JP2019178011A - Automatic warehouse system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an automatic warehouse system technology that enhances the operation efficiency of a warehouse.SOLUTION: The automatic warehouse system 100 has a transportation dolly 30 that can move in the column direction between the storage parts and carry an article 90 into and out of the storage. A running dolly can run adjacent to a shelving part 12 in the row direction. The running dolly includes: a dolly main body part 52; a shuttle fork 54 that is provided on the dolly main body 52 and retractable to the storage side; and a guide part 56 that is provided on the dolly main body part 52 and that the transportation dolly 30 runs on. The guide 56 is designed to move between the first position that is the position where the transportation dolly 30 can run and the second position that is the position where the transportation dolly retreats itself to allow the article 90 to be mounted on the shuttle fork 54.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic warehouse system for entering and leaving goods.

  There is known an automatic warehouse system for entering and leaving goods. For example, in Patent Document 1, in a large warehouse or the like in which a plurality of storage shelves each having a plurality of storage units are arranged in the up, down, left, and right directions, a warehouse system that carries in or out a specified article to or from a predetermined storage unit of the storage shelf Is described.

JP, 2015-157683, A

  By the way, in the automatic warehouse system described in Patent Document 1, a pair of traveling rails are laid on the bottom surface of each storage portion of the storage shelf, and articles are placed on the placement portion of the travel rail. Multiple pallets are supported. For example, when unloading an article, the transport carriage travels on a traveling rail, moves to a designated storage unit, and places the designated article on the placement table by moving the placement table up and down, and the state To the end of the running rail.

  Further, in such a conventional automatic warehouse system, the transport cart waits for the arrival of the stacker crane with the lifting platform at the end of the traveling rail, and when the stacker crane arrives, it is collected together with the articles on the lifting platform of the stacker crane. . The stacker crane on which the article and the transport carriage are placed travels along the side surface of the storage shelf, and the elevator platform is lowered to move to a predetermined unloading section to unload the article. Next, the stacker crane travels along the side surface of the storage shelf, raises the lifting platform, and transports the transport cart that has become unloaded to the end of the original traveling rail. Next, the transport carriage returns to the traveling rail and reaches a predetermined standby state. In addition, when the goods are received, the stacker crane is reciprocated between the end of the traveling rail and the storage part with the transport carriage.

As described above, in the conventional automatic warehouse system, the stacker crane is configured to receive and unload the goods by receiving the support of the transport cart. Therefore, the stacker crane waits for the transport cart to arrive, the transport cart, However, the time to wait for the movement of the stacker crane was wasted, which was a factor that lowered the operating efficiency of warehouse entry and exit.
Against this background, the conventional automatic warehouse system has room for improvement from the viewpoint of improving the operation efficiency of the warehouse.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for an automatic warehouse system capable of improving the operation efficiency of a warehouse.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, an automatic warehouse system according to an aspect of the present invention is capable of moving in a column direction between a shelf unit having a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns of storage units and the storage units, and carrying articles into the storage unit. -It has the conveyance trolley which carries out, and the traveling trolley which can drive | work to a row direction adjacent to a shelf part. The traveling carriage includes a carriage body, a shuttle fork that is provided on the carriage body and can move forward and backward, and a guide that is provided on the carriage body and allows the transport carriage to travel. The guide unit is configured to be movable between a first position, which is a position where the transport carriage can travel, and a second position where the article is retracted so that an article can be placed on the shuttle fork.

  According to this aspect, in the automatic warehouse system, the traveling carriage is provided with the shuttle fork that can advance and retreat toward the housing portion side, so that articles can be placed on the shuttle fork.

  Another aspect of the present invention is a stacker crane. This stacker crane is a stacker crane provided so as to be able to run adjacent to the shelf, and is provided on the carriage main body so that it can be moved up and down by an elevating mechanism, and can be moved back and forth toward the shelf. A shuttle fork, and a guide unit that is provided on the carriage main body and capable of traveling a transport carriage that carries articles into and out of the shelf. The guide unit is configured to be movable between a first position, which is a position where the transport carriage can travel, and a second position where the article is retracted so that an article can be placed on the shuttle fork.

  According to this aspect, the guide carriage can be moved to the first position to drive the transport carriage, and the guide can be retracted to the second position to place the article with the shuttle fork.

  Yet another aspect of the present invention is an automatic warehouse system. This automatic warehouse system has a plurality of rows and columns of storage units, and the storage units can be moved in the column direction between the storage unit and the shelves provided with a plurality of stages in the vertical direction. -Carrying carts to be carried out, provided adjacent to the respective storage units, provided adjacent to one end of each track, a track extending in the row direction, a traveling cart capable of traveling on the track. And an elevating part that moves the traveling carriage onto the track of another stage. The traveling carriage includes a carriage main body and an accommodation section that is provided on the carriage main body and can accommodate the conveyance carriage.

  According to this aspect, the traveling carriage can travel on the track while accommodating the transport carriage, and can be moved on the track of another stage by the elevating unit.

  Yet another aspect of the present invention is also an automatic warehouse system. This automatic warehouse system is movable between a shelf unit having a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns of storage units, a storage unit for storing articles, a storage unit for discharging articles, and a storage unit. A transporting carriage for carrying in / out the article, a traveling carriage provided adjacent to the shelf and capable of traveling between the shelf and the warehousing part or the leaving part, and a control part. The control unit controls the transport carriage so that the article placed in one accommodation section is transported to and placed on another accommodation section, and the traveling carriage collects the article placed in the other accommodation section. The traveling carriage that controls the traveling carriage and collects the article controls the running carriage so as to convey the article to the output section, and controls the carriage carriage so as to convey another article within the shelf.

  According to this aspect, the carriage can carry another article in the shelf while the traveling carriage conveys the article to the exit section.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the technique of the automatic warehouse system which can improve the operating efficiency of a warehouse can be provided.

1 is a perspective view of an automatic warehouse system according to an embodiment. It is a top view of the automatic warehouse system which concerns on embodiment. It is a top view of the conveyance trolley concerning an embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of the top view which shows the inside of the conveyance trolley which concerns on embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of the side view which shows the inside of the conveyance trolley which concerns on embodiment. It is a front view which shows a part of shelf part of the automatic warehouse system which concerns on embodiment. It is a front view of the stacker crane concerning an embodiment. It is a schematic diagram of the top view of a trolley | bogie main-body part. It is a schematic diagram which shows the trolley | bogie main-body part of the state which the guide part moved to the 1st position. It is a schematic diagram which shows the trolley | bogie main-body part of the state which the guide part moved to the 2nd position. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state of the conveyance trolley which approached the traveling trolley | bogie. It is a front view of the automatic warehouse system which concerns on a 5th modification. It is a side view of the automatic warehouse system which concerns on a 5th modification. It is a perspective view of the traveling trolley | bogie which concerns on a 5th 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. Further, in the drawings, some of the members that are not important for describing the embodiment are omitted.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automatic warehouse system 100 according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the automatic warehouse system 100. 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.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the automatic warehouse system 100 has a shelf 12 having a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns of storage units 10 in a horizontal plane, a transport cart 30, a stacker crane 50 as a traveling cart, and an article 90 for receiving goods. The storage part 15 and the delivery part 16 for delivering the article 90 are mainly provided. The transport carriage 30 can move between the storage units 10 in the row direction (Y direction), and is configured to carry articles 90 into and out of the storage unit 10. The stacker crane 50 is configured to be able to travel in the row direction (X direction) adjacent to the shelf 12. The stacker crane 50 is provided on the carriage main body 52, the carriage main body 52, the shuttle fork 54 capable of moving forward and backward toward the storage unit 10, and the guide provided on the carriage main body 52 so that the transport carriage 30 can travel. Part 56. The warehousing unit 15 is a pedestal unit that receives articles 90 that are carried in from the outside of the automatic warehouse system 100, and the warehousing unit 16 is a pedestal unit on which the articles 90 that are carried out from the automatic warehouse system 100 are placed. The transport cart 30 and the stacker crane 50 will be described later.

(Shelf)
As shown in FIG. 1, the shelf portion 12 includes a plurality of (for example, three) shelf steps 14 provided vertically (in the Z direction). The shelf 14 includes a continuous accommodation portion 18 that is provided in a row (for example, 13) in the row direction (X direction). A plurality of (for example, three) storage units 10 are connected in a row in the row direction (Y direction). As illustrated in FIG. 2, the shelf portions 12 are arranged to face each other in the Y direction (row direction) so as to be paired with the traveling path 78 of the stacker crane 50 interposed therebetween. That is, the two shelves 12 to be paired are installed across the traveling path 78 which is a moving path along which the stacker crane 50 travels. The continuous housing portion 18 includes a traveling frame 20, a shelf column 22, and a stopper means 18c.

  A pair of traveling frames 20 are provided in the continuous housing portion 18 in parallel in the X direction at a predetermined interval. The traveling frame 20 is a columnar member having a C-shape with a square section perpendicular to the Y direction, which is the extending direction, and the facing surfaces of the pair of traveling frames 20 are open. On the upper side of the traveling frame 20, a housing portion 10 is formed on which a pallet 92 on which an article 90 is placed is placed. The hollow portion inside the traveling frame 20 has a shape that allows the wheels of the transport carriage 30 to travel (see also FIG. 6). Note that the accommodating portion 10 may be formed and fixed separately from the traveling frame 20. In the continuous housing portion 18, the end of the traveling frame 20 on the traveling path 78 side is referred to as an open end portion 18 a and the opposite end is referred to as a closed end portion 18 b. The open end 18a is opened so that the transport carriage 30 can pass through. The closed end portion 18b is provided with a stopper means 18c for preventing the article 90 and the transport carriage 30 from overrunning or coming out. In addition, the accommodating part 10 closest to the open end part 18a among the accommodating parts 10 of the continuous accommodating part 18 may be particularly referred to as an accommodating part 10a, and the accommodating parts 10 other than the accommodating part 10a may be particularly referred to as an accommodating part 10b. The traveling frame 20 is supported by a plurality of shelf columns 22 that are erected at a predetermined interval.

(Transport cart)
Next, the conveyance cart 30 will be described. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the transport carriage 30. FIG. 4 is a schematic top view showing the inside of the transport carriage 30. FIG. 5 is a schematic side view showing the inside of the transport carriage 30. The conveyance carriage 30 is configured to be able to convey a pallet 92 on which an article 90 is placed with a predetermined height from the upper surface 20a of the traveling frame 20 (see also FIG. 6). The transport carriage 30 includes a vehicle body 38, a mounting table 31, a lift mechanism 32, a plurality of (for example, two sets) wheels 35, a motor 34, a drive mechanism 33, a battery 37, and a power receiving unit 36. .

  The transport carriage 30 is provided between the pair of travel frames 20 so as to be able to travel in the extending direction (row direction) of the travel frames 20. The vehicle body 38 is a casing having a flat and substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that is thin in the vertical direction, and is formed by pressing from a metal plate such as a steel plate. A part of the vehicle body 38 may be formed of a resin material. The two sets of wheels 35 are rotatably attached to both sides of the vehicle body 38 in the X direction. The motor 34 and the drive mechanism 33 are provided at positions close to both ends in the Y direction inside the vehicle body 38 in order to rotationally drive the wheels 35. The drive mechanism 33 decelerates the rotational force of the motor 34 as appropriate to rotationally drive the wheel 35. The wheel 35 is a cylindrical member having a circular side view, and is made of, for example, a resin material. A part of the wheel 35 protrudes from both sides of the vehicle body 38. The wheel 35 is configured to be able to rotate while being grounded to the rail portion 20c on the lower side of the inner portion 20b while entering the inner portion 20b of the traveling frame 20 (see also FIG. 6). There is no restriction | limiting in the number of the wheels 35, For example, six or more wheels may be sufficient.

  The mounting table 31 and the lift mechanism 32 are provided in a space above the vehicle body 38. The mounting table 31 is a flat plate-like member that is thin in the vertical direction. The upper surface 31 d is formed flat so as to place a pallet 92 on which the article 90 is placed, and the lower part is supported by the lift mechanism 32. The mounting table 31 is driven up and down by a lift mechanism 32. The mounting table 31 is driven up and down between the lowest position and the highest position. In addition, the mounting table 31 at the lowest position may be referred to as a mounting table 31a, and the mounting table 31 at the highest position may be referred to as a mounting table 31b.

  This will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a front view showing a part of the shelf 12 of the automatic warehouse system 100. As shown in the middle part of the shelf 12 in FIG. 6, in the state where the mounting table 31 is lowered to the lowest position, the upper surface 31d of the mounting table 31 is located below the upper surface 20a of the traveling frame 20, and the upper surface 31d. A gap is formed between the pallet 92 and the pallet 92 so that they do not contact each other. In this state, the transport carriage 30 can freely travel the traveling frame 20 without contacting the pallet 92. As shown in the upper part of the shelf 12 in FIG. 6, in the state where the mounting table 31 is raised to the highest position, the upper surface 31 d of the mounting table 31 b protrudes upward from the upper surface 20 a of the traveling frame 20 and places the article 90 thereon. The pallet 92 is lifted. In this state, a gap is formed between the pallet 92 and the upper surface 20a of the traveling frame 20 so that they do not come into contact with each other, and the transport carriage 30 moves the traveling frame 20 with the pallet 92 on which the article 90 is placed. Can travel. The lift mechanism 32 can be configured to include a cam driven by a motor, for example. in this case. By decelerating the rotational force of the motor and rotating the cam, the cam surface of the cam can be raised or lowered to drive the mounting table 31 up and down.

  The battery 37 and the power receiving unit 36 are provided between the two drive mechanisms 33 in a space below the vehicle body 38. The power receiving unit 36 is provided with an input terminal on the side surface of the vehicle body 38, and is connected to a charging unit 59 of a stacker crane 50 described later to receive power supplied to charge the battery 37. The battery 37 supplies power to the motor 34 and the lift mechanism 32 at a predetermined timing.

(Stacker crane)
Next, the stacker crane 50 will be described. The stacker crane 50 that is a traveling carriage is provided so as to be able to travel on a traveling path 78 adjacent to the shelf 12. When stacking the article 90, the stacker crane 50 loads the pallet 92 on which the article 90 to be stored in the storage unit 15 is loaded, and conveys it to the open end portion 18a of the target continuous storage unit 18 by a lifting operation and a traveling operation. Then, they are accommodated in the accommodating portion 10. When the stacker crane 50 unloads the article 90, the stacker crane 50 collects the pallet 92 on which the target article 90 is placed at the open end portion 18a of the continuous accommodation section 18, and conveys it to the unloading section 16 by a lifting operation and a traveling operation. Take it out.

  FIG. 7 is a front view of the stacker crane 50. The stacker crane 50 includes an elevating mechanism 51, a cart body 52, a base 53, a shuttle fork 54, a pair of guides 56, a pair of elevating columns 58, an upper support 61, and a charging unit 59. And mainly. In addition, the stacker crane 50 includes a trolley mechanism (not shown) that receives power from an overhead line (not shown) as a power source. The base portion 53 is a flat member that is thin in the vertical direction provided at the lower portion of the stacker crane 50, and a drive mechanism 64 and a traveling wheel 55 for traveling along the traveling path 78 in the X direction are attached to the lower side. The drive mechanism 64 includes, for example, a motor and a speed reduction mechanism, and is configured to rotationally drive the traveling wheel 55. The pair of lifting columns 58 is a column having a rectangular cross section extending upward, and is erected on the base 53 while being separated in the X direction. The upper support portion 61 is provided so as to connect the upper portions of the pair of lifting columns 58. Two sets of guide rollers 62 that support an upper track (not shown) in the Y direction are provided above the upper support portion 61. That is, the stacker crane 50 is supported on the lower side by the traveling wheels 55 traveling on the traveling path 78 and on the upper side by the guide rollers 62 that sandwich the track.

  FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the carriage main body 52 in a top view. The cart body 52 is a flat member that is thin between the upper and lower columns provided between the pair of lifting columns 58 and has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from above. Two sets of side rollers 63 are rotatably provided on both sides of the cart body 52 in the X direction. The two sets of side rollers 63 sandwich the elevating support columns 58 in the Y direction, so that the carriage main body 52 is guided along the elevating support columns 58 so as to be movable up and down. The elevating mechanism 51 is provided at the base of the elevating support column 58. When the lifting mechanism 51 winds and sends a wire rope (not shown) that suspends the cart body 52, the cart body 52 is driven up and down. By being configured in this way, the cart main body 52 functions as a lifting platform that can be raised and lowered.

  Next, the guide part 56 is demonstrated. The guide portion 56 is a pair of rails having a C-shape with a square cross section perpendicular to the Y direction that is the extending direction, and is configured such that the interval between the rails can be adjusted. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the cart main body 52 in a state in which the guide portion 56 is moved to the first position in a front view. The pair of guide portions 56 are provided on the cart body 52 so that the transport cart 30 can travel. The pair of guide portions 56 are arranged in parallel on the cart body portion 52 with a predetermined interval in the X direction. The opposing surfaces of the pair of guide portions 56 are open so that the wheels 35 of the transport carriage 30 can enter and travel inside. That is, since the guide part 56 has the same cross-sectional shape as the traveling frame 20, the transport carriage 30 can freely move between the traveling frame 20 and the guide part 56.

  FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the cart main body 52 in a state in which the guide portion 56 has moved to the second position in front view. A pair of guide driving portions 57 are interposed between the pair of guide portions 56 and the carriage main body portion 52. The guide drive unit 57 supports the guide unit 56 at a position above the shuttle fork 54. The guide drive unit 57 is a drive mechanism that moves the guide unit 56 in the X direction. The pair of guide portions 56 are driven by the guide drive portion 57 so that the first position, which is the position where the transport carriage 30 can travel, and the pallet 92 on which the article 90 is placed on the shuttle fork 54 can be placed. In order to do so, it is configured to be movable between the second position and the second position. The guide drive unit 57 includes a drive mechanism using, for example, a motor or air pressure in order to move the guide unit 56 between the first position and the second position.

  A gap D1 is formed between the pair of guide portions 56 moved to the first position, and a gap D2 is formed between the pair of guide portions 56 moved to the second position. In other words, the pair of guide portions 56 is configured such that the interval can be changed between the interval D1 and the interval D2. The interval D1 is configured to be smaller than the distance D3 of the outer portion of the wheel 35 of the transport carriage 30. The distance D2 is larger than the distance D1, larger than the distance D3, and larger than the width D4 of the movable portion 54a of the shuttle fork 54 described later.

  The charging unit 59 is provided on the inner side surface of the guide unit 56 in order to charge the battery 37 mounted on the transport carriage 30. The connection terminal of the charging unit 59 is provided so as to be movable in the X direction together with the guide unit 56, and is connected to the connection terminal of the power receiving unit 36 of the transport carriage 30 when the guide unit 56 moves to the first position. The charging unit 59 can charge the battery 37 by supplying power to the power receiving unit 36 of the transport cart 30 at a predetermined timing.

  Next, the shuttle fork 54 will be described. The shuttle fork 54 includes a movable portion 54a that is a portion that moves forward and backward and moves up and down. The movable portion 54a has a shape that can be inserted into the lower side of the pallet 92 of the accommodating portion 10a closest to the open end portion 18a from the carriage main body portion 52, and a lift ability that can lift the pallet 92 on which the article 90 is placed. Further, the movable portion 54a is configured to be able to descend below the lower surface of the transport carriage 30 in a state of traveling on the guide portion 56 in a state where the movable portion 54a is retracted to the carriage main body portion 52. That is, the shuttle fork 54 has a shape that can be accommodated in a space below the transport carriage 30 that moves the guide portion 56 in a state in which the movable portion 54a is retracted onto the carriage main body 52 and lowered to the lowest position. .

  Further, the width D4 of the movable portion 54a of the shuttle fork 54 is formed to be smaller than the interval D2. For this reason, in a state where the guide portion 56 is retracted to the second position, the movable portion 54a is configured to be able to place the pallet 92 on which the article 90 is placed by protruding upward from the guide portion 56 without being interfered with the guide portion 56. Is done. Further, the movable portion 54a of the shuttle fork 54 has a lift capability that allows the pallet 92 on which the article 90 is placed to float from the traveling frame 20 of the housing portion 10a, and to be pulled back onto the carriage main body 52 and placed there. That is, the shuttle fork 54 is configured to be able to transfer the pallet 92 on which the article 90 is placed between the carriage main body 52 and the housing 10a.

(Operation)
Next, an example of operation | movement of the automatic warehouse system 100 comprised in this way is demonstrated. The control unit 60 controls the transport cart 30 and the stacker crane 50 to operate according to the following procedure based on a predetermined operation. The automatic warehouse system 100 is configured to execute a cooperative operation and a single operation described below, and to execute these operations in parallel.

(Cooperation)
First, the cooperative unloading operation of the transport carriage 30 and the stacker crane 50 will be described. The cooperative unloading operation is an operation of transporting and unloading the article 90 of the storage unit 10 to the unloading unit 16 using the stacker crane 50 and the transport carriage 30, and includes the following processes as an example. In the cooperative shipping operation, the control unit 60 controls the stacker crane 50 and the transport carriage 30 to perform the following operations. The cooperative shipping operation is started by performing a predetermined operation on the control unit 60. The stacker crane 50 moves in front of the open end portion 18a of the target continuous accommodation portion 18 by traveling and moving up and down. At this time, the guide part 56 is moved to the second position. The transport cart 30 travels on the traveling frame 20 with the mounting table 31 lowered, moves to the lower side of the pallet 92 on which the article 90 of the target storage unit 10 is loaded, and raises the mounting table 31. The article 90 is lifted and supported together with the pallet 92. In this state, the transport carriage 30 moves to the open end 18a. When the stacker crane 50 arrives at the open end portion 18a, the transport carriage 30 travels along the guide portion 56 connected to the travel frame 20 and moves to a predetermined position in the cart body portion 52 (see also FIG. 9).

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 11, the transport carriage 30 lowers the placement table 31 b to the lowest lowered position, and places the pallet 92 on which the article 90 is placed on the guide portion 56. At this time, a gap is formed between the placing table 31b of the transport carriage 30 and the pallet 92 so as not to come into contact, and the transport carriage 30 is allowed to travel with an empty load. Subsequently, the transport cart 30 travels on the guide unit 56 and the travel frame 20 and moves from the stacker crane 50 to the continuous accommodation unit 18. Subsequently, the stacker crane 50 from which the transport carriage 30 is removed travels and moves up and down to transport the pallet 92 on which the article 90 is placed to the unloading unit 16 and unload it.

  Next, the cooperative warehousing operation of the transport carriage 30 and the stacker crane 50 will be described. The cooperative warehousing operation is an operation for conveying the article 90 from the warehousing unit 15 to the accommodating unit 10 using the stacker crane 50 and the conveyance carriage 30, and includes the following processes as an example. In the cooperative warehousing operation, the control unit 60 controls the stacker crane 50 and the transport carriage 30 to perform the following operations. The cooperative warehousing operation is started by inputting a predetermined operation to the control unit 60. The stacker crane 50 moves to the warehousing unit 15 by traveling and moving up and down. At this time, the guide part 56 is moved to the second position. The stacker crane 50 transfers the pallet 92 on which the article 90 is placed on the guide unit 56 from the storage unit 15. The stacker crane 50 moves in front of the open end portion 18a of the target continuous accommodation portion 18 by traveling and moving up and down.

  The transport carriage 30 moves to the open end 18a and waits for the arrival of the stacker crane 50. At this time, the mounting table 31b is lowered to the lowest position. When the stacker crane 50 arrives at the open end 18a, the transport carriage 30 travels on the traveling frame 20 and the guide section 56 and moves to a predetermined position on the carriage main body 52 (see FIG. 11). The transport carriage 30 raises the placement table 31 and supports the article 90 and the pallet 92 by floating from the guide portion 56 (see FIG. 9). At this time, a gap that does not contact is formed between the pallet 92 and the guide portion 56. In this state, the transport carriage 30 travels along the guide portion 56 and the traveling frame 20 and moves from the stacker crane 50 to the predetermined accommodation portion 10 of the continuous accommodation portion 18, lowers the placement table 31, and removes the article 90. The loaded pallet 92 is placed on the traveling frame 20 of the storage unit 10.

(Single operation)
Next, the single delivery operation of the stacker crane 50 will be described. The single delivery operation is an operation in which the article 90 in the storage unit 10a is transported to the delivery unit 16 using the stacker crane 50, and includes the following processes as an example. In the single shipping operation, the control unit 60 controls the stacker crane 50 to perform the following operation. FIG. 10 shows the state of the carriage main body 52 during the single operation. In FIG. 10, the guide portion 56 is retracted to the second position. First, the shuttle fork 54 moves in front of the accommodating portion 10a, inserts the movable portion 54a into the lower side of the pallet 92 on which the article 90 of the accommodating portion 10a is placed, lifts and supports the movable frame 54 from the traveling frame 20. In this state, the pallet 92 on which the article 90 is placed is pulled into the carriage main body 52 side, and the movable portion 54a is lowered to be carried into the stacker crane 50. Subsequently, the stacker crane 50 travels and moves up and down to convey the pallet 92 on which the article 90 is placed to the unloading unit 16 and unload it.

  Next, the single warehousing operation of the stacker crane 50 will be described. The single warehousing operation is an operation of carrying the article 90 of the warehousing unit 15 into the storage unit 10a using the stacker crane 50, and includes the following processes as an example. In the single warehousing operation, the control unit 60 controls the stacker crane 50 to perform the following operations. First, the stacker crane 50 moves to the storage unit 15 and transfers the pallet 92 on which the article 90 is placed from the storage unit 15 onto the movable unit 54 a of the shuttle fork 54 of the carriage main body 52. In this state, the stacker crane 50 moves in front of the accommodating portion 10a of the target open end 18a by running and moving up and down. Subsequently, the stacker crane 50 lifts the pallet 92 on which the article 90 is placed by the movable portion 54a and places the pallet 92 on the traveling frame 20, so that the stacker crane 50 is transferred to the storage portion 10a and stored.

  As described above, the stacker crane 50 can unload or store the articles 90 within the range that the movable part 54a can reach alone, so that the loss of time waiting for the transport carriage 30 can be minimized. Further, while the stacker crane 50 is performing a single delivery operation or a single storage operation, the transport cart 30 can execute an operation on the pallet 92 on which another article 90 is placed in parallel. The article 90 in the storage unit 10b away from the open end 18a can be stored or unloaded by linkage with the transport carriage 30, and the product 90 in the storage unit 10a near the open end 18a can be stored or output by a single operation.

(Parallel operation)
Next, a first example of the parallel operation of the stacker crane 50 and the transport carriage 30 will be described. The first example is an operation of unloading a plurality of articles 90, and the control unit 60 controls the stacker crane 50 and the transport carriage 30 to perform the following operations. First, the control unit 60 conveys the article 90 placed in one storage unit 10 away from the open end 18a to the storage unit 10a, which is another storage unit close to the open end 18a. The cart 30 is controlled. Moreover, the control part 60 controls the stacker crane 50 so that the stacker crane 50 collect | recovers the articles | goods 90 mounted in the accommodating part 10a. In addition, the control unit 60 controls the stacker crane 50 so that the stacker crane 50 that has collected the article 90 conveys the article 90 to the unloading unit 16. Further, the control unit 60 controls the transport carriage 30 so that another article 90 is transported in the shelf 12 while the stacker crane 50 transports the article 90 to the delivery unit 16 and exits.

  Next, a second example of the parallel operation of the stacker crane 50 and the transport carriage 30 will be described. The second example is also an operation of unloading a plurality of articles 90, and the control unit 60 controls the stacker crane 50 and the transport carriage 30 to perform the following operations. First, the stacker crane 50 performs a single delivery operation on the article 90 in the housing portion 10a close to the open end portion 18a. In the meantime, the transport cart 30 waits by transporting another article 90 from the storage unit 10 away from the open end 18a to the open end 18a and waiting. The article 90 is delivered to the stacker crane 50 by the operation. The stacker crane 50 conveys the delivered article 90 to the unloading unit 16 and unloads it.

  Next, a third example of the parallel operation of the stacker crane 50 and the transport carriage 30 will be described. In the third example, the warehousing operation and the warehousing operation are performed in parallel. While the stacker crane 50 performs the singly warehousing operation, the transport carriage 30 moves the article 90 to be unloaded from the storage portion 10b away from the open end portion 18a. It conveys to the open end part 18a, and waits. When the stacker crane 50 that has finished the single entry operation arrives, the transport cart 30 quickly delivers the article 90 to the stacker crane 50 through a cooperative unloading operation. The stacker crane 50 conveys the delivered article 90 to the unloading unit 16 and unloads it. Thus, in the automatic warehouse system 100, the warehousing operation and the warehousing operation can be executed in parallel. Thus, the stacker crane 50 and the transport carriage 30 operate in parallel, so that the waiting time of the stacker crane 50 and the transport carriage 30 can be reduced, and the overall operation efficiency of the warehouse can be improved.

Next, features of the automatic warehouse system 100 configured as described above will be described.
In the automatic warehouse system 100, the stacker crane 50 is provided on the carriage main body 52, the carriage main body 52, and is provided on the carriage main body 52. The guide portion 56 is retracted so that the article 90 can be placed on the first position and the shuttle fork 54 where the transport carriage 30 can travel. It is configured to be movable between the second position. With this configuration, the guide unit 56 can be moved to the first position and the transport carriage 30 can travel, the guide unit 56 can be retracted to the second position, and the article 90 can be placed by the shuttle fork 54. .

  In the automatic warehouse system 100, the guide unit is a pair of rails, and the distance between the rails is configured to be adjustable, so that the transport cart 30 can travel between the pair of rails.

  In the automatic warehouse system 100, the stacker crane 50 includes the charging unit 59 that charges the battery 37 mounted on the transport cart 30. Therefore, the battery 37 is charged at the timing when the transport cart 30 is accommodated in the stacker crane 50. Can do.

  In the automatic warehouse system 100, the shelf 12 is provided so as to be paired with the traveling path 78 of the stacker crane 50 interposed therebetween. With this configuration, the article 90 can be carried into and out of the storage unit 10 of the shelf 12 on both sides of the traveling path 78 with a single stacker crane 50.

  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.

(First modification)
In the description of the automatic warehouse system 100 according to the embodiment, the example in which the stacker crane 50 moves between the open end portion 18a and the warehousing unit 15 or the unloading unit 16 without holding the transport carriage 30 has been described for the linkage operation. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the stacker crane 50 may be controlled so as to move between the open end portion 18 a and the warehousing unit 15 or the warehousing unit 16 while holding the transport carriage 30.

(Second modification)
In the description of the automatic warehouse system 100 according to the embodiment, an example in which the stacker crane 50 replaces the article 90 in the stacker crane 50 between the accommodating portion 10a in the vicinity of the open end 18a and the stacker crane 50 will be described. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the transfer operation of the article 90 between the storage unit 10 a and the stacker crane 50 may be controlled so as to be executed in a cooperative operation with the transport carriage 30.

(Third Modification)
In the description of the automatic warehouse system 100 according to the embodiment, an example in which the article 90 placed on the pallet 92 is conveyed has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The use of the pallet 92 is not essential, and the article 90 may be conveyed and accommodated in a single state.

(Fourth modification)
In the description of the automatic warehouse system 100 according to the embodiment, an example in which the stacker crane 50 uses the shuttle fork 54 to carry in / out the article 90 with respect to the accommodating portion 10a closest to the open end portion 18a has been described. Not. For example, the stacker crane 50 uses the shuttle fork 54 to load and unload the article 90 to and from the storage unit 10 that is closer to the closed end portion 18b than the storage unit 10a, as long as the movable unit 54a of the shuttle fork 54 reaches. You may comprise as follows.

(5th modification)
Next, an automatic warehouse system 200 according to a fifth modification will be described. The traveling cart of the automatic warehouse system 100 according to the embodiment is the stacker crane 50 including the lifting mechanism 51, whereas the traveling cart of the automatic warehouse system 200 does not include the lifting mechanism. That is, the automatic warehouse system 200 is different from the automatic warehouse system 100 in that the traveling carriage does not have an elevator mechanism, and is configured to be moved up and down by moving to a separately provided elevator elevator. Is the same. Therefore, overlapping explanations are omitted and differences are mainly described.

  FIG. 12 is a front view of an automatic warehouse system 200 according to a fifth modification. In FIG. 12, description of insignificant members and parts is omitted as appropriate. FIG. 13 is a side view of the automatic warehouse system 200. In FIG. 13, description of an elevating unit 260 described later is omitted. The automatic warehouse system 200 mainly includes a shelf part 12, a transport carriage 30, a track 270, a traveling carriage 250, an elevating part 260, a storage part 15, and a delivery part 16. The track 270 is provided for each stage adjacent to each accommodating portion 10 and includes a pair of rails 272 extending in the row direction (X direction). Each of the pair of rails 272 has, for example, L-shaped cross sections that are open on the inner side so that the wheels 253 of the traveling carriage 250 can travel.

  The elevating unit 260 is provided with an elevating unit 260 adjacent to one end 270a of the track 270 of each stage. In the automatic warehouse system 200, the elevating unit 260 is configured to be able to move the traveling carriage 250 located at one end 270 a of the track 270 of a certain stage to the track 270 of another stage. The elevating unit 260 includes a support column 262, an elevating table 264, and an elevating mechanism 266, and functions as an elevating elevator. The column part 262 is erected on the floor 76 by a column having a rectangular cross section, for example. The lifting platform 264 is guided by the column 262 so as to be movable up and down by a plate-like member extending in the X direction and the Y direction, for example. The lifting platform 264 has a shape on which the traveling carriage 250 can be placed. The lifting platform 264 has a traveling surface on which the wheels 253 of the traveling cart 250 that has traveled on the track 270 can travel. The elevating mechanism 266 is provided at the base of the column part 262, for example. The lifting mechanism 266 drives the lifting platform 264 up and down by winding and sending a wire rope (not shown) that suspends the lifting platform 264. The warehousing part 15 and the warehousing part 16 are provided adjacent to the lowermost stage of the elevating part 260.

  Next, the traveling carriage 250 will be described. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the traveling carriage 250. The traveling carriage 250 is configured to be able to accommodate the transport carriage 30 and travel on the lifting platform 264 so as to be able to travel on the track 270 in the row direction (X direction). The traveling carriage 250 mainly includes a vehicle body 251, a storage base 252, a pair of guide parts 256, a plurality of (for example, two sets) wheels 253, a drive mechanism (not shown), and a charging part 259. The traveling carriage 250 is configured so that the conveyance carriage 30 can be accommodated in the accommodation platform 252 provided on the upper portion thereof.

  The vehicle body 251 is a housing that is substantially rectangular in top view and has a thin flat shape in the top and bottom. The wheels 253 are tires formed of, for example, a resin material, and are provided on both sides of the vehicle body 251 in the Y direction. There is no restriction | limiting in the number of the wheels 253, for example, six or more wheels may be sufficient. The wheels 253 are rotationally driven by a drive mechanism (not shown). The receiving table 252 is a flat table provided at the upper part of the vehicle body 251 and is configured such that the transport carriage 30 can travel and change over. The pair of guide portions 256 are wall bodies provided on the upper portion of the vehicle body 251 so as to sandwich the accommodating table 252 in the X direction, and are configured to guide the traveling of the transport carriage 30. The storage base 252 has a concave shape that is recessed downward from the upper surface of the pair of guide portions 256. In other words, the pair of guide portions 256 has a shape that protrudes upward from the upper surface of the receiving table 252.

  The traveling carriage 250 may be supplied with electric power by a trolley mechanism (not shown) from an overhead line (not shown) provided along the track 270 of each stage, for example. The traveling carriage 250 may include, for example, a battery 258 built in the lower part of the vehicle body 251. The battery 258 may be charged by various means. The battery 258 may supply power for charging the battery 37 through the charging unit 259.

  The charging unit 259 may be provided on one of the inner side surfaces of the pair of guide units 256, for example. The charging unit 259 may be configured to move in the X direction and approach the power receiving unit 36 of the transport carriage 30. The charging unit 259 may be configured to be able to supply power to the battery 37 in a non-contact manner using, for example, high frequency electromagnetic induction. The charging unit 259 may be configured to charge the battery 37 through the power receiving unit 36 of the transport carriage 30 at a predetermined timing.

(Outgoing operation)
An example of the delivery operation of the automatic warehouse system 200 will be described. For example, the following operation may be performed when the article 90 in the storage unit 10 is unloaded. Note that the article 90 may be transported in a state of being placed on the pallet 92.
(1) The article 90 is collected by the transport cart 30.
(2) The transporting carriage 30 that has collected the article 90 is accommodated in the traveling carriage 250.
(3) The traveling carriage 250 that houses the transport carriage 30 is caused to travel along the track 270 to the lifting unit 260.
(4) The traveling carriage 250 is lowered to the lowest track 270 by the elevating unit 260.
(5) The traveling carriage 250 is caused to travel along the lowermost track 270 to the warehouse 16.
(6) The article 90 on the transport cart 30 is collected in the shipping unit 16.

(Receipt operation)
An example of the warehousing operation of the automatic warehouse system 200 will be described. For example, the following operation may be performed when the article 90 in the storage unit 10 is received. Note that the article 90 may be transported in a state of being placed on the pallet 92.
(1) The article 90 is transferred from the warehousing unit 15 onto the transport carriage 30.
(2) The conveyance carriage 30 on which the article 90 is placed is accommodated in the traveling carriage 250.
(3) The traveling carriage 250 is caused to travel to the elevating unit 260 along the lowermost track 270.
(4) The traveling carriage 250 is raised to the track 270 of a predetermined stage by the elevating unit 260.
(5) The traveling carriage 250 is caused to travel along the track 270 to the front of the predetermined accommodating portion 10.
(6) The article 90 is accommodated in the predetermined accommodating portion 10 by the transport carriage 30.

  These modifications have the same features as the automatic warehouse system 100 described above by having the same configuration as the automatic warehouse system 100. In addition, since the automated warehouse system 200 of the fifth modified example is provided with the traveling carriage 250 for each stage, one traveling carriage 250 can perform another operation simultaneously with the other traveling carriages 250. That is, after the lifting / lowering unit 260 completes the lifting / lowering of one traveling cart 250, the other traveling carts 250 can be lifted / lowered sequentially without waiting for the exiting or warehousing operation of the traveling cart 250 to be completed. Therefore, the operating efficiency of the warehouse can be improved.

  In the drawings used for the description, in order to clarify the relationship between members, the cross sections of some members are hatched. However, the hatching does not limit the materials and materials of these members.

  100 ·· Automatic warehouse system, 200 ·· Automatic warehouse system, 10 ·· Accommodating section, 12 ·· Shelves, 15 ·· Receiving portion, 16 ·· Departing portion, 18 ·· Continuously accommodating portion, 20 ·· Running Frame, 22 .... Shelf support, 30 ... Transport cart, 31 ... Place, 36 ... Power receiving unit, 37 ... Battery, 50 ... Stacker crane, 51 ... Lifting mechanism, 52 ... Body body, 53 .. Base part 54. Shuttle fork 55 55 Traveling wheel 56 Guide unit 57 Guide drive unit 58 Lifting column 59 Charge unit 60 Control unit 62 .. Guide roller, 63 .. Side roller, 64 .. Drive mechanism, 78 .. Traveling path, 90 .. Article, 92 .. Pallet, 250 .. Traveling carriage, 251 .. Car body, 252. , ··· Guide portion, 258 ·· Battery, 259 ·· Charging portion, 260 ·· Lifting portion, 262 ·· Strut portion, 264 ·· Lifting base, 266 ·· Lifting mechanism, 270 ·· Track, 272 ·· Rail .

Claims (7)

A plurality of storage units capable of storing pallets on which articles are placed, shelf units arranged along the row direction, the column direction, and the step direction;
A goods issue department or a goods receipt part,
Moving means for moving the pallet in the row direction, the column direction and the step direction;
With
The said moving means moves the said pallet, and transfers the said pallet between the said accommodating part and the said leaving part or the said warehousing part, The automatic warehouse system characterized by the above-mentioned.   The moving means is a first moving means for moving the pallet along the row direction, a second moving means for moving the pallet along the column direction, and a movement of the pallet along the step direction. The automatic warehouse system according to claim 1, further comprising third moving means. The set of the first moving means and the second moving means is provided at each stage of the shelf,
The third moving means is shared for the set;
The said moving means is comprised so that the said other pallet can be moved within the said shelf part, moving the said one pallet between the said accommodating part and the said leaving part or the said warehousing part. Item 3. The automatic warehouse system according to item 2.   The moving means includes first moving means for moving the pallet provided at each stage of the shelf along the row direction, second moving means for moving the pallet along the column direction, and the pallet. 2. The pallet is transferred between the storage unit and the warehousing unit or the warehousing unit by including third moving means for moving along the step direction. Automatic warehouse system.   The moving means includes: a column direction moving means capable of moving the pallet along the column direction; and a row direction moving means capable of simultaneously moving the pallet in the row direction and the step direction. 2. The automatic warehouse system according to claim 1, wherein the pallet is transferred between the storage unit and the shipping unit or the receiving unit.   The row direction moving means is a carriage that can be mounted on the row direction moving means, or a shuttle fork that is provided in the row direction moving means and can be advanced and retracted to the receiving portion side, whereby the pallet is moved to the receiving portion. The automatic warehouse system according to claim 5, wherein the automatic warehouse system is transported between the storage unit and the storage unit. The row direction moving means is configured to be able to run by electric power supplied from the outside,
The column direction moving means has a battery that is charged via the row direction moving means when mounted on the row direction moving means, and is configured to be movable independently of the row direction moving means. The automatic warehouse system according to claim 5 or 6, wherein

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