be inserted into the hangar, it is preferable that the conveyor be inserted at least to the middle part in the longitudinal direction of the hangar.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hangar provided with multi-tiered shelves, transfer means for loading and unloading cargo such as containers into and out of the shelves, and for performing operations such as loading and unloading articles into and from the containers. The work table is provided outside the hangar, and a buffer conveyor for luggage stock connected to the work table is provided, and the buffer conveyor enters the inside of the hangar.

As described with reference to FIGS. 16 (B) and 16 (C), the workbench is generally constituted by a conveyor, and one end of the work conveyor is provided with an upstream buffer conveyor for storing luggage before work. And the other end of the working conveyor is connected to a downstream buffer conveyor capable of storing the processed luggage.

In view of the above, according to a third aspect of the present invention, both of these buffer conveyors are inserted into the storage, and the load can be transferred between the two buffer conveyors and the shelf by the transfer means.

When it is sufficient to store a large amount of luggage in only one of the buffer conveyors on the upstream side and the downstream side of the work table, only one of the buffer conveyors should be inserted into the storage. Is also possible.
Further, it is also possible to make the lengths of the upstream buffer conveyor and the downstream buffer conveyor different from each other while entering both inside the storage. The work is not limited to manual operation, and may be performed by a robot or the like.

[0023]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, for example, in transferring a package between the conveyor and the shelf by the transfer means, for example, at any part of the part of the conveyor that has entered the storage. It can be relocated or relocated at a specific location (eg, in the middle of a hangar).

In any case, since the luggage is transferred inside the hangar, the horizontal traveling distance of the transfer means can be reduced as compared with the conventional method, and as a result, the luggage can be carried in and out. Work efficiency (in other words, the operating efficiency of the transfer means) can be improved.

On the other hand, according to the second aspect of the present invention, since a part of the shelves in the hangar is used for the buffer conveyor, if the height of the hangar is not changed, the amount of luggage stored in the hangar will decrease. .

However, the decrease in the storage capacity can be offset by increasing the height of the hangar, and it is not necessary to extend the buffer conveyor outside the hangar, so that the occupied area of the entire automatic warehouse is increased. Without this, a sufficient buffer effect can be secured.

As described above, according to the second aspect, since the luggage can be stocked using the space three-dimensionally, the space can be effectively used while a sufficient buffer effect is secured. As a result, it is possible to improve the storage amount of luggage per unit area without lowering the work efficiency.

[0028]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(1) First Embodiment (FIGS. 1 to 6) FIGS. 1 to 6 show a first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a partial schematic perspective view, and FIG. 2 is II in FIG. -II plan sectional view, FIG.
4 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a side view taken along line VV of FIG. 2, and FIG.

{Overview} The present embodiment is applied to an automatic warehouse of a stacker crane type. The automatic warehouse is composed of a pair of hangars 1 arranged opposite to each other and a stacker crane running in a space between both hangars 1. 2 is provided.

The hangar 1 has a plurality of shelves 3, and the stacker crane 2 has a base 5, columns 6, and a lift 7 as in the prior art. In the present embodiment, the shelf 3 is entirely configured as a flat flat shelf, and is set so that a plurality of packages (containers) W can be placed on one shelf.

{Buffer Conveyor} A work conveyor 9 extending in a direction perpendicular to the rail 4 is disposed outside the protruding portion 4 a of the rail 4. An upstream buffer conveyor (delivery conveyor) 11 is connected to one end of the work conveyor 9, and a downstream buffer conveyor (reception conveyor) 10 is connected to the other end of the work conveyor 9. Then, in both hangars 1, the lowermost shelf 3 is removed, and both buffer conveyors 10, 11 are inserted into this portion. In this example, both buffer conveyors 10, 1
Both extend over the entire length of the hangar 1.

The work conveyor 9 needs to be as high as a person's waist, but the lowermost shelf 3 in the hangar 1 is generally lower than the person's waist. For this reason, portions of the buffer conveyors 10 and 11 located outside the storage 1 are inclined.

As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the buffer conveyors 10 and 11 are of a roller conveyor type (driving means is omitted), but various conveying means such as a belt conveyor and a chain conveyor are employed. it can.

Needless to say, by adjusting the lift 9 of the stacker crane 2 to the height of the buffer conveyors 10, 11, the load W can be transferred between an arbitrary position of the buffer conveyors 10, 11 and the lift 7 of the stacker crane 2. Can be transferred.

The automatic warehouse according to the present embodiment is a closed system in which cargo W is carried in and out of the hangar 1 at the location of the work conveyor 9 as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. By connecting the carry-in / out conveyor 12 separately as described above, an open system that automatically carries in / out the load W from outside may be used.

{Control Example} Next, a control example of loading and unloading of the luggage W will be described with reference to FIG.

The control of the outgoing transfer from the stacker crane 2 to the upstream buffer conveyor 10 and the incoming transfer from the downstream buffer conveyor 11 to the stacker crane 2 are performed at the end (position A) of the hangar 1. The operation is roughly divided into three modes, that is, the operation is performed at an arbitrary position in the longitudinal direction of the storage 1 and the operation is performed at a substantially intermediate portion (position B) of the storage 1.

The control mode may be changed between the leaving and the receiving, such that the leaving is performed at an arbitrary position and the receiving is performed at the end (position A). When the buffer conveyors 10 and 11 extend over the entire length of the storage 1 as in the present embodiment, any of the control modes (1) to (4) can be adopted.

When the control method is adopted, since the transfer can be performed while the stacker crane 2 is running to the end, there is an advantage that the running position of the stacker crane 2 can be easily controlled. On the other hand, when the loading and unloading is performed at an arbitrary position as described above, the horizontal traveling distance of the stacker crane 2 can be reduced and the work efficiency can be improved (in this case, sensors for recognizing the position of each load W (FIG. (Not shown)).

By the way, in the case of the conventional example shown in FIGS. 16B and 16C, assuming that the cargo is uniformly loaded and unloaded from each part of the hangar 1, the average horizontal traveling distance of the stacker crane 2 at the time of loading and unloading is equal to that of the hangar 1. The distance is half the length L (L / 2). When the storage and retrieval are performed at the intermediate portion (position B) of the hangar 1 as in this case, the average horizontal traveling distance of the stacker crane 2 is (L / 4), so that the average time required for storage and retrieval is reduced. Therefore, there is an advantage that the efficiency can be improved.

If the buffer conveyors 10 and 11 are set to the length up to the intermediate portion (position B) of the storage 1, it becomes substantially the same as above, and both advantages can be enjoyed.

The work conveyor 9 may be configured to extend along the traveling direction of the stacker crane 2 as shown by a chain line in FIG.

(2) Second Embodiment (FIGS. 7 and 8) FIGS. 7 and 8 show a second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a side view, and FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of FIG. FIG.

In this embodiment, the buffer conveyors 10 and 11 are inserted into the second shelf of the storage
The buffer conveyors 10, 11 are configured horizontally as a whole. When the height of the work conveyor 9 is high, the work may be performed using a stepping board.

As can be easily understood from this example, the height positions of the buffer conveyors 10, 11 can be freely set as required.

(3) Third to Sixth Embodiments (FIGS. 9 to 12) FIGS. 9 to 11 show examples in which conveyors for carrying in and out are provided. In the third embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the carry-in / out conveyor 12 is connected to the end of the hangar 1 opposite to the work conveyor 9. In this example, the buffer conveyors 10 and 11 each extend to an intermediate portion (position B) of the storage 1.

In the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the carry-in conveyor 12a is connected to the upstream end of the downstream buffer conveyor 10, and the carry-out conveyor 12b is connected to the downstream end of the downstream buffer conveyor 10. . That is, the downstream buffer conveyor 10 is also used as a conveyor for carrying in / out from outside.

In the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 11, a work table is not provided, and the carry-in conveyor 12a and the carry-out conveyor 12b are inserted into the middle part of the hangar 1. of course,
Both conveyors 12a and 12b may be inserted over the entire length of the hangar 1. Needless to say, the load W may be transferred at a specific portion of the conveyors 12a and 12b, or may be transferred at an arbitrary portion.

In the sixth embodiment shown in FIG. 12, the carry-in / out conveyor 12 is provided at a different height from the upstream buffer conveyor 11 and the downstream buffer conveyor 10. With such a configuration, there is an advantage that it is possible to easily control the handling of the package W that is released from the storage 1 and returns again and the package W that is carried in and out.

(4) Seventh Embodiment (FIG. 13) In FIG. 13, the storage 1 has a structure in which unit storage sections 3a for storing one package W are arranged in a matrix of up, down, left and right. . That is, the shelves 3 in each stage are partitioned for each unit storage section 3a. In this example, the shelf 3 is configured in a bracket type.

(5) Seventh Embodiment (FIGS. 14 to 16) FIGS. 14 to 16 show an eighth embodiment.
Is a plan view, and FIG. 16 is a schematic side view.

In this embodiment, the transfer cart 14 is movably disposed at each of the shelves 3, while a lift 15 is disposed at one end or both ends outside the hangar 1.
The luggage W is transferred between the hangar 1 of each stage and the carry-in / out conveyor 12 via the transfer line 5. A relay conveyor 16 is connected to the end of the shelf 3 at each stage.

Further, the buffer conveyors 10 and 11 are provided at the positions of the shelves having two cross sections from the bottom, and the load W can be transferred between the lift 15 and the buffer conveyors 10 and 11. A closed system that does not include the carrying-in / out conveyor 12 may be used. In the case of the present example, the transfer carriage 14 and the lift 15 constitute a transfer means described in claims.

(6) Others The present invention can be embodied in various ways other than the above embodiment.
For example, the length of the buffer conveyor can be set as needed. Further, the present invention can be applied to other types of automatic warehouses other than the stacker crane system and the bogie system.

Further, the buffer conveyor may be provided in a plurality of stages so as to enter the storage. Further, the work table (which may be referred to as a work section or work area) is not necessarily configured in a conveyor shape, but may have another structure such as a table shape.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial schematic perspective view of a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a plan sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side view as viewed in the direction VV of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a plan view for explaining a control example of the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the second embodiment.

8 is a sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII of FIG.

FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a third embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view showing a fifth embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating a sixth embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a partial side view showing a seventh embodiment.

FIG. 14 is a plan view showing a seventh embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a schematic side view of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

 W Luggage (Container) 1 Hangar 2 Stacker Crane 3 Shelf 9 Work Conveyor 10 Upstream Buffer Conveyor 11 Downstream Buffer Conveyor 12 Loading / Unloading Conveyor

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Hirokatsu Ishigaki 1-6-11 Awaji-cho, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi Inside Itoki Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Harumi Harumita 1-4-12, Imafuku-Higashi 1-chome, Joto-ku, Osaka-shi Itokiku Co., Ltd. F-term in Rebio (reference) 3F022 FF01 JJ07 LL31 MM01 MM11 MM17

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A hangar provided with a plurality of shelves, a conveyor having entered the inside of the hangar, and a transfer means capable of transferring luggage between the shelf and the conveyor. Automatic warehouse. 2. A hangar provided with multi-tiered shelves, transfer means for loading and unloading containers and the like to and from the shelves, and an outside of the hangar for performing operations such as loading and unloading articles to and from the containers. An automatic warehouse, comprising: a work table provided; and a buffer conveyor for luggage stock connected to the work table, wherein the buffer conveyor is inserted into a storage cabinet. 3. The work table is formed on a conveyor.
One end of this work conveyor is connected to an upstream buffer conveyor that can store luggage before work, and the other end of the work conveyor is connected to a downstream buffer conveyor that can store work that has been processed. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein both of these buffer conveyors are inserted into the storage, and the load can be freely transferred between the two buffer conveyors and the shelf by a transfer means. Automatic warehouse.