JP2021127187A - System for determining loading state of article - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a system for determining a loading state of articles capable of easily determining necessity of replenishing articles with a simple configuration.SOLUTION: The system for determining a loading state of articles includes: an infrared sensor 603 disposed in an article display shelf 21 having a lane 26 for loading a plurality of articles 900 in one line and a roller 27 for moving the articles 900 loaded on the lane 26 to a front end part of the lane 26 to detect the presence/absence of the articles 900 in a predetermined position Pa on the lane 26; and a replenishment request determination part of a control device for determining replenishment request of the articles 900 when it is detected by the infrared sensor 603 that the articles 900 are not present in the predetermined position Pa. When determining the replenishment request of the articles 900, the articles 900 requested to be replenished are replenished on the lane 26 from a replenishment shelf by a first replenishing device, a second replenishing device and a third replenishing device 500.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

The present invention relates to a system for determining the placement status of an article in order to replenish the article on the shelf.

Conventionally, in stores such as convenience stores, the management work (product management work) of the display state of the products (goods) displayed and replenished on the display shelves is performed by the employees (workers) of the store, and this product management work. It manages the timing of replenishing the display of products through. However, the product management work has been troublesome for the workers because it is necessary to monitor all the display shelves in the store.

Therefore, in order to automate such product management work, a technique for capturing an image of a product on a display shelf and managing the display state has been developed. For example, in Patent Document 1, articles arranged in a line in the front-rear direction on a display shelf are imaged from behind by a camera, and the number of articles arranged on the display shelf is determined based on the size of the articles in the captured image.

JP-A-2018-48024

However, in the article management device of Patent Document 1, the size of the article must be registered in advance, and the registration work is complicated especially when displaying a large number of kinds of articles. Further, since the type of the article is determined from the photographed image and the number of articles that can be replenished is determined based on the size of the registered article and the size of the article in the photographed image, there is a problem that the control becomes complicated. there were.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and in a display shelf for displaying articles, it is possible to easily determine the necessity of replenishment of articles with a simple configuration. The purpose is to provide a system.

In order to solve the above problems, the placement status determination system of the present invention directs a lane in which a plurality of articles of the same type are placed in a row and the articles placed in the lane toward one end of the lane. An article detector provided on an article display shelf having an article moving mechanism for moving the article and detecting the presence or absence of the article at a predetermined position on the lane, and the article detector not having the article at the predetermined position. A replenishment request determination unit for determining a replenishment request for the article to the lane when the above is detected.

Preferably, the article detector is a sensor provided above the other end of the lane and emits light toward the predetermined position to detect the presence or absence of an article at the predetermined position. It is preferable to provide a first detector moving mechanism for moving the detector to change the predetermined position.

The first detector moving mechanism may change the predetermined position by swinging the article detector and changing the light emitting direction of the article detector.

Preferably, the first detector moving mechanism may change the predetermined position by moving the vertical position of the article detector with respect to the lane.

Preferably, the article display shelf includes a plurality of the lanes and mounts a plurality of types of the articles, and the replenishment request determination unit places the predetermined position based on the frequency of the replenishment request for each lane. You should change it.

Preferably, the replenishment request determination unit may operate and control the first detector moving mechanism to detect the presence or absence of the article at the predetermined position in one lane a plurality of times.

Preferably, the article display shelf includes a plurality of the lanes, and the same type of articles are placed in at least two or more of the lanes, and the replenishment request determination unit is a plurality of the same type of articles. It is advisable to determine the replenishment request of the article in the plurality of lanes based on the presence / absence information of the article in the lane.

Preferably, the article display shelf may include a second detector moving mechanism in which a plurality of the lanes are arranged in parallel and the article detector is moved in the parallel direction of the lanes.

Preferably, the article display shelf includes a partition that partitions the plurality of the lanes, and the article detector detects the position of the partition when the article detector moves in the parallel direction by the second detector moving mechanism. Then, the replenishment request determination unit may calculate the width of the lane based on the position of the partition unit to change the predetermined position in the lane.

Preferably, the article display shelf is provided in an article replenishment system having a replenishment device for replenishing the article in the lane based on the replenishment request by the replenishment request determination unit, and one replenishment device is provided in the lane. It is advisable to leave a space for placing the article for at least a minute and replenish it.

According to the placement status determination system of the present invention, in the article display shelf, the article placed in the lane is moved toward one end of the lane by the article moving mechanism, and is placed in a predetermined position on the lane by the article detector. When it is detected that there is no article, the request for replenishment of the article to the lane is determined. Therefore, the article detector has a simple configuration such as a laser sensor and does not require complicated control on the lane. It is possible to grasp the placement status of the goods in the above, and it is possible to determine the replenishment request with a simple configuration.

It is a floor plan of the store where the automatic display unit which concerns on this invention is arranged. It is the top view of the automatic display unit. It is a perspective view which looked at the automatic display unit from the rear upper left. It is a perspective view which looked at the product display shelf from the front upper left. It is a perspective view which looked at the base frame from the front upper left. It is a perspective view which looked at the replenishment shelf and the 1st replenishment device from the front upper left. It is a top view of the storage of the replenishment shelf and the first replenishment device. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the I-I cross section in FIG. It is a perspective view which looked at the 3rd replenishment device from the front upper left. It is a block diagram which shows the connection structure of the control device of an automatic display unit. It is a schematic left side view which shows the positional relationship of a shelf board and an infrared sensor. It is a schematic front view which shows the positional relationship of a shelf board and an infrared sensor.

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

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

With reference to FIG. 1, a floor plan of the store 1 in which the automatic display unit 11 (article replenishment system) according to the present invention is arranged is shown. Store 1 is, for example, a convenience store that retails products. In this store 1, a counter 3, a room temperature shelf 5, a refrigerating shelf 7, and a display room 9 according to the present invention are arranged.

The counter 3 is a cashier counter that makes payments when a visitor purchases a product selected in the store 2. The room temperature shelf 5 is a product display shelf for displaying products that can be stored and displayed at room temperature. The refrigerating shelf 7 is a product display shelf for displaying products that need to be stored and displayed at a low temperature (for example, 5 ° C.) lower than normal temperature.

The display room 9 is a refrigerating room arranged so as to face the inside of the store 2. The display room 9 is a room in which the temperature inside the room is kept low (constant temperature), and is a so-called walk-in in which an employee (worker) can enter by opening the door 13. Further, in the display room 9, the customer can take out the product 900 (article) by opening the glass door 9a (see FIG. 2) to the inside of the store 2 side. In the display room 9, an automatic display unit 11 for displaying the product 900 is arranged on the product display shelf 21 (article display shelf) described later.

With reference to FIG. 2, a top view of the automatic display unit 11 is shown. Further, referring to FIG. 3, a perspective view of the automatic display unit 11 as viewed from the rear upper left is shown. The automatic display unit 11 includes a product display shelf 21, a base frame 100, a replenishment shelf 200, a first replenishment device 300 (replenishment device), a second replenishment device 400 (replenishment device), a third replenishment device 500 (replenishment device), and control. The device 600 is provided. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the direction facing the store 2 when viewed from the display room 9 is referred to as the front, the opposite direction is referred to as the rear, the right when looking forward is simply referred to as the right, and the opposite direction is referred to as the left. ..

The automatic display unit 11 moves the product 900 replenished to the replenishment shelf 200 by the employee to the second replenishment device 400 in front by the first replenishment device 300, and moves it to a predetermined height by the second replenishment device 400. The device is moved to the third replenishment device 500, and is moved to a predetermined lane 26 that requires replenishment of the product display shelf 21 by the third replenishment device 500. This series of operations (automatic display work) is performed by controlling each device by the control device 600. As a result, the automatic display unit 11 can perform the automatic display work of displaying the product 900 on the product display shelf 21 only by replenishing the product 900 to the replenishment shelf 200. Hereinafter, the configurations of the product display shelf 21, the base frame 100, the replenishment shelf 200, the first replenishment device 300, the second replenishment device 400, and the third replenishment device 500 will be described in detail.

<Structure of product display shelf 21>
With reference to FIG. 4, a perspective view of the product display shelf 21 as viewed from the front upper left is shown. The product display shelf 21 is a shelf for displaying products 900 and providing them to customers. The product display shelf 21 includes a main body 23 and a shelf board 25. The main body 23 is a frame forming the skeleton of the product display shelf 21. The shelf board 25 is substantially horizontal, and a plurality of shelf boards 25 are supported side by side in the vertical direction on the main body 23 so that the front end 25a is slightly tilted downward. A plurality of rollers 27 (article moving mechanisms) are provided on the upper surface of the shelf board 25.

When the product 900 is placed on the rear end 25b of the shelf board 25 by the roller 27, the product 900 can move smoothly toward the front (one end of the lane 26). Further, on the upper surface of the shelf board 25, a plurality of lanes 26 extending in the front-rear direction are provided side by side in the left-right direction. Therefore, the shelf board 25 can display the product 900 in each lane 26 by type. Further, a plurality of product display shelves 21 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction.

<Structure of base frame 100>
With reference to FIG. 5, a perspective view of the base frame 100 as viewed from the front upper left is shown. The base frame 100 is a skeleton member that supports each device (200 to 600) of the automatic display unit 11, and is arranged on the rear side of the product display shelf 21. The base frame 100 has a first frame 101 extending in the front-rear direction and a second frame 102 extending in the left-right direction. The first frame 101 includes a first lower horizontal member 111, a first upper horizontal member 113, a first pillar member 115, and a first lattice member 117. In the first frame 101, the first lower horizontal member 111 is arranged at the right back of the display chamber 9, the first pillar member 115 is erected at the front end of the first lower horizontal member 111, and the first lower horizontal member 111 is erected. The first lattice member 117 is erected on the rear side, and the first upper horizontal member 113 is arranged at the upper ends of the first pillar member 115 and the first lattice member 117. Further, the front end of the first frame 101 is located on the rear side of the product display shelf 21.

The second frame 102 includes a second lower horizontal member 121, a second upper horizontal member 123, a second pillar member 125, and a second lattice member 127. In the second frame 102, the second lower horizontal member 121 is arranged so as to extend leftward from the front end of the first lower horizontal member 111, and the second pillar member 125 is erected at the left end of the second lower horizontal member 121. The second upper horizontal member 123 is arranged so as to extend over the upper end of the first pillar member 115 and the upper end of the second pillar member 125. The second lattice member 127 is a ladder-shaped member that is located below the second upper horizontal member 123 and extends in the left-right direction over the upper portion of the first pillar member 115 and the upper portion of the second pillar member 125. The lower end of the second lattice member 127 is positioned so as to be in contact with the rear upper end of the product display shelf 21. That is, the base frame 100 is arranged along the right back side of the display room 9 and the rear side of the product display shelf 21.

<Structure of replenishment shelf 200>
Hereinafter, the configuration of the replenishment shelf 200 of the first embodiment will be described.

With reference to FIG. 6, a perspective view of the replenishment shelf 200 and the first replenishment device 300 as viewed from the front upper left is shown. The replenishment shelf 200 is a shelf capable of storing the product 900 and sending out a predetermined number of the product 900 to the first replenishment device 300 in order to replenish the product display shelf 21. The replenishment shelf 200 is provided with, for example, five storage shelves 201 in the vertical direction and three storage shelves 201 in the front-rear direction. Products with a relatively large number of sales are stored in the storage 201. The storage 201 is formed to have substantially the same size as, for example, a corrugated cardboard case in which a product 900 such as a beverage is stored, and is sized so that one case of beverage can be placed upright.

With reference to FIG. 7, a top view of the storage 201 and the first replenishment device 300 of the replenishment shelf 200 of the first embodiment is shown. Hereinafter, one of the plurality of storages 201 will be described, and the other storages 201 have the same configuration, and thus the description thereof will be omitted here.

The storage room 201 is a space formed by a first wall member 211, a second wall member 212, a conveyor unit 213, and a top plate (not shown). The storage 201 is formed with a replenishment port 215 for replenishing the product 900 on the left side and a payout outlet 217 for discharging the product 900 to the first replenishment device 300 on the rear right side. The replenishment port 215 is formed in a size that allows the case containing the product to be inserted. On the other hand, the payout port 217 is set to a front-rear width and a vertical height through which one product 900 can pass. Further, in the storage 201, an inclined wall member 219 is provided, which is inclined so that the rear side is inclined to the right by, for example, 45 degrees and extends from the second wall member 212 toward the payout port 217. Further, in the storage 201, a rotary delivery device 221 and a counter 223 (clogging detection unit) are arranged on the right side of the payout port 217.

The conveyor unit 213 includes a first belt 231 and a second belt 232, a first motor 235 for driving the first belt 231 and a second motor 236 for driving the second belt 232, and is configured from the storage 201 to the product 900. It is a payout device that pays out one by one (predetermined number).

The first belt 231 is a belt member extending from the replenishment port 215 toward the payout port 217, and its right end is located near the left end of the movement direction switching table 313 described later in the first replenishment device 300. The second belt 232 is a belt member extending from the replenishment port 215 toward the inclined wall member 219, and its right end is located to the right of the inclined wall member 219. The first belt 231 is set to a front-rear width on which substantially one product 900 is placed. The second belt 232 is set to have a width that covers the entire front-rear width of the lower surface of the storage 201, excluding the first belt 231, and is arranged in parallel adjacent to the first belt 231. The first motor 235 and the second motor 236 are so-called electric motors that are driven by receiving electric power. The first motor 235 and the second motor 236 change the driving direction and speed of the first belt 231 and the second belt 232 by changing the direction in which the current flows and the amount of electric power supplied. be able to.

Therefore, by driving the first motor 235 so that the upper surface 231a of the first belt 231 moves to the right, the product 900 located on the upper surface 231a of the first belt 231 moves to the right and the payout outlet. It is discharged from 217. Further, by driving the second motor 236 so that the upper surface 232a of the second belt 232 moves to the right, the product 900 located on the upper surface 232a of the second belt 232 moves to the right and is an inclined wall. While abutting on the member 219, it moves toward the payout port 217 and is paid out one by one from the payout port 217.

The first wall member 211 is provided with a convex portion 214 protruding forward by several mm. The convex portion 214 is formed by molding the first wall member 211 by a press or the like, has a vertical width of, for example, several cm, and has a vertical position that abuts on the side portion of the product 900 mounted on the first belt 231. , Extends from the left end of the first wall member 211 to the vicinity of the payout port 217 in the left-right direction. The convex portion 214 has a function of supporting the side portion of the product 900 on the first belt 231 that moves to the right in the storage 201 with the operation of the first belt 231 and smoothly moving the product 900.

The rotary delivery device 221 includes a rotary shaft 241 and a rotary plate 243 and a delivery motor 245 (see FIG. 6). The rotating shaft 241 is located in front of the first belt 231 on the right side of the payout port 217, extends in the vertical direction, and can be rotated by driving the delivery motor 245. The rotating plate 243 is a flat plate member extending in the vertical direction, and a plurality (for example, five) of the rotating plates 243 are formed radially at equal intervals from the rotating shaft 241. The rotary delivery device 221 drives the delivery motor 245 to rotate the rotary shaft 241 and the rotary plate 243 counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 7, and the product 900 located on the upper surface 231a of the first belt 231 is the first. 1 Pay out to the movement direction switching table 313 described later of the replenishment device 300. Further, the rotary delivery device 221 is rotated at a constant speed by the delivery motor 245, so that the intervals between the products 900 delivered to the moving direction switching table 313 can be made equal.

The counter 223 is a sensor that detects that the product 900 passes through the payout port 217. Specifically, the counter 223 is a sensor having a structure in which when the product 900 passes through the payout outlet 217, it presses against the product 900 and falls backward, and when the product 900 finishes passing, it projects forward again.

<Structure of the first replenishment device 300>
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the II cross section in FIG. The first replenishment device 300 is located between the inner wall and the replenishment shelf 200 along the inner wall on the far right of the display room 9, and is in front of the moving direction of the product 900 moving to the right from the replenishment shelf 200. It is a transport device that switches in a direction and moves the product 900 to the vicinity of the rear end of the second replenishment device 400. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the first replenishment device 300 is provided with, for example, five first roller transport stands 311 according to the height of each storage 201, and each storage 201 is provided with, for example, five first roller transport stands 311. On the other hand, a moving direction switching table 313 and a first moving guide 315, which will be described later, are provided.

The first roller transport table 311 is a table that is substantially horizontal and is arranged so that the front end is slightly inclined downward. A plurality of rollers for moving the product 900 mounted on the first roller transport table 311 forward are provided on the upper surface of the first roller transport table 311. The moving direction switching table 313 is a table formed with a groove that draws an arc so as to extend forward from the left to the right. The first movement guide 315 rotates when pressed to the left to allow the passage of the product 900 passing over the first roller transport table 311 so as to extend diagonally forward to the right when pressed to the right. It is a positioned guide member.

As a result, when the product 900 moves to the right from the replenishment shelf 200 and enters the moving direction switching table 313, the first replenishing device 300 uses the moving direction switching table 313 and the first moving guide 315 to change the moving direction of the product 900. The product 900 that has been switched from the right to the front and moved to the first roller transport table 311 can be moved forward by using gravity. Further, the first movement guide 315 of the first replenishment device 300 moves the product 900 as described above without hindering the movement of the product 900 that is moved by the first roller transport table 311 from the rear of the first movement guide 315. The direction can be switched from right to front. A stopper 317 is provided at the front end of the first roller transport table 311. The stopper 317 is driven by an actuator (not shown) to allow the product 900, which has moved forward on the first roller transport table 311, to temporarily stop moving and to move to the second replenishing device 400 in front. It is configured to be switchable between the position and.

<Structure of the second replenishment device 400>
According to FIG. 8, the second replenishment device 400 receives, for example, three products 900 from any one of the first roller transport pedestals 311 of the first replenishment device 300, loads them, and moves them to the third replenishment device 500. It is a device. The second replenishment device 400 has a second vertical movable aircraft 401 and a second transport aircraft 403.

The second vertical movable machine 401 includes a second frame 411, a second lifting platform 412, a second lifting belt 413, a second lifting motor 415, and a second counterweight 417. The second frame 411 is a skeleton member on which a second rail 411a extending in the vertical direction is formed. The second lift 412 is a stand that is movably supported in the vertical direction while being restricted from moving in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction by the second rail 411a of the second frame 411. A second transport aircraft 403 is arranged on the second lift 412.

The second elevating belt 413 is a timing belt having gear teeth formed inside in the front-rear direction, and extends downward while being locked to the second elevating motor 415 at the upper part. The elevating belt 53b has a front end attached to the second elevating table 412 and a rear end attached to the second counterweight 417. The second elevating motor 415 is provided at the upper end of the second frame 411, and can pull the second elevating belt 413 by driving the second elevating motor 415. The second counterweight 417 is, for example, a weight having substantially the same mass as the mass of the second transport aircraft 403.

As a result, the second vertical movable machine 401 drives the second lifting motor 415 to pull the second lifting belt 413 and move the second lifting platform 412 in the vertical direction along the second rail 411a. be able to. Further, when the second elevating motor 415 is stopped, the masses of the second elevating table 412 and the second counterweight 417 are suspended, so that the second elevating table 412 can be stopped at an arbitrary vertical position.

The second transport aircraft 403 is provided with a second roller transport platform 421, and an alignment device and a stopper (not shown). The second roller transport pedestal 421 is a pedestal that is substantially horizontal and is arranged so that the front end (end) 421a is slightly inclined downward, like the first roller transport pedestal 311. A plurality of rollers for moving the product 900 placed on the table 421 forward are provided. The aligning device has a function of pressing the product 900 on the second roller transport table 421 of the second transport aircraft 403 to the right and aligning the products 900 in a line in the front-rear direction. The stopper is provided at the front end portion of the second roller transport table 421. The stopper is a position where the product 900, which is driven by an actuator (not shown) and has moved forward on the second roller transport table 421, is temporarily stopped, and a position where the product 900 is allowed to move forward to the third replenishment device 500. It is configured to be switchable to and.

<Structure of the third replenishment device 500>
With reference to FIG. 9, a perspective view of the third replenishment device 500 as viewed from the front upper left is shown. The third replenishment device 500 is a transportation device that receives the product 900 from the second replenishment device 400 and moves the product 900 to a predetermined lane 26 of the product display shelf 21. The third replenishment device 500 includes a third frame 501 (see FIGS. 3 and 8), a third left / right movable machine 503 (see FIG. 3), a third vertical movable machine 505 (see FIG. 8), and a third conveyor unit 507 (see FIG. 8). (See FIG. 8).

According to FIGS. 3 and 8, the third frame 501 is provided as a pair on the left and right sides of the third replenishment device 500 and extends in the vertical direction, and the top plate member 512 extends over the upper ends of the left and right pillar members 511. The frame is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed in the front-rear direction by the bottom plate member 513 extending over the lower ends of the left and right pillar members 511. The pillar member 511 is formed on the inside in the left-right direction with a third rail 511a that movably supports the third elevating platform 532, which will be described later, of the third vertically movable machine 505.

The third frame 501 is provided with casters 514 that can rotate in the left-right direction at the lower end. Therefore, the third frame 501 is configured to be movable in the left-right direction by the casters 514.

According to FIG. 3, the third left-right movable machine 503 is above the top plate member 512 of the third frame 501, and the third left-right motor 521 and the ceiling attached to the first upper horizontal member 113 of the first frame 101. It includes a drive belt 523 that is located above the plate member 512 and extends in the left-right direction and is driven by the third left-right motor 521, and a fixing member 525 that fixes the drive belt 523 to the top plate member 512. Therefore, in the third left-right movable machine 503, by driving the third left-right motor 521 to drive the drive belt 523, the fixing member 525 is driven together with the drive belt 523, and the third frame 501 is moved in conjunction with the drive. It can be moved in the left-right direction.

According to FIG. 8, the third vertical movable machine 505 includes a third lifting platform 532, a third lifting belt 533, a third lifting motor 535, and a third counterweight 537.

The third elevating table 532 is a table that is movably supported in the vertical direction while being restricted from moving in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction by the third rail 511a of the pillar member 511. It is provided on the inside in the left-right direction. A third conveyor unit 507 is arranged on the third lift 532.

The third elevating belt 533 is a timing belt having gear teeth formed inside in the front-rear direction, and extends downward while being locked to the third elevating motor 535 at the upper part. The front end of the third elevating belt 533 is attached to the third elevating table 532, and the rear end of the third elevating belt 533 is attached to the third counterweight 537. The third elevating motor 535 is provided at the upper end of the pillar member 511, and can pull the third elevating belt 533 by driving the third elevating motor 535. The third counterweight 537 is, for example, a weight having substantially the same mass as the mass of the third conveyor unit 507.

As a result, the third vertical movable machine 505 pulls the third lifting belt 533 by driving the third lifting motor 535 to move the third lifting platform 532 in the vertical direction along the third rail 511a. be able to. Further, when the third elevating motor 535 is stopped, the masses of the third elevating table 532 and the third counterweight 537 are suspended, so that the third elevating table 532 can be stopped at an arbitrary vertical position.

According to FIG. 9, the third conveyor unit 507 includes a third conveyor frame 541, a third belt conveyor 543, a third pillar member 545, a support shaft 547, a guide plate 549, a first guide unit 551, a second guide unit 552, and the like. It has a plurality of attackers 555.

The third conveyor frame 541 is a skeleton member whose left and right ends are attached to the third lift 532 and extend in the left-right direction. The third belt conveyor 543 is a belt member that covers the upper end surface of the third conveyor frame 541 and can rotate so that the portion covering the upper end surface moves in the left-right direction. The third belt conveyor 543 can adjust the rotation speed and change the rotation direction by controlling a motor (not shown).

The third pillar member 545 is a flat plate member extending upward from the left end of the third conveyor frame 541. The support shaft 547 is a rod-shaped member extending from the upper end portion of the third pillar member 545 to the upper end portion of the first guide unit 551. The guide plate 549 is a flat plate member extending upward from the rear end of the third conveyor frame 541.

The first guide unit 551 is provided above the right end portion of the third conveyor frame 541, and includes an arc-shaped first guide member that is rotated about 90 degrees around an axis extending vertically by a first actuator (not shown). There is. The first guide member of the first guide unit 551 is a rotation position for moving the product 900, which moves forward on the second roller transport table 421 of the second replenishing device 400, toward the left on the third belt conveyor 543. The product 900, which moves to the right on the third belt conveyor 543, is rotatably configured at a rotation position that guides the product 900 forward from the right end of the third belt conveyor 543.

The second guide unit 552 can be moved in the left-right direction (parallel direction of the lane 26) by the guide unit moving actuator 560 (second detector moving mechanism) (see FIG. 10) along the support shaft 547 and the guide plate 549. It is configured to include an arc-shaped second guide member that is rotated by approximately 90 degrees around an axis extending vertically by a second actuator (not shown). The second guide unit 552 stops at an arbitrary left and right position on the third conveyor frame 541, and has a rotation position for moving the product 900 moving to the left on the third belt conveyor 543 and a product 900. The second guide member is configured to be rotatable at a rotation position where the movement of the second guide member is prevented from moving forward.

A plurality of attackers 555 are provided on the front side of the third belt conveyor 543 and are arranged side by side in each lane 26 of the shelf board 25. The attacker 555 stands above the third conveyor frame 541 to prevent the product 900 from moving forward from the third belt conveyor 543, and the shelf board from the front end of the third belt conveyor 543. It is configured to be movable in the front-rear direction at a lodging position where the product 900 can move forward from the third belt conveyor 543 by falling forward toward 25. The attacker 555 is normally in the upright position, and is configured so that only the moving position of the second guide unit 552 is in the prone position.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, an infrared sensor 603 (article detector, mounting status determination system) is provided at the upper end of the second guide unit 552. The infrared sensor 603 is a sensor capable of detecting the presence of an object at a position irradiated with infrared rays based on the amount of infrared rays reflected and received by irradiating infrared rays (light). The infrared sensor 603 is located above the rear end (the other end) of the lane 26 of the shelf board 25 of the product display shelf 21 located in front of the second guide unit 552, and is a predetermined position described later on the lane 26. By irradiating Pa with infrared rays, it is possible to detect that the number of products 900 displayed on the lane 26 is equal to or greater than the specified amount. The infrared sensor 603 may be a detector that can irradiate light and detect whether or not the product 900 is present on Pa at a predetermined position.

<Operation control of the entire automatic display unit 11>
Next, each control by the control device 600 will be described.

With reference to FIG. 10, the connection configuration of the control device 600 is shown in a block diagram. The control device 600 is a control device for performing comprehensive control of the automatic display unit 11, and includes an input / output device, a storage device (ROM, RAM, non-volatile RAM, etc.), a central processing unit (CPU), and the like. It is configured. A PC (Personal Computer) 601 is connected to the control device 600, and for example, an employee can operate the PC 601 to set a product 900 to be displayed on the product display shelf 21.

A PC 601 and an infrared sensor 603 are electrically connected to the input side of the control device 600. As a result, information about the products to be displayed on the product display shelf 21 set by the employee is input from the PC601, and the placement (presence / absence) information of the product 900 at the predetermined position Pa of each lane 26 is input from the infrared sensor 603. Is entered.

On the other hand, actuators such as motors of the replenishment shelf 200, the first replenishment device 300, the second replenishment device 400, and the third replenishment device 500 are electrically connected to the output side of the control device 600.

The control device 600 includes a display state determination unit 605 (replenishment request determination unit, mounting status determination system), a display control unit 607 (replenishment device), and a storage unit 609. The display state determination unit 605 has a function of determining the lane 26 that needs to be replenished with the product 900 based on the information regarding the number of the products 900 displayed on each lane 26 input from the infrared sensor 603. The display control unit 607 determines the replenishment shelf 200, the first replenishment device 300, the second replenishment device 400, and the third replenishment device 400 based on the determination by the display state determination unit 605 and the information regarding the products displayed on the product display shelf 21 input from the PC 601. It controls each actuator of the replenishment device 500.

When the control device 600 determines the lane 26 that needs to be replenished with the product 900 based on the detection by the infrared sensor 603, the control device 600 refers to the storage 201 that stores the product 900 to be displayed in the lane 26 on the replenishment shelf 200. The operation of the conveyor unit 213 and the rotary delivery device 221 can be controlled to move the product 900 stored in the storage 201 to the first replenishment device 300. Further, the control device 600 controls the operation of the first replenishment device 300, the second replenishment device 400, and the third replenishment device 500, and moves the product 900 moved to the first replenishment device 300 to the lane 26 to replenish the product 900. do.

<Determination of display status on product display shelf 21>
Hereinafter, the display status determination for replenishing the product 900 on the product display shelf 21 will be described in detail.

11 and 12 are explanatory views showing the positional relationship between the shelf board 25 and the infrared sensor 603. FIG. 11 is a schematic side view of the shelf board 25 viewed from the left, and FIG. 12 is a schematic front view of the shelf viewed from the front.

As shown in FIG. 11, the infrared sensor 603 is located above the rear end portion of the shelf board 25 and is arranged so as to be obliquely forward and downward. The infrared sensor 603 is installed so as to detect the presence or absence of the product 900 at a predetermined position Pa, which is a position in front of a predetermined distance La from the rear end portion of the shelf board 25. The predetermined distance La is from the distance when, for example, three products 900 are arranged on the lane 26 of the shelf board 25 in the front-rear direction (65 mm × 3 = 195 mm when the front-rear width (diameter) Lb = 65 mm of the product). It is set to a slightly large value (for example, 200 mm). The predetermined distance La may be appropriately set so as to detect that a space on the lane 26 that requires replenishment of the product 900 has been generated.

The infrared sensor 603 is supported so as to swing vertically with respect to the second guide unit 552, and swings (swings) by the sensor swing actuator 561 (first detector moving mechanism). It is configured. By swinging the infrared sensor 603 in the vertical direction, the infrared emitting direction is changed, and the front-back position of the predetermined position Pa, which is the detection position, can be arbitrarily set.

Further, as shown in FIG. 12, the infrared sensor 603 can be positioned on each lane 26 by moving the second guide unit 552 in the left-right direction with respect to the shelf board 25.

The display state determination unit 605 of the control device 600 moves the second guide unit 552 left and right at predetermined time intervals when the display state determination request is made by the PC601 or the like, or when the product 900 is replenished to the product display shelf 21. At that time, the display state of each lane 26 is determined.

The display state determination unit 605 detects the presence or absence of the product 900 at a predetermined position in the lane 26 from the infrared sensor 603, and determines that it is not necessary to replenish the product 900 in the lane 26 if the product 900 is present at the predetermined position. If there is no product 900 at the predetermined position, it is determined that the product needs to be replenished in the lane 26.

When the determination of the display state in one lane 26 is completed, for example, the infrared sensor 603 is moved to the adjacent lane 26 to detect the display state, the display state of each lane 26 is sequentially determined, and the storage unit 609 is used to determine the display state. The lane 26 that needs to be replenished is stored. Then, the first replenishment device 300, the second replenishment device 400, and the third replenishment device 500 are operated and controlled from the storage 201 of the replenishment shelf 200 with respect to the lane 26 that needs to be replenished, that is, the replenishment request is made, to obtain the product. 900 is sequentially replenished.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the infrared sensor 603 detects the presence or absence of the product 900 at the predetermined predetermined position Pa on the lane 26, and replenishes the product 900 when it is detected that the product 900 is present at the predetermined position Pa. Is determined to be necessary. In this way, it is possible to detect the presence or absence of the product 900 by a relatively inexpensive detector such as the infrared sensor 603, determine the necessity of replenishment with an inexpensive configuration, and simplify the determination control. Can be done. In a product display shelf 21 having a plurality of lanes 26 and displaying a plurality of types of products 900 as in the present embodiment, even if the predetermined position Pa is fixed, it is determined that replenishment is necessary in each lane 26. Is possible. Therefore, it is not necessary to store information such as the size of the product 900 in advance, and an easy and appropriate replenishment determination can be made.

Further, in the above embodiment, the infrared sensor 603 can be swung up and down by the sensor swing actuator 561, and the predetermined position Pa can be changed. By changing the predetermined position Pa in this way, a more appropriate replenishment determination becomes possible when a plurality of types of products having significantly different sizes are displayed on the product display shelf. In this case, the predetermined position Pa according to the type of the product 900 to be placed may be stored in advance in the storage unit 609, the PC 601 or the like, and the predetermined position Pa may be changed according to the type of the product 900 set by the PC 601 or the like. good. The predetermined position Pa is set in several stages, and the product 900 having a relatively same size is set to the same position (predetermined distance La) to memorize the relationship between the size of the product 900 and the predetermined position Pa. It is possible to suppress the storage capacity of the storage unit 609 and the like.

Further, when the predetermined position Pa is changed, the infrared sensor 603 may be moved up and down instead of swinging the infrared sensor 603 as described above. Since the detection direction of the infrared sensor 603 is obliquely forward and downward, the predetermined position Pa can be changed back and forth by moving the infrared sensor 603 up and down.

Further, the display state determination unit 605 stores the sales state of the product 900 in each lane 26, that is, the past replenishment frequency for each lane 26, and changes the predetermined distance La according to the replenishment frequency for each lane 26. Good. For example, for the lane 26 in which the product 900 having a high replenishment frequency, that is, a well-selling product 900 is placed, it is preferable to appropriately shorten the predetermined distance La and set the predetermined position Pa to the rear to increase the subsequent replenishment frequency. As a result, it is possible to suppress the shortage of the product 900 in the lane 26. On the other hand, for the product 900 having a low replenishment frequency, that is, a poorly-selling product, it is preferable to appropriately lengthen the predetermined distance La and set the predetermined position Pa forward to reduce the subsequent replenishment frequency. This makes it possible to prioritize the replenishment of other high-selling products 900.

Further, when the display state determination unit 605 detects the presence or absence of the product 900 in the predetermined position Pa of the lane 26, the predetermined position Pa is slightly changed in one lane 26 and detected a plurality of times, and the detection result of the plurality of times It is advisable to make a replenishment judgment based on. Here, when changing the predetermined position Pa, for example, the predetermined position Pa may be changed to the left and right or back and forth by several centimeters. To change the predetermined position Pa to the left or right, for example, the second guide unit 552 may be slightly moved to the left or right, and the infrared sensor 603 may be moved to the left or right. In order to change the predetermined position Pa back and forth, the swing angle and the vertical position of the infrared sensor 603 may be moved by the sensor swing actuator 561 or the like. Alternatively, the entire third lift 532 including the second guide unit 552 may be moved up and down by the third vertical movable device 505. In this way, by slightly changing the predetermined position Pa in one lane 26 and detecting the presence or absence of the product 900 a plurality of times, the product 900 can be detected once depending on the shape of the product 900, the light transmittance, and the reflectivity. Even when it is difficult to detect the presence or absence of, the detection accuracy can be improved.

Further, when the display state determination unit 605 displays the same type of products 900 in a plurality of lanes 26, the display state determination unit 605 does not individually determine the necessity of replenishment for each lane 26, but puts the same type of products 900. The placement status of the plurality of lanes 26 to be placed may be combined and determined. For example, when there are a first lane 26a and a second lane 26b on which the same type of product 900 is placed, it is detected that there is no product 900 at a predetermined position Pa of the first lane 26a, and the second lane. When it is detected that the product 900 is present at the predetermined position Pa of the 26b, it may be determined that the first lane 26a does not need to be replenished. When it is detected that there is no product at the predetermined position Pa for both the first lane 26a and the second lane 26b, it is determined that the first lane 26a and the second lane 26b need to be replenished. Just do it. As a result, it is possible to suppress the replenishment frequency while preventing the loss of purchasing opportunities due to the shortage of the product 900 on the product display shelf 21.

Further, as shown in FIG. 12, when the second guide unit 552 is moved to the left and right behind the shelf board 25, an object on the shelf board 25 is continuously detected by the infrared sensor 603, and the lane 26 It is preferable to detect the left and right positions of the partition 28 that divides the above. As shown in the graph of the sensor output of FIG. 12, since the width of the partition 28 itself is significantly smaller than that of the product 900, the left and right positions of each partition 28 from the output by the infrared sensor 603 (Hi = with object, Low = without object) Can be detected. By detecting the left-right position of the partition 28 in this way, it is possible to calculate the distance between adjacent partitions 28, that is, the left-right width of each lane 26, and the left-right width of the product 900 mounted on each lane 26. Can be estimated. Therefore, when the predetermined position Pa is changed from the type of the product 900 as described above, the estimated left-right width of the product 900 can be obtained without storing the relationship information between the type of the product 900 and the predetermined position Pa in advance. It is possible to automatically set a predetermined position Pa as the front-rear width of the product 900.

Further, when the display control unit 607 replenishes the lane 26 of the product display shelf 21 with the product 900, the display control unit 607 may replenish the lane 26 with a space for placing one or more products 900. As a result, for example, after the purchaser takes out the product 900 from the lane 26 of the product display shelf 21 and the display state determination unit 605 determines the replenishment of the product 900, each replenishment device (200, 300, 400, 500) If the purchaser returns the product 900 to the lane 26 before the replenishment is performed, it is possible to prevent the lane 26 from being replenished more than necessary. Therefore, when the lane 26 is replenished more than necessary, the product 900 may be clogged on the third conveyor unit 507 of the third lift 532, or may fall from the third lift 532. Can be avoided.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, in the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to the product display shelf 21 of the store 1 provided with the replenishment device (200, 300, 400, 500), but the article display shelf not provided with the replenishment device. Alternatively, the present invention may be applied. In this case, when it is determined that the product needs to be replenished, the employee may be notified by a PC or the like. As a result, although the employee performs the replenishment work of the product, the replenishment timing can be appropriately known, the shortage of the product display shelf can be prevented, and the monitoring of the product display shelf can be facilitated.

Further, the present invention can be applied to an article display shelf or an article storage shelf other than a store, and it becomes possible to easily know the replenishment timing of an article.

11 Automatic display unit (article replenishment system)
21 Product display shelves (goods display shelves)
25 Shelf board (article display shelf)
26 Lane 27 Roller (article movement mechanism)
28 Partition (Partition)
603 Infrared sensor (article detector, mounting status judgment system)
605 Display status determination unit (replenishment request determination unit, placement status determination system)
561 Sensor swing actuator (first detector movement mechanism)
560 Guide unit movement actuator (second detector movement mechanism)
200 Replenishment shelf (replenishment device)
300 1st replenishment device (replenishment device)
400 Second replenishment device (replenishment device)
500 Third replenishment device (replenishment device)

Claims (10)

It is provided in an article display shelf having a lane for placing a plurality of articles of the same type in a row and an article moving mechanism for moving the articles placed on the lane toward one end of the lane.
An article detector that detects the presence or absence of the article at a predetermined position on the lane,
Placement of an article characterized by comprising a replenishment request determination unit for determining a replenishment request for the article in the lane when the article detector detects that the article is not present at the predetermined position. Situation judgment system. The article detector is a sensor provided above the other end of the lane and transmitting light toward the predetermined position to detect the presence or absence of an article at the predetermined position.
The article placement status determination system according to claim 1, further comprising a first detector moving mechanism for moving the article detector to change the predetermined position. The article according to claim 2, wherein the first detector moving mechanism changes the predetermined position by swinging the article detector and changing the light emitting direction of the article detector. Placement status judgment system. The article placement status determination system according to claim 2, wherein the first detector moving mechanism changes the predetermined position by moving the vertical position of the article detector with respect to the lane. The article display shelf is provided with a plurality of the lanes, and a plurality of types of the articles are placed on the shelf.
The article placement status determination according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the replenishment request determination unit changes the predetermined position based on the frequency of the replenishment request for each lane. system. The claim is characterized in that the replenishment request determination unit operates and controls the first detector moving mechanism to detect the presence or absence of the article at the predetermined position in one lane a plurality of times. The article placement status determination system according to any one of 2 to 5. The article display shelf includes a plurality of the lanes, and the same type of articles are placed in at least two or more of the lanes.
The claim is characterized in that the replenishment request determination unit determines a replenishment request for the article in the plurality of lanes based on the presence / absence information of the article for a plurality of lanes on which the same type of article is placed. The article placement status determination system according to any one of items 1 to 6. In the article display shelf, a plurality of the lanes are arranged in parallel.
The article loading status determination system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a second detector moving mechanism for moving the article detector in the parallel direction of the lane. The article display shelf includes a partition for partitioning a plurality of the lanes.
When the article detector moves in the parallel direction by the second detector moving mechanism, the article detector detects the position of the partition portion and detects the position of the partition portion.
The article placement status determination system according to claim 8, wherein the replenishment request determination unit calculates the width of the lane based on the position of the partition portion to change the predetermined position in the lane. .. The article display shelf is provided in an article replenishment system having a replenishment device for replenishing the article in the lane based on the replenishment request by the replenishment request determination unit.
The article loading status determination system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the replenishing device replenishes the lane with a space for loading one or more articles.

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