JP2018203535A - Book borrowing/returning system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a book borrowing/returning system capable of changing an interval between trays arranged at a rack in accordance with the thickness of a book.SOLUTION: This system includes: a control part 180 for determining the thickness of a book loaded on a tray 140 by a detection signal from a thickness detection part 151; a rack 170 which is incorporated inside a housing 110 and in which rack grooves are formed at certain intervals on support frames facing each other; and a robot 160 for transporting the tray, to which the book is transferred, to a tray groove. Positions of a pair of rack grooves into which the tray is inserted are decided in accordance with the thickness of the book, and the transporting robot is controlled to store the book into the rack.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a book lending return system capable of lending and returning books automatically.

  In the conventional book lending / returning system, the interval between the trays arranged in the rack is constant.

Because books vary in thickness, the tray spacing is set to accommodate the widest range of books that can be lent or returned through the book lending and return system to accommodate all types of books. Need to be done.
For this reason, in the conventional book lending / returning system, the rack cannot be used efficiently.

  The object of the present invention proposed to solve the above-described problems is to provide a book lending / returning system that can change the interval between trays arranged in a rack according to the thickness of the book. is there.

  The book lending / returning system according to the present invention for achieving the technical problem described above includes a housing having a front surface opened; a door covering the front surface of the housing opened; an opening formed in the door; The main loading / unloading section in communication; the tray on which the first book carried through the book loading / unloading section is placed; the thickness for detecting the thickness of the first loading / unloading section or the first book placed on the tray A detection unit; a control unit for determining the thickness of the first book based on a detection signal from the thickness detection unit; a support frame built in the housing and facing each other, each of the support frames being fixed Racks having rack grooves formed at intervals of; a pair of racks facing each other among the rack grooves by the control of the control unit; A storage robot for storing information on the thickness of the first book and information on the positions of the pair of rack grooves into which the trays are inserted, and the control unit has a thickness of the first book. Accordingly, the position of a pair of rack grooves into which the tray is inserted is determined, and the transfer robot is controlled according to the determination.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain an effect that the number of books that can be arranged in a rack is increased as compared with the conventional art.

The block diagram of one Example of the library rental return system which concerns on this invention. The illustration figure of the library rental return system which concerns on this invention. The illustration figure which showed the tray arrange | positioned at the rack applied to the library rental return system which concerns on this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a book lending / returning system according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an illustration of a book lending / returning system according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a lending of a book according to the present invention. It is the illustration figure which showed the tray arrange | positioned at the rack applied to a return system.

  The book lending / returning system according to the present invention is intended to make it possible for a user to use various books, and in particular, has the effect of increasing the number of accommodation volumes of books. The book lending / returning system according to the present invention stacks books using an orthogonal robot system, and has a structure that can cope with various book thicknesses.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the book lending / returning system according to the present invention includes a housing 110 whose front surface is open, a door 120 covering the front surface of the housing that is open, and a door. A main loading / unloading portion 130 communicating with the opened opening, a tray 140 on which the first books carried in via the book loading / unloading portion are placed, and the book loading / unloading portion or the tray placed on the tray A thickness detector 151 for detecting the thickness of the first book, a control unit 180 for judging the thickness of the first book based on a detection signal from the thickness detector, and a support incorporated in the housing and facing each other Each of the support frames includes a rack 170 in which rack grooves 172 are formed at regular intervals, and the tray is controlled by the control unit. Is stored in a pair of rack grooves facing each other out of the rack grooves, and information on the thickness of the first book and information on the positions of the pair of rack grooves in which the trays are inserted are stored. Part 181.
First, the control unit 180 determines the thickness of the first book 210 based on a detection signal from the thickness detection unit 151.

  The controller 180 determines the position of the pair of rack grooves 172 into which the tray 140 is inserted according to the thickness of the first book 210 and controls the transfer robot 160 according to the determination.

The controller 180 has a thickness of the second book placed on another tray already arranged on the rack 170 and the first book 210 placed on the tray transferred by the transfer robot 160. The position of the pair of rack grooves on which the tray transferred by the transfer robot 160 is placed can be determined using the thickness.
Second, the housing 110 supports the components, and the front surface of the housing 110 is open.

  Third, the door 120 covers the open front surface of the housing 110. As shown in FIG. 1, one door may be assembled to the housing, but three doors may be assembled as shown in FIG. May be assembled.

  An opening is formed in the door 120, and the opening communicates with the main entrance / exit 130. Accordingly, the first book 210 carried into the housing 110 through the opening is carried into the book loading / unloading section 130, and the first book 210 loaded into the book loading / unloading section 130 is again the tray. 140.

Fourth, the book loading / unloading portion 130 communicates with an opening formed in the door, and the first book 210 carried in via the opening is moved via the book loading / unloading portion 130. It is delivered to the tray 140.
Fifth, the first book sent from the book taking-in / out unit 130 is placed on the tray 140.
The tray 140 is transferred to the rack 170 by the transfer robot 160.

  The tray 140 disposed on the rack 170 can be transferred to a position corresponding to the main loading / unloading unit 130 by the transfer robot 160. Books placed on the book taking-in / out unit 130 can be carried out to the outside through the book taking-in / out unit 130 and the opening of the door 120.

Sixth, the thickness detection unit 151 detects the thickness of the first book 210 placed on the main loading / unloading unit 130 or the tray 140. A detection signal detected by the thickness detector 151 is sent to the controller 180.
The thickness detector 151 may include at least two optical sensors.

Seventh, the rack 170 is incorporated in the housing 110. FIG. 1 shows a book lending / returning system according to the present invention in which one rack 170 is arranged inside the housing 110, and FIG. 2 shows a book in which two or more racks 170 are arranged. A book rental return system according to the invention is shown. That is, at least one or more of the racks 170 may be arranged in the housing 110 constituting the book lending / returning system according to the present invention.
The rack 170 includes support frames 171 facing each other.
Rack grooves 172 are formed in each of the support frames at regular intervals.

  Each of the support frames 171 constituting one rack 170 is arranged in the vertical direction of the housing inside the housing and faces each other. The pair of rack grooves 172 are formed to face each other in the horizontal direction of the housing.

Eighth, the transfer robot 160 inserts the tray 140 into a pair of rack grooves facing each other in the rack groove 172 under the control of the control unit 180.
The transfer robot 160 can move in a vertical direction or a horizontal direction of the housing.
Ninth, the storage unit 181 stores information on the thickness of the first book and information on the position of the pair of rack grooves into which the tray 140 is inserted.

In the following, a method for returning a book using the book lending / returning system according to the present invention described above, a method for placing a book to be lent on the rack of the book lending / returning system according to the present invention, and a book lending / returning according to the present invention A method for managing books using the system will be described.
First, a method for returning a book using the book lending / returning system according to the present invention is as follows.

  The book lending / returning system according to the present invention has a structure that allows a user to lend or return books having various thicknesses. For this reason, the book lending / returning system according to the present invention detects the thickness of a book. The thickness detector 151 can be included.

For example, when the user inserts the first book 210 into the opening of the door 120, the first book 210 is placed on the main loading / unloading unit 130 or the tray 140.
The thickness detection unit 151 detects the thickness of the first book 210 placed on the main loading / unloading unit 130 or the tray 140.

The controller 180 extracts an optimum space into which the tray 140 on which the first book 210 is placed is extracted from the rack 170, and then controls the transfer robot 160 to extract the extracted position. The tray 140 on which the first book 210 is placed is transferred.
The thickness detector 151 may measure the thickness of the first book 210 using various methods.

  The thickness detector 151 may include, for example, at least two optical sensors each composed of a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit. Hereinafter, the thickness detector 151 including three optical sensors will be described as an example of the present invention. The photosensor may be a photosensor that is currently commonly used. The thickness of the first book 210 may be detected based on whether the light emitted from the light emitting unit is detected by the photosensor.

  For example, when light is detected by the light receiving unit of the first photosensor arranged at the lowest position among the three photosensors, the control unit 180 determines that the first book has the smallest thickness, that is, the first It can be judged that it has the thickness of the step.

  Of the three photosensors, no light is detected by the light receiving unit of the first photosensor, but when light is detected by the light receiving unit of the second photosensor arranged at a position higher than the first photosensor. The controller 180 may determine that the first book has a second stage thickness greater than the first stage thickness.

  Of the three photosensors, no light is detected by the light receiving unit of the first photosensor and the light receiving unit of the second photosensor, but the third light is arranged at a higher position than the second photosensor. When light is detected by the light receiving unit of the sensor, the control unit 180 may determine that the first book has a third stage thickness greater than the second stage thickness.

If no light is detected in any of the light receiving unit of the first photosensor, the light receiving unit of the second photosensor, and the light receiving unit of the third photosensor, the control unit 180 determines that the first book is It can be determined that the thickness of the fourth stage is greater than the thickness of the third stage. However, if the light is not detected by the light receiving unit of the third optical sensor, the control unit may determine that the book has a thickness that cannot be accommodated in the rack 170, and may perform error determination. It may be output on a display or voice.
The controller 180 knows the position of the rack groove 172 in which the tray 140 disposed in the rack 170 is disposed.

  Therefore, the rack 170 knows information about the rack groove 172 in which no tray is arranged. As a result, the controller 180 knows the interval between the rack grooves 172 where no tray is disposed.

  The controller 180 uses the information about the thickness of the first book and the information about the interval between the rack grooves 172 where the tray is not arranged, and the tray 140 on which the first book 210 is placed. The position of the pair of rack grooves 172 into which is inserted is determined. The controller 180 controls the transfer robot 160 so that the tray 140 on which the first book 210 is placed can be inserted into the determined pair of rack grooves 172.

In this case, the control unit 180 is configured such that the thickness of the second book placed on another tray already arranged in the rack 170 and the first book placed on the tray transferred by the transfer robot. May be used to determine the position of a pair of rack grooves on which the tray transferred by the transfer robot is placed. That is, the positions of other trays already arranged on the rack 170 are also determined according to the thickness of the second book. Therefore, the interval between the rack grooves 172 where the tray is not disposed is related to the thickness of the second book. Thereby, even if the position of the pair of rack grooves on which the first book is placed is determined according to the thickness of the second book placed on another tray already placed on the rack 170. Good.
Next, a method for arranging the books to be lent on the rack of the book lending / returning system according to the present invention is as follows.

  In order to automatically arrange the books to be lent in the rack, the book lending / returning system according to the present invention reads the information of the tag provided in the third book placed on another tray placed in the rack. A tag reader 152 may be further included. The tag information may include the book name of the third book.

  The control unit 180 includes a book name of the third book collected via the tag reader 152, a position of a pair of rack grooves in which the other trays on which the third book is placed are disposed, May be stored in the storage unit.

  Incidentally, when the administrator of the book lending / returning system places the third book to be lent on the rack 170, after opening the door 120, the administrator places the third book on the tray placed on the rack 170. It may be placed directly. In this case, the manager may directly adjust the interval between the trays arranged in the rack 170 according to the thickness of the third book.

  For example, when placing a book for lending in a book lending / returning system that has a book capacity of 570 books, the manager can copy each book through the opening provided in the door 120 as described above. What is necessary is just to put in a library rental return system.

  In this case, the control unit 180 uses the book name of the third book collected via the tag reader 152 and the information on the thickness of the third book collected via the thickness detection unit 151. Thus, the tray on which the third book is placed can be arranged on the rack 170. In this case, in order to arrange 570 books in the book lending / returning system, the manager must repeat the above-described process 570 times.

  However, an administrator who uses the book lending / returning system according to the present invention can open the door 120 and place the third book directly on the tray 140 placed on the rack 170 as described above. it can.

  In this case, the control unit 180 may store the tag information of the third book collected through the tag reader 152, for example, the book name of the third book in the storage unit 181.

  In addition, the control unit 180 is configured such that the rack on which the tray on which the third book is placed is arranged based on information collected from the rack groove sensor 173 provided in each of the rack grooves 172. The position of the groove 172 can be grasped. Accordingly, the control unit 180 can grasp the position where the tray on which the third book is placed is arranged.

Accordingly, when there is a loan request for any one of the third books via the input unit 190 disposed on the door 120, the controller 180 displays the third book that received the loan request. The placed tray can be transferred by the transfer robot 160 to a position corresponding to the main loading / unloading unit 130. In this case, the control unit 180 controls the transfer robot 160 to transfer the third book to the outside of the book lending / returning system through the book entry / exit part 130 and the opening formed in the door 120. Can be transported to
When an administrator puts a plurality of third books into the book lending / returning system one by one through the opening, it may take more than one day of physical time.
However, as described above, if the manager directly places the third book on the tray 140 arranged on the rack 170, the time required can be considerably shortened.
Finally, a method for managing books using the book lending / returning system according to the present invention is as follows.

  The storage unit 181 stores information on rack grooves corresponding to at least two trays placed on the rack 170 and information on the thickness of books placed on each of the at least two trays. Yes.

  When the control unit 180 receives a realignment control signal through the input unit 190 or at a preset time, the control unit 180 uses at least two information about the rack groove 172 and information about the thickness of the book. The arrangement position of the tray in the rack can be reset. In this case, the controller 180 may control the transfer robot 160 according to the reset information to change the arrangement positions of the at least two trays 140.

  That is, the book lending / returning system according to the present invention may rearrange the books at a specific time, for example, at midnight, in order to efficiently manage the book return space. Maximum free space can be secured. Therefore, it is possible to arrange a maximum number of books for lending or books for return in the book lending / returning system.

  Incidentally, the book lending / returning system according to the present invention rearranges books in a specific time zone for optimal placement of books. Thus, the book lending / returning system according to the present invention may perform a rearrangement operation for collecting scattered empty spaces into which a book is inserted into one space.

  If the rearrangement is not performed in this way, empty spaces are scattered, so that if the returned books are thick, there may be a case where a space where the returned books can be arranged cannot be secured. Therefore, the book lending / returning system according to the present invention may rearrange the trays so as to collect the scattered empty spaces when it is not in the use time zone of the user.

  It should be understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without changing the technical idea and essential features of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all aspects and not limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims rather than the foregoing detailed description, and all modifications or variations derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and the equivalents thereof are within the scope of the present invention. Must be construed to be included.

110: Housing 130: Main insertion / removal unit 151: Thickness detection unit 160: Transfer robot 180: Control unit 190: Input unit

Claims (5)

A housing with an open front;
A door covering the open front of the housing;
A main access portion in communication with an opening formed in the door;
A tray on which the first book carried in through the book taking-in / out unit is placed;
A thickness detecting unit for detecting the thickness of the first book placed on the main loading / unloading unit or the tray;
A control unit that determines the thickness of the first book based on a detection signal from the thickness detection unit;
Racks including support frames built into the housing and facing each other, each of the support frames having rack grooves formed at regular intervals;
A transfer robot that inserts the tray into a pair of rack grooves facing each other among the rack grooves under the control of the control unit; and information on the thickness of the first book and a pair of rack grooves into which the tray is inserted A storage unit for storing information on the position of
The said control part determines the position of a pair of rack groove in which the said tray is inserted according to the thickness of the said 1st book, The book rental return system which controls the said transfer robot according to this determination.   Each of the support frames is disposed inside the housing in a vertical direction of the housing and faces each other, and the pair of rack grooves are formed to face each other in the horizontal direction of the housing. The book rental return system according to Item 1. The controller is
Using the thickness of the second book placed on the other tray already arranged in the rack and the thickness of the first book placed on the tray transferred by the transfer robot, The book lending / returning system according to claim 1, wherein positions of a pair of rack grooves on which the tray to be transferred is placed are determined. A tag reader for reading the tag information provided in the third book placed on another tray placed in the rack;
The tag information includes the book of the third book,
The controller includes the book name of the third book collected via the tag reader and the positions of a pair of rack grooves in which the other trays on which the third book is placed are arranged. The book rental return system according to claim 1, which is stored in a storage unit. The storage unit stores information related to rack grooves corresponding to at least two trays arranged in the rack and information related to the thickness of books placed on each of the at least two trays.
When the control unit receives a realignment control signal via the input unit assembled to the door or reaches a preset time, the control unit uses at least 2 information on the rack groove and information on the thickness of the book. 2. The book according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement positions of the two trays in the rack are reset, and the transfer robot is controlled according to the reset information to change the arrangement positions of at least two of the trays. Lending return system.