JP2008013300A - Stacker crane - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a stacker crane capable of efficiently performing entry/exit work even when partial abnormality occurs therein. <P>SOLUTION: The stacker crane comprises a crane body 1, a transfer device having transfer machines 3a, 3b which are provided on the crane body 1 and are reciprocated in the direction toward a shelf 202 to perform the deposit and delivery of cargoes, a traveling device 7 for allowing the crane body 1 to travel, and a lifting apparatus 4 for lifting the transfer device. When abnormality occurs in any one of the transfer machines 3a, 3b, the traveling device 7 and the lifting apparatus 4, the one with the abnormality can be separated and controlled by a control device 13. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a stacker crane that is used for automatically loading and unloading a load on a shelf in which a large number of storage units are formed.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, automatic warehouses that use a stacker crane to load and unload cargo are known that control the operation of a plurality of stacker cranes installed in the warehouse based on instructions from an operation computer. For example, the automatic warehouse described in Patent Document 1 is in the case where an abnormality occurs in view of the conventional problem that the entire function of the automatic warehouse stops when an abnormality occurs in one stacker crane and stops. The control system is configured so that the work that was planned to be handled by the failed stacker crane can be assigned to another normal stacker crane.

JP 2002-316705 A

  However, in the automatic warehouse described in Patent Document 1, even when a failure occurs only in a part of the functions of the stacker crane (for example, one transfer machine), All functions are stopped. In this case, the work scheduled by the stopped stacker crane is assigned to another normal stacker crane. Therefore, it is necessary to change the work schedule of another normal stacker crane, and the processing becomes complicated, and the amount of work performed by the normal stacker crane may increase and the work time may increase significantly. In addition, if the load that was scheduled to be released by the stopped stacker crane is not stored in the warehouse in charge of other stacker cranes, the work cannot be assigned, which is a problem.

  In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a stacker crane that can efficiently perform loading and unloading work even when a partial abnormality occurs.

Means and effects for solving the problems

  The stacker crane according to the present invention relates to a stacker crane used for automatically loading and unloading a load on a shelf in which a large number of storage units are formed. And the stacker crane which concerns on this invention has the following some features in order to achieve the said objective. That is, the stacker crane of the present invention has the following features alone or in combination as appropriate.

  The first feature of the stacker crane according to the present invention for achieving the above object is that, in a stacker crane used for loading and unloading a load on a shelf in which a large number of storage portions are formed, the crane body and the crane A transfer device provided on the main body and having a transfer machine for reciprocating in the direction toward the shelf to take in and out the load, a travel device for traveling the crane main body, and raising and lowering the transfer device And a control device capable of controlling at least one of the transfer device, the traveling device, and the lifting device by separating at least one of them.

  According to this configuration, even when an abnormality occurs in any of the transfer machine, the traveling device, and the lifting device, only the device having the abnormality can be separated and controlled. Here, disconnecting means disconnecting from the control system of the stacker crane, and means setting to exclude whether there is any abnormality during operation of the stacker crane. When an abnormality is detected in a part of the stacker crane, all drive shafts are controlled to stop abnormally, but by separating the abnormal part and controlling it, the disconnected part is detected even if there is an abnormality. It will not be. As a result, even when a part of the stacker crane breaks down, it is possible to perform work using normal functions without stopping the entire stacker crane. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a decrease in work efficiency at the time of failure.

  The second feature of the stacker crane according to the present invention is that the transfer device includes a first transfer device and a second transfer device as the transfer device, and the control device includes the first transfer device. That is, at least one of the transfer machine and the second transfer machine can be separated and controlled.

  According to this configuration, by using a stacker crane including two transfer machines as the transfer device, two loads can be loaded on the stacker crane, and the loading / unloading work can be performed efficiently. Also, even when an abnormality occurs in one transfer machine, work with the other normal transfer machine by disconnecting only one transfer machine in which an error has occurred without disconnecting the entire transfer device. Can be performed.

  A third feature of the stacker crane according to the present invention is that the separation setting for separating at least one of the transfer device, the traveling device, and the lifting device can be manually input. The apparatus further includes a separation input unit, and the control device performs control based on a separation setting input using the separation input unit.

  According to this configuration, when an abnormality occurs in a part of the stacker crane and the stacker crane stops, the operator can manually disconnect the function of the part where the abnormality has occurred using the separation input means. Thereby, the operator can confirm the state of abnormality with his / her own eyes, and after separating the abnormal part and determining that there is no problem even if the stacker crane is restarted, the abnormal part can be separated. As a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of secondary abnormalities in which other devices fail due to abnormalities occurring in one device.

  The fourth feature of the stacker crane according to the present invention is that the stacker crane further includes a moving speed input means capable of manually inputting a setting of the moving speed of the transfer machine, and the control device includes the moving speed input. The moving speed of the transfer machine is controlled based on the setting input using the means.

According to this configuration, the driving speed of the transfer machine when loading and unloading can be changed to a speed slower than the normal driving speed. By lowering the driving speed of the transfer machine, it becomes possible to load a load on the shelf or take it out from the shelf with higher positional accuracy.
In addition, when the abnormality occurring in the transfer machine is caused by the drive speed of the transfer machine, the abnormality may be canceled by reducing the drive speed of the transfer machine. In such a case, switching to the low speed mode without disconnecting the abnormal transfer machine enables the work to be continued without completely stopping the transfer machine, thereby reducing the increase in work time due to the occurrence of an abnormality. can do.

  Further, a fifth feature of the stacker crane according to the present invention is that, when the transfer device is disconnected, the control device disconnects the other transfer device that is not disconnected when the transfer device is disconnected. It is to control so that the other transfer machine that is not separated performs the work that the transferred machine has attempted.

  According to this configuration, the work that cannot be completed due to the occurrence of an abnormality among the work undertaken by the transfer machine in which an abnormality has occurred is transferred to be performed by another normal transfer machine. It is possible to reliably execute the work command without leaving it.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a stacker crane control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, in the automatic warehouse 200, a shelf 202 in which a large number of storage units are formed and a loading / unloading station 203 are installed in parallel with the direction along the rail 201, and move on the rail 201. A possible stacker crane 100 is provided. The control device related to the control of the stacker crane 100 is automatically based on an inventory management computer 11 (hereinafter referred to as an inventory management PC) that transmits a loading / unloading command of a load to / from the automatic warehouse 200, and the loading / unloading command. A control computer 12 (hereinafter referred to as “control PC”) for instructing control of equipment in the warehouse 200 and a crane controller 13 for controlling the operation of the stacker crane 100 based on the instruction from the control PC 12 are provided. The inventory management PC 11 can manage a plurality of automatic warehouses 200 by sending commands to a plurality of control PCs 12. As will be described later, the crane controller 13 is provided in the main body of the stacker crane 100.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the entire stacker crane 100 shown in FIG. The stacker crane 100 is a twin transfer machine stacker crane including two transfer machines.
The crane body 1 of the stacker crane 100 includes a lower frame 1a that moves on the lower rail 201a, a pair of masts 1b and 1b that are erected on both ends of the lower frame 1a, and an upper rail 201b that is above the pair of masts. And the upper frame 1c. The upper frame 1c is provided with a brake device 1d that can decelerate by sandwiching the rail at the engaging portion with the upper rail 201b. A carriage 2 on which a load is placed is supported between the masts 1b and 1b so as to be movable up and down. On the carriage 2, a first transfer device 3a and a second transfer device 3b as transfer devices are arranged in parallel. One mast 1b is provided with a lifting motor 4 (lifting device) for moving the carriage 2 up and down, and a servo box 5 and a regenerative resistance box 6 above the lifting motor 4, respectively. The other mast 1 b is provided with a traveling motor 7 (traveling device) for traveling the crane body 1, and an operation panel 8 and a crane controller 13 (control device) above the traveling motor 7.

The transfer device includes a first transfer device 3a and a second transfer device 3b, and drives the elevating motor 4 to wind up a belt (not shown) provided on the masts 1b and 1b, for example. Thus, the carriage 2 can be moved up and down between the masts 1b and 1b together with the carriage 2.
The transfer machines 3a and 3b are composed of sensors necessary for control, drive devices such as motors, harnesses, and other mechanical parts, and move in the up and down direction (direction indicated by arrow Y in FIG. 2) and the stacker crane 100 travel. The load can be taken in and out by reciprocating in a direction (direction indicated by arrow Z in FIG. 2) perpendicular to both directions (direction indicated by arrow X in FIG. 2). That is, it moves so that it may protrude toward the shelf 202 from the crane main body 1, and the load stored on the accommodating part of the shelf 202 is put on the transfer machines 3a and 3b and moved so as to return to the crane main body 1 side. Thus, the load can be transferred onto the carriage 2. Moreover, the load placed on the transfer machines 3a and 3b can be transferred to the shelf 202 by performing the reverse operation of the above operation. The two transfer machines 3a and 3b can perform the transfer operation independently of each other.

  The mechanism for taking out the load of the transfer machines 3a and 3b is not limited to the case of performing forking as described above, and a mechanism for holding the load from both sides and taking it out can be used. Moreover, it is not restricted when installing two transfer machines, You may install one or three or more. Moreover, it is not restricted to the case where each of a some transfer machine is a transfer machine of the same shape. For example, when handling multiple loads with different shapes, weights, etc., it is possible to use them according to the type of load by arranging multiple transfer machines with different mechanisms and sizes for removing the loads. It becomes possible to perform more stable work.

The stacker crane 100 is loaded on the transfer device at the loading / unloading station 203 (see FIG. 1), and rotates a wheel (not shown) by driving the traveling motor 7 to a position facing the shelf 202, on the rail 201a. And the load is stored in the storage portion of the shelf 202. Further, the cargo stored in the storage unit of the shelf 202 is taken out, moved to the loading / unloading station 203, and placed at a predetermined position.
In the stacker crane 100 of this embodiment, it is possible to place one load on each of the two transfer machines 3a and 3b, that is, up to two loads on the stacker crane 100. Compared to a stacker crane equipped with only a transfer machine, the number of reciprocations between the shelf 202 and the loading / unloading station 203 can be reduced, and work can be performed efficiently.

Next, operation control of the stacker crane 100 will be described.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a control flow during normal operation of the stacker crane 100. As shown in the upper part of FIG. 3, loading / unloading of the automatic warehouse 200 is controlled by the inventory management PC 11, the control PC 12, and the crane controller 13.

  The inventory management PC 11 is a computer that manages inventory data in the automatic warehouse 200. Warehousing work and warehousing work are registered in the inventory management PC, and this warehousing instruction is transmitted to the control PC 12. In addition, completed warehousing work and warehousing work are registered, and inventory data is updated.

The control PC 12 transmits control information to the crane controller 13 based on an entry / exit instruction from the inventory management PC 11. The crane controller 13 moves the stacker crane 100 by the traveling motor 7 based on the control information from the control PC 12, lifts the load by the lifting motor 4, stores the load on the shelf 202 by the transfer machines 3a and 3b, takes out the load, etc. Control.
The crane controller 13 is installed in the crane body 1 and moves with the stacker crane 100.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the control system is configured so that a plurality of automatic warehouses 200 can be managed by the inventory management PC 11, and the control PCs and stackers correspond to the plurality of automatic warehouses 200. A crane 100 is installed. In this case, an entry / exit instruction is sent from one inventory management PC 12 to the control PC 12 in charge of the automatic warehouse 200 that is the object of entry / exit, and the stacker crane 100 provided in the automatic warehouse 200 is controlled.
In addition, when a plurality of stacker cranes are provided in one automatic warehouse and the assigned range of each stacker crane is determined, a plurality of stacker cranes are used by using one control PC provided in the automatic warehouse. It is also possible to configure the control system to perform the above control.

(Normal operation)
A series of operations of the warehousing work will be described along the flow of FIG. As will be described later, the setting for disconnecting the transfer device (transfer machines 3a and 3b), the travel device (travel motor 7 and the like) and the lift device (lift motor 4 and the like) of the stacker crane 100 is performed in advance before starting. ing. The following will describe a case where all the devices are normal and are set as “valid (not disconnected)” before startup.

  First, when the start switch of the control PC 11 is turned on by the operator (A1), a signal for permitting operation of the stacker crane is sent from the control PC 12 to the crane controller (step 101, hereinafter referred to as S101. Other steps). The same). When the crane controller 13 receives the operation permission (S101) signal, the crane 3 performs a transfer function of the stacker crane 100, a traveling device such as the traveling motor 7 that performs the traveling function, and an elevating function that performs the lifting function. The control PC is informed whether the lifting device such as the motor 4 is valid (not separated) or invalid (separated). In the example shown in FIG. 3, since all are normal, the control PC 12 is notified that all are valid (S102).

  Next, when the warehousing operation is registered in the inventory management PC 11, warehousing instruction information is transmitted from the inventory management PC 11 to the control PC 12. For example, a storage instruction such as the position of the load at the loading / unloading station, a shelf for storing the load and a storage position in the shelf is given (S103).

  In response to the instruction of S103, the control PC 12 drives the traveling motor 7 via the crane controller 13 to cause the stacker crane 100 to travel to a predetermined loading / unloading station 203 position, and also drives the lifting motor 4 to move to a predetermined height. The mounting machines 3a and 3b are raised. Then, one of the two transfer machines mounted, for example, the first transfer machine 3a is driven to perform a load scooping operation, and the load is placed on the stacker crane 100 (S104). When the operations in these devices are completed normally, a signal indicating that the operations have been completed normally is sent from the crane controller 13 to the control PC 12 (S105).

  The control PC 12 that has received the signal (S105) that the scooping operation in the first transfer machine 3a has been completed normally drives the traveling motor 7 via the crane controller 13 in the same manner, and the stacker crane reaches a predetermined shelf position. While moving 100, the elevating motor 4 is driven to raise the transfer machines 3a and 3b to a predetermined height. Then, the first transfer machine 3a loaded with the load is driven to perform a shelf lowering operation, and the load is placed on the shelf 202 (S106). When the operations in these devices are completed normally, a signal indicating that the operations are completed normally is sent from the crane controller 13 to the control PC 12 (S107).

  The control PC 12 receives a signal of completion of the shelf unloading operation by the first transfer machine 3a, confirms that all of the warehousing instructions (S103) from the inventory management PC 11 are completed, and sends a signal indicating the completion of warehousing to the inventory management PC 11. Send (S108). The inventory management PC 11 receives the receipt completion signal and updates the inventory data.

(Operation when an error occurs)
Next, the operation when an abnormality occurs in the first transfer machine 3a during normal operation will be described along the flow shown in FIG.

  The flow shown in FIG. 4 is the same as the flow during normal operation shown in FIG. 3 until the occurrence of an abnormality (S204). First, the start switch of the control PC 12 is turned ON by the operator (A1), and when the crane controller 13 receives an operation permission signal (S201), the set separation parameter information is returned to the control PC 12. In the initial state, the transfer machines 3a and 3b, the traveling device, and the lifting device are all normal and all are set to be effective, and this is transmitted to the control PC 12 (S202). Further, when the warehousing operation is registered in the inventory management PC 11, warehousing instruction information is transmitted from the inventory management PC 11 to the control PC 12 (S203).

  In response to the instruction in S203, the control PC 12 drives the traveling motor 7 via the crane controller 13 to drive the stacker crane 100 to a predetermined loading / unloading station 203 position, and drives the lifting motor 4 to move to a predetermined height. The mounting machines 3a and 3b are raised. Then, the first transfer machine 3a is driven to perform a load scooping operation (S204).

Hereinafter, the control after occurrence of abnormality in the load scooping operation by the first transfer machine 3a will be described.
First, processing for determining occurrence of abnormality will be described.
The abnormality determination process for various devices by the crane controller 13 is always repeated after the stacker crane 100 is started according to the flow shown in FIG. That is, it is determined whether or not each of the first transfer machine 3a, the second transfer machine 3b, the traveling device, and the lifting device is effective (not separated) (S301, S304, S307, S310), and is determined to be effective. Whether or not there is an abnormality is determined for each device (S302, S305, S308, S311). The abnormality of each device is determined by detecting, for example, a load loading position shift caused by the operation of the transfer machine, a lift position shift by the lifting device, a stop position shift by the traveling device, etc. using a position sensor. be able to. Also, when these sensors fail, it is determined that there is an abnormality.
When there is an abnormality, the occurrence of the abnormality is reported to the control PC 12 (S303, S306, S309, S312), and all the drive shafts of the stacker crane are stopped (S313). Also, abnormality monitoring processing is performed for devices other than the transfer machine, the traveling device, and the lifting device, and if there is an abnormality, predetermined processing such as driving stop is performed (S314).

  In the initial state of the present embodiment, the first transfer machine 3a and the second transfer machine 3b are set to be effective, and the traveling device and the lifting device are set to be enabled. Therefore, the crane controller 13 determines the presence / absence of each device in turn.

  In the flow of FIG. 4, since an abnormality has occurred during the picking operation at the transfer machine 3a (S204), the occurrence of the abnormality of the first transfer machine 3a is transmitted to the control PC 12 (S205, in FIG. 5). Corresponding to S306). Then, the crane controller 13 stops all the drive shafts of the stacker crane 100 (S313 in FIG. 5).

  The control PC 12 that has received the abnormality occurrence signal performs an alarm display indicating that an abnormality has occurred on the monitor or the like of the control PC 12 and the warning light is turned on, and also sounds a warning buzzer to notify the operator of the occurrence of the abnormality. Do.

The operator receives the notification of the occurrence of the abnormality, returns the load that was the object of the scooping operation by the first transfer machine 3a where the abnormality has occurred to the loading / unloading station 203, and confirms the abnormal state of the first transfer machine 3a. (A2).
The operator can manually input the detachment setting of the first transfer machine 3a from the control PC 12 after confirming the state of the first transfer machine 3a. For example, it is possible to input the separation setting by using a separation input means such as a keyboard or a touch panel while looking at the abnormal screen or the maintenance screen of the control PC 12. Thereby, the operator can confirm the state of abnormality with his / her own eyes, and after separating the abnormal part and determining that there is no problem even if the stacker crane 100 is restarted, the abnormal part can be separated. In this way, it is effective because an appropriate response can be taken according to the failure situation.
In addition, in order to save a worker's trouble and to perform a quick operation | work, it can also be set as the structure which the control PC12 or the crane controller 13 performs an isolation | separation setting automatically when abnormality generate | occur | produces.

For example, the following four types of settings can be set for the first transfer machine 3a.
1: Both the first transfer machine 3a and the second transfer machine 3b are valid 2: Only the first transfer machine 3a is disconnected 3: Only the second transfer machine 3b is disconnected 4: The first transfer machine 3a, the second transfer As described above, when the separation setting is input from the control PC 12, the crane controller 13 is informed that the separation setting of the transfer machine has been changed. Thereafter, the stacker crane 100 is controlled by the crane controller 13 based on the input disconnection setting. That is, the crane controller 13 does not detect an abnormality of the separated transfer machine, and performs the operation only with an effective transfer machine.

  It is also possible to set the moving speed of the transfer machines 3a and 3b to be slow (low speed mode setting). For example, when transferring a mold or the like with oil, the moving speed of the transfer machines 3a and 3b is high, causing load slipping and shifting of the load placement position. In such a case, the occurrence of an abnormality can be suppressed by setting the low speed mode. As a result, the operation can be continued without disconnecting the transfer machine, so that an increase in the operation time due to the occurrence of an abnormality can be reduced.

  The low speed mode setting can be manually input while confirming the abnormal screen or the maintenance screen from the moving speed input means such as the control PC 12 as in the case of the disconnection setting, and the crane controller 13 transfers the transfer machine based on the input setting. The control of 3a and 3b is performed.

For the low-speed mode setting, for example, the following four types of settings can be performed.
1: Normal speed 2 for both the first transfer machine 3a and the second transfer machine 3b 2: Low speed mode setting only for the first transfer machine 3a 3: Low speed mode setting only for the second transfer machine 3b 4: First transfer machine 3a , 2nd transfer machine 3b is set to low speed mode

The separation setting and the low speed mode setting can be set independently.
Further, as described above, both settings are not limited to the case of inputting from the control PC 12, but can be configured to be input by other input means. For example, a console personal computer other than the control PC 12 can be used as the input means. Moreover, it is also possible to input to the crane controller 13 by remote operation from a remote controller or the like having a parameter setting function, and in this case, it is effective because it is not constrained by a place set by the operator. In addition, it is possible to input settings by operating the operation panel 8 provided on the stacker crane 100, a dip switch, or the like. In this case, the control system can have a simple configuration.

  As shown in the flow of FIG. 4, the operator confirms the state of the first transfer machine 3a in which an abnormality has occurred (A2), and if it is difficult to immediately restore the first transfer machine 3a, the first transfer machine 3a A disconnection setting for disconnecting the loading machine 3a is input from the control PC 12, and the setting of the crane controller 13 is changed (A3). Then, the operator performs an abnormality canceling operation on the control PC 12 (A5), and transmits an abnormality canceling instruction to the crane controller 13 (S206). Thereafter, the start switch is turned ON again (A6), and the operation of the stacker crane 100 by the crane controller 13 is permitted (S207). When receiving the operation permission signal, the crane controller 13 returns the set separation parameter information (information that only the first transfer machine 3a is disconnected) to the control PC 12 (S208).

  The control PC 12 can determine a controllable transfer machine based on the separation parameter information, and can control work that has been instructed from the inventory management PC 11, including work that has been attempted by the first transfer machine 3 a in which an abnormality has occurred. Redistributed to the second transfer machine 3b, which is a simple transfer machine. That is, the control PC 12 first instructs the crane controller 13 to cause the second transfer machine 3b to perform the operation of taking out the load from the warehousing station that has been attempted by the first transfer machine 3a (S209). At this time, since the time required for the work is changed by changing the transfer machine in charge of the work, a predetermined time (time over detection time) for issuing an abnormality warning when the work time is exceeded is appropriately changed. In addition, as shown in the flow for performing the normal operation in FIG. 3, operation commands to the traveling device and the lifting device are also appropriately given.

  As described above, among the work that was being performed by the first transfer machine 3a in which an abnormality occurred, the work that could not be completed due to the occurrence of the abnormality was controlled by the control PC 12 as a second normal transfer machine. Since the transfer is performed as performed by the transfer machine 3b, it is possible to reliably execute the work command without leaving an attempted work.

  The crane controller 13 receives an instruction from the control PC 12, drives the traveling motor 7, causes the stacker crane 100 to travel to a predetermined loading / unloading station 203 position, and drives the lifting / lowering motor 4 to a predetermined height. -Raise 3b. Then, the second transfer machine 3b performs a load scooping operation, places the load on the stacker crane 100, and sends a signal to the control PC 12 that the operation has been completed normally (S210).

  The control PC 12 that has received the signal (S210) that the scooping operation in the second transfer machine 3b has been normally completed similarly drives the travel motor 7 via the crane controller 13 to the stacker crane to a predetermined shelf position. While moving 100, the elevating motor 4 is driven to raise the transfer machines 3a and 3b to a predetermined height. Then, the second transfer machine 3b on which the load is loaded is driven to perform a shelf lowering operation, and the load is placed on the shelf 202 (S211). When the operations of these devices are completed normally, the crane controller 13 sends a signal indicating that the operations have been completed normally to the control PC 12 (S212).

  The control PC 12 receives a signal of completion of the shelf unloading operation by the second transfer machine 3b, confirms that all the warehousing instructions (S203) from the inventory management PC 11 are completed, and sends a signal indicating the completion of warehousing to the inventory management PC 11. Send (S213). The inventory management PC 11 receives the receipt completion signal and updates the inventory data.

  The case where an abnormality has occurred in the first transfer machine 3a has been described above. However, when an abnormality has occurred in the traveling device or the lifting device, the traveling device or the lifting device in which the abnormality has occurred can also be controlled separately. .

  If an abnormality occurs in the traveling device such as the traveling operation is stopped due to a failure of the traveling motor 7 during the operation of the stacker crane 100 (S308: YES in FIG. 5), the crane controller 13 issues an abnormality of the traveling device ( S309), all the drive shafts of the stacker crane 100 are stopped (S313). Here, similarly to the separation of the transfer machine, although the traveling operation cannot be performed by separating the traveling device, the transfer machine and the lifting device can be driven. For example, the stacker crane 100 is connected to the lifting machine (vertical transfer machine). ). It should be noted that the separation setting can be input from the control PC 12 or the like, similarly to the separation setting of the transfer machine.

  In addition, when an abnormality occurs in the lifting device, such as when the lifting operation stops due to a failure of the lifting motor 4 during the operation of the stacker crane 100 (S311 in FIG. 5), the crane controller 13 reports an abnormality in the lifting device ( (S312), all the drive shafts of the stacker crane 100 are stopped (S313). Here, by separating the lifting device, the carriage cannot be lifted or lowered, but the transfer machine and the traveling device can be driven. For example, the stacker crane 100 is placed between the storage units located at the same height of the rack. It can be operated as a traverser, that is, a device for moving a load only in the horizontal direction. If the stop position of the stacker crane 100 when an abnormality occurs is a position that hinders other work in the warehouse, the stacker crane 100 is moved to a position that does not hinder other work by driving the traveling device. It is also possible to perform control. The input of the separation setting can be performed from the control PC 12 or the like, similarly to the separation setting of the transfer machine.

  According to the stacker crane 100 according to the present embodiment, a transfer machine that requires maintenance and cannot be driven, such as when a sensor breaks down, or when the load position accuracy of a load decreases due to wear of a sliding portion, By separating and driving the traveling device and the lifting device, the system stop time due to the abnormality process can be reduced.

  In addition, since the detachment setting can be easily performed only by changing the setting parameter, the work can be safely continued without waiting for the arrival of a maintenance worker such as a service person. Therefore, it can suppress that the efficiency of loading / unloading of a load falls.

Next, a modification of the abnormality determination process (see FIG. 5) for various devices by the crane controller 13 will be described.
The abnormality determination processing of various devices by the crane controller 13 can be repeatedly performed after the stacker crane 100 is started according to the flow shown in FIG. The flow shown in FIG. 6 is different from the flow shown in FIG. 5 in that S401 and S402 are added. In addition, the same step number is attached | subjected to the step which performs the same process, and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  In this modified example, it is determined whether or not the operation time and the number of operations after the separation setting are within a valid range (S401). Here, the effective range is that the operation time after the separation setting is within a predetermined time, or the number of operations after the separation setting (for example, the number of round trips between the loading / unloading station and the shelf). Is within a predetermined number of times. Therefore, when the operation time after setting the detachment exceeds the predetermined time, or when the number of operations after the detachment setting has reached the predetermined number, the detachment setting is reset and all devices are enabled (disconnected). Is reset (reset processing) (S401: NO, S402). Then, the same processing as the flow shown in FIG. On the other hand, if the predetermined time has not elapsed or the number of operations does not exceed the predetermined number, the reset process is not performed and the same process as the flow shown in FIG. 5 described above is performed (S401: YES).

  By adding steps (S401, S402) including such a reset process, all devices can be returned to a valid state (not disconnected) after a certain time has elapsed or after a certain number of operations. Yes, it is possible to confirm the presence or absence of an abnormality for all devices. Normally, an apparatus that has been disconnected due to an abnormality before the reset process detects an abnormality even after the reset process, and the operator performs the disconnection setting again. However, a normal device may be accidentally disconnected during operation, which may cause an inefficient state in which the device is stopped even though there is no abnormality in the device. In addition, when the apparatus is disconnected due to an abnormality and is restored to a normal state by repair or the like, the operator may forget to return the apparatus disconnection setting to an effective state. Even in such a case, it is effective because the apparatus can be automatically returned to an effective state by being reset.

  In addition, as shown in the flow of FIG. 6, it is not limited to the case where it is determined whether or not the reset process is performed based on the operation time and the number of operations. For example, when the power of the crane is turned off and then turned on again It is also possible to set to perform reset processing. In this case, it is not necessary to set the operation time and the number of operations in advance, and the labor of the operator can be reduced. Further, the reset process is performed during the operation of the crane, so that the work is not interrupted and the work can be performed efficiently.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made as long as they are described in the claims.

It is the schematic which shows the structure of the control system of the stacker crane which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a whole schematic diagram which shows the stacker crane shown in FIG. It is a flowchart at the time of the normal driving | operation of the stacker crane shown in FIG. It is a flowchart at the time of abnormality occurrence of the stacker crane shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the abnormality determination process by a crane controller. It is a flowchart which shows the modification of the abnormality determination process by the crane controller shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Crane main body 2 Carriage 3a 1st transfer machine (transfer apparatus)
3b Second transfer machine (transfer equipment)
4 Lifting motor (lifting device)
7 Traveling motor (traveling device)
11 Inventory management PC (control device)
12 Control PC (control device)
13 Crane controller (control device)
100 stacker crane 200 automatic warehouse 202 shelf 203 loading / unloading station

Claims (5)

In a stacker crane used for loading and unloading loads to and from a shelf on which a large number of storage units are formed,
The crane body,
A transfer device provided on the crane body, and having a transfer machine that reciprocates in the direction toward the shelf to take in and out the load;
A traveling device for traveling the crane body;
A lifting device for lifting and lowering the transfer device;
A control device capable of separating and controlling at least one of the transfer device, the traveling device, and the lifting device;
A stacker crane comprising: The transfer device has a first transfer machine and a second transfer machine as the transfer machine,
2. The stacker crane according to claim 1, wherein the control device can control by separating at least one of the first transfer machine and the second transfer machine. A separation input means capable of manually inputting a separation setting for separating at least one of the transfer device, the traveling device, and the lifting device;
The stacker crane according to claim 1, wherein the control device performs control based on a separation setting input using the separation input unit. A moving speed input means capable of manually inputting the setting of the moving speed of the transfer machine;
The said control apparatus controls the moving speed of the said transfer machine based on the setting input using the said moving speed input means, The at least any one of Claim 1 thru | or 3 characterized by the above-mentioned. Stacker crane.   When the transfer device is disconnected, and the other transfer device that is not disconnected remains, the control device does not disconnect the attempted work from the disconnected transfer device. The stacker crane according to claim 1, wherein the stacker crane is controlled so as to be performed by another transfer machine.

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