JP2020152574A - Automatic warehouse system for freezing warehouse - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an automatic warehouse system for a freezing warehouse not only capable of improving work efficiency but also capable of improving power-saving effect.SOLUTION: An automatic warehouse system 1 capable of freezing preservation of a load 2 includes: a freezing preservation shelf 8 for freezing and preserving the load 2; and a carriage 10 capable of transferring the load 2 preserved in the freezing preservation shelf 8. The freezing preservation shelf 8 includes a preservation stage 20 of a plurality of steps. A travel space 26 in which the carriage 10 can travel is disposed at a lower part of each preservation stage 20. Thereby, storage efficiency of the load is improved and improvement of power-saving effect can be expected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to an automated warehouse system for a freezing warehouse.

Conventionally, a frozen warehouse in which frozen foods and the like are stored is known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes that a forklift is used to store frozen foods and the like on shelves provided in a frozen warehouse and to deliver frozen foods and the like from the shelves.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-305510

The freezing warehouse described in Patent Document 1 needs to have a wide space in which a forklift can travel. If a large space is provided for the forklift to travel, the efficiency of accommodating frozen foods and other loads in the entire freezing warehouse will decrease, and the larger space will reduce the power required to keep the inside of the freezing warehouse at a low temperature. May increase.

In order to solve the above problems, the automated warehouse system for a freezing warehouse of the present invention is an automated warehouse system capable of freezing and storing a plurality of loads, and stores a plurality of loads in a freezing storage shelf and a freezing storage shelf. The freezing storage shelves are provided with a multi-stage storage stage, and a traveling space in which the transport vehicle can travel is provided at the bottom of each storage stage. It is characterized by.

According to this configuration, it is expected that the load accommodating efficiency will be improved and the power saving effect will be improved.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is expected that the loading efficiency will be improved and the power saving effect will be improved.

It is a top view which shows typically an example of the automated warehouse system which concerns on embodiment. It is a top view which shows the arrangement of the storage shelf of an automated warehouse system. It is a front view which shows typically the automated warehouse system. It is a top view which shows an example of a dolly schematicly. It is a side view of a dolly. It is a top view which shows the arrangement of the storage shelf of the warehouse system of an embodiment and a comparative example.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to each drawing based on a preferred embodiment. In the embodiments, comparative examples, and modifications, the same or equivalent components and members are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted as appropriate. In addition, the dimensions of the members in each drawing are shown enlarged or reduced as appropriate for easy understanding. In addition, some of the members that are not important for explaining the embodiment in each drawing are omitted and displayed.

Also, terms including ordinal numbers such as 1st and 2nd are used to describe various components, but this term is used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from other components. The components are not limited by.

FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing an example of an automated warehouse system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the arrangement of storage shelves in the automated warehouse system. FIG. 3 is a front view schematically showing an automated warehouse system. In these figures, some descriptions of columns and beams that are not important for explanation are omitted, and the same applies to the following figures.

For convenience of explanation, as shown in the figure, an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system is defined in which a certain horizontal direction is the X direction, a horizontal direction orthogonal to the X direction is the Y direction, and a direction orthogonal to both, that is, a vertical direction is the Z direction. In the following description, the XYZ Cartesian coordinate system will be used, but the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction do not necessarily have to be orthogonal to each other, but may intersect at approximately 90 degrees. The positive directions of the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis are defined in the directions of the arrows in each figure, and the negative directions are defined in the directions opposite to the arrows. Further, the positive direction side of the X axis may be referred to as "right side", and the negative direction side of the X axis may be referred to as "left side". Also, the positive side of the Y axis is called the "front side", the negative side of the Y axis is called the "rear side", the positive side of the Z axis is called the "upper side", and the negative side of the Z axis is called the "lower side". is there. The notation in such a direction does not limit the configuration of the automated warehouse system, and the automated warehouse system can be used in any configuration depending on the application.

[Overall configuration of automated warehouse system for freezing warehouse]
First, the overall configuration of the automated warehouse system will be described first with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. The automated warehouse system 1 is a system capable of automatically warehousing, unloading, and arranging a load 2 such as frozen foods in a warehouse where the load can be frozen and stored in a low temperature environment of, for example, −30 ° C. The automated warehouse system 1 has a freezing storage shelf 8 that freezes and stores the load 2 and a load stored in the freezing storage shelf 8 in a closed space A surrounded by a heat insulating wall 4 and a ceiling 6 that has been heat-insulated. It is provided with a carriage 10 as a transport vehicle for transporting 2. In addition, a rail 12 for the carriage 10 to travel is laid in the warehouse. Further, the automated warehouse system 1 includes a refrigerator R that cools the air in the closed space A and circulates it in the closed space A.

The automated warehouse system 1 according to the present embodiment uses the refrigerator R to set the temperature in the warehouse to -30 ° C depending on the application in a low temperature environment of -15 ° C or less where, for example, seafood and frozen food can be frozen and stored. This can be achieved by adding a freezing storage shelf 8, a trolley 10, a rail 12, and the like in an existing freezing warehouse that can be controlled at a constant temperature in a low temperature environment of about -25 ° C. Therefore, the building itself to which the automated warehouse system 1 is applied has a structure similar to that of a generally known freezing warehouse. As shown in the figure, the refrigerator R may be arranged at the end of the closed space A and the temperature of the closed space A may be adjusted by one refrigerator R, or a storage space for the load 2 (for example, described later). A plurality of refrigerators may be arranged along the “storage line”). Further, the main body of the refrigerator R itself may be arranged outside the closed space A, and the cold air generated by the refrigerator R may be sent into the closed space A through a pipe.

The freezing storage shelf 8 stores the load 2. The rail 12 extends in the X-axis direction along the direction in which the freezing storage shelf 8 extends. The carriage 10 travels on the rail 12 in the X-axis direction. When summarizing the bogie 10, the rail 12, and the traveling space 26 of the bogie, which will be described later, it may be simply referred to as an "internal transport mechanism". The operation of the dolly 10 is controlled by the control unit 14.

In the present embodiment, the load 2 is handled in a state of being placed on the pallet, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the load may be handled independently without using the pallet. It should be noted that transporting the load 2 on the pallet is simply referred to as transporting the load 2.

The outline of the warehousing / delivery operation of the automated warehouse system 1 will be described. The automated warehouse system 1 uses, for example, a forklift (not shown) to carry the load 2 from the outside of the warehouse into the warehousing / delivery unit 18 facing the front chamber 16 of the warehouse. The warehousing / delivery unit 18 is provided at the boundary between the front chamber 16 controlled at a temperature of −5 ° C. to 5 ° C. and the inside of the warehouse in a low temperature environment. At the time of warehousing of the load 2, the automated warehouse system 1 transports the load 2 carried into the warehousing / delivery unit 18 to a predetermined position of the freezing storage shelf 8 by an internal transport mechanism and stores the load 2. Further, at the time of delivery, the automated warehouse system 1 transports the load 2 stored at the predetermined position of the freezing storage shelf 8 to the storage / delivery unit 18 by the internal transport mechanism. The load 2 transported to the warehousing / delivery unit 18 at the time of shipment is carried out of the warehouse by, for example, a forklift.

[Freezing storage shelf]
The freezing storage shelf 8 is a so-called high-density storage type storage space that can store a large number of loads 2. The configuration of the freezing storage shelf 8 is not particularly limited as long as it can accommodate and store a plurality of loads. The freezing storage shelf 8 is provided with a plurality of storage stages 20, and in this embodiment, the freezing storage shelf 8 is provided with three storage stages 20 stacked in layers in the vertical direction. Each storage stage 20 includes a plurality (for example, 6) storage rows 22 arranged adjacent to each other in the Y-axis direction without a gap, and each storage row 22 is a plurality (for example, 7) connected in the X-axis direction. The freezing storage unit 24 is included. The freezing storage unit 24 is a unit for freezing and storing the load 2. The number of storage stages 20, the number of storage rows 22, and the number of freezing storage units 24 in each storage row are examples, and depending on the shape of the warehouse, the required size of the load 2, and the storage amount, It can be selected as appropriate. As a matter of course, the number of storage stages 20 or storage rows 22 may be one.

In order to improve the density for storing the load 2, there is no space between the plurality of storage rows 22 for the stacker crane and the forklift to travel, and all the storage rows 22 in the freezing storage shelf 8 are provided. The adjacent storage rows 22 are in close contact with each other. That is, the adjacent storage rows 22 are arranged without gaps, and even if there is a gap, the gap between the storage rows 22 is smaller than the width of at least one storage row 22 in the Y-axis direction. preferable.

The freezing storage unit 24 constitutes a space for storing one load, and the load 2 can be placed on the floor surface.

〔rail〕
The rail 12 extends in the X-axis direction in the traveling space 26 provided in the lower part of the freezing storage unit 24. The rail 12 is a member or portion having a rolling surface of a wheel configured to allow the carriage 10 to travel in its extending direction. Therefore, the rail 12 may be a rail having a rolling surface formed on a rod-shaped or strip-shaped member, or a rail having a rolling surface formed on a flat surface.

[Running space]
The traveling space 26 is a space extending over the entire length of the storage row 22 below the storage row 22, and the carriage 10 travels inside. The traveling space 26 is continuous with the freezing storage unit 24 through a slit formed on the floor surface of the freezing storage unit 24, but is not continuous with the front chamber 16, so that the temperature inside the traveling space 26 is closed. It is substantially the same as the temperature in space A. Therefore, when traveling, the carriage 10 continues to travel in an environment having substantially the same temperature as the temperature in the freezing warehouse. A rail 12 is laid in the traveling space 26, and has a height at which the carriage 10 can travel. The height of the traveling space 26 is lower than the height of the freezing storage unit 24. By lowering the height of the traveling space 26, the volume of the traveling space 26 is reduced, thereby increasing the volume occupied by the refrigerating storage unit 24 in the closed space A and increasing the density in the closed space A. Can be done. Here, "high density" means not only increasing the volume occupied by the load 2 in the closed space A, but also reducing the volume occupied by the air in the closed space A. The volume of air that does not contribute to the storage and transportation of the load 2 in the closed space A is reduced, and the volume occupied by objects indispensable for the storage and transportation of the load 2 such as the internal transportation mechanism is increased in the closed space A to increase the density. By doing so, the power used to lower the temperature of the air can be saved.

[Bogie]
Next, the carriage 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 is a plan view schematically showing an example of a dolly. FIG. 5 is a side view of the dolly. The carriage 10 travels on the rail 12 in the X-axis direction in the storage line 22 in order to convey the load 2. The dolly 10 loads and unloads the load 2 to and from the freezing storage unit 24.

The bogie 10 mainly includes a vehicle body 28, a mounting portion 30, a lift mechanism 32, a plurality of (for example, four) wheels 34, a power receiving terminal 36, a battery 38, a motor 40, and a bogie control unit 42. Included in. The vehicle body 28 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped contour that is flat in the vertical direction. Inside the vehicle body 28, a motor 40 for driving a plurality of wheels 34 and a battery 38 are arranged in a single heat insulating case 44. Further, the carriage control unit 42 may be arranged in the heat insulating case 44. The dolly 10 is configured to drive the motor 40 by the electric power of the battery 38. The battery 38 may be a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery that can be recharged repeatedly. The dolly 10 is configured to charge the battery 38 with the electric power supplied from the charging station 46 described later.

The mounting portion 30 is a portion that lifts and holds the load 2. The lift mechanism 32 is a mechanism for raising and lowering the mounting portion 30. In FIG. 5, the mounting portion 30 shown by the broken line is in the raised state, and the mounting portion 30 shown by the solid line is in the lowered state. The lift mechanism 32 can raise the mounting unit 30 to lift the load 2 from the freezing storage unit 24. The lift mechanism 32 can lower the mounting unit 30 to lower the load onto the freezing storage unit 24. The plurality of wheels run on the rail 12.

The heat insulating case 44 is arranged inside the vehicle body 28, and is formed as a box having six surfaces having heat insulating performance. A minute hole (not shown) is formed in the heat insulating case 44, and a lead wire connecting the battery 38 and the power receiving terminal 36 extends inside and outside the heat insulating case 44 through the hole. The heat insulating case 44 may be formed so as to be openable and closable so that a worker can access the inside during maintenance. By accommodating the battery 38 and the motor 40 in a single heat insulating case 44, the temperature inside the heat insulating case 44 can be raised by the heat generated by the motor 40, and the deterioration of the performance of the battery 38 can be suppressed.

The power receiving terminal 36 is provided so as to be exposed on the outer surface of the trolley 10, and functions as an electrode that electrically contacts the power supply terminal 48 of the charging station 46, which will be described later, to receive power for charging the battery 38. To do. As an example, the power receiving terminal 36 may include a power receiving terminal 36a provided on both side surfaces of the vehicle body 28 and a power receiving terminal 36b. As an example, the power receiving terminal 36 may include a power receiving terminal 36c provided on the outer bottom surface of the vehicle body and a power receiving terminal 36d. For convenience of explanation, both the set of the power receiving terminals 36a and 36b and the set of the power receiving terminals 36c and 36d are shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, but only one set may be provided. Both sets may be provided. Further, power receiving terminals may be provided before and after the traveling direction of the vehicle body 28. The shape of the power receiving terminal 36 is not particularly limited, but in this example, the central portion of the power receiving terminal 36 has a spherical surface protruding toward the other side. Although the form in which the power receiving terminal 36 has a spherical surface is described here, since the power receiving terminal 36 and the power feeding terminal 48 described later have a complementary relationship, even if the power receiving terminal 48 has a spherical surface. Good.

At least one of the power feeding terminal 48 and the power receiving terminal 36 may be urged toward the other. For example, the power receiving terminal 36 may be urged toward the power feeding terminal 48. As an example, the power receiving terminal 36 may be supported so as to be able to move forward and backward toward the power feeding terminal 48 in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction, and may be urged by an urging member such as a coil spring 50. In the example of FIG. 5, the power receiving terminal 36 is movably housed in the vertical direction by the accommodating portion 52, and the power receiving terminal 36 is urged downward by the coil spring 50 provided in the accommodating portion 52. The power receiving terminal 36 is arranged so as to move upward and apply a downward contact pressure to the power feeding terminal 48 when it comes into contact with the power feeding terminal 48. In this case, by applying a contact pressure to the power feeding terminal 48 to the power receiving terminal 36, the contact between the power receiving terminal 36 and the power feeding terminal 48 can be stabilized.

Since the power receiving terminals 36a to 36d have the same configuration except for the location where they are arranged, all the power receiving terminals 36a to 36d are collectively referred to as the power receiving terminal 36 in the present specification. is there.

〔charging station〕
The charging station 46 is a station for charging the battery 38 of the carriage 10. The charging station 46 is provided on one end side of the storage line 22. The charging station 46 has a port 54 capable of receiving the carriage 10 at a position corresponding to one end of each storage line 22. The charging station 46 is connected to, for example, a commercial power supply V in a warehouse, and supplies power supplied from the power supply V to the carriage 10 via a power supply terminal 48 and a power reception terminal 36. In the illustrated example, the storage line 22 extends from the warehousing / delivery unit 18 in the X-axis direction, and the charging station 46 is arranged on the other end side of the storage line 22. In this example, it is assumed that the port 54 of the charging station 46 is provided in all the storage rows 22, but if the automated warehouse system 1 has a mechanism for moving the trolley 10 in the Y-axis direction, Ports 54 may be provided only in some storage rows 22. By providing the charging station 46 on the other end side of the storage line 22 and arranging it in the freezing environment, it is not necessary to leave the freezing environment when the trolley 10 charges, and dew condensation occurs on the vehicle body 28 or the like of the trolley 10. Can be suppressed.

The charging station 46 has a power supply terminal 48 for supplying power to the carriage 10. The power supply terminal 48 is provided at a position corresponding to the power receiving terminal 36 of the trolley 10, that is, at a position where the trolley 10 can come into contact with the power receiving terminal 36 when the trolley 10 stops at a fixed position of the port 54 of the charging station 46. For example, when the power receiving terminals 36 are provided on both side surfaces of the vehicle body 28, the charging station 46 is provided with power feeding terminals 48 on each side wall portion of the port 54. Further, for example, when the power receiving terminal 36 is provided on the bottom surface of the vehicle body 28, the power feeding terminal 48 is provided on the floor surface of the port 54.

As described above, when the power receiving terminal 36 is formed as a spherical surface, the power feeding terminal 48 is formed as a plate-shaped electrode parallel to the XY plane. On the contrary, when the power receiving terminal 36 is formed as a plate-shaped electrode, the feeding terminal 48 is formed as a spherical surface.

[Frost removal member]
As described above, since the trolley 10 does not travel outside the closed space A, dew condensation does not occur on the trolley 10, but the temperature of all the spaces in the closed space A should be completely made uniform. Is difficult, so frost may occur on the vehicle body 28 and the like. In particular, if frost accumulates on the power feeding terminal 48 and the power receiving terminal 36, it becomes impossible to establish an electric connection between both terminals, and it becomes impossible to properly charge the carriage 10. Therefore, the automated warehouse system 1 includes a frost removing member 56 that removes frost accumulated on at least one of the power feeding terminal 48 and the power receiving terminal 36.

In the example shown in FIG. 5, as the frost removing member 56, a heater 56a as a heating element provided next to the power feeding terminal 48 of the port 54 is shown. The heater 56a can be applied to at least one of the power receiving terminal 36 of the carriage 10 and the power feeding terminal 48 of the charging station 46. Since the trolley 10 itself has the battery 38, the trolley 10 itself may be equipped with the heater 56a, or the heater 56a may be arranged at the charging station 46 that can be directly connected to the commercial power supply V. Considering the ease of securing a power source and the operating efficiency of the carriage 10, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a heater 56a may be provided near the power supply terminal 48 of the charging station 46 that can be directly connected to the commercial power source V. preferable. In this case, the heater 56a may heat only the power feeding terminal 48, or when the carriage 10 arrives at the charging station 46 and the power receiving terminal 36 and the power feeding terminal 48 are in contact with each other, both terminals may be heated. It may be heated at the same time. Further, the heater 56a may constantly heat the power receiving terminal 36 or the power feeding terminal 48, or may periodically switch on / off to heat the power receiving terminal 36 or the power feeding terminal 48 periodically. In the examples of FIGS. 1 and 2, the heater 56a is provided on the side surface of the port 54, but when the power receiving terminal 36 of the trolley 10 is provided on the bottom surface of the trolley, The heater 56a is arranged in the vicinity of the power feeding terminal 48 provided on the bottom surface of the port 54. Further, as another frost removing member 56, in addition to the heater 56a, there is a member (not shown) that scrapes off frost. Examples of such a member include a scraper or brush provided at a position capable of contacting the surface of the power receiving terminal 36 on the traveling path of the carriage in the traveling space 26, or a wiper that scrapes off frost on the surface of the power receiving terminal 36. is there. The scraping member such as a scraper or a brush may be installed at any position along the rail 12, and may be arranged at equal intervals between the charging stations 46 at both ends of the rail 12 and the warehousing / delivery unit 18. good. Further, the defrosting member 56 may be provided on the power supply terminal 48 side of the charging station 46.

[Frost removal operation]
Instead of the above-mentioned defrosting member 56, or in addition to the defrosting member 56, the trolley 10 may be equipped with a defrosting operation mode. The defrosting operation is performed intermittently every time the carriage 10 arrives at the charging station 46 or at regular intervals. The defrosting operation is executed, for example, by the carriage control unit 42 controlling the drive of the motor 40. As the frost removing operation, there is an operation in which the frost adhering to the surface of the power receiving terminal 36 is shaken off by moving the trolley 10 in small steps back and forth in the traveling direction immediately before the trolley 10 arrives at the charging station 46.

Hereinafter, the operation of the automated warehouse system 1 described above will be described. The automated warehouse system 1 places the load 2 carried into the warehousing / unloading section 18 on the loading section 30 of the trolley 10 and conveys the load 2 to a predetermined freezing storage section 24. After that, the trolley 10 lowers the mounting portion 30 to place the load 2 on the mounting portion 30 in the freezing storage unit 24. Further, the trolley 10 puts the load 2 stored in the frozen storage unit 24 designated in advance on the loading unit 30 and transports the load 2 to the warehousing / delivery unit 18. The trolley 10 travels toward the charging station 46 for charging when the remaining amount of the battery 38 becomes a certain amount or less, or when the trolley 10 travels for a predetermined mileage or traveling time.

When the carriage 10 or the charging station 46 is provided with the heater 56a of the power receiving terminal 36 or the feeding terminal 48, for example, when the carriage 10 starts traveling toward the charging station 46, the heating of the heater 56a is started. Is also good. Further, when the trolley 10 is equipped with the defrosting operation mode, the trolley 10 executes the defrosting operation immediately before arriving at the charging station 46. After performing the frost removal operation, the trolley 10 enters the charging station 46 from the traveling space 26 and stops at a fixed position. The fixed position where the dolly stops is a position where a good connection between the power receiving terminal 36 and the power feeding terminal 48 can be established, and the dolly 10 charges the battery 38 at this position. Then, after the charging of the battery 38 is completed, the carriage 10 exits from the charging station 46 and returns to the traveling space 26.

Further, the trolley 10 monitors the remaining amount of the battery 38, and when the amount of increase in the remaining amount of the battery during charging is equal to or less than a predetermined value, it is determined that the frost has not been sufficiently removed, and the charging is temporarily performed. It may be interrupted and the defrosting operation or the defrosting by the defrosting member 56 may be performed again.

As described above, according to the automated warehouse system 1 according to the embodiment, it is possible to automate the transportation of the load 2 in the frozen warehouse. Normally, a human can continuously work for about 30 minutes in a freezing warehouse at around -30 ° C, but by transporting the load 2 with the trolley 10, the load 2 can be substantially carried out for 24 hours. Can be transported. As a result, the load 2 can be transported and arranged even when there are no workers, especially at night, and the work efficiency in the warehouse can be significantly improved.

Further, in the automated warehouse system 1 according to the embodiment, the load 2 acting as a coolant can be accommodated at a high density. Since the load 2 which is a frozen product naturally has a low temperature, it also functions as a cold insulating material in the closed space A. Therefore, accommodating the load 2 at a high density increases the amount of the cold insulating material, and the driving power of the refrigerator R required to keep the inside of the closed space A at a low temperature can be reduced.

Further, in the closed space A, for example, by increasing the density of the internal transport mechanism, the volume of air that does not contribute to the management and transport of the load 2 is reduced, and the driving power of the refrigerator R required for the temperature control in the freezer warehouse is reduced. Can be reduced.

This effect becomes clearer when the automated warehouse system 1 is compared with a freezing warehouse provided with a traveling space for a conventional forklift.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the arrangement of storage shelves in the warehouse system of the embodiment and the comparative example. More specifically, FIG. 6A is a plan view of an automated warehouse system according to an embodiment, FIG. 6B is a plan view of a freezer warehouse provided with a forklift according to a comparative example, and FIG. 6C. ) Is a plan view of a freezer warehouse equipped with a stacker crane according to a comparative example. In FIGS. 6A to 6C, in order to clarify the effect of the present invention, the load, the storage shelf, and the closed space are shown at the same scale, and the same reference numerals as those in the above-described embodiment are used.

As shown in FIG. 6B, in a freezing warehouse equipped with a forklift, it is necessary to provide a passage 102 for the forklift to travel. In this example, since the storage row must always face the aisle, a passage 102 extending in the X-axis direction is required between the storage rows, and the forklift moves to the adjacent aisle extending in the X-axis direction. A passage 104 extending in the Y-axis direction is also required for this purpose. Further, as shown in FIG. 6C, a freezing warehouse equipped with a stacker crane requires a passage 106 extending in the X-axis direction for moving the stacker crane between storage rows. As described above, it can be seen that the loading densities are clearly different only by comparing the automated warehouse system 1 and the freezing warehouse according to the comparative example in a plan view. Furthermore, in the examples of FIGS. 6 (b) and 6 (c), the space above the passages 102 and 104 (Z direction) is air, and therefore, in the comparative example, the electric power for cooling the air is used. Need to consume. On the other hand, in the automated warehouse system 1, since the internal transfer mechanism has a high density, the electric power required for cooling the air can be minimized.

Further, in a low temperature environment of −30 ° C., there is a concern that the performance of the battery 38 and the motor 40 required to drive the carriage 10 may deteriorate. However, by housing the battery 38 and the motor 40 in a single heat insulating case 44 and raising the temperature inside the heat insulating case 44 by the driving heat of the motor 40, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the performance of the battery 38 and the motor 40. it can.

Further, by providing a frost removing member 56 as a frost removing means for removing frost adhering to the surface of the terminal required for charging the trolley 10, or by adopting a frost removing operation mode, the trolley 10 can be appropriately used even in a low temperature environment. Can be charged. Further, the traveling space 26 in which the carriage 10 travels is made continuous with only the space in the freezer warehouse, and is not continuous with the front chamber 16 to maintain the traveling space 26 at the same low temperature as in the freezer warehouse. Can be done. As a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of dew condensation on the surface of the power receiving terminal 36 of the carriage 10 and various sensors and cameras provided as needed.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described above. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that these embodiments are exemplary and that various modifications and modifications are possible within the claims of the invention, and that such modifications and modifications are also within the claims of the present invention. It is about to be done. Therefore, the descriptions and drawings herein should be treated as exemplary rather than limiting.

[Modification example]
Hereinafter, modifications of the present invention will be described. In the above-described embodiment, an example of using contact-type charging in which the charging station 46 is provided with the power supply terminal 48 and the trolley 10 is provided with the power receiving terminal 36 has been described, but the configuration for charging the battery of the trolley 10 is not. Contact-type charging may be used. In this case, the charging station 46 is provided with a power feeding coil as a power feeding unit, and the carriage 10 is provided with a power receiving coil as a power receiving unit.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the load 2 is transported by using the carriage 10 traveling in the X-axis direction, but the automated warehouse system 1 is a belt conveyor or a belt conveyor for transporting the carriage 10 in the Y-axis direction. A Y-axis transport mechanism such as a second carriage may be provided. The Y-axis transport mechanism transports the trolley 10 on which the load 2 is placed or the load dropped by the trolley 10 in the Y-axis direction. As a result, the trolley 10 or the load 2 can be moved to the adjacent storage line 22. Further, a Z-axis transport mechanism such as a stacker crane for transporting the carriage 10, the load or the second carriage to different storage stages 20 may be provided.

Further, the power receiving terminal 36 may be supported with play with respect to the vehicle body 28, and the charging station 46 may be provided with a guide member for guiding the power receiving terminal 36 to a predetermined position. When the carriage 10 enters the charging station 46, the guide member can correct the position of the power receiving terminal 36 to a more appropriate position. In this case, the range of stop position accuracy of the dolly 10 can be expanded.

It is not essential that the trolleys 10 be provided in each storage row 22 of each storage stage 20, and as long as the trolleys 10 can access all the freezing storage units 24 by the Y-axis transport mechanism and the Z-axis transport mechanism, the number of trolleys 10 is It is optional.

It is not essential that the number of freezing storage units 24 in the storage row 22 be uniformly configured. The number of the freezing storage units 24 constituting the storage row 22 may be provided with a large number of rows and a small number of rows depending on the unevenness of the wall of the building accommodating the freezing storage shelf 8.

It is not essential that the number of storage rows 22 stacked in the vertical direction be uniformly configured. The number of stages of the storage row 22 may be provided with an area having a large number of stages and an area having a small number of stages, depending on the height of the ceiling of the building accommodating the freezing storage shelf 8.

Instead of the forklift, the load 2 may be carried in and out by another type of transfer device such as a transfer device equipped with a crane.

Each of these modifications has the same effect as that of the embodiment.

Any combination of the above-described embodiments and modifications is also useful as an embodiment of the present invention. The new embodiments resulting from the combination have the effects of the combined embodiments and variants.

1 Automated warehouse system, 8 Freezing storage shelves, 20 Storage stages, 22 Storage lines, 24 Freezing storage, 26 Driving space, 36, 38 batteries, 40 motors, 44 Insulation case, 46 Charging station, 48 Power supply terminal, 56 Defrosting Element

Claims (7)

An automated warehouse system for freezing warehouses that can store cargo in a freezer.
Freezing storage shelves for freezing and storing multiple loads,
A transport vehicle capable of transporting the load stored in the freezing storage shelf is provided.
An automated warehouse system for a frozen warehouse, characterized in that the frozen storage shelf is provided with a plurality of storage stages, and a traveling space in which the transport vehicle can travel is provided below each storage stage. The freezing storage shelf includes a plurality of storage rows composed of a plurality of freezing storage units arranged in the first direction.
The automated warehouse system for a freezing warehouse according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of storage rows are arranged adjacent to each other along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The automated warehouse system for a freezing warehouse according to claim 2, wherein the height of the traveling space is lower than the height of the freezing storage unit. The automatic guided vehicle includes a drive motor and a battery that supplies power to the drive motor.
The automated warehouse system for a freezing warehouse according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the drive motor and the battery are arranged in a single heat insulating case. The carrier has a power receiving unit that is electrically connected to the battery.
The automated warehouse system for a freezing warehouse according to claim 4, further comprising a power supply unit capable of supplying electric power to the power receiving unit. The power receiving unit includes a power receiving terminal exposed on the outer surface of the guided vehicle.
The power feeding unit includes a power feeding terminal having a shape that allows contact with the power receiving terminal.
The automated warehouse system for a frozen warehouse according to claim 5, wherein the automated warehouse system includes a frost removing member for removing frost on at least one surface of the power receiving terminal or the power feeding terminal. The power receiving unit includes a power receiving terminal exposed on the outer surface of the guided vehicle.
The automated warehouse system for a freezer warehouse according to claim 5, wherein the transport vehicle performs a frost removal operation for removing frost on the surface of the power receiving terminal.

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