JP2022181689A - Unloading device and unloading method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an unloading device and an unloading method in which a partial article group can be separated from a stacked article group and moved with a simpler device configuration.SOLUTION: An unloading device, when a direction along a horizontal direction and facing one side surface of a stacked article group is defined as a first direction X and a direction along the horizontal direction and perpendicular to the first direction is defined as a second direction Y, includes: a first pressing member 11 and a third pressing member 13 facing in the first direction X across the stacked article group; a second pressing member 12 and a fourth pressing member 14 facing in the second direction Y across the stacked article group; and a control device for controlling a first driving mechanism, a second driving mechanism, a third driving mechanism, and a fourth driving mechanism, wherein the control device performs shifting processing by moving the first pressing member 11 and the second pressing member 12 to the side of the stacked article group at the same time or at different times, and then performs clamping processing and separation processing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

According to the present invention, from a stacked article group, which is a plurality of articles stacked to form a rectangular parallelepiped as a whole, on a placing section, a partial article group, which is a plurality of articles belonging to a part of the tiers, is obtained. The present invention relates to an unloading device for separating and moving, and an unloading method.

An example of such an unloading device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-1446 (Patent Document 1). Reference numerals or names shown in parentheses in the following description of the background art are those of Patent Document 1.

The unloading device of Patent Document 1 includes a main frame (2) made of a rectangular parallelepiped frame body, an article lifting device (3) provided on the main frame (2), and an article lifting device (3) provided on the main frame (2). and a traveling carriage (5) that travels on the traveling rail (4). A gripping mechanism (6) is mounted on the running rail (4). A stacked article group, which is a plurality of stacked articles, is placed on the article lifting device (3). The gripping mechanism (6) includes pressing members (pressing plates 32, 33, 34, 35) that grip the uppermost partial article group, and a lower pressing body (49c) that grips the second partial article group from the top. It has

In this unloading device, when the article lifting device (3) rises to a predetermined position, the pressing members (32, 33, 34, 35) press and grip the uppermost article group. Thereafter, when the lower pressing body (49c) presses and grips the group of articles in the second row from the top, the lower pressing body (49c) descends while gripping the group of articles. As a result, the glue that adheres the uppermost article group and the second uppermost article group is peeled off, so that the uppermost article group is separated from the second and subsequent article groups.

JP-A-6-1446

In the unloading device of Patent Literature 1, in order to separate the uppermost article group from the other article groups, it is necessary to separately provide a mechanism for gripping the second article group from the top. Therefore, the mechanism of the unloading device becomes complicated, and the cost of the device tends to increase. Moreover, since it is necessary to move the pressing members of the upper and lower stages, the unloading operation tends to be complicated.

Therefore, it is desired to realize an unloading device and an unloading method that can separate and move a partial product group from a stacked product group with a simpler device configuration.

In view of the above, the characteristic configuration of the unloading device is that a plurality of items belonging to some stages are selected from the stacked items group, which is a plurality of items stacked in a rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole, on the placing section. wherein the first direction is along the horizontal direction and faces one side surface of the stack of stacked goods, and the first direction is along the horizontal direction and A direction perpendicular to the first direction is defined as a second direction. a second pressing member and a fourth pressing member that face each other in two directions; a first driving mechanism that reciprocates the first pressing member along the first direction; and a mechanism that moves the second pressing member along the second direction. a second driving mechanism that reciprocates the third pressing member along the first direction; and a fourth driving mechanism that reciprocates the fourth pressing member along the second direction. a drive mechanism; and a control device that controls the first drive mechanism, the second drive mechanism, the third drive mechanism, and the fourth drive mechanism, wherein the control device controls the first drive mechanism and the A second driving mechanism is controlled to move the first pressing member and the second pressing member to the stacked article group side at the same time or at different times to move the first pressing member and the second pressing member. 2 pressing members to press the side surfaces of the partial article group, and then controlling the third driving mechanism and the fourth driving mechanism to press the third pressing member and the fourth pressing member. at the same time or at different times to the side of the stacked goods group to sandwich the partial goods group between the first pressing member and the third pressing member, and the second pressing member and executing a clamping step of sandwiching the partial article group between the fourth pressing member and the portion sandwiched by the first pressing member, the third pressing member, the second pressing member, and the fourth pressing member; The point is to perform a separation step for separating the article group from the partial article group in the lower stage.

By the way, there are cases in which multiple tiered partial article groups constituting a tiered article group are adhered to each other with glue or the like for the purpose of preventing collapse of cargo during transportation. In such a case, in a normal unloading operation, it may not be possible to properly separate the adhesion between partial article groups on adjacent stages, and the unloading operation may not be performed properly.

According to this configuration, by executing the shifting step, a horizontal shift force is applied only to a part of the partial article group with respect to the partial article group below it, and the part of the partial article group The glue or the like between the group of articles and the sub-group of articles of the lower adjacent row can be removed. After the shifting process is performed, the clamping process and the separating process are performed, so that a part of the partial article group can be separated from the partial article group in the lower stage, and the unloading operation can be performed appropriately.

As described above, according to this configuration, it is possible to appropriately separate and move the partial article group from the stacked article group with a simpler device configuration than the configuration having two upper and lower stages of pressing members. .

The technical features of the unloading device described above are also applicable to the unloading method. This method of unloading may have various steps with features of the unloading apparatus described above. Of course, this unloading method can also achieve the effects of the above-described unloading device. Furthermore, as preferred aspects of the unloading device, various additional features exemplified in the description of the embodiments below can also be incorporated into the unloading method, and the method performs actions corresponding to the respective additional features. effect can also be produced.

In that case, the characteristic configuration of the unloading method is that a plurality of items belonging to a part of stages are selected from a group of stacked items, which are a plurality of items stacked so as to form a rectangular parallelepiped as a whole, on the placing section. In the unloading method for separating and moving the partial goods group that is the goods, the direction along the horizontal direction and facing one side of the stacked goods group is defined as a first direction, and the direction along the horizontal direction and the above-mentioned A direction perpendicular to the first direction is defined as a second direction. a second pressing member and a fourth pressing member facing each other in directions; a first drive mechanism for reciprocating the first pressing member along the first direction; and moving the second pressing member along the second direction. a second driving mechanism that reciprocates; a third driving mechanism that reciprocates the third pressing member along the first direction; and a fourth driving mechanism that reciprocates the fourth pressing member along the second direction. and a mechanism for moving the first pressing member and the second pressing member to the side of the stacked goods group at the same time or at different times to move the first pressing member. a shifting step of pressing the side surface of the partial article group by the second pressing member and the second pressing member; The partial article group is sandwiched between the first pressing member and the third pressing member, and the partial article group is sandwiched between the second pressing member and the fourth pressing member. a clamping step of clamping a group of articles; after the clamping step, the partial group of articles sandwiched by the first pressing member, the third pressing member, the second pressing member, and the fourth pressing member is moved below the clamping step; and a separation step of separating the partial article group from the second stage.

Further features and advantages of the unloading device and the unloading method will become clear from the following description of exemplary and non-limiting embodiments, which are explained with reference to the drawings.

Plan view of unloading device, transfer device, and transport device Side view of unloading device, transfer device, transfer device, and lifting device Enlarged plan view of unloading device and transfer device Side view of unloading equipment A plan view schematically showing a pressing member positioned at a non-pressing position and a partial article group. A plan view schematically showing the pressing member and the partial article group in the shifting process. A plan view schematically showing the pressing member and the partial article group in the shifting process. FIG. 4 is a plan view schematically showing a pressing member and a group of partial articles in a clamping process; A plan view schematically showing a process in which the pressing member returns to the non-pressing position. A plan view schematically showing a pressing member and a partial article group in a shifting step of another embodiment. A side view schematically showing the pressing member, the partial article group, and the moving conveyor in the shifting process. A side view schematically showing a pressing member, a partial article group, and a moving conveyor in a clamping process. A side view schematically showing the pressing member, the partial article group, and the moving conveyor in the separation process. A side view schematically showing the pressing member, the partial article group, and the moving conveyor after the separation process. A side view schematically showing the movement of the partial article group after the separation step. Control block diagram Flowchart showing control by the controller Flowchart showing control by the controller

1. Overall Outline An example in which the unloading device 10 is applied to an automated warehouse will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the automated warehouse includes an unloading device 10, a lifting device 30, a transfer device 50, and a transport device 90 as main components. In this embodiment, the lifting device 30 is installed on the floor F in the automated warehouse. A second floor section G is installed between the floor section F and the ceiling of the automated warehouse. The second floor section G is installed at a position spaced upward from the floor section F. As shown in FIG. In this example, the unloading device 10, the transfer device 50, and the transport device 90 are provided on the second floor section G. As shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, along the horizontal direction, the direction facing one side of the stacked goods group WA, which will be described later, is defined as a first direction X, and the direction along the horizontal direction and perpendicular to the first direction X is defined as a second direction Y. do. Also, one side in the first direction X is defined as a first direction first side X1, and the other side is defined as a first direction second side X2. Similarly, one side in the second direction Y is defined as a second direction first side Y1, and the other side is defined as a second direction second side Y2.

2. Conveying Device The conveying device 90 is a device that conveys the articles W related to the partial article group WB unloaded (separated) by the unloading device 10 to a specified destination. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the transfer device 90 is arranged adjacent to the transfer device 50 . In this embodiment, the transport device 90 is adjacent to the transfer device 50 on the second side X2 in the first direction. In this embodiment, the transport device 90 has a transport conveyor 91 . The transport conveyor 91 transports the article W from the first side X1 in the first direction to the second side X2 in the first direction. In this example, the transport conveyor 91 is a roller conveyor.

3. Transfer Device The transfer device 50 is a device that receives the partial goods group WB from the unloading device 10 and delivers it to the transport device 90 . That is, the transfer device 50 transfers the partial goods group WB from the unloading device 10 to the transport device 90 . As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the transfer device 50 is arranged adjacent to both the unloading device 10 and the transport device 90 . In this embodiment, the transfer device 50 is arranged between the unloading device 10 and the transport device 90 in the first direction X. As shown in FIG. In this example, the transfer device 50 includes a moving conveyor 52 that is slidable in the first direction X. As shown in FIG. The moving conveyor 52 includes a receiving position (a position shown in FIGS. 13 to 15), which is a position overlapping the unloading device 10 when viewed in the vertical direction Z along the first direction X, and a conveying conveyor 91 to and from the delivery position (the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2), which is the position adjacent to the . At the receiving position, the moving conveyor 52 is arranged in a space E (see FIG. 4) formed below the unloading device 10 . In this embodiment, the moving conveyor 52 receives the articles W from the unloading device 10 at the receiving position. After that, the moving conveyor 52 moves to the first direction second side X2 while conveying the article W toward the first direction second side X2. Then, the moving conveyor 52 delivers the article W to the transport conveyor 91 at the delivery position.

In this example, the moving conveyor 52 is a roller conveyor provided with a plurality of rollers 53 supported so as to rotate around a rotation axis along the second direction Y, similar to the transport conveyor 91 . The plurality of rollers 53 are arranged side by side in the first direction X with a gap therebetween. In this example, a roller driving motor (not shown) is used for one of the plurality of rollers 53, and by rotating the one roller 53, the roller 53 is connected to the roller 53 by a gear, a chain, or the like. It is configured such that all of the plurality of rollers 53 can be rotated. Therefore, while the moving conveyor 52 carrying the articles W moves from the receiving position to the delivery position, the articles W move on the moving conveyor 52 toward the second side X2 in the first direction. The height of the transport surface of the moving conveyor 52 is set to be the same as the height of the transport surface of the transport conveyor 91 . Therefore, the moving conveyor 52 can deliver the article W to the transport conveyor 91 at the delivery position.

4. Lifting Device The lifting device 30 is a device for lifting the stacked article group WA. The lifting device 30 supplies the stacked goods group WA to a position suitable for the unloading operation by the unloading device 10 . As shown in FIG. 1 , the lifting device 30 is provided directly below the unloading device 10 . In other words, the lifting device 30 is provided below the unloading device 10 at a position overlapping the unloading device 10 in the vertical direction Z view. In this embodiment, the lifting device 30 is installed on the floor F of the unloading device 10 . The lifting device 30 includes a support 32 erected along the vertical direction Z, and an elevating body 35 that moves up and down along the support 32 . The elevating body 35 is configured to support from below the placement section 34 on which the stacked article group WA is placed. In this example, the placement section 34 is a pallet. As the elevating body 35 ascends and descends, the placing portion 34 and the stacked article group WA placed on the placing portion 34 ascend and descend. Then, the lifting device 30 can arrange the stacked goods group WA at a height corresponding to the installation height of the unloading device 10 by lifting and lowering the lifting body 35 . In this example, the support|pillar 32 is fixed to the floor F, and a pair is provided. A space E into which the moving conveyor 52 described above can enter is formed between the upper end of the column 32 and the lower end of the unloading device 10 .

5. Unloading Device The unloading device 10 is a device for unloading by separating and moving a partial goods group WB in a part of the stacked goods group WA. As shown in FIG. 2 , the unloading device 10 is arranged above the lifting device 30 so as to overlap the lifting device 30 in the vertical direction Z view. Also, the unloading device 10 is arranged adjacent to the transfer device 50 . In this embodiment, the unloading device 10 is arranged on the first side X1 in the first direction with respect to the transfer device 50 . Also, the unloading device 10 is positioned above the conveying surface of the moving conveyor 52 .

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 , the unloading device 10 picks up a single item from a stacked article group WA, which is a plurality of articles W stacked in a rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole, on the placement section 34 . It is a device for separating and moving a partial article group WB, which is a plurality of articles W belonging to a stage of a department. In this embodiment, the unloading device 10 separates and moves the uppermost partial goods group WB from the stacked goods group WA stacked in multiple stages. As shown in FIG. 3, the unloading device 10 includes a first pressing member 11 and a third pressing member 13 facing in the first direction X across the stacked goods group WA, and a third pressing member across the stacked goods group WA. A second pressing member 12 and a fourth pressing member 14 facing each other in two directions Y are provided. The unloading device 10 sandwiches and grips the partial article group WB in the first direction X with the first pressing member 11 and the third pressing member 13 . Further, the unloading device 10 grips the partial article group WB in the second direction Y with the second pressing member 12 and the fourth pressing member 14 . In this embodiment, the first pressing member 11 is arranged on the first side X1 in the first direction with respect to the third pressing member 13 . The second pressing member 12 is arranged on the second side Y2 in the second direction with respect to the fourth pressing member 14 . Hereinafter, the first pressing member 11, the second pressing member 12, the third pressing member 13, and the fourth pressing member 14 may be collectively referred to collectively as the "pressing member 15".

In this embodiment, the first pressing member 11 and the third pressing member 13 are configured to be movable in the first direction X. As shown in FIG. Similarly, the second pressing member 12 and the fourth pressing member 14 are configured to be movable in the second Y direction. By moving the first pressing member 11 and the third pressing member 13 toward each other in the first direction X, the partial article group WB is It is sandwiched and pressed in the first direction X. Similarly, by moving the second pressing member 12 and the fourth pressing member 14 toward each other in the second direction Y, the partial article group WB is moved by the second pressing member 12 and the fourth pressing member 14 , are sandwiched and pressed in the second direction Y. In this embodiment, the unloading device 10 includes a first linear guide mechanism 41, a second linear guide mechanism 42, a third linear guide mechanism 43, and a fourth linear guide mechanism 44. . The first pressing member 11 reciprocates in the first direction X while being guided by the first direct-acting guide mechanism 41 . The second pressing member 12 reciprocates in the second direction Y while being guided by the second direct-acting guide mechanism 42 . The third pressing member 13 reciprocates in the first direction X while being guided by the third linear guide mechanism 43 . The fourth pressing member 14 reciprocates in the second direction Y while being guided by the fourth direct-acting guide mechanism 44 . Hereinafter, the first linear guide mechanism 41, the second linear guide mechanism 42, the third linear guide mechanism 43, and the fourth linear guide mechanism 44 are collectively referred to as the "linear guide mechanism 40". may be collectively referred to as In this example, as shown in FIG. 3, the linear guide mechanisms 40 are provided in pairs with the drive mechanism 20 to be described later interposed therebetween. A linear guide is used for the linear guide mechanism 40 .

The configuration of the pressing member 15 in this embodiment will be described in more detail. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the unloading device 10 further includes a frame 7 and a support member 8 that supports the pressing member 15 . The frame 7 supports four support members 8 . Thereby, the frame 7 supports the pressing member 15, the linear guide mechanism 40 for guiding them, and the driving mechanism 20, which will be described later. In addition, in this embodiment, since the lifting device 30 is arranged below the unloading device 10, the frame body 7 has the unloading device 10 arranged at an appropriate height with respect to the lifting device 30. It also serves the function of supporting the unloading device 10 as shown. In this example, the frame 7 is configured by connecting a plurality of columnar members and beam members to each other. The support member 8 is provided on the frame 7 (see FIG. 4). Four supporting members 8 are provided corresponding to the four pressing members 15 . The support member 8 supports a linear guide mechanism 40 and a drive mechanism 20 which will be described later. The pressing member 15 is supported by the linear guide mechanism 40 and connected to the drive mechanism 20 . In this manner, the pressing member 15 is supported by the supporting member 8 via the linear motion guide mechanism 40 and the driving mechanism 20 . In this example, the support members 8 corresponding to the first pressing member 11, the second pressing member 12, and the fourth pressing member 14 are fixed to the frame 7, respectively. On the other hand, the support member 8 corresponding to the third pressing member 13 is not fixed to the frame 7, but is supported by the frame 7 in a vertically movable state by a fifth direct-acting guide mechanism 45, which will be described later. there is

In this embodiment, the first pressing member 11 is supported by the first linear guide mechanism 41 so as to be reciprocally movable in the first direction X with respect to the supporting member 8 . The second pressing member 12 is supported so as to be reciprocally movable along the second direction Y with respect to the supporting member 8 by the second direct-acting guide mechanism 42 . The third pressing member 13 is supported so as to be reciprocatable along the first direction X with respect to the supporting member 8 by the third direct acting guide mechanism 43 . The fourth pressing member 14 is supported so as to be reciprocally movable along the second direction Y with respect to the supporting member 8 by a fourth direct-acting guide mechanism 44 . In this example, the guide body (rail in this example) of the first linear motion guide mechanism 41 is fixed to the upper surface of the support member 8 . The movable body (slider in this example) of the first linear motion guide mechanism 41 is guided to reciprocate in the first direction X along the guide body (rail). The first pressing member 11 is fixed to the moving body via an L-shaped member 19 (see FIG. 4). As a result, the first pressing member 11 reciprocates along the first direction X while being guided by the first direct-acting guide mechanism 41 . The second linear motion guide mechanism 42, the third linear motion guide mechanism 43, and the fourth linear motion guide mechanism 44 are different in the corresponding pressing member 15 and the direction in which the pressing member 15 is reciprocated. 1 linear motion guide mechanism 41, the description thereof is omitted.

In this embodiment, the pressing member 15 is a member that presses the uppermost partial article group WB in the stacked article group WA. Specifically, the four pressing members 15 press the surfaces of the side surfaces of the uppermost partial article group WB that face the respective pressing members 15 . Therefore, the size of the pressing member 15 is set according to the size of the four side surfaces of the partial article group WB. In this example, the first pressing member 11 and the third pressing member 13 are formed to have a dimension in the vertical direction Z and a dimension in the second direction Y of the partial article group WB. In this example, the first pressing member 11 and the third pressing member 13 are formed in a rectangular shape as viewed in the first direction X along the first direction X. As shown in FIG. The second pressing member 12 and the fourth pressing member 14 are formed to have a dimension in the vertical direction Z and a dimension in the first direction X of the partial article group WB. In this example, the second pressing member 12 and the fourth pressing member 14 are formed in a rectangular shape as viewed in the second direction Y along the second direction Y. As shown in FIG.

Further, in the present embodiment, the pressing member 15 further includes an interference avoidance portion 5 (see FIG. 4). As a result, even when adjacent pressing members 15 approach the stacked article group WA at the same time, they can press the partial article group WB without interfering with each other. The interference avoidance portions 5 are provided at both longitudinal ends of each pressing member 15 . Here, the longitudinal direction is the second direction Y for the first pressing member 11 and the third pressing member 13 and the first direction X for the second pressing member 12 and the fourth pressing member 14 . In this example, the interference avoiding portion 5 is formed to have an uneven shape toward both ends in the longitudinal direction of the pressing member 15 . In the illustrated example, the first pressing member 11 is notched so that both end portions in the second direction Y are partially opened in the second direction Y and are penetrated in the first direction X. As shown in FIG. Thereby, the interference avoidance portions 5 having an uneven shape are formed at both ends of the first pressing member 11 in the second direction Y. As shown in FIG. Further, the second pressing member 12 is notched so that both end portions in the first direction X are partially opened in the first direction X and penetrated in the second direction Y. As shown in FIG. As a result, the uneven interference avoidance portions 5 are formed at both ends of the second pressing member 12 in the first direction X. As shown in FIG. Then, the convex portion of the first pressing member 11 is at a position corresponding to the concave portion of the second pressing member 12, that is, the convex portion of the first pressing member 11 and the concave portion of the second pressing member 12 are at the same height. The positions in the vertical direction Z of the interference avoiding portion 5 of the first pressing member 11 and the interference avoiding portion 5 of the second pressing member 12 are set so that they are arranged at the same height. As a result, in a state where the first pressing member 11 and the second pressing member 12 are moved to the position to press the partial article group WB at the same time, the end portion of the first pressing member 11 on the second side Y2 in the second direction is The convex portion enters the concave portion at the end of the second pressing member 12 on the first side X1 in the first direction. The interference avoidance portion 5 of the third pressing member 13 has the same configuration as the interference avoidance portion 5 of the first pressing member 11 , and the interference avoidance portion 5 of the fourth pressing member 14 has the same configuration as the interference avoidance portion 5 of the second pressing member 12 . Since the configuration is the same as that of the unit 5, the description is omitted. With such a configuration, even if the adjacent pressing members 15 approach the stacked article group WA, they can press the uppermost partial article group WB without interfering with each other.

In this embodiment, the area surrounded by the first pressing member 11, the second pressing member 12, the third pressing member 13, and the fourth pressing member 14 is the stacked article group WA, and these The pressing member 15 serves as a work area 9 where the unloading work for separating the partial goods group WB from the stacked goods group WA is performed. The work area 9 is a rectangular area when viewed in the vertical direction Z, and is formed to have a size that allows the stacked article group WA to pass through in the vertical direction Z. As shown in FIG. The range of the work area 9 in the vertical direction Z corresponds to the arrangement area in the vertical direction Z of the four pressing members 15 .

The lifting body 35 raises and lowers the stacked article group WA so that the uppermost partial article group WB of the stacked article group WA is arranged at a height corresponding to the work area 9 . Then, the partial article group WB on the uppermost stage is separated from the partial article group WB on the second and subsequent stages from the top by the four pressing members 15 . The moving conveyor 52 overlaps the work area 9 in the vertical direction Z view in the state of being arranged at the receiving position (the position shown in FIGS. 13 to 15). Therefore, the uppermost partial article group WB separated in the work area 9 is placed on the moving conveyor 52 arranged below the work area 9 and handed over.

In this example, the plurality of articles W constituting the stacked article group WA are rectangular parallelepipeds having the same shape and size. The article W is, for example, a cardboard box containing drinking water, food, and the like. In the illustrated example, a one-stage partial article group WB is composed of eight cardboard boxes (see FIG. 3). These eight partial article groups WB in one stage are placed on the placing section 34 in a plurality of stages, five stages in the example shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the unloading device 10 includes a first driving mechanism 21 that reciprocates the first pressing member 11 in the first direction X, and a second pressing member 12 that moves in the second direction Y. a second driving mechanism 22 for reciprocating along the first direction X; a third driving mechanism 23 for reciprocating the third pressing member 13 along the first direction X; and a fourth pressing member 14 reciprocating along the second direction Y. and a fourth drive mechanism 24 that causes the Hereinafter, the first driving mechanism 21, the second driving mechanism 22, the third driving mechanism 23, and the fourth driving mechanism 24 may be collectively referred to as the "driving mechanism 20". Each of the four drive mechanisms 20 is connected to the corresponding pressing member 15 . In the present embodiment, the first pressing member 11 and the first driving mechanism 21 are arranged on the first side X1 in the first direction with respect to the working area 9 . The third pressing member 13 and the third driving mechanism 23 are arranged on the second side X2 in the first direction with respect to the working area 9 . The second pressing member 12 and the second driving mechanism 22 are arranged on the second side Y2 in the second direction with respect to the working area 9 . The fourth pressing member 14 and the fourth driving mechanism 24 are arranged on the second direction first side Y1 with respect to the working area 9 . That is, the four sets of pressing members 15 and driving mechanisms 20 are arranged so as to surround the working area 9 as viewed in the vertical direction Z (see FIG. 3). Then, the partial article group WB is gripped in the first direction X by moving the first pressing member 11 and the third pressing member 13 toward each other in the first direction X. As shown in FIG. Further, the partial article group WB is gripped in the second direction Y by moving the second pressing member 12 and the fourth pressing member 14 toward each other in the second direction Y. As shown in FIG.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the first drive mechanism 21 is connected to the central portion of the surface of the first pressing member 11 facing the first side X1 in the first direction. Then, the first drive mechanism 21 drives the first pressing member 11 to reciprocate in the first direction X. As shown in FIG. In this example, the first drive mechanism 21 is a cylinder that moves the rod forward and backward along the first direction X by air pressure or hydraulic pressure. Here, the tip of the rod of the cylinder is connected to the fixed member 17 of the first pressing member 11 . A pneumatic cylinder, for example, is preferably used as this cylinder. As described above, the first pressing member 11 is supported by the support member 8 so as to be reciprocally movable along the first direction X by the first direct-acting guide mechanism 41 . Therefore, the driving force of the first driving mechanism 21 causes the first pressing member 11 to reciprocate along the first direction X. As shown in FIG. The second drive mechanism 22, the third drive mechanism 23, and the fourth drive mechanism 24 are similar to the first drive mechanism 21 except that the corresponding pressing member 15 and the direction in which the pressing member 15 is reciprocated are different. , the description is omitted.

In this embodiment, the unloading device 10 further includes a retraction mechanism 18 . The retracting mechanism 18 is arranged so that the partial article group WB does not interfere with the pressing member 15 and the driving mechanism 20 when the partial article group WB is moved in the first direction X by the moving conveyor 52 after the separation process described later. , a mechanism for retracting the pressing member 15 and the driving mechanism 20 . In the present embodiment, the retraction mechanism 18 includes the pressing member 15 and the driving mechanism 20, more specifically, the third pressing member 13 and the third pressing member 13, which are arranged at positions overlapping the movement locus of the partial article group WB by the moving conveyor 52. The drive mechanism 23 is raised and retracted so as not to overlap with the movement locus (see FIG. 15). Therefore, the retraction mechanism 18 includes a fifth linear motion guide mechanism 45 that guides the third pressing member 13 so as to reciprocate along the vertical direction Z, and a fifth linear guide mechanism 45 that reciprocates the third pressing member 13 along the vertical direction Z. 5 drive mechanism 25. In this example, as described above, the support member 8 corresponding to the third pressing member 13 is fixed to the fifth direct-acting guide mechanism 45 . A linear guide is used for the fifth direct-acting guide mechanism 45 . Further, the fifth drive mechanism 25 uses a cylinder that moves the rod forward and backward along the vertical direction Z by air pressure or hydraulic pressure. Here, the tip of the rod of the cylinder is connected to the third pressing member 13 . A pneumatic cylinder, for example, is preferably used as this cylinder. As a result, the third pressing member 13, the third driving mechanism 23, the third direct-acting guide mechanism 43, and the support member 8 that supports them reciprocate along the vertical direction Z as a unit.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 16, the unloading device 10 includes a control device H that controls the first drive mechanism 21, the second drive mechanism 22, the third drive mechanism 23, and the fourth drive mechanism 24. . The control device H is connected to each drive mechanism 20 so that signals (for example, electric signals) can be transmitted and received, and the plurality of drive mechanisms 20 (first drive mechanism 21, second drive mechanism 22, third drive mechanism 23, By controlling the fourth drive mechanism 24), the operation of the plurality of pressing members 15 (the first pressing member 11, the second pressing member 12, the third pressing member 13, and the fourth pressing member 14) is controlled.

6. Control The control device H performs the shifting process, the clamping process, and the separating process in the order described when performing the unloading work. Further, in this embodiment, the control device H executes the returning process after the shifting process and before the clamping process.

The shifting process controls the first driving mechanism 21 and the second driving mechanism 22 to move the first pressing member 11 and the second pressing member 12 to the stacked article group WA at the same time or at different times. and pressing the side surfaces of the partial article group WB with the first pressing member 11 and the second pressing member 12 . In this embodiment, when executing the shifting process, the control device H controls the lifting device 30 to arrange the uppermost partial article group WB of the stacked article group WA at a height corresponding to the work area 9. . In that state, the control device H executes the shift process. In this embodiment, the control device H performs the shifting step by shifting the first pressing member 11 and the second pressing member 12 toward the stacked article group WA at different times. Here, "staggered" means that the movement period of one pressing member 15 and the movement period of another pressing member 15 do not overlap. On the other hand, "at the same time" means that the moving period of one pressing member 15 and the moving period of another pressing member 15 overlap. If there is even a slight overlap between the movement period of one pressing member 15 and the movement period of another pressing member 15, it corresponds to "overlapping". Even if the movement period of one pressing member 15 completely matches, it corresponds to "overlap".

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the control device H first controls the second drive mechanism 22 to move the second pressing member 12 toward the stacked article group WA. Here, the control device H moves the second pressing member 12 from the non-pressing position (two-dot chain line in FIGS. 5 and 6) by a distance P to the side of the stacked article group WA so that the second pressing member 12 presses the side surface of the uppermost product partial group WB toward the second direction first side Y1. As a result, the uppermost partial article group WB is displaced to the second direction first side Y1 with respect to the lower partial article group WB (broken line in FIG. 6). Here, the non-pressing position is a position where the pressing member 15 is separated from the stacked goods group WA. In this embodiment, the non-pressing position is the position farthest from the stacked goods group WA within the range of movement of the pressing member 15 . In this example, the four pressing members 15 are arranged at the non-pressing position, and move from the non-pressing position toward the stacked article group WA when the shifting process and the clamping process are performed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the control device H controls the first drive mechanism 21 so as to move the first pressing member 11 toward the stacked article group WA. Here, the control device H moves the first pressing member 11 from the non-pressing position (the two-dot chain line in FIGS. 5 and 7) by a distance Q toward the stacked article group WA, so that the first pressing member 11 presses the uppermost partial article group WB toward the second side X2 in the first direction. As a result, the uppermost partial article group WB is shifted to the second side X2 in the first direction with respect to the lower partial article group WB (broken line in FIG. 7). In this manner, by shifting the first pressing member 11 and the second pressing member 12 toward the stacked article group WA at different timings, the pressing force in one direction is first applied to the partial article group WB. and then apply a pressing force in a direction orthogonal to it. Therefore, even when the partial article groups WB in multiple stages are adhered to each other with glue or the like and the adhesion strength is relatively high, the adhesion can be peeled off to appropriately separate the partial article groups WB.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 11, in the shifting step, the third pressing member 13 has the first gap L and the partial article group WB is separated during the pressing period of the first pressing member 11. Facing the sides. Here, the first gap L is half or less of the length in the first direction X of the article W facing the third pressing member 13 . By doing so, the article W facing the third pressing member 13 can be supported so as not to fall to the side of the third pressing member 13 while the first pressing member 11 is pressing. In this example, while the first pressing member 11 is pressing, the third pressing member 13 is positioned at the non-pressing position. Therefore, the first gap L is a gap between the third pressing member 13 positioned at the non-pressing position and the partial article group WB. In this example, the length of the first gap L in the first direction X is set to be a quarter or less of the length in the first direction X of the article W facing the third pressing member 13 .

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, in the shifting step, the fourth pressing member 14 faces the side surface of the partial article group WB with the second gap M during the pressing period of the second pressing member 12. do. Here, the second gap M is half or less of the length in the second direction Y of the article W facing the fourth pressing member 14 . By doing so, the article W facing the fourth pressing member 14 can be supported so as not to fall toward the fourth pressing member 14 while the second pressing member 12 is pressing. In this example, the fourth pressing member 14 is positioned at the non-pressing position while the second pressing member 12 is pressing. Therefore, the second gap M is a gap between the fourth pressing member 14 located at the non-pressing position and the partial article group WB. In this example, the length of the second gap M in the second direction Y is set to be one fourth or less of the length in the second direction Y of the article W facing the fourth pressing member 14 .

In the present embodiment, the returning process controls the first driving mechanism 21 and the second driving mechanism 22 to move the first pressing member 11 and the second pressing member 12 after the shifting process and before the clamping process. This is the step of returning to the non-pressing position. In the present embodiment, when the shifting process for the first pressing member 11 is completed, the control device H executes the returning process for the first pressing member 11 . Specifically, the control device H controls the first drive mechanism 21 to move the first pressing member 11 in the pressing state toward the first side X1 in the first direction. As a result, the first pressing member 11 returns to the non-pressing position. Further, when the shifting process for the second pressing member 12 is completed, the control device H executes the returning process for the second pressing member 12 . Specifically, the control device H controls the second drive mechanism 22 to move the second pressing member 12 to the second side Y2 in the second direction. As a result, the second pressing member 12 returns to the non-pressing position. In this example, the third pressing member 13 and the fourth pressing member 14 are arranged at the non-pressing position while the control device H performs the shifting process and the returning process.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 12, in the clamping process, the third driving mechanism 23 and the fourth driving mechanism 24 are controlled to simultaneously or stagger the third pressing member 13 and the fourth pressing member 14. to the side of the stacked goods group WA, sandwiching the partial goods group WB between the first pressing member 11 and the third pressing member 13, and between the second pressing member 12 and the fourth pressing member 14 This is a step of sandwiching the partial article group WB between the two. In this embodiment, as described above, the return process is performed before the clamping process, so the control device H stacks the first pressing members 11 at the same time as the movement of the third pressing members 13 in the clamping process. The partial article group WB is sandwiched between the first pressing member 11 and the third pressing member 13 by moving to the article group WA side. At the same time as the movement of the fourth pressing member 14, the second pressing member 12 is moved toward the stacked article group WA, and the partial article group WB is moved between the second pressing member 12 and the fourth pressing member 14. between Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the control device H simultaneously moves the third pressing member 13 and the fourth pressing member 14 toward the stacked article group WA in the clamping process. That is, in the clamping process, the control device H causes the first pressing member 11, the second pressing member 12, the third pressing member 13, and the fourth pressing member 14, which are arranged at the non-pressing position, to be stacked at the same time. The drive mechanism 20 is controlled so as to move to the side of the group WA (see FIG. 8). Specifically, the control device H moves the first pressing member 11 and the third pressing member 13 from the non-pressing position toward the stacked article group WA in the first direction X by a distance S, respectively. It controls the first drive mechanism 21 and the third drive mechanism 23 (see FIG. 8). Similarly, the control device H causes the second drive mechanism to move the second pressing member 12 and the fourth pressing member 14 from the non-pressing position toward the stacked article group WA in the second direction Y by the distance R, respectively. 22 and the fourth drive mechanism 24 . As a result, the first pressing member 11 and the third pressing member 13 sandwich and press the partial article group WB in the first direction X, and the second pressing member 12 and the fourth pressing member 14 press the partial article group WB. It is sandwiched in the second direction Y and pressed. Therefore, the partial article group WB is gripped by the four pressing members 15 .

In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the first drive mechanism 21 moves along the first direction X from a first reference position U set at a position spaced apart from the stacked article group WA. The shifting process and the clamping process are executed by moving the first pressing member 11 toward the loaded goods group WA side, and the amount of movement of the first pressing member 11 in the first direction X in the shifting process is the same as the first pressing member 11 in the clamping process. 1 larger than the amount of movement in the first direction X of the pressing member 11 . In this example, the first reference position U is the non-pressing position of the first pressing member 11 described above. In the shifting step, the first pressing member 11 moves from the first reference position U by a distance Q to the second side X2 in the first direction. In the clamping step, the first pressing member 11 moves from the first reference position U by a distance S to the second side X2 in the first direction. The distance Q is set larger than the distance S (Q>S). Note that the first reference position U does not need to match the non-pressing position of the first pressing member 11, as long as it is a reference position.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the second drive mechanism 22 moves along the second direction Y from a second reference position V set at a position spaced apart from the stacked article group WA. The shifting process and the clamping process are performed by moving the second pressing member 12 toward the loaded goods group WA side, and the amount of movement of the second pressing member 12 in the second direction Y in the shifting process is the same as that in the clamping process. 2 larger than the amount of movement of the pressing member 12 in the second direction Y; In this example, the second reference position V is the non-pressing position of the second pressing member 12 described above. In the shifting step, the second pressing member 12 moves from the second reference position V by a distance P to the first side Y1 in the second direction. In the clamping step, the second pressing member 12 moves from the first reference position U by a distance R to the first side Y1 in the second direction. The distance P is set larger than the distance R (P>R). It should be noted that the second reference position V does not need to coincide with the non-pressing position of the second pressing member 12 as long as it is a reference position.

As shown in FIG. 13, in the separation step, the partial article group WB sandwiched by the first pressing member 11, the third pressing member 13, the second pressing member 12, and the fourth pressing member 14 is separated from the lower stage. This is the step of separating from the partial goods group WB. In the present embodiment, the separation process includes the uppermost partial article group WB pressed and gripped by the first pressing member 11, the third pressing member 13, the second pressing member 12, and the fourth pressing member 14, and the two items from the top. This is a step of separating in the vertical direction Z the partial article groups WB after the tier. In this example, when executing the separating process, the control device H controls the lifting device 30 so that the lifting body 35 is lowered while the uppermost article group WB is pressed and gripped by the pressing member 15 . As a result, the uppermost article group WB that is pressed and gripped is placed relative to the rest of the article group WB placed on the placement section 34 (second and subsequent article groups WB from the top). be lifted. In this example, the control device H controls the uppermost partial article group WB (the second stage from the top before the separation process is executed) among the remaining stacked article groups WA placed on the placing section 34. The lifting body 35 is lowered so that the upper end of the partial article group WB) is positioned below the lower end of the moving conveyor 52 arranged in the space E. After that, the control device H controls the transfer device 50 so as to move the moving conveyor 52 from the delivery position to the receiving position (see FIG. 13). Then, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 14, the control device H returns the first pressing member 11, the third pressing member 13, the second pressing member 12, and the fourth pressing member 14 to the non-pressing positions. Secondly, the first drive mechanism 21, the second drive mechanism 22, the third drive mechanism 23 and the fourth drive mechanism 24 are controlled. Thereby, the partial article group WB is placed on the conveying surface of the moving conveyor 52 .

In the present embodiment, a set of the shifting process, the clamping process, and the separating process is used as the shifting and unloading process, and the control device H moves downward from the uppermost partial article group WB among the plural stages of the partial article group WB. Then, the shifting unloading process is executed in order up to the partial goods group WB in the stage immediately above the lowest stage. After executing the separation process described above, the control device H arranges the uppermost partial article group WB in the remaining stacked article group WA placed on the placing section 34 at a height corresponding to the work area 9. Thus, the lifting device 30 is controlled. Specifically, after moving the moving conveyor 52 on which the partial article group WB is placed to the transfer position, the control device H raises the elevator 35 to move the stacked article group WA on the placing section 34 to the delivery position. Among them, the uppermost partial article group WB is arranged at a height corresponding to the work area 9 . After that, the control device H sequentially performs the shift process, (in this example, the return process), the clamp process, and the separation process for the partial article groups WB of each stage. In this way, the control device H repeats the shifting unloading process up to the partial goods group WB in the stage immediately above the lowest stage.

In this embodiment, the control device H executes the clamping process without executing the shifting process for the partial article group WB on the lowest stage, and then moves the partial article group WB on the lowest stage to the placing section. 34 is performed. In the lowermost partial article group WB, no paste or the like is attached to the downward facing surface. Therefore, the control device H does not perform the shift process for the lowermost partial article group WB. In this example, when the lowermost partial article group WB is arranged at a height corresponding to the work area 9, the control device H executes the clamping process. After that, the controller H executes the lowermost separation step. In this example, the control device H controls the lifting device 30 so that the mounting surface of the mounting section 34 is positioned below the lower end of the moving conveyor 52 arranged in the space E. The lifting body 35 to descend. As a result, the lowermost partial article group WB is separated from the placing section 34 . Then, the control device H causes the first driving mechanism 21 and the second pressing member 11 to return the first pressing member 11, the third pressing member 13, the second pressing member 12, and the fourth pressing member 14 to the non-pressing positions. It controls the drive mechanism 22 , the third drive mechanism 23 and the fourth drive mechanism 24 . As a result, the lowermost partial article group WB is placed on the conveying surface of the moving conveyor 52 .

In this embodiment, there are a plurality of types of stacked goods groups WA, and the control device H associates the types of stacked goods groups WA with shift process necessary information B indicating whether or not a shift process is necessary. It has a storage unit A (see FIG. 16). In this example, the stacked goods group WA has a plurality of types for each product (for example, drinking water, food, etc.). The adhesive strength between the vertically adjacent partial article groups WB differs for each type of the stacked article groups WA. Further, depending on the type of the stacked article group WA, the vertically adjacent partial article groups WB may not be adhered to each other. The storage unit A stores information indicating the types of each of a plurality of stacked goods groups WA stored in the automated warehouse. Further, in the storage unit A, the type of the stacked goods group WA stored in the automated warehouse and the shifting process necessary information B are stored in association with each other. Note that the storage unit A is configured using a recording medium provided in the control device H. As shown in FIG. For example, for a stacked article group WA in which the vertically adjacent article groups WB are not adhered to each other, or for a stacked article group WA in which the adhesive force between the vertically adjacent article groups WB is very weak. Therefore, there is no need to perform the shifting process. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the control device H refers to the necessary shifting process information B associated with the type of the target stacked goods group WA, and if the necessary shifting process information B executes the clamping process and the separating process after executing the shifting process, and executes the clamping process and the separating process without executing the shifting process when the shifting process necessary information B indicates no need.

7. Separation Detection Section In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 16, the unloading device 10 further includes a separation detection section 70 that detects whether or not the separation process has been properly performed. In this example, the separation detection unit 70 detects whether or not the article W exists in the space E immediately below the work area 9 after the control device H executes the separation process. Here, the case where the separation process was not properly performed means that after the control device H executed the separation process, the uppermost partial article group WB and the second and subsequent article partial groups WB were completely separated from each other. It means that they are not separated. In this case, at least one article W is present in the space E after the separation process has been performed. Specifically, after the separation process is executed, the articles W attached to the partial article group WB to be unloaded (the uppermost article partial group WB) (the articles constituting the second article partial group WB from the top) W) exists in the space E, or a state in which a part of the articles W constituting the partial article group WB to be unloaded remains on the uppermost stage of the stacked article group WA placed on the placing section 34. , and may exist in the space E. Therefore, by detecting the article W remaining in the space E, the separation detection unit 70 detects that the separation process is not properly performed. In this example, the separation detection unit 70 includes a reflective optical sensor 72 . In the illustrated example, the optical sensor 72 is arranged on one side of the space E in the first direction X (see FIG. 4). Also, a plurality of optical sensors 72 are arranged side by side in the second direction Y. As shown in FIG. Here, it is preferable that the number of optical sensors 72 arranged in the second direction Y is the same as the number of articles W arranged in the second direction Y in the partial article group WB. A plurality of optical sensors 72 may be arranged side by side in the first direction X on one side of the second direction Y with respect to the space E.

8. Unloading Method Below, the unloading method in this embodiment will be described based on the flowchart shown in FIG. 17 .

First, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 11, the control device H raises the lifting body 35 to arrange the uppermost partial article group WB of the stacked article group WA at a height corresponding to the work area 9. (S1).

After that, the control device H refers to the shifting process necessary information B (S2) and determines whether or not to execute the shifting process for the stacked goods group WA. If the shift process necessary information B indicates that the shift process is necessary, it is determined that the shift process is to be executed (S3: YES). In that case, the control device H controls the first driving mechanism 21 and the second driving mechanism 22 so as to perform the shifting process and the returning process (S4-S5). Specifically, the control device H shifts the timing of the first pressing member 11 and the second pressing member 12 toward the stacked article group WA, and executes the shifting step (S4). After executing the shifting process for the first pressing member 11, the control device H executes the returning process for moving the pressed first pressing member 11 to the non-pressing position (S5). Similarly, after executing the shifting process for the second pressing member 12, the control device H executes the returning process for moving the pressed second pressing member 12 to the non-pressing position (S5).

After that, the control device H controls the first driving mechanism 21, the second driving mechanism 22, the third driving mechanism 23, and the fourth driving mechanism 24 to perform the clamping process (S6). By executing the clamping process, the partial article group WB is sandwiched between the first pressing member 11 and the third pressing member 13 . Similarly, the partial article group WB is sandwiched between the second pressing member 12 and the fourth pressing member 14 .

Here, the control device H refers to the shifting process necessary information B (S2), and if the shifting process necessary information B indicates no necessity, determines not to execute the shifting process for the stacked goods group WA (S3). : No). In this case, the control device H executes the clamping process without executing the shifting process and the returning process (S6).

After that, the control device H executes the separation step (S7). Specifically, the control device H executes the separation step by lowering the lifting body 35 (see FIG. 13). Thus, the unloading method comprises a shifting step, a clamping step, and a separating step. Also, the unloading method further comprises a return step.

After the separation process is completed, the control device H controls the separation detection section 70 to determine whether the separation process was properly performed (S8). If the presence of the articles W in the space E is not detected after the separation process is completed, the control device H determines that the separation process has been properly performed (S8: YES). In that case, the control device H controls the transfer device 50 so as to move the moving conveyor 52 from the delivery position to the receiving position (S9). After that, the control device H controls the drive mechanisms 20 to return the first pressing member 11, the second pressing member 12, the third pressing member 13, and the fourth pressing member 14 to the non-pressing positions (S10). . Thereby, the partial article group WB is placed on the conveying surface of the moving conveyor 52 . After that, the control device H controls the retraction mechanism 18 to retract the third pressing member 13 (S11). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 15, the control device H raises the third pressing member 13, the third driving mechanism 23, and the third direct-acting guide mechanism 43 together with the support member 8 that supports them. After that, the control device H controls the transfer device 50 to move the moving conveyor 52 from the receiving position to the delivery position (S12). When the moving conveyor 52 moves to the delivery position, the control device H drives the roller drive motor of the moving conveyor 52 to perform transfer control (s13). Thereby, the partial article group WB on the moving conveyor 52 is transferred to the transport conveyor 91 .

Here, if the existence of the articles W in the space E is detected after the separation process is completed, the control device H determines that the separation process was not properly performed (S8: No). In that case, the control device H stops the unloading operation (S14). Specifically, the control device H controls the drive mechanism 20 to stop the operation of the pressing member 15 . Then, the control device H controls the transfer device 50 to stop the operation of the moving conveyor 52 . In this example, the control device H has a notification unit 60 (see FIG. 16). Therefore, when the unloading operation is stopped, the control device H controls the notification unit 60 so as to operate at least one of the lamp 61 and the buzzer 62 provided in the automated warehouse to notify. Next, the control device H determines the type of the stacked article group WA for which the separation process has not been properly performed (S16). Then, the control device H causes the storage unit A to store the shift process necessary information B related to the type of the stacked goods group WA as necessary (S17). In the present embodiment, the control device H executes the clamping process and the separation process without executing the shifting process, and the separation detection unit 70 detects that the separation process was not properly performed. 2, the shift process necessary information B associated with the type of the stacked goods group WA related to the separation process that was not properly performed is stored in the storage unit A as necessary. As a result, when unloading a stacked article group WA of the same type as the stacked article group WA next time, the control device H causes the first drive to execute the shift process for the stacked article group WA. It will control the mechanism 21 and the second drive mechanism 22 .

Next, as shown in FIG. 18, the control device H determines whether or not the remaining stacked article group WA placed on the placing section 34 is only the lowermost partial article group WB ( S18). When the control device H determines that the rest of the stacked article groups WA are not only the lowermost partial article group WB (S18: No), each step (B: S1 to S17) by the control device H described above is repeated. . When the control device H determines that the remaining stacked article group WA is only the lowermost partial article group WB (S18: YES), the control device H performs the shift process for the lowermost partial article group WB. (S19). After that, the control device H executes the lowermost separation step (S20). Specifically, the control device H controls the lifting device 30 to lower the lifting body 35 . Thus, the unloading method further comprises a lowermost separation step.

When the lowermost separation step is completed, the control device H controls the separation detector 70 to determine whether or not the lowermost separation step was properly performed (S21). If the existence of the articles W in the space E is not detected after the lowermost separation step is completed, the control device H determines that the separation step has been properly performed (S21: YES). Further, if the presence of the articles W in the space E is detected after the bottom separation process is completed, the control device H determines that the bottom separation process was not properly performed (S21: No).

The subsequent steps (S22 to S28) in the lowermost separation step are the same as the above-described unloading steps (S9 to 15) from the uppermost partial article group WB to the uppermost partial article group WB. Therefore, the description is omitted.

9. Other Embodiments Next, other embodiments of the unloading device and the unloading method will be described.

(1) In the above embodiment, the control device H is configured to control the first pressing member 11 and the second pressing member 12 to move toward the stacked article group WA at different timings in the shifting step. was described as an example. However, without being limited to such a configuration, for example, as shown in FIG. The first drive mechanism 21 and the second drive mechanism 22 may be controlled so as to move to the WA side. In this case, the control device H may cause the first pressing member 11 and the second pressing member 12 to start moving toward the stacked article group WA at the same time and stop at the same time. and the second pressing member 12 may start moving toward the stacked article group WA with a time difference and stop with a time difference. That is, it is preferable to control so that the movement period of the first pressing member 11 and the movement period of the second pressing member 12 overlap.

(2) In the above embodiment, the control device H simultaneously moves the first pressing member 11, the second pressing member 12, the third pressing member 13, and the fourth pressing member 14 in the clamping process. The configuration for controlling the drive mechanism 20 so as to move it to the WA side has been described as an example. However, the control device H is not limited to such a configuration. The second drive mechanism controls the first drive mechanism 21 and the third drive mechanism 23, and then the second drive mechanism 12 and the fourth pressure member 14 move toward the stacked article group WA at the same time. It may be configured to control the mechanism 22 and the fourth drive mechanism 24 .

(3) In the above embodiment, in the shifting step, the length of the first gap L in the first direction X is less than or equal to half the length of the article W facing the third pressing member 13 in the first direction X. , and the length of the second gap M in the second direction Y is set to be half or less of the length of the article W facing the fourth pressing member 14 in the second direction Y has been described as an example. . However, it is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the length of the first gap L in the first direction X may be longer than half the length of the article W facing the third pressing member 13 in the first direction X. It may be about 2/3 of the length of X. Further, the length of the second gap M in the second direction Y may be longer than half the length of the article W facing the fourth pressing member 14 in the second direction Y. It may be about 2/3 of the length of Y. Each of the length of the first gap L in the first direction X and the length of the second gap M in the second direction Y can be changed as appropriate as long as the article W does not drop.

(4) In the above-described embodiment, the control device H executes the returning step of returning the first pressing member 11 to the non-pressing position after executing the shifting step with respect to the first pressing member 11, and shifts the second pressing member 12. The configuration has been described as an example in which the return process of returning the second pressing member 12 to the non-pressing position is performed after the process is performed. However, without being limited to such a configuration, the control device H executes the clamping process without executing the returning process for the first pressing member 11 and the second pressing member 12 after the shifting process. can be

(5) In the above embodiment, the control device H repeatedly executes the shifting unloading process from the uppermost partial article group WB to the uppermost partial article group WB. For the article group WB, an example has been described in which the clamping process and the lowermost separation process are executed without executing the shifting process. However, without being limited to such a configuration, the control device H may perform the shifting unloading process also for the lowermost partial article group WB.

(6) In the above-described embodiment, the control device H includes a storage unit A that stores in association with the type of the stacked goods group WA and the shift process necessary information B indicating whether or not the shift process is necessary. explained as an example. However, without being limited to such a configuration, for example, the control device H does not have to include such a storage section A. In this case, for example, the piled goods group WA that requires the shifting process is provided with a detection part such as a bar code, and the unloading device is provided with a detection part with a bar code reader or the like. It is preferable to perform the shifting process for the stacked goods group WA. Alternatively, the control device H may perform the shifting process for all types of stacked goods groups WA without determining whether or not the shifting process is necessary.

(7) In the above embodiment, the separation detection unit 70 includes the optical sensor 72, and the control device H uses the optical sensor 72 to detect whether or not the article W exists in the space E after the separation process is executed. , the configuration for detecting whether or not the separation process has been properly performed has been described as an example. However, it is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the separation detection unit 70 may be configured to include an imaging device. In this case, an imaging device is placed at a position where the space E below the work area 9 can be imaged, and by imaging the space E after the separation process is performed, it is detected whether or not the article W exists in the space E. It is preferable to set it as a structure.

(8) In the above embodiment, the example in which the transfer device 50 is configured using the moving conveyor 52 that is slidable in the first direction X has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. Instead of the moving conveyor 52, the transfer device 50 includes a loading plate that is slidable in the first direction X, and the partial article group WB placed on the loading plate or the articles forming the partial article group WB. A transfer mechanism or the like that grips W and delivers it to the transport device 90 may be provided. Alternatively, the transfer device 50 is configured with a robot arm or the like, holds the partial article group WB separated by the unloading device 10 or the articles W constituting the partial article group WB, and transfers them to the conveying device 90. The configuration may be such that

(9) It should be noted that the configurations disclosed in the respective embodiments described above can also be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments unless there is a contradiction. Regarding other configurations, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples in all respects. Therefore, various modifications can be made as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

10. Overview of the above-described embodiment An overview of the unloading device and the unloading method described above will be described below.

The unloading device selects a partial article group, which is a plurality of articles belonging to a part of stages, from a stacked article group, which is a plurality of articles stacked so as to form a rectangular parallelepiped as a whole, on the placing section. wherein the direction along the horizontal direction and facing one side surface of the group of stacked goods is defined as the first direction, and the direction along the horizontal direction and orthogonal to the first direction is the second direction, a first pressing member and a third pressing member facing in the first direction with the group of stacked goods sandwiched therebetween, and a second pressing member facing in the second direction with the group of stacked goods sandwiched therebetween a member and a fourth pressing member; a first driving mechanism for reciprocating the first pressing member along the first direction; and a second driving mechanism for reciprocating the second pressing member along the second direction. a third driving mechanism for reciprocating the third pressing member along the first direction; a fourth driving mechanism for reciprocating the fourth pressing member along the second direction; a mechanism, a control device that controls the second drive mechanism, the third drive mechanism, and the fourth drive mechanism, wherein the control device controls the first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism and moving the first pressing member and the second pressing member to the stacked article group side at the same time or at different times, so that the partial articles are pushed by the first pressing member and the second pressing member. performing a shifting step of pressing the side surface of the group, and thereafter controlling the third driving mechanism and the fourth driving mechanism to simultaneously or stagger the third pressing member and the fourth pressing member; and move it to the side of the stacked article group to sandwich the partial article group between the first pressing member and the third pressing member, and between the second pressing member and the fourth pressing member. and clamping the partial article group between the first pressing member, the third pressing member, the second pressing member, and the fourth pressing member, and clamping the partial article group between the first pressing member, the third pressing member, the second pressing member, and the fourth pressing member. A separation step is performed to separate the group of sub-items of the tier.

By the way, there are cases in which multiple tiered partial article groups constituting a tiered article group are adhered to each other with glue or the like for the purpose of preventing collapse of cargo during transportation. In such a case, in a normal unloading operation, it may not be possible to properly separate the adhesion between partial article groups on adjacent stages, and the unloading operation may not be performed properly.

According to this configuration, by executing the shifting step, a horizontal shift force is applied only to a part of the partial article group with respect to the partial article group below it, and the part of the partial article group The glue or the like between the group of articles and the sub-group of articles of the lower adjacent row can be removed. After the shifting process is performed, the clamping process and the separating process are performed, so that a part of the partial article group can be separated from the partial article group in the lower stage, and the unloading operation can be performed appropriately.

As described above, according to this configuration, it is possible to appropriately separate and move the partial article group from the stacked article group with a simpler device configuration than the configuration having two upper and lower stages of pressing members. .

Here, in the shifting step, the third pressing member faces the side surface of the partial article group with a first gap during the pressing period of the first pressing member. During the period in which the second pressing member presses, the fourth pressing member faces the side surface of the partial article group with a second gap, and the first gap is the part of the article facing the third pressing member. It is preferable that the length in the first direction is half or less, and the second gap is half or less than the length in the second direction of the article facing the fourth pressing member.

According to this configuration, the pressed articles are supported by the third pressing member and the fourth pressing member so that some of the articles constituting the partial article group pressed in the shifting step do not drop in the pressing direction. can be done.

After the shifting step and before the clamping step, the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism are controlled to return the first pressing member and the second pressing member to the non-pressing position. It is preferred to carry out a return step.

According to this configuration, by executing the returning step, in the clamping step, the center position in the first direction between the first pressing member and the third pressing member and the position between the second pressing member and the fourth pressing member It is possible to pinch the partial article group at respective positions close to the central position in the second direction between and lift the partial article group in the separating step. Therefore, by starting the clamping process at the position of the first pressing member and the second pressing member after pressing in the shifting process, it is possible to avoid the situation where the clamping position for the partial article group is deviated from the central position. .

Further, the first drive mechanism pushes the first pressing member toward the stacked article group along the first direction from a first reference position set at a position spaced apart from the stacked article group. The shifting step and the clamping step are performed by moving the second drive mechanism along the second direction from a second reference position set at a position spaced apart from the stacked article group. The shifting step and the clamping step are performed by moving the second pressing member toward the stacked article group, and the amount of movement of the first pressing member in the first direction in the shifting step is The amount of movement of the first pressing member in the first direction in the clamping step is larger than the amount of movement of the second pressing member in the second direction in the shifting step, and the amount of movement in the second direction of the second pressing member in the clamping step is greater than the amount of movement of the second pressing member in the clamping step. It is preferable that it is larger than the amount of movement in the second direction.

According to this configuration, the amount of movement of the first pressing member and the second pressing member in the shifting process is larger than the amount of movement in the clamping process. This allows the sub-item group to be largely displaced with respect to the sub-item groups in the lower tiers. Therefore, the partial article groups can be separated appropriately.

Further, the set of the shifting process, the clamping process, and the separating process is regarded as a shifting and unloading process, and the control device moves downward from the uppermost partial goods group among the multiple stages of the partial goods group. Then, the shifting unloading process is sequentially executed up to the partial article group on the lowermost stage, and the shifting process is not executed for the partial article group on the lowermost stage, and the clamping process is performed. and then a bottom separation step of separating the partial article group on the bottom from the placing section.

Normally, when the unloading process is executed in order from the top and the partial article group at the bottom is reached, there is no other partial article group adhered with glue or the like to the lowest partial article group. Therefore, the shifting process is unnecessary for the lowermost partial article group. According to this configuration, the unnecessary shifting process can be omitted, so the time required for unloading can be shortened accordingly. Then, for the lowermost partial article group, after the execution of the clamping process, the lowermost separation step is performed to separate the lowermost partial article group from the placing section. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately unload even the lowermost partial article group.

Further, there are a plurality of types of the stacked article group, and the control device stores the type of the stacked article group and shifting process necessary information indicating whether or not the shifting process is necessary in association with each other. The control device refers to the shift process necessary information associated with the type of the target stacked goods group, and if the shift process necessary information is necessary, the executing the clamping process and the separating process after executing the shifting process, and executing the clamping process and the separating process without executing the shifting process when the shifting process necessary information indicates no need; preferred.

According to this configuration, the control device executes the clamping process and the separating process after executing the shifting process for the partial article group that requires the shifting process, but for the partial article group that does not require the shifting process. can perform the clamping and separating steps without performing the shifting step. That is, according to this configuration, when the shifting process is unnecessary, the shifting process can be omitted, so the time required for unloading can be shortened accordingly.

The control device further includes a separation detection unit that detects whether or not the separation step has been properly performed, and the control device executes the clamping step and the separation step without executing the shifting step. and when the separation detection unit detects that the separation process has not been properly performed, the shift process associated with the type of the stacked article group related to the improper separation process It is preferable to store the necessary information in the storage unit as necessary.

According to this configuration, the control device can automatically learn whether or not the shifting process is necessary for each type of stacked article group. Therefore, the control device can determine whether or not to execute the shifting process according to the type of the stacked article group.

A partial article group, which is a plurality of articles belonging to a part of stages, is separated and moved from a stacked article group, which is a plurality of articles stacked to form a rectangular parallelepiped as a whole, on the placing section. In this unloading method, the horizontal direction facing one side of the stacked goods group is defined as a first direction, and the horizontal direction orthogonal to the first direction is defined as a second direction. , a first pressing member and a third pressing member facing in the first direction across the stacked goods group, and a second pressing member and a fourth pressing member facing in the second direction across the stacked goods group. a member, a first driving mechanism that reciprocates the first pressing member along the first direction, a second driving mechanism that reciprocates the second pressing member along the second direction, the third Using an unloading device comprising a third drive mechanism for reciprocating the pressing member along the first direction and a fourth driving mechanism for reciprocating the fourth pressing member along the second direction, The first pressing member and the second pressing member are moved to the stacked article group side at the same time or at different times, and the partial article group is moved by the first pressing member and the second pressing member. and after the shifting step, the third pressing member and the fourth pressing member are moved to the side of the stacked article group at the same time or at different times to move the third a clamping step of sandwiching the partial article group between the first pressing member and the third pressing member and sandwiching the partial article group between the second pressing member and the fourth pressing member; and Then, a separation step of separating the partial article group sandwiched by the first pressing member, the third pressing member, the second pressing member, and the fourth pressing member from the partial article group on the lower stage. and have.

By the way, there are cases in which multiple tiered partial article groups constituting a tiered article group are adhered to each other with glue or the like for the purpose of preventing collapse of cargo during transportation. In such a case, in a normal unloading operation, it may not be possible to properly separate the adhesion between partial article groups in adjacent stages, and the unloading operation may not be performed properly.

According to this configuration, by executing the shifting step, a horizontal shift force is applied only to a part of the partial article group with respect to the partial article group below it, and the part of the partial article group The glue or the like between the group of articles and the sub-group of articles of the lower adjacent row can be removed. After the shifting process is performed, the clamping process and the separating process are performed, so that a part of the partial article group can be separated from the partial article group in the lower stage, and the unloading operation can be performed appropriately.

As described above, according to this configuration, even with a simple device configuration that does not require two upper and lower pressing members, it is possible to appropriately separate and move the partial article group from the stacked article group.

The technology according to the present disclosure can be used for an unloading device and an unloading method.

10: unloading device 11: first pressing member 12: second pressing member 13: third pressing member 14: fourth pressing member 15: pressing member 20: drive mechanism 21: first drive mechanism 22: second drive mechanism 23 : Third drive mechanism 24 : Fourth drive mechanism 34 : Mounting unit 70 : Separation detection unit A : Storage unit B : Required process information H : Control device M : Second clearance U : First reference position V : Second reference Position W: Articles WA: Stacked article group WB: Partial article group X: First direction Y: Second direction

Claims (8)

A partial article group, which is a plurality of articles belonging to a part of stages, is separated and moved from a stacked article group, which is a plurality of articles stacked to form a rectangular parallelepiped as a whole, on the placing section. An unloading device that allows
A direction along the horizontal direction and facing one side surface of the stack of articles is defined as a first direction, and a direction along the horizontal direction and perpendicular to the first direction is defined as a second direction,
A first pressing member and a third pressing member facing in the first direction with the stacked goods group sandwiched therebetween, and a second pressing member and a fourth pressing member facing the second direction with the stacked goods group sandwiched therebetween. When,
a first driving mechanism for reciprocating the first pressing member along the first direction; a second driving mechanism for reciprocating the second pressing member along the second direction; and a third pressing member. a third drive mechanism that reciprocates along the first direction; a fourth drive mechanism that reciprocates the fourth pressing member along the second direction;
a control device that controls the first drive mechanism, the second drive mechanism, the third drive mechanism, and the fourth drive mechanism;
The control device controls the first drive mechanism and the second drive mechanism to move the first pressing member and the second pressing member toward the stacked article group at the same time or at different times. a shifting step of pressing the side surfaces of the partial article group by the first pressing member and the second pressing member, and then controlling the third driving mechanism and the fourth driving mechanism, The third pressing member and the fourth pressing member are moved to the stacked article group side at the same time or at different times to move the portion between the first pressing member and the third pressing member. performing a clamping step of sandwiching the group of articles and sandwiching the group of partial articles between the second pressing member and the fourth pressing member, the first pressing member, the third pressing member, and the second pressing member; an unloading device for separating the partial article group sandwiched by the fourth pressing member and the partial article group from the partial article group in the lower stage. In the shifting step, the third pressing member faces the side surface of the partial article group with a first gap during the pressing period of the first pressing member;
In the shifting step, the fourth pressing member faces the side surface of the partial article group with a second gap during the pressing period of the second pressing member,
The first gap is less than half the length of the article in the first direction facing the third pressing member,
2. The unloading device according to claim 1, wherein said second gap is half or less of the length of said article facing said fourth pressing member in said second direction. A returning step of controlling the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism to return the first pressing member and the second pressing member to a non-pressing position after the shifting step and before the clamping step. 3. The unloading device according to claim 1 or 2, which performs The first drive mechanism moves the first pressing member from a first reference position set apart from the stacked article group toward the stacked article group along the first direction. Execute the shifting step and the clamping step by causing
The second drive mechanism moves the second pressing member from a second reference position set apart from the stacked article group toward the stacked article group along the second direction. Execute the shifting step and the clamping step by causing
the amount of movement of the first pressing member in the first direction in the shifting step is larger than the amount of movement of the first pressing member in the first direction in the clamping step;
4. The amount of movement of said second pressing member in said second direction in said shifting step is larger than the amount of movement of said second pressing member in said second direction in said clamping step. The unloading device described in . A set of the shifting process, the clamping process, and the separating process is used as a shifting and unloading process, and the control device moves downward from the partial goods group at the top of the multiple stages of the partial goods group, The shifting unloading process is executed in order up to the partial article group on the level immediately above the lowest level, and the clamping process is executed without executing the shifting process for the partial article group on the lowest level. 5. The unloading apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: performing a bottom separation step of separating the partial article group on the bottom from the placement unit. There are a plurality of types of the stacked goods group,
The control device comprises a storage unit that stores in association with the type of the stacked goods group and shift process necessary information indicating whether or not the shift process is necessary,
The control device refers to the shift process necessary information associated with the type of the target stacked goods group, and executes the shift process when the shift process necessary information is necessary. 2. The clamping step and the separating step are executed after the shifting step is performed, and when the shifting step necessary information indicates no need, the clamping step and the separating step are executed without executing the shifting step. 6. The unloading device according to any one of 5. Further comprising a separation detection unit that detects whether the separation step has been properly performed,
When the clamping process and the separation process are executed without executing the shifting process, and the separation detection unit detects that the separation process was not properly performed, the control device 7. The unloading apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the shifting process necessary information associated with the type of the stacked goods group related to the separation process that has not been performed properly is stored in the storage unit as necessary. . A partial article group, which is a plurality of articles belonging to a part of stages, is separated and moved from a stacked article group, which is a plurality of articles stacked to form a rectangular parallelepiped as a whole, on the placing section. An unloading method that causes
A direction along the horizontal direction and facing one side surface of the stack of articles is defined as a first direction, and a direction along the horizontal direction and perpendicular to the first direction is defined as a second direction,
A first pressing member and a third pressing member facing in the first direction with the stacked goods group sandwiched therebetween, and a second pressing member and a fourth pressing member facing the second direction with the stacked goods group sandwiched therebetween. a first driving mechanism that reciprocates the first pressing member along the first direction; a second driving mechanism that reciprocates the second pressing member along the second direction; Using an unloading device comprising a third drive mechanism that reciprocates a member along the first direction and a fourth drive mechanism that reciprocates the fourth pressing member along the second direction,
The first pressing member and the second pressing member are moved to the stacked article group side at the same time or at different times, and the partial article group is moved by the first pressing member and the second pressing member. a shifting step of pressing the side surface of
After the shifting step, the third pressing member and the fourth pressing member are moved to the stacked article group side at the same time or at different times to move the first pressing member and the third pressing member. a clamping step of sandwiching the partial article group between and sandwiching the partial article group between the second pressing member and the fourth pressing member;
After the clamping step, the partial article group sandwiched by the first pressing member, the third pressing member, the second pressing member, and the fourth pressing member is separated from the partial article group in the lower stage. and a separation step of separating.

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