JP2017149526A - Automatic warehouse system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technology of an automatic warehouse system which inhibits damage to articles while inhibiting deterioration of processing capacity of cargo handling that is work for carrying the articles into/out from storage parts.SOLUTION: In an automatic warehouse system 100, a shelf 50 includes at least one storage part 58 for storing articles 102 that are stored objects. A transport part 10 stores each article 102 into the storage part 58 and carries out each article 102 from the storage part 58. A control part 90 controls operation of the transport part 10. The transport part 10 includes: a body part; an article moving part which moves each article 102 between the body part and the storage part 58; and a detection part which detects a gap between the article moving part and the article 102. The control part 90 is configured to control the operation of the article moving part on the basis of the gap detected by the detection part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic warehouse system for carrying in / out goods.

  In recent years, with an increase in the distribution amount in logistics such as transportation and storage of goods, it has been demanded that warehouses for storing goods also have improved handling capacity for handling cargo. For example, Patent Document 1 describes an automatic warehouse system.

Japanese Patent No. 4618505

  By the way, the automatic warehouse system of patent document 1 is provided with the stacker crane which transfers an article between the some storage parts in the article storage shelf of an automatic warehouse. In such an automatic warehouse system, when the article is taken out of the storage unit by a stacker crane or the like, there is a possibility that the part that grips the article may impact the article and damage the article. In addition, consumer needs for damage to goods are becoming more advanced, and it is not limited to damage to inclusions, and damage to packaging boxes containing inclusions may be subject to consumer complaints. .

Therefore, it is conceivable to reduce the operation speed of the stacker crane so as to reduce the impact at the time of contact in order to reduce the damage to the articles including the packing box. However, if the operation speed of the stacker crane is slowed down, it takes a long time to carry in / out the goods, and there is a problem that the processing capacity of the automatic warehouse is reduced.
As described above, the conventional automatic warehouse system has room for improvement from the viewpoint of suppressing damage to the article while suppressing a decrease in the processing capacity of the handling of goods, which is the work of carrying in / out the article.

  The object of the present invention has been made in view of such problems, and can suppress damage to an article while suppressing a decrease in processing capability of cargo handling, which is an operation of carrying in / out the article. It is to provide the technology of automatic warehouse system.

  In order to solve the above problems, an automatic warehouse system according to an aspect of the present invention includes a shelf that includes at least one storage unit that stores articles to be stored, and a conveyance that stores and unloads articles from the storage unit. And a control unit that controls the operation of the transport unit. The transport unit includes a main body unit, an article moving unit that moves an article between the main body unit and the housing unit, and a detection unit that detects an interval between the article moving unit and the article. The control unit is configured to control the operation of the article moving unit based on the interval detected by the detection unit.

  According to this aspect, in the automatic warehouse system, the operation of the article moving unit can be controlled based on the interval between the article moving unit that moves the article and the article.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the technique of the automatic warehouse system which can suppress the damage | wound to articles | goods can be provided, suppressing the fall of the processing capacity of the handling of goods which is the operation | work of carrying in / out of articles | goods.

It is a schematic diagram of the top view of the automatic warehouse system which concerns on embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of the side view of the automatic warehouse system of FIG. It is a schematic diagram of the back view of the automatic warehouse system of FIG. It is a block diagram of the control part of the automatic warehouse system of FIG. It is a schematic diagram of the conveyance part by the top view. It is a schematic diagram of the conveyance part by the side view. It is a figure change figure of the top view of a fork arm. It is a flowchart explaining operation | movement of the conveyance part at the time of carrying out. It is a figure change figure of the conveyance part corresponding to FIG. It is an enlarged view which expands a part of FIG. It is a timing chart explaining operation | movement of a conveyance part. It is a flowchart explaining operation | movement of the conveyance part at the time of carrying in. It is a figure change figure of the conveyance part corresponding to FIG. It is an enlarged view which expands a part of FIG. It is a timing chart explaining operation | movement of a conveyance part. It is a schematic diagram explaining the width alignment operation | movement of a conveyance part. It is a schematic diagram of the conveyance part of the automatic warehouse system of a modification.

  The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. The same or equivalent components and members shown in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are appropriately omitted. In addition, the dimensions of the members in each drawing are appropriately enlarged or reduced for easy understanding. Also, in the drawings, some of the members that are not important for describing the embodiment are omitted.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an automatic warehouse system 100 according to an embodiment as viewed from above, FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the automatic warehouse system 100 as viewed from the side, and FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the automatic warehouse system 100 as viewed from the back. . FIG. 1 shows a state in which the uppermost shelf 56 (to be described later) is removed, and FIG. Hereinafter, description will be made based on the XYZ orthogonal coordinate system. The direction X corresponds to the horizontal left-right direction, the direction Y corresponds to the horizontal front-rear direction, and the direction Z corresponds to the vertical up-down direction. The direction Y and the direction Z are orthogonal to the direction X, respectively. The direction X may be described as the left direction or the right direction, the direction Y may be expressed as the forward direction or the rear direction, and the direction Z may be expressed as the upward direction or the downward direction. In FIG. 1, when viewing the automatic warehouse system 100 from the direction indicated by the arrow P, the right side is referred to as right and the left side as left.
The “article” refers to an unwrapped article and an article packaged by packaging means (for example, a packaging box). That is, when the enclosing article is packaged by a packaging means (for example, a packaging box), it is called an article including the packaging means.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the automatic warehouse system 100 according to the embodiment includes a shelf 50 including at least one storage unit 58 that stores an article 102 to be stored, and storage of the article 102 in the storage unit 58. And a travel unit 88 including the transport unit 10 for carrying out, and a control unit 90 for controlling the operation of the transport unit 10. The shelf portion 50 includes two shelf portions 52 and 54 disposed on the floor surface 76 with a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction. The two shelves 52 and 54 are arranged so that the front sides of the articles 102 are taken in and out, respectively. Each of the shelves 52 and 54 may include a plurality of (for example, four) shelves 56. Each shelf 56 includes a frontage frame 66, a rear frame 64, two side frames 68, and a shelf plate 62. The front frame 66 and the rear frame 64 extend in the left-right direction. The two side frames 68 extend in the front-rear direction and connect the side ends of the front frame 66 and the rear frame 64. The frontage frame 66, the rear frame 64, and the two side frames 68 are combined in a rectangular shape that is long in the left-right direction. A shelf plate 62 is provided between the front frame 66 and the rear frame 64. An accommodation space 57 is formed in a space between the shelf 56 and the shelf 56 provided on the upper side thereof. The accommodation space 57 is partitioned into a plurality of (for example, three) accommodation portions 58 in the left-right direction. Each accommodating part 58 is comprised so that the articles | goods 102 which should be accommodated may be accommodated. No partition is provided between two adjacent storage portions 58, and the X-direction width of each storage portion 58 may be set by changing according to the width dimension in the left-right direction of the article 102 to be stored. .

  Column portions 70 extending in the vertical direction are provided at the four corners of each of the shelf portions 52 and 54. The column portion 70 is erected on the floor surface 76. Four corners of each shelf 56 are fixed to the column portion 70. In other words, the four corners of each shelf 56 are fixedly supported by the column portion 70. The column part 70 may be provided in the middle of the left and right sides of the shelf parts 52 and 54 in addition to the four corners of the shelf parts 52 and 54.

  A lower track 82 extending in the left-right direction is provided between the shelves 52 and 54 of the floor surface 76. An upper track 80 extending in the left-right direction is provided in the upper part of the space between the shelves 52 and 54. The upper track 80 is supported by fixing a portion in the vicinity of its left and right ends to a track support portion 78 extending forward from the upper portion of the shelf portion 52. The traveling unit 88 is supported by the lower track 82 and the upper track 80 so as to be able to travel in the left-right direction.

(Running part)
The traveling unit 88 may be configured such that the transport unit 10 is provided at each stage of the shelf unit 52. However, in the automatic warehouse system 100 according to the embodiment, the travel unit 88 has a stacker having a mechanism for moving the transport unit 10 up and down. It is a crane. The travel unit 88 includes a support column 72, a transport unit 10, an elevating drive mechanism 86, and a travel drive mechanism 84. The support column 72 is a columnar member provided on both the left and right side surfaces of the traveling unit 88. The transport unit 10 is a portion that can be moved up and down along the support column 72. The raising / lowering drive mechanism 86 is a drive mechanism which raises / lowers the transport unit 10 in the vertical direction. The travel drive mechanism 84 is a drive mechanism that causes the travel unit 88 to travel in the left-right direction. The transport unit 10 can be moved in front of the opening 58 a of the arbitrary storage unit 58 by being driven in the vertical direction by the lift drive mechanism 86 and in the left-right direction by the travel drive mechanism 84. The transport unit 10 will be described later.

  The control unit 90 is a device that controls operations of the travel drive mechanism 84, the lift drive mechanism 86, and the transport unit 10. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the control unit 90. The control unit 90 includes a fixed control unit 92 that is fixedly provided on the ground, and a movement control unit 94 and a drive control unit 96 that are provided on the transport unit 10. The fixed control unit 92 mainly controls the operation of the travel drive mechanism 84 and the elevation drive mechanism 86 to move the transport unit 10 to the front 58a of the target storage unit 58. The fixed control unit 92 outputs a control signal 90c for controlling traveling to the traveling drive mechanism 84 and a control signal 90d for controlling elevation to the lifting drive mechanism 86. The movement control unit 94 and the drive control unit 96 mainly control the operation of the transport unit 10 to execute the storage and unloading of the article 102 to and from the storage unit 58. The fixed control unit 92 outputs an instruction signal 90 a for instructing the operation of the transport unit 10 to the movement control unit 94, and the movement control unit 94 outputs a state signal 90 b indicating the state of the transport unit 10 to the fixed control unit 92. Output signals 32d, 34d, 36d, and 38d of light receivers 32b, 34b, 36b, and 38b of the detection unit 30, which will be described later, are input to the movement control unit 94. The movement control unit 94 outputs a control signal CTL described later to the drive control unit 96 in response to the output signals 32d, 34d, 36d, and 38d. In response to the control signal CTL, the drive control unit 96 outputs a drive signal 90e to X-direction drive mechanisms 27a and 27b described later and a drive signal 90f to Y-direction drive mechanisms 28a and 28b described later. The control unit 90 can be configured to include, for example, an analog electronic circuit, a digital electronic circuit, a software processing device, and the like.

  The control unit 90 may be configured to record the mass of the article 102 accommodated in the accommodation unit 58 and control the operation of the fork arm 22 described later based on the recorded mass of the article 102. For example, when the mass of the article 102 is larger than the reference, the operation speed of the fork arm 22 may be decreased, and when the mass of the article 102 is smaller than the reference, the operation speed of the fork arm 22 may be increased. . The mass of the article 102 may be measured and recorded when the article 102 is placed on a loading table (not shown) at the time of warehousing.

(Transport section)
Next, the transport unit 10 will be described. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the transport unit 10 as viewed from above. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the transport unit 10 in a side view. As shown in FIG. 5, the transport unit 10 includes a main body unit 12, an article moving unit 20, a detection unit 30, and a power supply unit (not shown). The main body 12 includes a rectangular base 12a that is long in the left-right direction when viewed from above. In the middle of the base portion 12a, a base portion 12b for placing the article 102 when the article 102 is transferred is provided. The article moving part 20 has a fixed part 20a fixed to the base part 12a and a movable end part 20b that advances and retreats in the front-rear direction from the fixed part 20a. 5 and 6 show a state in which the article moving unit 20 is extended in the direction of the arrow R that is the first direction. The article moving unit 20 includes two fork arms 22 a and 22 b configured to move the article 102 between the main body unit 12 and the storage unit 58. The two fork arms 22a and 22b are provided on the base 12a so as to be separated from each other in the left-right direction. The fork arms 22a and 22b may be collectively referred to as fork arms 22. In order to supply power to the control unit 90 and the drive mechanism, the power supply unit may be configured to include a battery, for example, and may include a current collector that collects current from a track or an overhead wire.

(Fork arm)
As shown in FIG. 5, the fork arm 22 may be a three-stage fork as an example. The fork arm 22a includes a first fork portion 24a, a second fork portion 25a, and a third fork portion 26a. The fork arm 22b includes a first fork portion 24b, a second fork portion 25b, and a third fork. Part 26b. When summing up the first fork parts 24a, 24b, when summing up the first fork part 24, when summing up the second fork parts 25a, 25b, when summing up the second fork parts 25a, 26b, It may be referred to as the third fork portion 26. The first fork portion 24 is fixedly provided on the main body portion 12. The second fork portion 25 is provided so as to be able to advance and retract in the front-rear direction with respect to the first fork portion 24. The third fork portion 26 is provided so as to be movable forward and backward with respect to the second fork portion 25.

  Next, a change in the appearance of the fork arm 22 will be described. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a change in the appearance of the fork arm 22 in a top view. FIG. 7 shows a change in the form of the fork arm 22 to the A form, the B form, and the C form. The A form is a form in which the third fork portions 26a and 26b of the fork arms 22a and 22b, which are the movable end portions 20b of the article moving unit 20, are extended to the arrow R side which is the first direction. The A form is the form when the article 102 is transferred to and from the storage portion 58 on the arrow R side. The B form is a form in which the third fork portions 26 a and 26 b of the fork arms 22 a and 22 b are moved backward to the main body portion 12. The B appearance is an appearance when the article 102 is placed on the main body 12 and moved. In addition, when the main-body part 12 waits, and when moving with an empty load, a B form may be sufficient. The C form is a form in which the third fork parts 26a and 26b of the fork arms 22a and 22b, which are the movable end parts 20b of the article moving part 20, are extended to the arrow F side opposite to the first direction. The C form is a form when the article 102 is transferred between the storage unit 58 on the arrow F side. The operation of the transport unit 10 in the C state is the same as the operation in the A state. Hereinafter, the operation of the transport unit 10 in the A state will be mainly described.

(Fork drive mechanism)
The fork arm 22 is driven in the left-right direction and the front-rear direction by a fork drive mechanism 23 provided in the main body 12. The fork drive mechanism 23 includes an X-direction drive mechanism (not shown) that drives the fork arms 22a and 22b in the left-right direction and a Y-direction drive mechanism that drives the fork arms 22a and 22b in the Y-direction in the front-rear direction. (Not shown).

  There is no particular restriction on the configuration of the fork drive mechanism 23. As an example, the fork drive mechanism 23 in the embodiment includes an electric motor (not shown) and a rack and pinion mechanism (not shown), and the fork drive mechanism 23 converts the rotational force of the electric motor into a forward and backward movement by the rack and pinion mechanism. Input to each part of the arm 22. The third fork portions 26a and 26b are moved to the desired X direction position and Y direction position in the space between the main body portion 12 and the accommodating portion 58 by the X direction drive and the Y direction drive of the fork drive mechanism 23. Can do.

(Article support part)
Next, the article support unit 40 will be described. The article moving unit 20 is provided with an article support unit 40 that moves closer to the article 102. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the transport unit 10 according to the embodiment includes, as the article support part 40, first article support parts 42 a and 42 b, second article support parts 44 a and 44 b, and third article support parts 46 a and 46 b. Including. When the first article support portions 42a and 42b are summarized, they may be referred to as first article support portions 42. When the second article support portions 44a and 44b are summarized, they may be referred to as second article support portions 44. When the third article support portions 46a and 46b are summed up, they may be referred to as third article support portions 46. The first article support part 42 is configured to transfer the article 102 from the storage part 58 to the main body part 12 by pulling the article 102 toward the arrow F side opposite to the first direction. The second article support section 44 is configured to push the article 102 to the arrow R side that is the first direction and transfer the article 102 from the main body section 12 to the housing section 58. The 3rd article support part 46 is comprised so that it may move to the left-right direction which cross | intersects the arrow R side which is a 1st direction.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in the automatic warehouse system 100 of the embodiment, the first article support part 42, the second article support part 44, and the third article support part 46 are the third fork part 26 of the fork arm 22. Provided. The first article support portion 42 is provided in the vicinity of the end portion on the arrow R side that is the first direction of the third fork portion 26. The second article support portion 44 is provided in the vicinity of the end portion on the arrow F side, which is the direction opposite to the first direction of the third fork portion 26. In other words, the first article support part 42 and the second article support part 44 are provided in the vicinity of both ends in the front-rear direction of the third fork part 26. The first article support portion 42 and the second article support portion 44 are moved to a desired X-direction position and Y in the space between the main body portion 12 and the housing portion 58 by the X-direction drive and the Y-direction drive of the fork drive mechanism 23. Can move to a directional position. The first article support section 42 and the second article support section 44 may have, for example, a claw shape that can push and pull the side surface of the article 102 in the front-rear direction. The first article support section 42 and the second article support section 44 may be configured to grip the article 102.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the third article support portion 46 extends in the front-rear direction in the middle of the third fork portion 26. The third article support part 46 may be provided integrally with the third fork part 26. The third article support unit 46 can be moved to the desired X direction position and Y direction position by the X direction drive and the Y direction drive of the fork drive mechanism 23. In particular, the third article support portion 46 can move so as to open and close in the left-right direction, and can widen the article 102 from the left-right direction. The posture of the third article support 46 can be corrected by bringing the third article support 46 closer to the article 102 when placed at an angle.

(Detection unit)
Next, the detection unit 30 will be described. The detection unit 30 is a sensor mechanism configured to detect an interval between the article moving unit 20 and the article 102. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the transport unit 10 according to the embodiment includes, as the detection unit 30, a set of first detection units 32, a set of second detection units 34, and two sets of third detection units 36. 38. The first detection unit 32 is configured to detect the interval M1 between the first article support unit 42 and the article 102. The second detection unit 34 is configured to detect an interval M <b> 2 between the second article support unit 44 and the article 102. The third detection units 36 and 38 are configured to detect the interval M3 and the interval M4 between the third article support unit 46 and the article 102.

  The first detection unit 32, the second detection unit 34, and the third detection units 36 and 38 are transmissive photoelectric elements including light projectors 32a, 34a, 36a, and 38a and light receivers 32b, 34b, 36b, and 38b, respectively. A sensor is provided. The light projectors 32a, 34a, 36a, 38a project laser beams 32c, 34c, 36c, 38c, respectively, and the light receivers 32b, 34b, 36b, 38b receive laser beams 32c, 34c, 36c, 38c, respectively. Outputs the corresponding electrical signal. The projectors 32a, 34a, 36a, and 38a may be collectively referred to as the projector 30a. The light receivers 32b, 34b, 36b, and 38b may be collectively referred to as a light receiver 30b. The laser beams 32c, 34c, 36c, and 38c may be collectively referred to as the laser beam 30c. The light projector 30a and the light receiver 30b are arranged to face each other at a predetermined distance so that the light projection axis of the light projector 30a matches the light reception axis of the light receiver 30b. For example, the light receiver 30b outputs an OFF signal (for example, H level) when there is nothing to block the laser light 30c, and outputs an ON signal (for example, L level) when there is something that blocks the laser light 30c.

  The projector 32a and the light receiver 32b of the first detection unit 32 are arranged so that the laser beam 32c passes through a position separated from the first article support unit 42 by a predetermined distance L1 forward (arrow F side). When the distance M1 between the first article support portion 42 and the article 102 is equal to or greater than the distance L1, the laser beam 32c is not blocked, and the light receiver 32b outputs an OFF signal (H level). When the interval M1 is less than the distance L1, the laser beam 32c is blocked, so that the light receiver 32b outputs an ON signal (L level).

  The light projector 34 a and the light receiver 34 b of the second detection unit 34 are arranged so that the laser beam 34 c passes through a position separated from the second article support unit 44 rearward (arrow R side) by a predetermined distance L2. When the distance M2 between the second article support 44 and the article 102 is equal to or greater than the distance L2, the laser beam 34c is not blocked, so the light receiver 34b outputs an OFF signal (H level). When the interval M2 is less than the distance L2, the laser beam 34c is blocked, and the light receiver 34b outputs an ON signal (L level).

  The two sets of third detection units 36 and 38 are separately provided on the left and right sides. The light projector 36a and the light receiver 36b are arranged so that the laser light 36c passes through a position separated by a predetermined distance L3 on the right side (inward in the X direction) from the third article support 46a. When the distance M3 between the third article support 46a and the article 102 is equal to or greater than the distance L3, the laser beam 36c is not blocked, and the light receiver 36b outputs an OFF signal (H level). When the interval M4 is less than the distance L3, the laser beam 36c is blocked, and the light receiver 36b outputs an ON signal (L level).

  The light projector 38a and the light receiver 38b are arranged so that the laser light 38c passes through a position separated by a predetermined distance L4 on the left side (inward in the X direction) from the third article support 46b. When the distance M4 between the third article support 46b and the article 102 is equal to or greater than the distance L4, the laser beam 38c is not blocked, so the light receiver 38b outputs an OFF signal (H level). When the interval M4 is less than the distance L4, the laser beam 38c is blocked, and the light receiver 38b outputs an ON signal (L level).

(Unloading operation)
Next, an example of the unloading operation of the automatic warehouse system 100 will be described. The carry-out operation includes an operation of the transport unit 10 that transfers the article 102 stored in the storage unit 58 from the storage unit 58 to the main body unit 12. When the article 102 is pulled into the main body part 12 from the housing part 58, it is preferable that the contact speed when the first article support part 42 contacts the article 102 is low. Therefore, in the automatic warehouse system 100, the article support unit 40 includes a first article support unit 42 that pulls the article 102 in the X direction, which is the first direction, and transfers the article 102 from the storage unit 58 to the main body unit 12. Includes a first detector 32 that detects a first interval between the first article support 42 and the article 102. The control unit 90 controls the approach speed of the first article support unit 42 based on the interval M1 detected by the first detection unit 32 of the detection unit 30. FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the transport unit in the carry-out operation. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a change in the appearance of the transport unit 10 corresponding to the flow of FIG. In FIG. 9, in order to facilitate understanding, the periphery of the third fork portion 26 is shown with emphasis, and the description of members that are not important for explanation is omitted.

  The carry-out operation is started when an operator inputs a predetermined operation to the fixed control unit 92. First, the automatic warehouse system 100 moves the transport unit 10 to the front 58a of the target storage unit 58 by the operations of the travel drive mechanism 84 and the lift drive mechanism 86 controlled by the control unit 90 (S111). At this time, the third fork part 26 stands by in a state where the first article support part 42 is opened left and right until the first article support part 42 does not overlap the article 102 in the X direction. Next, the third fork portions 26a and 26b are caused to enter the housing portion 58 side in the Y direction by the Y direction drive mechanisms 28a and 28b of the fork drive mechanism 23. At this time, the third fork part 26 is inserted to a position where the first article support part 42 reaches the rear side (the back side as viewed from the main body part) of the article 102 (S112).

  Next, the X-direction drive mechanisms 27 a and 27 b of the fork drive mechanism 23 move the third fork portions 26 on both sides inward in the X direction so that they are brought closer to the article 102. At this time, the third fork portion 26 is shifted to the left and right until the first article support portion 42 overlaps with the article 102 in the X direction and the third article support portion 46 does not contact the article 102 ( S113). The width adjusting operation will be described later.

  Next, the operation of steps S114 to S118 will be described. In steps S114 to S118, the Y-direction drive mechanisms 28a and 28b of the fork drive mechanism 23 cause the third fork portion 26 to retreat toward the main body portion 12 in the Y direction, and the first article support portion 42 holds the article 102 in the accommodating portion 58. This is a step of drawing into the main body 12 from FIG. 10 is an enlarged view showing a state in which the first article support section 42 approaches the article 102 in steps S114 and S116. FIG. 11 is a timing chart in steps S114 to S118. In FIG. 11, 32d indicates the output signal 32d of the light receiver 32b, CTL indicates the control signal CTL inside the movement control unit 94, and V1 indicates the Y direction of the third fork unit 26 (first article support unit 42). The speed V1 is indicated, M1 indicates the distance M1 between the first article support part 42 and the article 102, and P1 indicates the position P1 of the article 102 in the Y direction between the housing part 58 and the main body part 12. In FIG. 11, 32d, CTL, V1, M1, and P1 conceptually show an example of each change.

  First, as shown in FIG. 10, the first article support section 42 is moved closer to the article 102 at the first speed by the movement of the third fork section 26 (S114). At this time, the first detection unit 32 starts to detect the interval M1 between the first article support unit 42 and the article 102. In the first detector 32, the light receiver 32 b receives the laser light 32 c projected by the projector 32 a and outputs an output signal 32 d to the movement controller 94 of the controller 90.

  As shown in step S114 of FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, when the article 102 does not block the laser beam 32c (interval M1> L1), the output signal 32d outputs an H level. The movement control unit 94 outputs a control signal CTL for the first speed to the drive control unit 96 based on the output signal 32d. The drive control unit 96 controls the speed V1 of the third fork unit 26 to the first speed based on the control signal CTL (see also FIG. 4). As a result, the third fork part 26 (first article support part 42) is accelerated and quickly approaches the article 102 at the first speed (S114, S115).

  As shown in step S116 of FIG. 10 and FIG. 11, when the article 102 blocks the laser beam 32c (interval M1 ≦ L1), the output signal 32d outputs an L level. Based on the output signal 32d, the movement control unit 94 outputs the second speed control signal CTL to the drive control unit 96 only for a predetermined timer time Tm. The drive control unit 96 controls the speed V1 of the third fork unit 26 to the second speed based on the control signal CTL. The second speed is set lower than the first speed. The timer time Tm is set to a time during which the first article support unit 42 can contact the article 102. As a result, the third fork part 26 (first article support part 42) is decelerated and slowly approaches and contacts the article 102 at the second speed (S116, S117).

  Next, as shown in FIG. 11, when the timer time Tm has elapsed, the movement control unit 94 outputs a control signal CTL for the third speed to the drive control unit 96. The drive control unit 96 controls the third fork unit 26 to the third speed based on the control signal CTL. The third speed is set higher than the second speed, and may be the same as the first speed, for example. By this operation, the first article support section 42 quickly pulls the article 102 to the main body section 12 side at the third speed (S118).

  Subsequently, when the article 102 moves onto the main body portion 12, the third fork portion 26 is stopped (S119).

  Next, the automatic warehouse system 100 moves the transport unit 10 in front of the unloading table (not shown) by the operations of the travel drive mechanism 84 and the lift drive mechanism 86 controlled by the control unit 90 and places them on the main body unit 12. The article 102 that has been transferred is transferred from the main body 12 to the carry-out stand. The article 102 placed on the carry-out stand is carried out by a predetermined process.

  The X-direction drive mechanisms 27 a and 27 b and the Y-direction drive mechanisms 28 a and 28 b of the fork drive mechanism 23 in the carry-out operation are controlled by a movement control unit 94 and a drive control unit 96 provided in the transport unit 10. The X-direction drive mechanisms 27 a and 27 b and the Y-direction drive mechanisms 28 a and 28 b of the fork drive mechanism 23 may be controlled by the fixed control unit 92.

(Import operation)
Next, an example of the carry-in operation of the automatic warehouse system 100 will be described. The carry-in operation includes the operation of the transport unit 10 to transfer the article 102 placed on the main body unit 12 from the main body unit 12 to the storage unit 58. When the article 102 is extruded from the main body portion 12 to the accommodating portion 58, it is preferable that the contact speed when the second article support portion 44 contacts the article 102 is low. Therefore, in the automatic warehouse system 100, the article support unit 40 includes a second article support unit 44 that pushes the article 102 in the direction opposite to the first direction and transfers the article 102 from the main body unit 12 to the storage unit 58, and the detection unit 30 includes: A second detector 34 for detecting a second interval between the second article support 44 and the article 102 is included. The control unit 90 controls the approach speed of the second article support unit 44 based on the interval M2 detected by the second detection unit 34 of the detection unit 30. FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the transport unit in the carry-out operation. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a change in the appearance of the transport unit 10 corresponding to the flow of FIG. In FIG. 13, in order to facilitate understanding, the periphery of the third fork portion 26 is mainly shown, and description of members that are not important for explanation is omitted.

The carry-in operation is started when an operator inputs a predetermined operation to the fixed control unit 92 in a state where the article 102 carried by a predetermined process is placed on a carry-in table (not shown).
Next, the transport unit 10 is moved in front of the loading table by the operations of the travel drive mechanism 84 and the lift drive mechanism 86 controlled by the control unit 90 (S240). Next, the article 102 on the loading table is transferred from the loading table to the main body 12 (S241).
Next, by the operation of the travel drive mechanism 84 and the lift drive mechanism 86 controlled by the control unit 90, the transport unit 10 on which the article 102 is placed is moved to the front 58a of the target storage unit 58 (S242). At this time, the third fork portion 26 is close to the left and right until the first article support portion 42 overlaps the article 102 in the X direction and the third article support portion 46 does not contact the article 102. .

  Next, the operation of steps S243 to S247 will be described. In steps S243 to S247, the Y-direction drive mechanisms 28a and 28b of the fork drive mechanism 23 advance the third fork portion 26 toward the accommodating portion 58 in the Y direction, and the second article support portion 44 causes the article 102 to move the article 102 to the main body portion 12. It is a step which pushes it into the accommodating part 58. FIG. 14 is an enlarged view showing a state in which the second article support unit 44 approaches the article 102 in steps S243 and S245. FIG. 15 is a timing chart in steps S243 to S247. In FIG. 15, 34d shows the output signal 34d of the light receiver 34b, CTL shows the control signal CTL inside the movement control unit 94, and V2 shows the speed V2 of the third fork unit 26 (second article support unit 44). M2 indicates the distance M2 between the second article support portion 44 and the article 102, and P2 indicates the position P2 of the article 102 in the Y direction between the main body portion 12 and the accommodating portion 58. In FIG. 15, 34d, CTL, V2, M2, and P2 conceptually show examples of the respective changes.

  First, as shown in FIG. 14, the second article support section 44 is moved closer to the article 102 at the first speed by the movement of the third fork section 26 (S243). At this time, the second detection unit 34 starts to detect the interval M2 between the second article support unit 44 and the article 102. In the second detector 34, the light receiver 34 b receives the laser beam 34 c projected by the projector 34 a and outputs an output signal 34 d to the movement controller 94 of the controller 90.

  As shown in step S243 of FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, when the article 102 does not block the laser beam 34c (interval M2> L2), the output signal 34d outputs an H level. The movement control unit 94 outputs a first speed control signal CTL to the drive control unit 96 based on the output signal 34 d. The drive control unit 96 controls the third fork unit 26 to the first speed based on the control signal CTL. As a result, the third fork portion 26 (second article support portion 44) is accelerated and quickly approaches the article 102 at the first speed (S243, S244).

  As shown in step S245 of FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, when the article 102 blocks the laser beam 34c (interval M2 ≦ L2), the output signal 34d outputs an L level. Based on the output signal 34d, the movement control unit 94 outputs the second speed control signal CTL to the drive control unit 96 only for a predetermined timer time Tm. The drive control unit 96 controls the third fork unit 26 to the second speed based on the control signal CTL. The second speed is set lower than the first speed. The timer time Tm is set to a time during which the second article support unit 44 can contact the article 102 within that time. As a result, the third fork portion 26 (second article support portion 44) is decelerated and slowly approaches and contacts the article 102 at the second speed (S245, S246).

  Next, as shown in FIG. 15, when the timer time Tm has elapsed, the movement control unit 94 outputs a control signal CTL for the third speed to the drive control unit 96. The drive control unit 96 controls the third fork unit 26 to the third speed based on the control signal CTL. The third speed is set higher than the second speed, and may be the same as the first speed, for example. By this operation, the second article support section 44 is quickly moved at the third speed, and the article 102 is pushed into the housing section 58 side (S247).

Subsequently, when the article 102 has moved to the middle of the accommodating portion 58, the third fork portion 26 is temporarily stopped (S248).
Subsequently, by driving the fork drive mechanism 23 in the X direction, the third fork portion 26 is moved outward in the X direction to a position where the second article support portion 44 does not overlap with the article 102 in the X direction and is opened to the left and right (S249). ).
Subsequently, by driving the fork drive mechanism 23 in the Y direction, the third fork portion 26 is moved in the Y direction so as to be retracted toward the main body portion 12 and returned to a predetermined standby position (S250).

  Next, the automatic warehouse system 100 may move the transport unit 10 to a predetermined home position by the operations of the travel drive mechanism 84 and the lift drive mechanism 86 controlled by the control unit 90. The X-direction drive mechanisms 27 a and 27 b and the Y-direction drive mechanisms 28 a and 28 b of the fork drive mechanism 23 in the carry-in operation are controlled by a movement control unit 94 provided in the transport unit 10. The X-direction drive mechanisms 27 a and 27 b and the Y-direction drive mechanisms 28 a and 28 b of the fork drive mechanism 23 may be controlled by the fixed control unit 92.

(Width adjustment operation)
Next, an example of the width shifting operation of the automatic warehouse system 100 will be described. In the shifting operation, the X-direction drive mechanisms 27a and 27b of the fork drive mechanism 23 move the third fork portions 26 on the left and right sides inward in the X direction to move the third article support portion 46 to the left and right of the article 102. This is an operation to bring the side to the side. The width adjusting operation is an operation included in step S113 described above, for example. When the third article support portion 46 is brought closer to the left and right side surfaces of the article 102, the third article support portion 46 may contact the article 102 depending on the position and posture of the article 102. It is preferable that the speed is low. Therefore, in the automatic warehouse system 100, the article support unit 40 includes a third article support unit 46 that moves in the width-shifting direction (X direction) that intersects the Y direction, which is the first direction, and the detection unit 30 includes the third article. A third detection unit 36 that detects an interval M3 between the support unit 46 and the article 102 is included.

  FIGS. 16A and 16B are schematic views for explaining the width-shifting operation of the transport unit 10. As shown in FIGS. 16A and 16B, the third fork parts 26a and 26b are moved in the X direction to cause the third article support parts 46a and 46b to approach the article 102 at the first speed. At this time, the third detection unit 36 detects the distances M3 and M4 between the third article support parts 46a and 46b and the article 102. The third detector 36 receives the laser beams 36c and 38c projected by the projectors 36a and 38a by the light receivers 36b and 38b and outputs output signals 36d and 38d to the movement controller 94 of the controller 90.

  As shown in FIG. 16A, in a state where the article 102 does not block either of the laser beams 36c and 38c (interval M3> L3, interval M4> L4), the output signals 36d and 38d output the H level. The movement controller 94 controls the third forks 26a, 26b to the first speed based on the output signals 36d, 38d. As a result, the third fork portions 26a and 26b (third article support portions 46a and 46b) are accelerated and quickly approach the article 102 at the first speed.

  As shown in FIG. 16B, when the article 102 blocks either of the laser beams 36c and 38c (interval M3 ≦ L3, interval M4 ≦ L4), either of the output signals 36d and 38d outputs an L level. To do. The movement control unit 94 controls the third fork unit 26 to the second speed based on the output signals 36d and 38d. The second speed is set lower than the first speed. As a result, the third fork portions 26a and 26b (third article support portions 46a and 46b) are decelerated and slowly approach the article 102 at the second speed to be narrowed. When the third fork portions 26a and 26b on the left and right sides approach a predetermined distance, the third fork portions 26a and 26b (third article support portions 46a and 46b) are stopped, and the width-shifting operation ends.

Next, features of the automatic warehouse system 100 of the embodiment configured as described above will be described.
When transferring an article, if the article moving unit contacts the article at a high speed, the article may be damaged. On the other hand, when the article moving unit is moved at a low speed, it takes a long time to carry in / out the article, and the handling capacity of the automatic warehouse may be reduced. Therefore, in the automatic warehouse system 100, the transport unit 10 detects the main body unit 12, the article moving unit 20 that moves the article 102 between the main body unit 12 and the storage unit 58, and the interval between the article moving unit 20 and the article 102. The control unit 90 controls the operation of the article moving unit 20 based on the detected interval. With this configuration, by changing the operation speed of the article moving unit 20 according to the distance between the article moving unit 20 and the article 102, the possibility of damaging the article 102 is reduced, and a decrease in processing capacity for handling goods is suppressed. can do.

  When the article is transferred, if the article support portion approaches and comes into contact with the article at high speed, the article may be damaged. On the other hand, if the article support unit is moved at a low speed, it takes a long time to carry in / out the article, and the handling capacity of the automatic warehouse may be reduced. Therefore, in the automatic warehouse system 100, the article moving unit 20 includes an article support unit 40 that moves closer to the article 102, and the control unit 90 approaches the article support unit 40 based on the interval detected by the detection unit 30. Control the speed. With this configuration, by changing the approach speed of the article support unit 40 according to the distance between the article moving unit 20 and the article 102, the possibility of damaging the article 102 is reduced, and a reduction in processing capacity of the cargo handling is suppressed. can do.

  In the automatic warehouse system 100, the article support unit 40 includes a first article support unit 42 that pulls the article 102 in the X direction, which is the first direction, and transfers the article 102 from the storage unit 58 to the main body unit 12. The 1st detection part 32 which detects the 1st space | interval of 1 goods support part 42 and the goods 102 is included. With this configuration, the contact speed of the first article support portion 42 can be suppressed by reducing the approach speed according to the first interval.

  In the automatic warehouse system 100, the article support unit 40 includes a second article support unit 44 that pushes the article 102 in the direction opposite to the first direction and transfers the article 102 from the main body unit 12 to the storage unit 58. A second detector 34 for detecting a second interval between the article support 44 and the article 102 is included. With this configuration, the contact speed of the second article support portion 44 can be suppressed by reducing the approach speed according to the second interval.

  In the automatic warehouse system 100, the article support unit 40 includes a third article support unit 46 that moves in the X direction that intersects the Y direction, which is the first direction, and the detection unit 30 includes the third article support unit 46 and the article 102. A third detector 36 for detecting the interval M3 is included. With this configuration, the speed at which the third article support portion 46 contacts can be suppressed by decelerating according to the interval M3.

  In the automatic warehouse system 100, the article moving unit 20 includes a third fork unit 26 that is a fork arm that moves forward and backward in the first direction, and the detection unit 30 is configured to move together with the third fork unit 26. Even if the article moving unit 20 moves, the relative position between the third fork unit 26 and the detection unit 30 does not change, so that the interval between the article moving unit 20 and the article 102 can be accurately detected with a simple configuration.

  In the automatic warehouse system 100, since the transport unit 10 is provided so as to be able to travel in the horizontal direction, in a warehouse having a plurality of storage units in the horizontal direction, compared to a configuration in which articles are placed on a traveling device provided separately and run. Thus, it is possible to efficiently carry in and carry out the articles while omitting the time for replacement.

  In the automatic warehouse system 100, since the transport unit 10 is provided so as to be able to move up and down, compared with a configuration in which the article is placed on a lifting device provided separately and moved up and down in a warehouse having a plurality of shelf parts, It is possible to efficiently carry in and out articles while omitting the loading time.

  In the above, it demonstrated based on embodiment of this invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that these embodiments are examples, and that various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the claims of the present invention, and that such modifications and changes are also within the scope of the claims of the present invention. It is where it is done. Accordingly, the description and drawings herein are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive.

(Modification 1)
In the description of the automatic warehouse system 100 according to the embodiment, the example in which the article moving unit 20 includes the two fork arms 22a and 22b has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the article moving unit may be composed of one fork arm or an industrial robot.

(Modification 2)
In the description of the automatic warehouse system 100 according to the embodiment, the example in which the article moving unit 20 supports the side surface of the article 102 and pulls in and pushes out is described, but the invention is not limited thereto. For example, a configuration in which the side surface and the bottom surface of the article are supported and inserted and removed may be used.

(Modification 3)
In the description of the automatic warehouse system 100 according to the embodiment, the example in which the detection unit 30 is a transmissive photoelectric sensor has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the detection unit may include a reflective photoelectric sensor and other types of distance detection means based on a known principle. The detection unit may include a pressure sensor. Further, the detection unit 30 detects the intervals M1, M2, M3, and M4 between the first article support unit 42, the second article support unit 44, the third article support unit 46, and the article 102, and the control unit 90 detects The speeds of the first article support part 42, the second article support part 44, and the third article support part 46 may be controlled based on the intervals M1, M2, M3, and M4.

  FIG. 17 shows a diffuse reflection photoelectric sensor as a detection unit that detects the distances M1, M2, M3, and M4 between the first article support section 42, the second article support section 44, the third article support section 46, and the article 102. It is a schematic diagram of top view of the conveyance part 210 which concerns on the modification 3 provided with a certain detection part 32e, 32f, 34g, 34h, 36g, 36h. The control unit 90 controls the speeds of the first article support unit 42, the second article support unit 44, and the third article support unit 46 based on the output signals of the detection units 32e, 32f, 34g, 34h, 36g, and 36h. Configured. As a result, this modification has the same features as the automatic warehouse system 100. In addition, since the reflection type photoelectric sensor has an integrated projector and receiver, the distance to the article 102 can be easily changed, and the optical axis is less likely to fluctuate, so that maintenance work can be saved.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Automatic warehouse system, 10 Conveyance part, 12 Main part, 20 Article moving part, 22 Fork arm, 23 Fork drive mechanism, 30 Detection part, 40 Article support part, 42 1st article support part, 44 2nd article support part, 46 3rd article support part, 50 shelf part, 58 accommodating part, 84 travel drive mechanism, 86 raising / lowering drive mechanism, 88 travel part, 90 control part.

Claims (8)

A shelf including at least one storage section for storing articles to be stored;
A transport unit for storing and unloading articles in the storage unit;
A control unit for controlling the operation of the transport unit,
The transport unit is
The main body,
An article moving section for moving an article between the main body section and the housing section;
A detection unit that detects the interval between the article moving unit and the article,
The automatic warehouse system, wherein the control unit is configured to control an operation of the article moving unit based on an interval detected by the detection unit. The article moving unit includes an article support unit that performs an approaching action to approach an article,
2. The automatic warehouse system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls an approach speed of the article support unit based on an interval detected by the detection unit. The article support section includes a first article support section that pulls an article and transfers the article from the housing section to the main body section,
3. The automatic warehouse system according to claim 2, wherein the detection unit includes a first detection unit that detects a first interval between the first article support unit and the article. The article support section includes a second article support section that pushes an article and transfers the article from the main body section to the housing section.
4. The automatic warehouse system according to claim 2, wherein the detection unit includes a second detection unit that detects a second interval between the second article support unit and the article. 5. The article support section includes a third article support section that moves in a direction to narrow the article,
5. The automatic warehouse system according to claim 2, wherein the detection unit includes a third detection unit that detects a third interval between the third article support unit and the article. The article moving unit includes a fork arm that moves forward and backward toward the housing unit,
6. The automatic warehouse system according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit is configured to move integrally with the fork arm.   The automatic warehouse system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the transport unit is provided so as to be able to travel in a horizontal direction.   The automatic warehouse system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the transport unit is provided so as to be vertically movable.

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