JP2017030884A - Pallet separating facility - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve a pallet separating facility that can appropriately separate pallets to be separated when heights of the pallets to be separated in which are placed and supported articles change depending on each pallet.SOLUTION: A control device performs first control, second control, third control and fourth control in order. The first control is control by which information relating to a height of a second pallet P2 is acquired so as to align a height of a supporting body 30 to a first height H1 corresponding to a height of a supporting body inserted part 70. The second control is control by which the supporting body 30 is moved up to a height position at which the second pallet P2 is separated from a first pallet part PG after the supporting body 30 is inserted into the supporting body inserted part 70. The third control is control by which the first pallet part PG is carried out from a position where pallets are separated. The fourth control is control by which the supporting body 30 is detached from the supporting body insertion part 70 after the supporting body 30 is moved down to a height position corresponding to a height of a carrying surface 10a of a carrying device 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

  The present invention relates to a pallet separation facility.

  As a pallet separation facility, a facility described in JP-A-2005-330044 (Patent Document 1) is known. In the pallet separation facility described in Patent Document 1, as shown in FIG. 7 of the document, the load carrying pallet P2 for placing and supporting the load W is stacked on the upper side of the shelf storage pallet P1. The load W is stored in the storage shelf 1. And when carrying out the said load W outside, it is comprised by the pallet transfer means 22 so that the load conveyance pallet P2 may be isolate | separated from the shelf storage pallet P1 in the state which mounted and supported the load W. ing. The pallet transfer means 22 includes a fork-like pallet support portion 28 that is inserted into a fork insertion portion Pa provided on the load carrying pallet P2, and the pallet support portion 28 is inserted into the fork insertion portion Pa. By lowering the swivel base side transport unit 32 that transports the shelf storage pallet P1, the load transport pallet P2 is separated from the shelf storage pallet P1.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-330044 (paragraphs 0031, 0046, FIGS. 3, 7, etc.)

  By the way, when the separation target pallets for placing and supporting articles such as loads are stacked from the upper side with respect to a group of a plurality of stacked pallets, the height of the separation target pallets is Varies depending on the number of stages in the group. In addition, when a plurality of types of pallets having different heights are mixed in the pallet to be separated or the pallet on which the pallets are stacked, the height of the pallet to be separated can vary depending on the type of the pallet. However, in the facility of Patent Document 1, the height of the pallet support portion is fixed, and it has not been assumed to be used in a situation where the height of the pallet to be separated changes for each pallet.

  Thus, it is desired to realize a pallet separation facility that can appropriately separate the separation target pallet when the height of the separation target pallet on which the article is placed and supported changes for each pallet.

  The characteristic configuration of the pallet separation facility according to the present invention is as follows: a transport device that transports a pallet along a transport path, and a first pallet unit that is composed of a single pallet or a plurality of stacked pallets. A lifting device that lifts and lowers the second pallet stacked on the upper side at a pallet separation position on the transport path, and a control device that controls the operation of the transporting device and the lifting device. A support for supporting the second pallet from below, an insertion / removal mechanism for inserting / removing the support with respect to a support insertion portion provided on the second pallet, and a lifting / lowering mechanism for raising / lowering the support. When the first pallet part in a state where the second pallets are stacked is carried into the pallet separation position, the control device includes a first control, a second control, a third control, and Four controls are executed in order to separate the second pallet from the first pallet part with the second pallet placing and supporting the article, and the first control is arranged on the upper side of the first pallet part. The second pallet height information, which is information related to the height of the stacked second pallet, is acquired, and the support body positioned outside the support body insertion portion is based on the second pallet height information. The control is performed to adjust the height to a first height corresponding to the height of the support insertion portion, and the second control includes inserting the support into the support insertion portion and then supporting the support. The body is raised from the first height to a second height which is a height at which the second pallet is separated from the first pallet part, and the third control is the first pallet part Control for unloading from the pallet separation position, The control is such that the support is lowered from the second height to a third height corresponding to the height of the transfer surface of the transfer device, and then the support is detached from the support insertion portion. In that point.

  According to said characteristic structure, the 2nd pallet currently stacked on the upper side of the 1st pallet part is carried out by performing the 1st control, the 2nd control, the 3rd control, and the 4th control in order. The two pallets can be separated from the first pallet portion with the article placed thereon and supported, and can be lowered onto the conveying surface of the conveying device. At this time, in the first control, information regarding the height of the second pallet is acquired, and based on the information, the height of the support is adjusted to the first height corresponding to the height of the support insertion portion. Therefore, even when the height of the second pallet, which is the separation target pallet on which the article is placed and supported, changes every second pallet, the height of the support is adjusted based on the information about the height of the second pallet each time. Thus, the second pallet can be appropriately separated from the first pallet part.

  Here, it is preferable that the second pallet height information includes information on the number of pallets constituting the first pallet part.

  According to this configuration, when the height of the second pallet stacked on the upper side of the first pallet part is substantially determined according to the number of pallets constituting the first pallet part, based on the information on the number. The first height can be derived appropriately. In addition, according to said structure, since 2nd pallet height information can be made into comparatively simple information, the structure for managing or producing | generating 2nd pallet height information can also be simplified. .

  The second pallet has a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the pallet by the conveyance device when viewed in the vertical direction, and the second pallet has the support insertion portion opened in both directions in the conveyance orthogonal direction. The first support body that is stacked on the upper side of one pallet part, and the lifting device is inserted into and removed from the support body insertion part from one side of the transport orthogonal direction, and the transport orthogonal direction A second support body that is the support body that is inserted into and removed from the support body insertion portion from the other side, and a first mast that is erected along the vertical direction to support the first support body in a vertically movable manner And a second mast that is erected along the up-down direction and supports the second support so as to be movable up and down, wherein the first mast and the second mast sandwich the transport device with the transport Arranged to face each other in the orthogonal direction, The mechanism includes a first rotating body that rotates in conjunction with the raising and lowering of the first support body along the first mast, and a first rotating body that rotates in conjunction with the raising and lowering of the second support body along the second mast. Two rotating bodies, an axis extending in the conveyance orthogonal direction and interlocking with the rotation of the first rotating body and the rotation of the second rotating body, and a drive device that rotationally drives the interlocking shaft. It is suitable if it is provided.

  According to this configuration, since the second pallet can be supported from both sides in the conveyance orthogonal direction by the first support and the second support, when only one of the first support and the second support is provided. In comparison, when raising and lowering the second pallet in a state where the article is placed and supported, it becomes easy to stabilize the posture of the second pallet. Furthermore, according to said structure, since a 1st support body and a 2nd support body can be raised / lowered interlockingly by rotationally driving an interlocking | linkage axis | shaft with a drive device, the 2nd pallet also from this point It is easy to stabilize the posture.

  The width of the second pallet in the transport direction is set to a width that allows the two second pallets to be stacked in the transport direction and stacked on the upper side of the first pallet part, and is the two lifting devices. A first lifting device and a second lifting device are provided side by side in the transport direction, and an interval in the transport direction between the first lifting device and the second lifting device is the first support body of the first lifting device. And the second pallet supported by the second support and the second pallet supported by the first support and the second support of the second lifting device do not overlap in a vertical view. It is preferable that the control device is configured to be capable of independently controlling the operation of the first lifting device and the second lifting device.

  According to this structure, the 2nd pallet with which the space | interval of the conveyance direction of a 1st lifting apparatus and a 2nd lifting apparatus is supported by the 1st support body and the 2nd support body of a 1st lifting apparatus, and a 2nd lifting apparatus The first pallet and the second pallet supported by the second support are set at intervals that do not overlap in the vertical direction. Therefore, when two second pallets are stacked side by side on the upper side of the first pallet part, the processing for these two second pallets can be performed in parallel, and only one lifting device is provided. Compared to the above, it is possible to shorten the time required for the pallet separation process. Moreover, according to said structure, since the control apparatus is comprised so that control of the operation | movement of a 1st lifting / lowering apparatus and the operation | movement of a 2nd lifting / lowering apparatus is possible independently, two 2nd on the upper side of a 1st pallet part. When the pallets are stacked side by side, only one of the second pallets can be separated from the first pallet part, and the processing for each of the second pallets can be made different.

  The first pallet portion in a state where the second pallet is separated is further provided with a carry-out conveyance device that carries out the conveyance path from the pallet separation position, and the first mast of the first elevating device and the first mast It is preferable that the first mast of the second lifting device is arranged so as to face the transport direction with the carry-out transport device interposed therebetween.

  According to this configuration, the installation space for the unloading / conveying device is reduced as compared with the case where the unloading / conveying device is provided to unload the first pallet unit from the position different from the pallet separation position. As a result, it is possible to save the space of the entire equipment. And even when it is a case where a carrying-out conveyance apparatus is provided so that a 1st pallet part may be carried out of a conveyance path | route from a pallet separation position in this way, the 1st mast and 2nd lifting apparatus of a 1st raising / lowering apparatus as mentioned above The first mast of the first elevating device and the second elevating device are avoided by avoiding interference with the unloading and conveying device by arranging the first mast of the first and second masts so as to face each other in the conveying direction across the carry and conveying device. Can be arranged.

Plan view of a part of the transport facility according to the embodiment The top view of a part of pallet separation equipment concerning an embodiment Front view of the lifting device according to the embodiment Front view of the lifting device according to the embodiment when the height of the support is the third height Front view of the lifting device according to the embodiment when the height of the support is the second height Front view of the lifting device according to the embodiment when the height of the support is the first height for one stage Front view of the lifting device according to the embodiment when the height of the support is the first height for two steps Side view of part of the lifting device according to the embodiment The figure which shows the arrangement configuration of the sensor in the raising / lowering apparatus which concerns on embodiment. Sectional drawing of the insertion / extraction mechanism which concerns on embodiment when a support body is located in a retraction position Another sectional view of the insertion / removal mechanism according to the embodiment when the support is located at the retraction position Sectional drawing of the insertion / removal mechanism which concerns on embodiment when a support body is located in a protrusion position Another sectional view of the insertion / removal mechanism according to the embodiment when the support is located at the protruding position The figure which shows the 1st example of the flow of pallet separation processing The figure which shows the 2nd example of the flow of pallet separation processing The figure which shows the 3rd example of the flow of pallet separation processing Control block diagram according to the embodiment The flowchart which shows the pallet separation process which concerns on embodiment

  An embodiment of a pallet separation facility according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, a case where the pallet separation facility according to the present invention is applied to a transport facility (article transport facility) will be described as an example.

〔overall structure〕
As shown in FIG. 1, the transport facility according to the present embodiment includes an automatic warehouse 2, a loading / unloading conveyor 3, and a transport vehicle system 4 in addition to the pallet separation facility 5. The automatic warehouse 2 includes a storage shelf 2a and a stacker crane 2b. The storage shelf 2a includes a plurality of storage units that store the articles W, and the stacker crane 2b conveys the articles W between the loading / unloading conveyor 3 and the storage rack 2a (storage unit). As will be described later, the article W is stored in the storage shelf 2a (storage unit) while being placed on the pallet. Each loading / unloading conveyor 3 is configured to realize at least one of a function as a loading conveyor for the automatic warehouse 2 and a function as a loading conveyor from the automatic warehouse 2. The

  The transport vehicle system 4 includes a transport vehicle 4a that travels on the travel rail 4b and transports the article W. The transport vehicle 4a includes a transfer device (for example, a device having a clamp unit, a device having a roller conveyor, a device having a belt conveyor, etc.) for transferring an article W between the (self) and the loading / unloading conveyor 3. The article W delivered from the automatic warehouse 2 is conveyed from the loading / unloading conveyor 3 to the transfer destination, and the article W received into the automatic warehouse 2 is transferred from the loading source to the loading / unloading conveyor 3. In the present embodiment, the article W is transferred between the stacker crane 2b and the loading / unloading conveyor 3 at the end of the loading / unloading conveyor 3 on the automatic warehouse 2 side. The article W is transferred between the transport vehicle 4a and the loading / unloading conveyor 3 at the opposite end (end on the traveling rail 4b side).

  Although the details will be described later, the pallet separation facility 5 is configured so that the second pallet P2 stacked on the upper side of the first pallet part PG is supported by the first pallet part PG while the second pallet P2 places and supports the article W. It is equipment to separate from. Here, the first pallet part PG is composed of a single pallet or a group of a plurality of stacked pallets. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG.6 and FIG.7, the 1st pallet part PG consists of a group of the 1st single pallet P1 or the several 1st pallet P1 stacked. That is, in the present embodiment, when the first pallet part PG is composed of a plurality of stacked pallets, the plurality of pallets is a group of a plurality of similar pallets. The second pallet P2 is a pallet having a size that can be stacked on the upper side of the first pallet P1 so that the entire second pallet P2 overlaps the first pallet P1. In the present embodiment, both the first pallet P1 and the second pallet P2 are formed in a rectangular shape in plan view (viewed in the vertical direction) as shown in FIG. And regarding the length of the long side and the short side of the rectangle, the length of the long side of the first pallet P1 is equal to twice the length of the short side of the second pallet, and the length of the short side of the first pallet P1. The length is equal to the length of the long side of the second pallet P2. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, two second pallets P2 can be stacked side by side on the upper side of the first pallet P1 (first pallet part PG). In FIG. 1 and FIGS. 14 to 16 referred to later, in order to facilitate understanding, the ratio of the dimensions of the first pallet P1 (first pallet part PG) and the second pallet P2 is made different from the actual one. In the state where two second pallets P2 are stacked, the edge of the first pallet P1 (first pallet part PG) is shown to appear.

  In the present embodiment, the article W is stored in the storage shelf 2a of the automatic warehouse 2 while being placed on the first pallet part PG, or is stacked on the upper side of the first pallet part PG. Is stored in the storage shelf 2a of the automatic warehouse 2. That is, in this embodiment, the pallet (first pallet P1) constituting the first pallet part PG has a dimension (dimension in plan view) corresponding to the storage part in the storage shelf 2a. Articles W that are carried in (received) from the outside to the transport facility are generally carried in a state of being placed on a pallet. And when the goods W carried in from the outside are mounted in the 1st pallet P1, the said goods W are accommodated in the storage shelf 2a with the 1st pallet P1. That is, in this case, the article W is stored in the storage shelf 2a while being placed on the first pallet part PG (one first pallet P1). Moreover, when the article W carried in from the outside is placed on the second pallet P2 stacked on the upper side of the first pallet P1, the article W is included in the first pallet P1 and the second pallet P2. It is stored in the storage shelf 2a. That is, in this case, the article W is stored in the storage shelf 2a in a state of being placed on the second pallet P2 stacked on the upper side of the first pallet part PG (one first pallet P1). Further, when the article W carried in from the outside is placed on the second pallet P2, the second pallet P2 is stacked on the upper side of the first pallet P1 while the article W is placed and supported. The article W is stored in the storage shelf 2a together with the first pallet P1 and the second pallet P2. That is, also in this case, the article W is stored in the storage shelf 2a while being placed on the second pallet P2 stacked on the upper side of the first pallet part PG (one first pallet P1).

  By the way, when the article W carried in from the outside is placed on the first pallet P1, the first pallet P1 may be damaged (such as a chip around the fork insertion portion). In such a case, in the transport facility according to the present embodiment, basically, another first pallet P1 is inserted below the first pallet P1 in which the damage has occurred, and the article W has two second pallets. Each pallet P1 is stored in the storage shelf 2a. That is, in this case, the article W is stored in the storage shelf 2a while being placed on the first pallet part PG (two first pallets P1). Similarly, when the article W carried in from the outside is placed on the second pallet P2 stacked on the upper side of the first pallet P1, the first pallet P1 may be damaged. . In such a case, in the transport facility according to the present embodiment, basically, another first pallet P1 is inserted below the first pallet P1 in which the damage has occurred, and the article W has two second pallets. The one pallet P1 and the second pallet P2 are stored in the storage shelf 2a. That is, in this case, the article W is placed on the storage shelf 2a while being placed on the second pallet P2 stacked on the upper side of the first pallet part PG (a group of two stacked first pallets P1). Stored.

  Thus, in this embodiment, the articles W are stored in the storage shelf 2a of the automatic warehouse 2 while being placed on the first pallet part PG, or stacked on the upper side of the first pallet part PG. It is stored in the storage shelf 2a of the automatic warehouse 2 while being placed on the second pallet P2. When the article W is unloaded from the automatic warehouse 2, the article W is transferred from the storage shelf 2a by the stacker crane 2b by the first pallet part PG, or by the first pallet part PG and the second pallet P2. 3 and is transported from the loading / unloading conveyor 3 to the transport destination by the transport vehicle 4a. And the article W delivered from the automatic warehouse 2 is a case where it is mounted on the 2nd pallet P2 stacked on the upper side of the 1st pallet part PG, Comprising: The said 2nd pallet P2 is made into the 1st pallet part. When it is necessary to separate from the PG, the article W is placed on the pallet separation facility 5 by the transport vehicle 4a while being placed on the second pallet P2 stacked above the first pallet part PG. Be transported. When it is necessary to separate the second pallet P2 from the first pallet part PG, for example, when it is necessary to lower the second pallet P2 from the first pallet part PG in order to carry the article W out of the transport facility, For example, it is necessary to change the combination and number of the second pallets P2 stacked on the first pallet part PG.

  In the present embodiment, as described above, the first pallet part PG in which the second pallets P2 are stacked is supplied to the pallet separation facility 5 by the transport vehicle 4a. As shown in FIG. 1, the pallet separation facility 5 includes a transport device 10, a lifting device 20, and a first control device C <b> 1 (see FIG. 17) that controls the operations of the transport device 10 and the lifting device 20. . The transport device 10 is a device that transports a pallet (in this embodiment, the first pallet P1 or the second pallet P2) along the first path R1. The lifting device 20 is a device that lifts and lowers the second pallet P2 at the pallet separation position S on the first path R1. That is, the first route R1 is a route that passes through a pallet separation position S that is a position for separating the second pallet P2 from the first pallet portion PG. Hereinafter, a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction A and the vertical direction V of the pallet by the conveyance device 10 (a direction orthogonal to both the conveyance direction A and the vertical direction V) is defined as a conveyance orthogonal direction B (see FIG. 2). In the present embodiment, the first route R1 is a linear route, and the transport direction A and the transport orthogonal direction B are the same direction regardless of the position on the first route R1. Moreover, in this embodiment, 1st path | route R1 is a path | route extended in parallel with a horizontal surface, and the conveyance direction A is a horizontal direction. In the present embodiment, the first route R1 corresponds to the “transport route” in the present invention, and the first control device C1 corresponds to the “control device” in the present invention.

  As shown in FIG.1 and FIG.2, the part arrange | positioned in the pallet separation position S in the conveying apparatus 10 is comprised using the roller conveyor. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, a transport surface 10 a of the transport device 10 is formed by a horizontal surface (virtual surface) in contact with each upper end of the plurality of rollers 11 constituting the roller conveyor. As shown in FIG. 2, the roller 11 is partially cut away, and the conveying motor 12 that rotationally drives the plurality of rollers 11 is located below the roller 11 and has an arrangement region of the rollers 11 when viewed in the vertical direction V. It is arranged at the overlapping position. In the present embodiment, the conveyance motor 12 is opposite to the conveyance direction of the first pallet part PG by the unloading conveyance device 15 described later with respect to the central portion in the conveyance orthogonal direction B of the conveyance device 10 (right side in FIG. 2). ). Further, the transport motor 12 is disposed outside the region sandwiched between a pair of conveyor units 15a described later in the transport direction A.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the pallet separation facility 5 includes, in addition to the transport device 10, a transport device that transports the pallet along the second path R <b> 2, a transport apparatus that transports the pallet along the third path R <b> 3, and the pallet. Is conveyed along the fourth path R4, and a conveyance apparatus is conveyed to convey the pallet along the fifth path R5. Although details of these conveying devices are omitted, these conveying devices are configured using, for example, a roller conveyor or a chain conveyor. The second route R2 is a route connected to the upstream side of the first route R1. The second route R2 connects the traveling route of the transport vehicle 4a formed by the traveling rail 4b and the first route R1, and the first pallet portion PG in a state where the second pallet P2 is stacked is the first pallet portion PG. It is transported to the pallet separation position S on the first route R1 via the second route R2. The third route R3 and the fourth route R4 are routes connected to the downstream side of the first route R1. The third route R3 is connected to the first route R1 and a shipping place for unloading (shipping) the article W such as an unloading place to the outside of the transport facility, and the third path R3 remains in a state where the article W is placed and supported. The second pallet P2 separated from the one pallet part PG is transported to the shipping place through this third route R3. The fourth route R4 connects the first route R1 and the travel route of the transport vehicle 4a, and the first pallet part PG in which only one second pallet P2 is stacked again at the pallet separation position S is the first route PG. It is transported to the travel route of the transport vehicle 4a via the four routes R4. The said 1st pallet part PG conveyed to the driving | running route of the conveyance vehicle 4a is conveyed by the loading / unloading conveyor 3 by the conveyance vehicle 4a, for example, and is warehoused in the automatic warehouse 2. FIG. The process in which only one second pallet P2 is stacked again on the upper side of the first pallet part PG at the pallet separation position S will be described later with reference to FIG.

  The fifth path R5 is a path that branches from the first path R1 at the pallet separation position S. The fifth path R5 connects the pallet separation position S and the installation location of the stacking device 6, and the empty first pallet part PG unloaded from the pallet separation position S passes through the fifth path R5 and passes through the stage. It is conveyed to the installation location of the stacking device 6. The stacking device 6 performs the stacking process of the first pallet unit PG every time the empty first pallet unit PG is transported, and when the number of stacks of the first pallet P1 reaches a predetermined upper limit number, The upper limit number of first pallets P1 stacked are conveyed to, for example, the installation location of the leveling device, the installation location of the pallet inspection device, or the like by the transport vehicle 4a. The “empty first pallet part PG” means the first pallet part PG in a state where the second pallet P2 is not stacked on the upper side, in other words, the first pallet in a state where the second pallet P2 is separated. Means part PG.

  In the present embodiment, the pallet separation facility 5 includes an unloading / conveying device 15 that unloads an empty first pallet part PG from the pallet separation position S to the outside of the first path R1, as shown in FIG. The conveyance direction of the first pallet part PG by the carry-out conveyance device 15 is a direction from the pallet separation position S toward the fifth path R5 (in this embodiment, a direction parallel to the conveyance orthogonal direction B). The first pallet part PG unloaded from the pallet separation position S is transported toward the downstream side of the fifth path R5. In the present embodiment, the carry-out conveyance device 15 is configured using a chain-type transformer (chain conveyor). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the carry-out conveyance device 15 includes a pair of conveyor units 15 a that are arranged in the conveyance direction A so as to be separated from each other. Each of the conveyor units 15a includes a chain 16 wound between a pair of sprockets provided at both ends in the conveyance orthogonal direction B. The sprockets provided on one side of the pair of conveyor units 15 a in the conveyance orthogonal direction B (in this embodiment, on the conveyance direction side of the first pallet part PG by the carry-out conveyance device 15) are connected by a drive shaft 18. Each chain 16 is rotationally driven by the drive shaft 18 being rotationally driven by the unloading / conveying motor 17. In this embodiment, the unloading / conveying motor 17 is arranged on the conveying direction side (left side in FIG. 2) of the first pallet unit PG by the unloading / conveying device 15 with respect to the central portion in the conveying orthogonal direction B of the conveying device 10. ing. That is, the unloading and conveying motor 17 and the conveying motor 12 are arranged on the opposite sides in the conveying orthogonal direction B with respect to the central portion of the conveying apparatus 10 in the conveying orthogonal direction B. Further, the unloading / transporting motor 17 is arranged in a region sandwiched between the pair of conveyor units 15a in the transporting direction A.

  The conveyance surface of the carry-out conveyance device 15 is formed by a horizontal surface (virtual surface) in contact with the upper ends of the respective chains 16 of the pair of conveyor units 15a. And the carry-out conveying apparatus 15 is comprised so that the conveyance surface of the carry-out conveying apparatus 15 can be raised / lowered. In this embodiment, both the pair of conveyor units 15a are moved up and down by a lifting mechanism (not shown), so that the transport surface of the carry-out transport device 15 is lifted and lowered. When the pallet is transported by the transport device 10, the transport surface of the unloading transport device 15 is positioned below the transport surface 10 a of the transport device 10, and when the pallet is transported by the unloading transport device 15, The conveyance surface of the conveyance device 15 is configured to be positioned above the conveyance surface 10 a of the conveyance device 10. Specifically, when the empty first pallet part PG is unloaded from the pallet separation position S by the unloading and conveying device 15, the conveying surface of the unloading and conveying device 15 is raised to a height higher than the conveying surface 10a of the conveying device 10. By doing so, the first pallet portion PG supported by the transport surface 10a of the transport device 10 is levitated from the transport surface 10a. By driving the unloading / conveying device 15 in this state, the first pallet part PG supported by the conveying surface of the unloading / conveying device 15 is unloaded from the pallet separation position S.

〔lift device〕
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the lifting device 20 inserts the support body 30 into the support body 30 that supports the second pallet P <b> 2 from below and the support body insertion portion 70 provided on the second pallet P <b> 2. An insertion / removal mechanism 50 (see FIGS. 10 to 13) for removing and a lifting mechanism 60 for lifting and lowering the support are provided. Although details of the insertion / removal mechanism 50 will be described later, in the present embodiment, the insertion / removal mechanism 50 moves the support 30 in the horizontal direction, so that the support 30 is moved to the support insertion portion 70 of the second pallet P2. A protruding position for insertion or a supporting position (a position indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 3), and a retracted position or a support releasing position (in FIG. 3) where the support 30 is detached from the support insertion portion 70 of the second pallet P2. The support 30 is moved between the position indicated by the solid line).

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 9, in the present embodiment, the second pallet P <b> 2 is stacked on the upper side of the first pallet part PG in such a direction that the support body insertion part 70 opens on both sides in the conveyance orthogonal direction B. The And in this embodiment, the raising / lowering apparatus 20 is the 1st support which is the support body 30 inserted / removed with respect to the support body insertion part 70 from the one side of the conveyance orthogonal direction B, as shown in FIG.2 and FIG.3. A body 31 and a second support body 32 that is a support body 30 that is inserted into and removed from the support body insertion portion 70 from the other side in the conveyance orthogonal direction B. And each of the 1st support body 31 and the 2nd support body 32 is conveyed by the insertion / removal mechanism 50 between a protrusion position (FIG. 4, FIG. 12, FIG. 13) and a retraction position (FIG. 10, FIG. 11). It is moved in the orthogonal direction B.

  As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the lifting device 20 is erected along the vertical direction V and the first mast 41 that is erected along the vertical direction V and supports the first support 31 so as to be movable up and down. And a second mast 42 that supports the second support 32 so as to be movable up and down. The first mast 41 and the second mast 42 are arranged so as to face the conveyance orthogonal direction B with the conveyance device 10 interposed therebetween. That is, the first mast 41 and the second mast 42 are arranged at the same position in the transport direction A. In this embodiment, the 1st support body 31a (refer FIG. 10, FIG. 11) provided with the 1st support body 31 and the insertion / removal mechanism 50 raises / lowers along the 1st mast 41, and the 1st support body 31 becomes. The second support body 32 is lifted and lowered by the second lift body 33 b including the second support body 32 and the insertion / removal mechanism 50 being lifted and lowered along the second mast 42.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the first elevating body 33 a is arranged at a different position in the transport direction A from the first mast 41, and is moved up and down by the first elevating body 33 a and the first mast 41. The guided portion is connected by a first connecting portion 34a extending in the transport direction A. The above-described portion that is guided up and down by the first mast 41 is a portion that includes a first mast 41 or a guide roller that is guided by contact with a guide rail provided on the first mast 41. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 8, the second elevating body 33 b is arranged at a position different from the second mast 42 in the transport direction A, and is moved up and down by the second elevating body 33 b and the second mast 42. The guided part is connected by a second connecting part 34b extending in the transport direction A. The above-mentioned portion that is guided up and down by the second mast 42 is a portion having a guide roller or the like that is guided to contact with a guide rail provided on the second mast 42 or the second mast 42. In the present embodiment, the first lifting body 33a and the second lifting body 33b are arranged at the same position in the transport direction A.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, the lifting mechanism 60 provided in the lifting device 20 includes a first rotating body 61 that rotates in conjunction with the lifting and lowering of the first support 31 along the first mast 41, and a second A second rotating body 62 that rotates in conjunction with the raising and lowering of the second support body 32 along the mast 42, and an axis extending in the conveyance orthogonal direction B, the rotation of the first rotating body 61 and the rotation of the second rotating body 62. And an ascending / descending motor 68 that rotationally drives the interlocking shaft 67. The first rotating body 61 is disposed on the same side of the conveying device 10 as the first mast 41 and the conveying orthogonal direction B, and the second rotating member 62 is arranged on the conveying device 10 with the second mast 42 and the conveying orthogonal direction. Arranged on the same side of B. The interlocking shaft 67 is arranged coaxially with the first rotating body 61 and the second rotating body 62 and is connected to rotate integrally with these rotating bodies. The elevating motor 68 is disposed below the interlocking shaft 67, and the rotating shaft of the elevating motor 68 is coupled to rotate in conjunction with the interlocking shaft 67. In the present embodiment, the rotating shaft of the lifting motor 68 and the interlocking shaft are connected by a sprocket fixed to the rotating shaft of the lifting motor 68, a sprocket fixed to the interlocking shaft 67, and a chain wound around these sprockets. 67 is connected. In the present embodiment, the lifting motor corresponds to the “drive device” in the present invention.

  The elevating mechanism 60 includes a third rotating body 63 disposed above the first rotating body 61, and a cord-like body 69 (such as a chain) is wound around the first rotating body 61 and the third rotating body 63. ing. And the 1st raising / lowering body 33a is connected with this cord-like body 69 via the 1st connection part 34a. The elevating mechanism 60 includes a fourth rotating body 64 disposed above the second rotating body 62, and a cord-like body 69 (such as a chain) is wound around the second rotating body 62 and the fourth rotating body 64. It has been turned. And the 2nd raising / lowering body 33b is connected with this cord-like body 69 via the 2nd connection part 34b. Therefore, by rotating the lifting / lowering motor 68 forward and backward, the first lifting / lowering body 33a and the second lifting / lowering body 33b are moved up and down in conjunction (that is, in a synchronized state). At this time, the first support 31 provided on the first elevating body 33a moves up and down in conjunction with the rotation of the first rotating body 61, and the second elevating body in conjunction with the rotation of the second rotating body 62. The second support 32 provided on 33b moves up and down.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, the insertion / removal mechanism 50 provided in the lifting / lowering device 20 includes an exit / retraction motor 55 (insertion / removal motor) for horizontally moving the support 30 along the conveyance orthogonal direction B. I have. And by the drive of the exit / retreat motor 55, the protruding position (FIGS. 12 and 13) that protrudes toward the center of the transport apparatus 10 in the transport orthogonal direction B and the center of the transport apparatus 10 in the transport orthogonal direction B are separated. The support 30 is moved horizontally between the retraction positions (FIGS. 10 and 11) that retreat to the side. The retraction position is set to a position where the support 30 positioned at the retraction position does not contact the pallet that is transported by the transport device 10. In other words, the front end portion of the support 30 located at the retreat position (the portion on the central portion side in the conveyance orthogonal direction B of the conveyance device 10) is outside the conveyance orthogonal direction B with respect to the entire pallet conveyed by the conveyance device 10. (The side away from the central part) As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the height of the support 30 is a height corresponding to the height of the support insertion portion 70 of the second pallet P <b> 2 (first height H <b> 1 described later). By moving the support 30 to the protruding position, the tip of the support 30 is inserted into the support insertion portion 70. In the present embodiment, the front end portion of the support body 30 is configured by two plate-like portions arranged in the transport direction A, and each of the two plate-like portions is formed on the second pallet P2. It is inserted into the body insertion part 70 (see FIG. 9).

  In the present embodiment, the insertion / removal mechanism 50 is a mechanism that linearly moves the support 30 by a link mechanism. Hereinafter, the insertion / removal mechanism 50 provided in the first elevating body 33 a will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12, but the insertion / removal mechanism 50 provided in the second elevating body 33 b is also replaced with the first support 31. The second support body 32 is basically configured in the same manner as the insertion / removal mechanism 50 provided in the first elevating body 33a except that the second support body 32 is linearly moved and the direction in the conveyance orthogonal direction B is reversed. Yes. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the insertion / removal mechanism 50 is configured to rotate the rotation arm 53 around the rotation axis X along the vertical direction V by the retracting motor 55. An engaging portion 54 is provided at the distal end of the rotating arm 53 (the end opposite to the rotational axis X). The engaging portion 54 is a base end of the first support 31 (what is the distal end). It is engaged with an engaged portion 56 provided at the opposite end). The engaged portion 56 is formed so as to extend in the transport direction A (in this embodiment, extends parallel to the transport direction A), and the engaging portion 54 slides along the extending direction of the engaged portion 56. It is freely engaged with the engaged portion 56. In the present embodiment, the engaging portion 54 is a rotating roller provided at the lower portion of the distal end portion of the rotating arm 53, and the engaged portion 56 moves the plate-like portion constituting the first support 31 in the vertical direction V. It is a hole that penetrates through. The hole is formed in a long hole shape that is long in the transport direction A in plan view.

  The first elevating body 33a is provided with a guide rail 51 extending parallel to the conveyance orthogonal direction B. The first support 31 is movable in the conveyance orthogonal direction B while being guided by the guide rail 51. A guide block 52 is provided. In the present embodiment, the first elevating body 33 a is provided with two guide rails 51 arranged side by side in the conveyance direction A, and the first support 31 is arranged in the conveyance orthogonal direction B with respect to each of the guide rails 51. Two guide blocks 52 are provided. Therefore, the first support 31 is moved in the conveyance orthogonal direction B with respect to the first elevating body 33a as the rotary arm 53 rotates about the rotation axis X. That is, when the rotary arm 53 rotates from the position shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 to the position shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the first support is provided as the position of the engaging portion 54 in the conveyance orthogonal direction B changes. The body 31 is moved from the retracted position to the protruding position. Further, when the rotary arm 53 rotates from the position shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 to the position shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the first support is provided along with the change in the position of the engaging portion 54 in the conveyance orthogonal direction B. The body 31 is moved from the protruding position to the retracted position.

  In the present embodiment, the width of the second pallet P2 in the transport direction A is such that two second pallets P2 are arranged in the transport direction A and can be stacked on the upper side of the first pallet part PG. The width is set to half of the width in the conveyance direction A of one pallet part PG. Thus, the pallet separation facility 5 according to the present embodiment includes the first lifting device 21 and the second lifting device so that the two second pallets P2 arranged in the transport direction A can be lifted or lowered simultaneously or simultaneously. 22 two lifting devices 20 are provided. And the 1st control apparatus C1 (refer FIG. 17) is comprised so that control of the operation | movement of the 1st raising / lowering apparatus 21 and the operation | movement of the 2nd raising / lowering apparatus 22 is possible independently.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first lifting device 21 and the second lifting device 22 are provided side by side in the transport direction A. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 14, the distance in the transport direction A between the first lifting device 21 and the second lifting device 22 is determined by the first support 31 and the second support 32 of the first lifting device 21. The second pallet P2 that is supported and the second pallet P2 that is supported by the first support 31 and the second support 32 of the second lifting device 22 are set at intervals that do not overlap in the vertical direction.

  As described above, the pallet separation facility 5 according to this embodiment includes the carry-out conveyance device 15 at the pallet separation position S. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the first mast 41 of the first lifting device 21 and the first mast 41 of the second lifting device 22 are transported so as to avoid interference with the unloading and transporting device 15. It arrange | positions so that the conveyance apparatus 15 may be pinched | interposed in the conveyance direction A. That is, the first mast 41 of the first lifting device 21 and the first mast 41 of the second lifting device 22 are arranged at the same position in the conveyance orthogonal direction B. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the second mast 42 of the first lifting device 21 and the second mast 42 of the second lifting device 22 are arranged at the same position in the conveyance orthogonal direction B.

  As shown in FIG. 2, regarding the arrangement in the conveyance direction A, the first elevating body 33 a of the first elevating device 21 and the first elevating body 33 a of the second elevating device 22 are at least one in the arrangement area of the carry-out conveying device 15. It arrange | positions so that a part (all in this embodiment) may be included. And each of the 1st raising / lowering bodies 33a is supported by the 1st mast 41 only in the one side (side which separates from the other 1st raising / lowering bodies 33a) in the conveyance direction A via the 1st connection part 34a. Similarly, each of the second elevating bodies 33b is supported by the second mast 42 only on one side (the side away from the other second elevating bodies 33b) in the transport direction A via the second connecting portion 34b. .

  The first lifting device 21 and the second lifting device 22 are basically configured in the same manner except for the arrangement position in the transport direction A and the positional relationship in the transport direction A between the members constituting the lifting device 20. . In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, each part which comprises the 2nd raising / lowering apparatus 22 is a surface orthogonal to the conveyance direction A, Comprising: Each conveyance direction from the 1st raising / lowering apparatus 21 and the 2nd raising / lowering apparatus 22 With respect to a plane equidistant from A, the corresponding part of the first lifting device 21 is arranged at a position symmetrically moved. However, with regard to the lifting motor 68, the first lifting device 21 and the second lifting device 22 have different arrangement positions and orientations in the conveyance orthogonal direction B.

[Control configuration]
Next, pallet separation control executed by the first control device C1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 17, in the present embodiment, a second control device C2 is provided in addition to the first control device C1. The second control device C2 is a higher-level control device than the first control device C1, and controls the entire transport facility. The first control device C1 and the second control device C2 include an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU as a core and a storage device such as a RAM and a ROM. Each function executed by the first control device C1 and the second control device C2 is realized by software (program) stored in a storage device such as a ROM, hardware such as a separately provided arithmetic circuit, or both. The The arithmetic processing unit provided in the first control device C1 and the second control device C2 operates as a computer that executes each program. Note that the first control device C1 and the second control device C2 do not need to be hardware separated from each other, and the first control device C1 and the second control device C2 may be provided in common hardware. good. Further, the first control device C1 may constitute a part of the second control device C2. Furthermore, one or both of the first control device C1 and the second control device C2 may be configured by a set of a plurality of hardware (a plurality of separated hardware) that can communicate with each other.

  The article W delivered from the automatic warehouse 2 is placed on the second pallet P2 stacked above the first pallet part PG, and the second pallet P2 is moved from the first pallet part PG. When it is necessary to separate, the operations of the stacker crane 2b, the loading / unloading conveyor 3 and the transport vehicle 4a are controlled by the first control device C1, and the article W is placed above the first pallet part PG. It is conveyed to the pallet separation equipment 5 (in this embodiment, the upstream end of the second path R2) while being placed on the stacked second pallet P2. And the 1st control apparatus C1 controls each operation | movement of each conveying apparatus, such as the conveying apparatus 10 and the carry-out conveying apparatus 15, the 1st raising / lowering apparatus 21, and the 2nd raising / lowering apparatus 22, The 2nd pallet P2 becomes. A pallet separation process is performed in which the second pallet P2 is separated from the first pallet part PG while the article W is placed and supported.

  As shown in FIG. 17, the first control device C1 controls the operation of each device by driving and controlling a motor provided in each device. In FIG. 17, the second lifting device 22 is shown in a simplified manner, but the second lifting device 22 has the same configuration as the first lifting device 21. In the present embodiment, each of the lifting devices 20 includes a first support 31 and a second support 32, and the first support 31 and the second support 32 provided in one lifting device 20 are synchronized. Thus, it is configured to move out (that is, move between the protruding position and the retracted position). That is, the first control device C1 has a pair of exits / retreats provided in one lifting device 20 such that the first support 31 and the second support 32 provided in one lifting device 20 are synchronized with each other. Drive motor 55 is controlled. The 1st control apparatus C1 acquires the detection information of the various sensors provided in the pallet separation equipment 5, and performs pallet separation control. Such sensors include an insertion portion detection sensor 81, a stock sensor 82, and a lift sensor 91 as shown in FIG. 17, and although not shown, the position and presence of the pallet on the transport device 10 are omitted. Various conveyor sensors (such as photoelectric sensors) for detection are included.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the insertion portion detection sensor 81 and the in-stock sensor 82 are provided in the first elevating body 33a and the second elevating body 33b. In the present embodiment, the insertion portion detection sensor 81 and the in-stock sensor 82 are a reflection type photoelectric sensor made up of a light projecting / receiving device and a reflecting plate, or a transmission type photoelectric sensor made up of a light projecting device and a light receiving device. When a reflective photoelectric sensor is used, a light projector / receiver is disposed on one of the first elevating body 33a and the second elevating body 33b, and a reflector is disposed on the other. When a transmissive photoelectric sensor is used, a projector is disposed on one of the first lifting body 33a and the second lifting body 33b, and a light receiver is disposed on the other. The insertion portion detection sensor 81 is arranged so that the optical axis of the detection light is parallel to the conveyance orthogonal direction B, and the loading sensor 82 is a horizontal direction in which the optical axis of the detection hole intersects the conveyance orthogonal direction B. It is arranged to be. And the insertion part detection sensor 81 and the in-stock sensor 82 are the height (1st height H1 mentioned later) with the height of the support body 30 corresponding to the height of the support body insertion part 70 of the 2nd pallet P2. In this case, that is, when the height of the support 30 is such that the support can be appropriately inserted into the support insertion portion 70, the detection light of the insertion portion detection sensor 81 is not blocked by the second pallet P2. The detection light of the stock sensor 82 is disposed at a height that is blocked by the second pallet P2 (for example, a girder).

  The lift sensor 91 is provided in the lift mechanism 60 as shown in FIG. The elevation sensor 91 is a sensor for detecting the height of the support 30. In the present embodiment, as will be described later, the target height of the support 30 when the pallet separation process is executed is set in stages. Specifically, the target height of the support 30 is set to four stages of a first-stage first height H1a, a two-stage first height H1b, a second height H2, and a third height H3. Yes. Correspondingly, the lift sensor 91 according to the present embodiment can detect these four heights, and the lower limit height and upper limit height for emergency stop (that is, six heights). It is said that. Specifically, the lift sensor 91 is a sensor that detects a detection plate 90 provided so as to be lifted and lowered integrally with the support body 30, and the six lift sensors 91 are provided at each of the six heights. Correspondingly provided. Therefore, the first control device C1 can control the height of the support 30 to the target height based on the detection information of each lifting sensor 91. The elevation sensor 91 is, for example, a sensor that detects that the detection plate 90 exists at the position of the elevation sensor 91 when the detection light is blocked by the detection plate 90. The elevation sensor 91 detects the height of the support 30 by a sensor that detects the height of the support 30 using a rotary encoder, or measurement using light (such as detection of the time until reflected light returns). A sensor or the like may be used.

  When the first pallet part PG in which the second pallet P2 is stacked is loaded into the pallet separation position S, the first control device C1 performs the first control, the second control, the third control, and the fourth control. Control is executed in order. FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing each process executed by the first control device C1 when the first control, the second control, the third control, and the fourth control are executed in order.

  The first control acquires second pallet height information that is information related to the height of the second pallet P2 stacked on the upper side of the first pallet part PG, and supports the second pallet height based on the second pallet height information. In this control, the height of the support 30 positioned outside the body insertion portion 70 is adjusted to the first height H1 corresponding to the height of the support insertion portion 70. That is, the first control corresponds to steps # 01 and # 02 in FIG. In the present embodiment, the processing object of the pallet separation process is such that the second pallet P2 is stacked on the upper side of the first pallet part PG composed of one first pallet P1, as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, the second pallet P <b> 2 is stacked on the upper side of the first pallet part PG composed of a group of two stacked first pallets P <b> 1. Therefore, the first height H1 is the first height H1a for one stage when the second pallet P2 is stacked on the upper side of the first pallet part PG including one first pallet P1 (see FIG. 6). And the first height H1b for two stages when the second pallet P2 is stacked on the upper side of the first pallet part PG composed of a group of two stacked first pallets P1 (see FIG. 7). And one of the heights.

  In this embodiment, the 1st control apparatus C1 acquires the information of the number of the 1st pallets P1 which comprise the 1st pallet part PG from the 2nd control apparatus C2 as 2nd pallet height information. That is, in the present embodiment, the second pallet height information includes information on the number of pallets constituting the first pallet part PG. When the number of the first pallets P1 constituting the first pallet part PG is one, the first control device C1 increases the height of the support 30 positioned outside the support insertion part 70 by one step. When the number of the first pallets P1 constituting the first pallet part PG is two according to the first height H1a, the height of the support 30 positioned outside the support insertion part 70 is set to two. Match to the first height H1b for steps. Here, when the number of first pallets P1 constituting the first pallet part PG is one, the first height H1a for one stage is stacked on the upper side of the first pallet part PG. The second pallet P2 has a height that can be appropriately inserted into the support insertion portion 70, and the two-stage first height H1b has two first pallets P1 constituting the first pallet portion PG. In such a case, the height of the support 30 can be appropriately inserted into the support insertion portion 70 of the second pallet P2 stacked on the upper side of the first pallet portion PG.

  Note that the second control device C2 manages, for each article W stored in the automatic warehouse 2, information including the type and number of pallets on which the article W is placed as inventory management information. The inventory management information is generated when each article W enters the automatic warehouse 2, and is managed by the second control device C2 in association with the article W or the first pallet part PG on which the article W is supported. And the 2nd control apparatus C2 is a case where the goods W discharged from the automatic warehouse 2 are mounted in the 2nd pallet P2 stacked on the upper side of the 1st pallet part PG, Comprising: When it is necessary to separate the pallet P2 from the first pallet part PG, the article W is placed on the second pallet P2 stacked on the upper side of the first pallet part PG. The pallet separation facility 5 is controlled to convey the number of first pallets P1 constituting the first pallet part PG to the first control device C1 as second pallet height information. At this time, for example, the identification information of the article W carried into the pallet separation position S or the first pallet part PG on which it is supported is transmitted from the first control device C1 to the second control device C2, and second control is performed. The device C2 transmits the second pallet height information based on the inventory management information associated with the identification information to the first control device C1.

  In the second control, after the support body 30 is inserted into the support body insertion part 70, the support body 30 is moved from the first height H1 to a height at which the second pallet P2 is separated from the first pallet part PG. This is a control to raise to a certain second height H2 (see FIG. 5). That is, the second control corresponds to steps # 03 and # 04 in FIG. In the present embodiment, the first support 31 and the second support 32 provided in one lifting device 20 are synchronously moved from the retracted position to the protruding position, so that the first support 31 and the second support are moved. Each of the bodies 32 is inserted into the support insertion part 70. When raising the support body 30 from the first height H1 to the second height H2, only the support body 30 is raised until the support body 30 contacts the second pallet P2, and the support body 30 is moved to the second height H2. After contacting the pallet P2, the support 30 and the second pallet P2 are raised together. In the state where the support 30 is raised to the second height H2, the bottom surface of the second pallet P2 is separated from the top surface of the first pallet part PG. In the present embodiment, the same second height H2 is set for both the case where the number of first pallets P1 constituting the first pallet part PG is one and the case where the number is two. A different second height H2 may be set depending on whether the number of first pallets P1 constituting the first pallet part PG is one or two.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, when the insertion portion detection sensor 81 and the occupancy sensor 82 are such that the height of the support 30 corresponds to the height of the support insertion portion 70 of the second pallet P2. In addition, the detection light of the insertion portion detection sensor 81 is not blocked by the second pallet P2, and the detection light of the in-stock sensor 82 is arranged at a height that is blocked by the second pallet P2. In the present embodiment, when the support 30 is moved to the protruding position in order to insert the support 30 into the support insertion portion 70 in the second control, the detection light of the insertion portion detection sensor 81 is blocked. If the detection light from the in-stock sensor 82 is not blocked, the movement of the support 30 is stopped. Thereby, for example, due to an error in the height information of the second pallet or a malfunction in the height control of the support 30, the height of the support 30 is the actual height of the support insertion portion 70 of the second pallet P <b> 2. If the height does not correspond to the height, it is possible to stop the support 30 from moving to the protruding position and avoid contact between the support 30 and the first pallet part PG or the article W. .

  Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, two sets of insertion portion detection sensors 81 are provided corresponding to each of the support body insertion portions 70. In the two sets of insertion portion detection sensors 81 corresponding to one support insertion portion 70, the separation distance in the conveyance direction A of each optical axis is larger than the width in the conveyance direction A of the tip portion of the support 30. Is arranged. In the present embodiment, when the support 30 is moved to the protruding position in order to insert the support 30 into the support insertion portion 70 in the second control, the detection light of any of the insertion portion detection sensors 81 is detected. When it is blocked, the movement of the support 30 is stopped. As a result, when the position in the transport direction A of the support body insertion portion 70 is in contact with the support body 30 due to a defect in position control in the transport direction A of the second pallet P2, the support body The movement of 30 to the protruding position can be stopped to avoid contact between the support 30 and the second pallet P2.

  The third control is a control for carrying out the first pallet part PG from the pallet separation position S. That is, the third control corresponds to step # 05 in FIG. In the example shown in FIG. 14 and FIG. 16 to be referred to later, the empty first pallet part PG is carried out from the pallet separation position S by the carry-out conveyance device 15. Further, in the example shown in FIG. 15 referred later, the first pallet part PG in a state where one second pallet P2 is stacked on the upper side is moved downstream from the pallet separation position S in the transport direction A by the transport device 10. It is carried out.

  In the fourth control, after the support body 30 is lowered from the second height H2 to the third height H3 corresponding to the height of the transport surface 10a of the transport apparatus 10, the support body 30 is moved to the support body insertion portion 70. (See FIG. 4). That is, the fourth control corresponds to steps # 06 and # 07 in FIG. At this time, until the second pallet P2 comes into contact with the transport surface 10a (in this embodiment, the upper end portion of the roller 11), the support 30 and the second pallet P2 are lowered integrally, After the pallet P2 comes into contact with the transport surface 10a, only the support 30 is lowered. The third height H3 is set to a height at which the support 30 can be appropriately detached from the support insertion portion 70. In the present embodiment, the first support 31 and the second support 32 provided in one lifting device 20 are synchronously moved from the protruding position to the retracted position, so that the first support 31 and the second support 31 are moved. Each of the bodies 32 is detached from the support body insertion portion 70. After the support 30 is detached from the support insertion part 70, the second pallet P2 supported on the transport surface 10a is unloaded from the pallet separation position S to the downstream side in the transport direction A by the transport device 10.

  A specific example (FIGS. 14 to 16) of the flow of the pallet separation process will be described. The first example shown in FIG. 14 is an example in the case where both of the two second pallets P2 stacked on the upper side of the first pallet part PG are separated from the first pallet part PG. The second example shown in FIG. 15 is an example in which only one of the two second pallets P2 stacked on the upper side of the first pallet part PG is separated from the first pallet part PG. The third example shown in FIG. 16 is an example in the case where one second pallet P2 stacked on the upper side of the first pallet part PG is separated from the first pallet part PG. 14 to 16, the illustration of the article W is omitted for the sake of simplicity.

[First example]
As shown in FIG. 14A, the first pallet part PG in which two second pallets P2 are stacked is carried into the pallet separation position S. As described above, the first control device C1 is configured to be able to acquire detection information of various conveyor sensors for detecting the position and presence of the pallet on the transport device 10, and the first control device C1 Information on the position in the transport direction A of the second pallet P2 stacked on the upper side of the one pallet part PG is acquired from the conveyor sensor, and each of the two second pallets P2 is moved to the first lifting device 21 or the second lifting / lowering The operation of the transport device 10 is controlled so as to be positioned at a position suitable for the lifting process by the apparatus 22 (a position where the support body 30 can be properly inserted into the support body insertion portion 70).

  Next, as shown in FIG. 14B, the first control and the second control are performed for each of the first lifting device 21 and the second lifting device 22 with the operation of the transport device 10 stopped. The And as shown in FIG.14 (c), 3rd control is performed and the empty 1st pallet part PG is carried out from the pallet separation position S by the carry-out conveying apparatus 15. FIG. After that, as shown in FIG. 14 (d), the fourth control is performed on the second lifting device 22, and the second lifting device 22 is separated from the first pallet part PG by the operation of the transport device 10. The two pallets P2 are unloaded from the pallet separation position S to the downstream side in the transport direction A. After that, as shown in FIG. 14 (e), the fourth control is performed on the first lifting device 21, and the first lifting device 21 separated from the first pallet part PG by the operation of the transport device 10. The two pallets P2 are unloaded from the pallet separation position S to the downstream side in the transport direction A.

[Second example]
In the second example, the first control, the first control described above is performed only on the second pallet P2 on the upstream side in the transport direction A among the two second pallets P2 stacked on the upper side of the first pallet part PG. Second control, third control, and fourth control are sequentially performed. As shown in FIG. 15A, the first pallet part PG in which two second pallets P2 are stacked is carried into the pallet separation position S. At this time, similarly to FIG. 14A, the two second pallets P <b> 2 are arranged in positions suitable for the lifting process by the first lifting device 21 or the second lifting device 22. Operation is controlled.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 15B, the first control and the second control are performed for each of the first lifting device 21 and the second lifting device 22 in a state where the operation of the transport device 10 is stopped. The Next, as shown in FIG. 15C, the second pallet P2 on the downstream side in the transport direction A of the two second pallets P2 is positioned at the center of the first pallet part PG in the transport direction A. In this way, the transport device 10 is operated to move the first pallet part PG in the transport direction A side. And as shown in FIG.15 (d), in the state which stopped the operation | movement of the conveying apparatus 10, the support body 30 of the 2nd raising / lowering apparatus 22 was lowered | hung to the 1st height at the time of performing 1st control. Thereafter, the support 30 of the second lifting device 22 is detached from the support insertion portion 70. And as shown in FIG.14 (e), 3rd control is performed and the 1st pallet part PG in the state where one 2nd pallet P2 was stacked on the upper side is pallet separation position S by the conveying apparatus 10. FIG. Is carried out to the downstream side in the conveyance direction A. After that, as shown in FIG. 14 (f), the fourth control is executed for the first lifting device 21, and the first lifting device 21 separated from the first pallet part PG by the operation of the transport device 10. The two pallets P2 are unloaded from the pallet separation position S to the downstream side in the transport direction A.

[Third example]
As shown in FIG. 16A, the first pallet part PG in a state where one second pallet P2 is stacked is carried into the pallet separation position S. In this example, the operation of the transport device 10 is controlled so that the second pallet P2 is located at a position suitable for the lifting process by the second lifting device 22.

  Next, as shown in FIG.16 (b), 1st control and 2nd control are performed about the 2nd raising / lowering apparatus 22 in the state which stopped the action | operation of the conveying apparatus 10. FIG. And as shown in FIG.16 (c), 3rd control is performed and the empty 1st pallet part PG is carried out from the pallet separation position S by the carry-out conveying apparatus 15. FIG. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 16D, the fourth control is performed on the second lifting device 22, and the second lifting device 22 separates the first pallet part PG by the operation of the transport device 10. The two pallets P2 are unloaded from the pallet separation position S to the downstream side in the transport direction A.

[Other Embodiments]
Other embodiments of the pallet separation facility according to the present invention will be described. Note that the configurations disclosed in the following embodiments can be applied in combination with the configurations disclosed in other embodiments as long as no contradiction arises.

(1) In said embodiment, the 1st control apparatus C1 acquires the information of the number of the 1st pallets P1 which comprises the 1st pallet part PG from the 2nd control apparatus C2 as 2nd pallet height information. Was described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and a stage number detection device that detects the number of stages of the first pallet P1 constituting the first pallet part PG by image recognition or the like is provided, and the first control device C1 includes the number of stages. Information on the number of first pallets P1 constituting the first pallet part PG detected by the detection device may be obtained as second pallet height information.

(2) In the above embodiment, the case where the second pallet height information is information on the number of the first pallets P1 constituting the first pallet part PG has been described as an example. However, without being limited to such a configuration, for example, a height detection device that detects the height of the second pallet P2 (the height of the support insertion portion 70) by image recognition or the like is provided, and the first control is provided. The apparatus C1 may be configured to acquire the information on the height of the second pallet P2 detected by the height detection apparatus as the second pallet height information. In this case, even in a configuration in which the first pallet part PG can be a group of a plurality of types of pallets having different heights, or a configuration in which a plurality of types of pallets having different heights are mixed in the first pallet P1 and the second pallet P2, The first height H1 can be set appropriately.

(3) In the above embodiment, the width in the transport direction A of the second pallet P2 is set to a width that allows two second pallets P2 to be arranged in the transport direction A and stacked on the upper side of the first pallet part PG. The case has been described as an example. However, the width in the transport direction A of the second pallet P2 is not limited to such a configuration, and the width in which only one second pallet P2 can be stacked on the upper side of the first pallet part PG (for example, the first pallet P2). The first pallet unit is configured such that the width of the second pallet P2 is set to three or more second pallets P2 in the transport direction A. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the width is set on the upper side of the PG.

(4) In the above embodiment, the pallet separation facility 5 moves the first pallet part PG (empty first pallet part PG) in a state where the second pallet P2 is separated from the pallet separation position S to the outside of the first path R1. The structure provided with the carry-out conveying apparatus 15 carried out in the above was demonstrated as an example. However, without being limited to such a configuration, the pallet separation facility 5 does not include the carry-out conveyance device 15, and the empty first pallet part PG is the same as the second pallet P2 separated from the first pallet part PG. Moreover, it can also be set as the structure carried out from the pallet separation position S to the downstream of the conveyance direction A by the conveying apparatus 10. FIG.

(5) In the above embodiment, the transport surface of the carry-out transport device 15 is moved up and down, so that the transport surface of the carry-out transport device 15 is positioned below the transport surface 10a of the transport device 10 and the carry-out transport device 15 As an example, the configuration has been described in which the transfer surface is switched to a state in which the transfer surface is positioned above the transfer surface 10 a of the transfer device 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the transport surface 10a of the transport device 10 can be moved up and down, and the transport surface of the carry-out device 15 can be moved up and down by moving the transport surface 10a of the transport device 10 up and down. It is also possible to switch between a state where the transport surface of the carry-out transport device 15 is positioned below the transport surface 10a of the transport device 10 and a state where the transport surface of the carry-out transport device 15 is positioned above the transport surface 10a of the transport device 10.

(6) In the above embodiment, the pallet separation facility 5 has been described as an example of the configuration including the two lifting devices 20 of the first lifting device 21 and the second lifting device 22, but the pallet separation facility 5 has one A configuration including only the lifting device 20 or a configuration including three or more lifting devices 20 arranged in the transport direction A may be employed.

(7) In the above embodiment, the lifting device 20 has been described as an example of a configuration including both the first support 31 and the second support 32. However, the lifting device 20 includes the first support 31 and the second support. A configuration including only one of the bodies 32 can also be adopted.

(8) In the above embodiment, the case where the pallet separation facility according to the present invention is applied to the transport facility including the automatic warehouse 2, the loading / unloading conveyor 3, and the transport vehicle system 4 is described as an example. It is also possible to apply the pallet separation facility according to the above to other facilities (for example, a transport facility without an automatic warehouse).

(9) Regarding other configurations, it should be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein are merely examples in all respects. Accordingly, those skilled in the art can make various modifications as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

5: Pallet separation equipment 10: Conveying device 10a: Conveying surface 15: Unloading conveying device 20: Lifting device 21: First lifting device 22: Second lifting device 30: Support 31: First support 32: Second support 41: first mast 42: second mast 50: insertion / removal mechanism 60: lifting mechanism 61: first rotating body 62: second rotating body 67: interlocking shaft 68: lifting motor (drive device)
70: Support body insertion part A: Transport direction B: Transport orthogonal direction C1: First control device (control device)
H1: First height H2: Second height H3: Third height PG: First pallet part P1: First pallet (pallet)
P2: Second palette (pallet)
R1: First route (transport route)
S: Pallet separation position V: Vertical direction W: Article X: Rotation axis

Claims (5)

A transport device for transporting the pallet along the transport path;
An elevating device for raising and lowering a second pallet stacked on the upper side at a pallet separation position on the transport path with respect to a first pallet unit consisting of a single pallet or a group of a plurality of pallets stacked; ,
A control device for controlling the operation of the conveying device and the lifting device,
The elevating device includes a support that supports the second pallet from below, an insertion / removal mechanism that inserts / removes the support with respect to a support insertion portion provided on the second pallet, and elevating the support An elevating mechanism,
The control device performs a first control, a second control, a third control, and a fourth control when the first pallet portion in a state where the second pallets are stacked is carried into the pallet separation position. In order, the second pallet is separated from the first pallet part with the second pallet placing and supporting the article,
The first control acquires second pallet height information, which is information related to the height of the second pallet stacked on the upper side of the first pallet part, and is based on the second pallet height information. The height of the support located outside the support insert is adjusted to a first height corresponding to the height of the support insert,
In the second control, after the support is inserted into the support insert portion, the support is moved from the first height to a height at which the second pallet is separated from the first pallet portion. Control to raise to a second height,
The third control is a control for carrying out the first pallet part from the pallet separation position,
In the fourth control, after the support body is lowered from the second height to a third height corresponding to the height of the transport surface of the transport device, the support body is removed from the support body insertion portion. Pallet separation equipment that controls the separation.   The pallet separation facility according to claim 1, wherein the second pallet height information includes information on the number of pallets constituting the first pallet part. The direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the pallet by the conveyance device when viewed in the vertical direction is the conveyance orthogonal direction,
The second pallet is stacked on the upper side of the first pallet part in a direction in which the support body insertion part opens on both sides in the conveyance orthogonal direction,
The lifting device includes a first support body that is the support body that is inserted into and removed from the support body insertion portion from one side in the conveyance orthogonal direction, and the support body insertion portion from the other side in the conveyance orthogonal direction. A second support that is the support inserted and removed, a first mast that is erected along the vertical direction and supports the first support so as to be movable up and down, and is erected along the vertical direction. And a second mast that supports the second support so as to be movable up and down,
The first mast and the second mast are arranged so as to face each other in the conveyance orthogonal direction across the conveyance device,
The elevating mechanism rotates in conjunction with a first rotating body that rotates in conjunction with the raising and lowering of the first support along the first mast, and in conjunction with the raising and lowering of the second support along the second mast. A second rotating body that extends in the orthogonal direction of conveyance, an interlocking shaft that interlocks the rotation of the first rotating body and the rotation of the second rotating body, and a drive device that rotationally drives the interlocking shaft. The pallet separation facility according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: The width in the transport direction of the second pallet is set to a width that allows two second pallets to be stacked in the transport direction and stacked on the upper side of the first pallet part,
The first lifting device and the second lifting device, which are the two lifting devices, are provided side by side in the transport direction,
The distance between the first elevating device and the second elevating device in the transport direction is the second pallet supported by the first support and the second support of the first elevating device, and the second The first pallet of the lifting device and the second pallet supported by the second support are set at an interval that does not overlap in the vertical direction view,
The pallet separation facility according to claim 3, wherein the control device is configured to be able to independently control the operation of the first lifting device and the operation of the second lifting device. An unloading / conveying device for unloading the first pallet part in a state where the second pallet is separated from the pallet separation position to the outside of the conveying path;
The pallet according to claim 4, wherein the first mast of the first lifting device and the first mast of the second lifting device are arranged so as to face each other in the transport direction with the carry-out transport device interposed therebetween. Separation equipment.

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