JP2006248711A - Article sorting facility - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely prevent an article from being erroneously picked, in an article sorting facility for picking an article from an article sorting rack. <P>SOLUTION: This article sorting facility is provided with the article sorting racks 60 partitioned into a plurality of sections 70 with articles 112, 114 and 116 designated on a section basis stored therein. The article sorting facility is also provided with: bar codes 108 in each of which picking information for designating a name and a quantity of articles is written; a POS scanner 106 for reading the bar code; opening/closing doors 72 installed in the front surfaces of the respective sections; an electronic scale 102 for measuring the weight of the picked articles; and a terminal 104 with a touch panel. The terminal with a touch panel displays the name and quantity of the articles according to the picking information read from the bar code by the POS scanner, opens the opening/closing door of the section with the articles stored therein, and checks whether the designated articles are picked by the designated quantity from the weight of the picked articles. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an article sorting facility that sorts various products according to shipping destinations, and more particularly to an article sorting facility that prevents sorting by mistake.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to sort various commodities according to shipping destinations, an article sorting facility called DPS (Digital Picking System) that relies entirely on human hands is used. The DPS is divided into a plurality of sections, and is provided with an article sorting shelf that stores products designated for each section. Each section has a display device, and the display device can be picked according to the shipping destination. Instructing (removal of goods). Then, the operator picked the product by the indicated quantity by looking at the display device.

  On the other hand, the following Patent Document 1 includes an article sorting shelf that is divided into a plurality of sections, and stores articles to be sent to a designated shipping destination for each section, and the designated goods are definitely put into the designated sections. An article sorting facility with an erroneous input prevention device is disclosed.

  Based on FIG. 3, the article sorting equipment disclosed in Patent Document 1 below will be described. The article sorting shelf 20 has an inclined product input container mounting table 21, a horizontal moving standby container mounting table 23, and an empty container 1 for mounting below the container mounting tables 21 and 23. An inclined empty container mounting table 28 is provided.

  A product carried by a picking cart (not shown) is manually loaded into the container 1 placed in the shipping destination section 25 determined for each shipping destination of the product loading container mounting table 21. The container 1 that has completed the input of the product waits for the label to be unloaded on the movement standby container mounting table 23. This article sorting facility is provided with an erroneous insertion prevention device that prevents the wrong shipment destination product from being introduced into the container 1. As this erroneous insertion prevention device, a shutter 50 is provided in each shipping destination section 25 of the article sorting shelf 20. The shutter 50 is a displacement that can move between a product introduction prohibited state (A) at a position straddling the upper opening of the placed container 1 and a product introduction allowed state (B) that is out of the upper opening of the container 1. A bar 56 and a controller (not shown) for controlling the displacement of the displacement bar 56 are provided.

  The picking cart also includes a controller (not shown) for instructing the worker to perform work and controlling the shutter 50. Commands and data are transmitted and received between the controller of each shipping destination section 25 and the controller of the picking cart by an infrared transmitter / receiver (not shown).

  The picking cart controller stores the shipping destination code of the loaded product. A shipping destination code signal registered in advance is transmitted from the controller of each shipping destination section 25. When the picking cart comes in front of the shipping destination section 25 of the designated shipping destination, upon receiving this shipping destination code signal, the controller of the picking cart issues a command for opening the shutter 50 of the shipping destination section 25. It returns to the 25th controller.

  The controller of the shipping destination section 25 always puts the shutter 50 in the product entry prohibited state (A). However, when a command to open the shutter 50 from the picking cart is received, the motor (not shown) is started to move the displacement bar 56 to the product. Displace to the charging permission state (B). While the picking cart is in front of the designated shipping destination section 25, the shutter 50 keeps the product input permission state by a command from the picking cart. Then, when the picking cart is moved and the command from the picking cart side is not received on the shipping destination section 25 side, and the fixed time has passed, the shutter 50 is returned to the product input prohibited state (A). Thus, it is possible to prevent the wrong shipment destination product from being put into each container 1.

JP 2000-335713 A

  By the way, it is inevitable that erroneous picking occurs if all items are relied upon manually to sort various products by destination. Even with the DPS, as long as manual picking is performed, the position indicated by the display device is misidentified, the product in the wrong section is picked, or the number of products to be picked is wrong, etc. It is inevitable that erroneous picking occurs. As described above, conventionally, there is no technique capable of reliably preventing erroneous picking, and there is a problem that work efficiency is extremely poor because it is necessary for a worker to inspect a picked item for each shipping destination.

  In order to solve such a problem, it is conceivable to provide a shutter as disclosed in Patent Document 1 on an article sorting shelf, but even if such a shutter 50 is provided, it is picking manually, Incorrect picking could not be reliably prevented, for example, because wrong products were replenished in each section or the number of products picked from each section was wrong.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an article sorting facility that reliably prevents erroneous picking of articles in an article sorting facility for picking articles from an article sorting shelf.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, in the invention according to claim 1, an article that is partitioned into a plurality of sections and includes an article sorting shelf that stores articles designated for each section, and picks the article from the article sorting shelf. In the sorting facility, a recording medium in which picking information for specifying an article name and quantity is written, a reading unit for reading the recording medium, a picking permission unit provided in front of each section, and an operation of the picking permission unit A controller for controlling the weight, a weight measuring means for measuring the weight of the picked article, the reading means, and a control inspection means connected to the controller and the weight measuring means, wherein the control inspection means comprises the reading means. In accordance with the picking information read from the recording medium, the designated article name and quantity are displayed and the article is collected. Actuating the picking permission means compartment, and characterized by checking whether the specified article is picked by the given quantity from further weight picking the article.

  The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that, in the invention according to claim 1, the picking permission means is an open / close door.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 1, characterized in that the picking permission means is a light source arranged around the front surface of each section.

  According to the first aspect of the invention, the control inspection means displays the article name and quantity according to the picking information read from the recording medium by the reading means, and operates the picking permission means for the section containing the article. Therefore, it is possible to prevent picking the article from the wrong section. In addition, by measuring the weight of the picked article, it is possible to inspect whether or not the designated article is picked by the designated quantity, so that erroneous picking can be reliably prevented.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the picking permission means is an open / close door, it is impossible to pick an article from a wrong section, and it is possible to prevent erroneous picking more reliably.

  According to the invention of claim 3, since the picking permission means is a light source disposed around the front surface of each section, a light source, wiring for supplying power to the light source, and a controller for controlling lighting of the light source are inexpensive. The article sorting equipment of the present invention can be manufactured at low cost.

  Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an article sorting shelf in the article sorting facility of this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the article sorting facility.

  In the article sorting facility of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the article sorting shelf 60 has an article placing table 64 attached to a support 62. The article mounting table 64 has an inclined article part taking-out part 64a located on the front surface and a horizontal part 64b following the article taking-out part 64a. Of course, the article part take-out part 64a and the horizontal part 64b may be a continuous integral inclined surface. A fall prevention frame 66 is fixed around the article take-out portion 64a. A label 68 indicating a product name is attached to the upper part of the article sorting shelf 60. In order to facilitate the removal of the article, the article take-out section 64a is inclined more greatly toward the upper side, and the lower one protrudes forward than the upper one. The lowermost article mounting table 64 is provided with only the flat drop prevention frame 66a at the front end without the inclined article take-out section 64a.

  Each article placing table 64 in the article sorting shelf 60 is divided into compartments 70 on which predetermined articles 112, 114, 116 are placed. In the present embodiment, in order to prevent the articles 112, 114, 116 from being taken out of the wrong section 70, an opening / closing door 72 is provided on the front surface of each section 70.

  The open / close door 72 has a rectangular frame 74 with a transparent sheet 76 such as vinyl reinforced with fibers or the like, and rotates around a hinge 78 provided at the lower front end of the article take-out portion 64a of the upper section 70. It is attached so that it can be opened and closed by an air cylinder 80. The open / close door 72 of the uppermost compartment 70 is rotatably attached around a hinge 78 provided at the lower portion of a cross member 82 that connects the upper ends of the front columns 62. An arm 74a is extended at one end of the frame 74 in a right angle direction, and the tip of the rod 80a of the air cylinder 80 is connected to the tip of the arm 74a. The air cylinder 80 is disposed so as to be substantially parallel to the opening / closing door 72 when the opening / closing door 72 is closed, and is disposed at a position where it does not interfere with the removal of the articles 112, 114, 116. Of course, instead of the air cylinder 80, an actuator such as an electric motor or a hydraulic cylinder can be used as appropriate.

  An inspection table 100 is placed on the side of the article sorting shelf 60. The inspection table 100 is placed on the side of the article sorting shelf 60 because it is easy for an operator in front of the inspection table 100 to find the section 70 with the open / close door 72 open. In order to accommodate picked items, a tray 110 with a barcode 108 describing a list of items requested by a shipping destination is used. In the barcode 108, a shipping destination code, an article name code, and a quantity are written. Of course, an appropriate recording medium such as an IC card may be used instead of the barcode 108, and an appropriate reading means such as an IC card reader may be used instead of the POS scanner 106.

  On the inspection table 100, an electronic balance 102 as a weight measuring means for measuring the weight of the picked article and a POS scanner 106 as a reading means for reading the barcode 108 are placed. A controller (not shown) that controls the opening and closing of the air cylinder 80 is also placed near the inspection table 100. On the inspection table 100, a terminal 104 with a touch panel, which is a control inspection means connected to the electronic balance 102, the POS scanner 106, and the controller, is also placed. The touch panel-equipped terminal 104 includes a display screen and an audio output device, and can input various commands and input data by touching commands, characters, numbers, and the like displayed on the display screen with a finger. Then, the touch panel-equipped terminal 104 displays the shipping destination and the designated article name and quantity on the display screen according to the picking information read from the POS scanner 106, and outputs the voice and stores the designated article. The opening / closing door 72 of the section 70 is opened, and further, it is inspected whether or not the designated article is picked by the designated quantity from the weight of the picked article. Furthermore, the terminal 104 with a touch panel is also connected to a management computer (not shown) that monitors the progress of work.

  Next, a method of picking a designated number of articles designated from the article sorting facility 60 will be described based on the flowchart shown in FIG. A predetermined article is accommodated in each section 70 in advance, and the touch panel-equipped terminal 104 stores the name of the article accommodated for each section 70.

  In order to pick an article, first, in step S <b> 1, an operator places a tray 110 to which a barcode 108 describing an article list is attached on an electronic balance 102 placed on an inspection table 100. When the article is lighter than the tray 110, the weight of only the article is measured on the electronic balance 102. Therefore, the tray 110 may not be placed on the electronic balance 102. In any case, the touch panel-equipped terminal 104 automatically determines whether or not the tray 110 is placed on the electronic balance 102 in this step S1, so that only the weight of the article can be obtained thereafter.

  In step S2, the article list written on the barcode 108 is read by the POS scanner 106, and the article list is sent to the terminal 104 with a touch panel. In step S3, the touch panel-equipped terminal 104 selects one article from the designated articles according to the sent article list. In step S4, the touch panel-equipped terminal 104 opens the opening / closing door 72 of the section 70 in which the designated article is accommodated, displays the shipping destination, the article name, and the quantity on the display screen, and further displays the display contents. The operator is also notified by voice.

  Next, proceeding to step S5, the operator sees the instruction of the touch panel-equipped terminal 104, picks the designated article from the section 70 opened by the open / close door 72 by a designated amount, and puts this article on the tray 110. Put in.

  Next, proceeding to step S6, the touch panel-equipped terminal 104 measures the total weight of the picked article with the tray 110 measured by the electronic balance 102, and there are a designated number of designated articles from the weight. Whether the picking is appropriate or not is inspected. If there is no excess or deficiency in the picked items, the process proceeds to step S7, and the open / close door 74 is closed. If the picked article is too much or short of the designated quantity, the process proceeds to step S8, an alarm sound is output, and the shortage quantity or the excess quantity is displayed on the screen. If the measured total weight is not an integral multiple of the weight of one article, it is possible that the wrong article has been picked for some reason or there is a failure in this article sorting device. .

  Next, the process proceeds to step S <b> 9, and the operator picks the shortage of the articles from the section 70 and puts them in the tray 110 or returns the excess of the articles to the section 70. When the picking as specified is completed, the process automatically proceeds to step S7. If the process does not proceed automatically, the OK button on the screen is touched to forcibly advance to step S7, and the open / close door 74 is closed.

  When the open / close door 74 is closed in step S7, the process proceeds to step S10, and the terminal 104 with a touch panel checks whether there are any articles that have not yet been picked. If an unpicked article remains, the process proceeds to step S11, the next article is selected, and the process returns to step S4. Thereafter, steps S4 to S11 are repeated until the picking of all designated articles is completed. When the picking of all the specified items is completed, the display of picking completion and the indication that picking to the next shipping destination can be started is displayed, and these indications are also output by voice to perform picking work finish.

  According to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. (1) Since the opening / closing door 72 of the compartment 70 containing the designated article is opened by reading the article list written on the barcode 108 attached to the tray 110, the article contained in the wrong compartment 70 Can be reliably prevented from picking. (2) Since an operator manually carries articles from the designated section 70 to the inspection table 100, an article sorting facility with a small erroneous picking prevention device can be configured economically. (3) Since the total weight of the picked article with the tray 110 is measured, it is possible to easily find an erroneous picking relating to the article name and the number of picking, and an indication and an alarm are issued as soon as the erroneous picking is found, so that an erroneous picking is ensured. Can be prevented. (4) Since the air cylinder 80 is used to open and close the opening and closing door 72, the opening and closing speed of the opening and closing door 72 is fast, and a structure that is simple, reliable, and inexpensive can be obtained. (5) Since the open / close door 72 has a transparent sheet pasted on the frame, the articles accommodated in the respective sections 70 can be seen, so that it is easy to prevent erroneous picking.

  By the way, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made as follows, for example.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the opening / closing door 72 is provided as a picking permission unit on the front surface of each section 70. May be arranged. In this case, since the light source and the wiring for supplying power to the light source are inexpensive, a very inexpensive article sorting facility can be obtained.

  Further, a shutter or a light source that permits replenishment of articles may be attached to the replenishment port on the back side of each section 70 of the article sorting shelf 60. Then, the bar code attached to the tray or the like containing the articles to be replenished is read by the POS scanner 106, and the shutter on the back side of the section 70 for storing the articles is opened or the light source is turned on. Thus, the article can be replenished to a predetermined section without making an error, and further picking can be prevented.

It is a perspective view of the goods sorting equipment concerning one example of the present invention. It is a flowchart explaining operation | movement of the said article sorting equipment. It is a perspective view of the erroneous insertion prevention device with which the article sorting shelf is provided.

Explanation of symbols

60 Article sorting shelf 70 Section 72 Opening / closing door (Picking permission means)
100 Inspection table 102 Electronic scale (weight measuring means)
104 Terminal with touch panel (control inspection means)
106 POS scanner (reading means)
108 Barcode (Recording medium)
112, 114, 116 articles

Claims (3)

In an article sorting facility that is divided into a plurality of sections and includes an article sorting shelf that stores articles designated for each section, and picks the article from the article sorting shelf.
Recording medium in which picking information for designating article name and quantity is written, reading means for reading the recording medium, picking permission means provided in front of each section, and controller for controlling the operation of the picking permission means And weight measuring means for measuring the weight of the picked article, control reading means connected to the reading means, the controller and the weight measuring means,
The control inspection means displays the designated article name and quantity in accordance with the picking information read from the recording medium by the reading means, operates the picking permission means for the section containing the article, and further picks An article sorting facility characterized by inspecting whether or not a specified quantity of a specified quantity is picked from the weight of the article.   2. The article sorting facility according to claim 1, wherein the picking permission means is an open / close door.   2. The article sorting equipment according to claim 1, wherein the picking permission means is a light source arranged around the front surface of each section.

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