JP2023095168A - Take-out apparatus, take-out system, and storage box arrangement part - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a take-out apparatus, a take-out system and a storage box arrangement part which can improve efficiency in work for taking out/storing an article from/in a storage box of a conveyance shelf.SOLUTION: According to one embodiment, a take-out apparatus comprises a holding part, a holding part moving device, a housing, a detection device, a notification device, an operation part, and a control device. The holding part moving device moves the holding part between work positions where take-out/storage work of an article from/to a conveyance shelf and a storage box is performed. The detection device detects a positional deviation of the storage box at the work position from an initial position when it has been moved. When the positional deviation of the storage box from the initial position exceeds an allowable range on the basis of a detection result of the detection device, the control device causes the notification device to notify a direction in which the positional deviation from the initial position exceeds the allowable range.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to take-out devices, take-out systems, and bin locations.

Conventionally, transport shelves equipped with storage boxes for storing items such as luggage are moved by automatic guided vehicles to places where items are taken out of storage boxes or stored in storage boxes. There is known a technique of carrying out a pick-up work or a storage work by working with.

In such a transport shelf, storage boxes are arranged in each of the stages from the lowest stage to the uppermost stage. A worker takes out a storage box placed on a high step using, for example, stairs, and performs an operation of taking out or storing the storage box. Also, the worker uses the stairs, for example, to return the storage box to the higher stage of the transport shelf.

Japanese Patent No. 4423616

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a take-out device, a take-out system, and a storage box arranging unit that can improve the efficiency of the work of taking out and storing articles from storage boxes on a transport shelf.

According to one embodiment, the takeout device includes a holder, a holder moving device, a housing, a detection device, a notification device, an operation unit, and a control device. The holding unit holds a storage box that stores an article and is arranged on the transport shelf. The holding portion moving device is configured to be able to move the holding portion between the transport shelf and a work position for carrying out an operation of picking up or storing the article from the storage box, and moving the holding portion from the transport shelf to the work position. , and returns the storage box from the working position to the transport shelf. The housing supports the holder and the holder moving device. The detection device detects a positional deviation of the storage box from an initial position at the working position. The notification device notifies the displacement of the storage box. An operation for completing the removal work or the storage work is input to the operation unit. When the displacement of the initial position with respect to the storage box exceeds an allowable range based on the detection result of the detection device, the control device notifies the direction in which the displacement exceeds the allowable range with respect to the initial position. Notification by device.

Schematic which shows the take-out system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. Schematic diagram showing a station and a carrier rack of the take-out system. The side view which shows the same take-out apparatus and the same conveyance rack. The front view which shows the state which looked at the same take-out apparatus from the housing|casing side of the same take-out apparatus. The perspective view which shows the same extraction apparatus. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the take-out system; FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the configuration of the same transport shelf is cut along line F7-F7 shown in FIG. 3; The front view which shows the principal part of the same conveyance shelf. The flow chart which shows an example of operation|movement of the same take-out system. Explanatory drawing which shows an example of operation|movement of the same take-out system. The perspective view which shows the take-out apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment, and a conveyance shelf. The top view which shows the storage box arrangement|positioning part and storage box of the same take-out apparatus. The top view which shows the storage box arrangement|positioning part and the storage box typically. The top view which shows the storage box arrangement|positioning part and the storage box typically. The top view which shows the storage box arrangement|positioning part and the storage box typically. The top view which shows the storage box arrangement|positioning part and the storage box typically. Explanatory drawing which shows an example of operation|movement of the same take-out apparatus. The perspective view which shows the structure of the take-out apparatus of 3rd Embodiment. The perspective view which shows the structure of the modification of the take-out apparatus of 2nd Embodiment. The front view which shows the structure of the modification of the take-out apparatus of 1st Embodiment.

A take-out system 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10. FIG.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a take-out system 1. As shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the station 2 and the transport shelf 3 of the take-out system 1. As shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a side view showing the take-out device 11 and the carrier shelf 3 of the take-out system 1. FIG. Here, the side view is a view seen from the side in the direction in which the storage box 81 is taken out by the take-out device 11 . Further, in FIG. 3, a holding unit 23 and a moving device 25, which are arranged at the working position P and will be described later, are indicated by two-dot chain lines.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing the ejecting device 11 viewed from the housing 21 side of the ejecting device 11. FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the take-out device 11. As shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the take-out system 1. As shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the transport shelf 3. As shown in FIG. Here, the cross-sectional view of the transport shelf 3 is a cross-sectional view obtained by cutting the transport shelf 3 along a cut plane perpendicular to the vertical direction between two shelf plate portions 86 arranged in the vertical direction. FIG. 8 is a front view showing a main part of the transport shelf 3. FIG.

The take-out system 1 takes out, for example, from the transport shelf 3 transported to the station 2 , the storage box 81 containing the article 7 placed on the transport shelf 3 . The take-out system 1 moves the taken-out storage box 81 to a work position where the worker performs the work of taking out or storing the articles 7 in the storage box 81 . The worker performs a take-out operation or a storage operation for storing the articles 7 on the storage box 81 that has been moved to the work position P. As shown in FIG. Here, the take-out work is the work of taking out the article 7 in the storage box 81, and the storage work is the work of storing the article 7 in the storage box 81, which is performed by the operator.

In the present embodiment, the take-out system 1 has an example in which the automatic carrier 4 carries the carrier shelf 3 from the waiting place to the station 2, and the automatic carrier 4 moves the carrier shelf 3 from the station 2 to the waiting place. explain. The automatic transport vehicle 4 is an example of a transport device that transports the transport shelf 3 . In addition, the transport shelf 3 is not limited to being transported by the automatic transport vehicle 4 . For example, the transport shelf 3 may be transported between the waiting place and the station 2 by a transport device different from the automatic transport vehicle 4 . Alternatively, the transport shelf 3 may be transported between waiting locations or stations 2 by an operator.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the take-out system 1 includes, for example, a plurality of stations 2, a plurality of transport racks 3, a plurality of automatic guided vehicles 4, an automatic guided vehicle controller 5, a host system 6, Prepare.

In the take-out system 1 of this embodiment, one transport shelf 3 selected from among the plurality of transport shelves 3 is transported to the station 2 by one automatic transport vehicle 4 . At the station 2, the storage box 81 containing the article 7 is taken out from the transport shelf 3 by the take-out device 11, and is moved to the work position P where the take-out or storage work is performed by the operator.

As shown in FIG. 2, the station 2 comprises a predetermined area of the floor of a warehouse or the like and a pick-up device 11 . Station 2 is installed in a predetermined area on the floor of a warehouse or the like.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the take-out device 11 takes out from the transport shelf 3 a container box 81 to be subjected to a take-out operation or a storage operation among the plurality of container boxes 81 on the transport shelf 3 . Further, the take-out device 11 moves the taken-out storage box 81 to a work position P where the worker performs take-out or storage work. In this embodiment, the working position is a predetermined height position in the hoistway 114 in which the holding part 23 and the moving device 25 of the housing 21, which will be described later, ascends and descends, and the worker performs the removal or storage work. It is a height position that can be used.

The take-out device 11 includes, for example, a housing 21 , a holding section 23 , a lifting device 24 , a moving device 25 , a sensor 27 , a display device 29 , and a take-out device controller 28 .

Here, an example of the up-down direction, front-rear direction, and width direction of the take-out device 11 is defined. Set the vertical direction with the direction of gravity as the downward direction. The front-rear direction is set with the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and from the take-out device 11 toward the carrier rack 3 as the front direction. A direction substantially orthogonal to both the vertical direction and the front-rear direction is set as the width direction. Here, the direction substantially orthogonal to both the vertical direction and the front-rear direction is the direction orthogonal to both the vertical direction and the front-rear direction, and the direction slightly inclined with respect to the direction orthogonal to both the vertical direction and the front-rear direction. including. The slight inclination is an inclination caused by, for example, an error in the arrangement position of the transport shelf 3 with respect to the take-out device 11, an error in the moving direction of the holding portion 23 by the moving device 25, or the like.

The housing 21 includes, for example, a bottom portion 31 , a pillar portion 32 and a ceiling portion 33 .
As shown in FIG. 5, the bottom portion 31 is, for example, shaped like a rectangular frame. The bottom portion 31 is provided with, for example, a plurality of legs 34 . For example, four legs 34 are provided, each of which is fixed to a corner of the lower surface of the bottom 31 .

The column portion 32 is provided on the bottom portion 31 . The column portion 32 has, for example, four column members 35 . The two pillar members 35 are fixed to, for example, a pair of adjacent corners of the bottom portion 31 . The remaining two pillar members 35 are, for example, fixed to the corner of the bottom 31 to which the pillar member 35 is fixed, and to the corner between the corner and the adjacent corner to which the pillar member 35 is fixed. It is

The ceiling portion 33 is fixed to the upper end of the column portion 32 . The ceiling part 33 is configured in a plate shape, for example. The ceiling part 33 is formed, for example, in a rectangular shape in which the upper ends of four pillar members 35 are arranged at or near the four corners.
The housing 21 configured in this manner constitutes the holding section 23 and the hoistway 114 of the moving device 25 .

The holding portion 23 detachably holds the storage box 81 . In the example of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the holding part 23 has an arm, and holds the container box 81 by placing the container box 81 on the arm. The holding portion 23 includes, for example, one or more arms 23a and stoppers 23b.

The arm 23a has a strength capable of holding the storage box 81. As shown in FIG. Further, the number of arms 23a that can stably hold the lower surface of the storage box 81 is used, and three arms 23a are provided in the example of the present embodiment. The arm 23a is, for example, shaped like a bar elongated in the front-rear direction. The three arms 23a are spaced apart in the width direction. The upper surface of the arm 23a is formed flat, for example, and the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the arm 23a is formed, for example, in a rectangular shape. Here, the number that can be stably held means that even if the holding unit 23 is moved up and down by the lifting device 24 and moved by the moving device 25 in a state where the storage box 81 is placed on the arm 23a, It is the number that the storage box 81 does not fall. In the example of this embodiment, the two arms 23a on the outer side in the width direction support both ends in the width direction of the lower surface of the container box 81, and the central arm 23a in the width direction is the center in the width direction of the lower surface of the container box 81. support.

The stopper 23b is configured to contact the surface of the storage box 81 facing the take-out device 11 when the holding portion 23 is moved forward by the moving device 25 . The stopper 23b is, for example, fixed to the upper surface of the arm 23a. A front surface of the stopper 23b is formed, for example, in a plane orthogonal to the front-rear direction.

The lifting device 24 moves the holding portion 23 and the moving device 25 to the position where the holding portion 23 takes in and out the storage box 81 from the bottom of the transport shelf 3 and the position at which the holding portion 23 takes in and out the storage box 81 from and to the top of the transport shelf 3 . It is configured to be able to move up and down between them. Further, the lifting device 24 is configured to be able to move the storage box 81 taken out from the transport shelf 3 by the holding portion 23 and the moving device 25 to the work position P. As shown in FIG. The work position P is a position where the worker performs the removal work and the storage work. In this embodiment, the working position P is set at a height position within the hoistway 114 at which the worker can easily perform the work. The lifting device 24 is provided in the housing 21 . The lifting device 24 includes, for example, a rail 51 , a lifting section 52 and a driving section 53 .

The rail 51 is provided on, for example, the column portion 32 of the housing 21 . For example, one rail 51 is provided for each of the two column members 35 arranged in the width direction.

The lifting section 52 is supported by the rail 51 so as to be vertically movable. For example, one elevating unit 52 is provided for each of the two rails 51 .

The driving unit 53 is configured to move the lifting unit 52 vertically. The drive unit 53 includes, for example, a motor 54 and a transmission mechanism 55 .

The motor 54 is fixed, for example, between two pillar members 35 at the rear end of the bottom portion 31 . The motor 54 is, for example, a servomotor that can control the vertical position of the holding section 23 and detect the vertical position of the lifting section 52 . The motor 54 is electrically connected to the picker controller 28 .

The transmission mechanism 55 is configured to convert the rotation of the motor 54 into vertical movement of the lifting section 52 . The transmission mechanism 55 includes, for example, a shaft portion 56 that is engaged with the output shaft of the motor 54 and rotates according to the rotation of the output shaft, a pair of first pulleys 57, a pair of second pulleys 58, and a pair of and a belt 59 of

The shaft portion 56 is rotatably supported by the bottom portion 31, for example, in a posture parallel to the width direction. A pair of first pulleys 57 are fixed to both ends of the shaft portion 56 and rotate together with the shaft portion 56 . The pair of second pulleys 58 are rotatably supported by the ceiling portion 33, for example. The pair of second pulleys 58 are arranged, for example, at positions facing the pair of first pulleys 57 in the vertical direction. A pair of belts 59 are wound around a first pulley 57 and a second pulley 58 . A pair of belts 59 are fixed to the lifting section 52 .

According to the drive unit 53 configured as described above, the pair of first pulleys 57 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the motor 54, whereby the pair of second pulleys 58 and the pair of belts 59 are operated. The holding part 23 and the moving device 25 move vertically through the fixed lifting part 52 .

The moving device 25 moves the holding portion 23 in a uniaxial direction crossing the vertical direction. In the example of the present embodiment, the moving device 25 moves the holding portion 23 in the front-rear direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. Further, the moving device 25 moves the holding portion 23 in the front-rear direction between a position where the holding portion 23 holds the storage box 81 stored in the transport shelf 3 and a position where the storage box 81 has been taken out. do.

The position where the storage box 81 is held is, for example, the position where the stopper 23b abuts the storage box 81 .

The moving device 25 includes, for example, a base portion 61 , a moving portion 62 and a driving portion 63 .
The base portion 61 supports the moving portion 62 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. The base portion 61 is fixed to the two lifting portions 52 of the lifting device 24 .

The holding portion 23 is fixed to the moving portion 62 . The moving part 62 is supported by the base part 61 so as to be movable in the front-rear direction, for example, by a transmission mechanism 65 of the driving part 63 , which will be described later. A rail may be provided on the upper surface of the base portion 61 to support movement of the moving portion 62 in the front-rear direction.

The drive section 63 includes a motor 64 and a transmission mechanism 65 .
The motor 64 is provided on the base 61, for example. The motor 64 is, for example, a motor capable of controlling the position of the holding portion 23 in the front-rear direction and detecting the position of the holding portion 23 in the front-rear direction, such as a servo motor. The motor 64 is electrically connected to the picker controller 28 .
The transmission mechanism 65 is configured to convert rotation of the motor 64 into forward and backward movement of the moving portion 62 . As shown in FIG. 3 , the transmission mechanism 65 may be configured to include, for example, a screw 66 rotated by the motor 64 and a nut 67 provided on the moving portion 62 and screwed onto the screw 66 .

Further, another example of the transmission mechanism 65 may include a belt, and the belt may be configured to convert the rotation of the motor 64 into the movement of the moving portion 62 in the front-rear direction. As an example of this, the transmission mechanism 65 includes a shaft portion that is engaged with the output shaft of the motor 64 and rotates according to the rotation of the output shaft, and a third shaft portion that is fixed to the shaft portion and rotates integrally with the shaft portion. It includes a pulley, a fourth pulley rotatably provided at the front end of the base portion 61, and a belt looped around the third and fourth pulleys and to which the moving portion 62 is fixed.

According to the transmission mechanism 65 configured in this manner, the third pulley, the fourth pulley, and the belt 59 rotate in accordance with the rotation of the motor 64, so that the moving portion 62 fixed to the pair of belts moves forward and backward. , and the holding portion 23 moves in the front-rear direction via the moving portion 62 .

The lifting device 24 and the moving device 25 configured in this manner constitute an example of a holding portion moving device that moves the holding portion 23 to the working position P. As shown in FIG.

The sensor 27 is an example of a detection device that detects the displacement of the storage box 81 at the working position P from the initial position. Here, the misalignment of the storage box 81 means the position in a plane orthogonal to the vertical direction with respect to the initial position, which is the position of the storage box 81 when it is moved to the working position P by the moving device 25 and the lifting device 24. It is a deviation. In this embodiment, the sensor 27 detects, for example, positional deviation in the width direction. The sensor 27 is, for example, a distance sensor that detects the distance to the storage box 81 in the width direction. The sensor 27 is installed on the column portion 32 of the housing 21, as shown in FIG. The sensor 27 transmits the detection result to the takeout device controller 28 .

The display device 29 is an example of a notification device that notifies the positional deviation of the storage box 81 at the working position P from the initial position. Further, the display device 29 permits the worker at the working position P to take out the article 7 from the storage box 81 and permits the worker at the working position P to store the article 7 in the storage box 81. It is an example of a device for reporting.

The display device 29 is electrically connected with the takeout device controller 28 . When the displacement of the storage box 81 from the initial position at the working position P exceeds the allowable range, the display device 29 displays in which direction the displacement of the storage box 81 at the initial position exceeding the allowable range has occurred. do. In addition, the display device 29 displays permission for the removal work and the storage work for the storage box 81 at the work position P. FIG.

The allowable range is the range of positional deviation that can be returned to the transport rack 3 . In this embodiment, the storage box 81 is returned to the transport shelf 3 by being moved forward from the hoistway 114 of the housing 21 by the moving device 25 . Therefore, if the storage box 81 shifts in the width direction at the working position P and the extent of the shift increases, the storage box 81 cannot be returned to the transport rack 3 . That is, the storage box 81 moved forward by the moving device 25 interferes with the structure of the transport shelf 3 around the position where the storage box 81 is placed, so that the storage box 81 can be returned to the transport shelf 3. It may not be possible. The permissible range is a range of positional deviation that allows the container 81 to be returned to the transport shelf 3 even when the container 81 is displaced from the initial position.

The display device 29 is arranged at a position where a worker who works on the storage box 81 arranged at the work position P can visually recognize the display device 29 . The display device 29 is arranged, for example, at a position where a worker positioned behind the housing 21 can visually recognize it. The display device 29 has, for example, a plurality of display units 29a. The display unit 29a is configured to be capable of turning on and off light of one color. The display device 29 indicates in which direction the displacement from the initial position of the storage box 81 at the working position P exceeds the allowable range by combining the lighting and extinguishing of the plurality of display portions 29a.

The display device 29 includes, for example, a first display section 29a1 and a second display section 29a2. The first display portion 29a1 is provided on the pillar member 35 behind the housing 21, for example. The second display portion 29a2 is arranged on the side opposite to the first display portion 29a1 across the storage box 81 arranged at the working position P in the width direction. The second display portion 29a2 is supported by, for example, the bottom portion 31 of the housing 21 via a support member 29b.

For example, when the storage box 81 is moved to the work position P, the display device 29 lights the first display section 29a1 and the second display section 29a2. When the storage box 81 is displaced leftward from the initial position in the width direction and the displacement exceeds the allowable range compared to the initial position, the first display section 29a1 is turned on, and the second display section 29a2 is turned on. turn off the When the storage box 81 is displaced to the right from the initial position in the width direction and the displacement exceeds the allowable range, the first display section 29a1 is turned off and the second display section 29a2 is turned on.

A combination of lighting and extinguishing of the plurality of display sections 29a indicating the direction in which the positional deviation exceeding the allowable range is determined in advance and stored in the storage section of the take-out device controller 28, for example.

In addition, the display device 29 displays a state in which the worker can perform the extraction work or the storage work for the storage box 81 at the work position P by combining the lighting or extinguishing of the plurality of display portions 29a. do. The display device 29 displays at least one of the plurality of display portions 29a, or at least one of the first display portion 29a1 and the second display portion 29a2 in the example of the present embodiment, as an example of the display of the possible state. do.

Note that the display device 29 is not limited to a configuration including a plurality of display portions 29a. In another example, the display device 29 is a monitor, and a character, a picture, or the like indicates the direction in which the positional deviation exceeds the allowable range, and the operator can perform the take-out work or the put-in work with respect to the container box 81 at the work position P. may be configured to display that it is in a state in which it is possible to perform Also, the notification device is not limited to the display device 29 . In another example, the notification device indicates that the worker can take out or store the storage box 81 in the direction in which the positional deviation exceeds the allowable range and at the working position P. A speaker that notifies with sound may be used.

The operation unit 30 is provided at a position where it can be operated by, for example, a worker who performs the work of removing or storing the container 81 at the work position P. As shown in FIG. The operation unit 30 is provided, for example, on a pillar member 35 arranged behind the housing 21 . The operation unit 30 is operated by the worker when the worker's removal work or storage work at the work position P is completed. The operation unit 30 may be, for example, buttons. The operation unit 30 is electrically connected to the takeout device controller 28 . The operation unit 30 transmits, for example, a signal to the take-out device controller 28 when operated.

The take-out device controller 28 is provided in the housing 21, for example. Note that the take-out device controller 28 is not limited to being provided in the housing 21 . The takeout device controller 28 can be implemented by, for example, a single computer or a combination of multiple computers. The takeout device controller 28 communicates with the host system 6 by wire or wirelessly. The take-out device controller 28 controls the motor 54 of the lifting device 24 and the motor 64 of the moving device 25 based on the signal from the host system 6 and the signal from the operation unit 30 that the operation unit 30 has been operated in this embodiment. is controlled to control the lifting device 24 and the moving device 25 .

Further, the take-out device controller 28 controls the holding unit 23 to hold the storage box 81 and the moving device 25 to move the holding unit 23 in the front-rear direction, and then the lifting device 24 moves to the work position P. It controls the holding part 23 , the moving device 25 and the lifting device 24 .

Further, the take-out device controller 28 detects the displacement of the storage box 81 at the work position P based on the detection result of the sensor 27, that is, the distance from the sensor 27 to the storage box 81 in the width direction. Further, when the positional deviation of the storage box 81 from the initial position at the working position P exceeds the allowable range, the take-out device controller 28 controls the display device 29 to display the direction in which the positional deviation exceeds the allowable range. . The take-out device controller 28 compares the positional deviation of the storage box 81 from the initial position at the working position P with a threshold, and detects that the positional deviation exceeds the allowable range.

Further, when the operation unit 30 is operated, the take-out device controller 28 determines that the displacement of the storage box 81 from the initial position at the work position P when the operation unit 30 is operated is within the allowable range. from the work position P to the transport shelf 3, the lifting device 24 and the moving device 25 are controlled. Further, the take-out device controller 28 does not have to return the container 81 to the transport rack 3 if the positional deviation of the container 81 from the initial position when the operation unit 30 is operated exceeds the allowable range. For example, the takeout device controller 28 cannot return the container 81 to the transport rack 3 by the display device 29 if the positional deviation of the container 81 exceeds the allowable range when the operation unit 30 is operated. You can inform us about it. This notification may be, for example, the same display as the state in which the positional deviation of the storage box 81 exceeds the allowable range, or may be a different display.

In this embodiment, the holding section 23 holds the container box 81 by placing the container box 81 on the arm 23a. That is, in this embodiment, controlling the holding unit 23 to hold the storage box 81 is controlling the moving device 25 and the lifting device 24 so that the storage box 81 is placed on the arm 23a. be. In other words, in the present embodiment, the holding unit 23 is indirectly controlled by controlling the moving device 25 and the lifting device 24 .

It should be noted that if the holding section 23 has, for example, a suction pad and is configured to hold the storage box 81 by suction by applying a negative pressure to the inside of the suction pad using a pump, controlling the holding section 23 means this. It will control the pump. Alternatively, if the holding section 23 includes a holding section and a driving section that drives the holding section, and holds the storage box 81 by holding the storage box 81 with the holding section, the holding section 23 is controlled. That means controlling this drive unit. Thus, in the case where the holding portion 23 is configured to include a driving portion such as a pump or a motor, controlling the driving portion means controlling the holding portion 23 .

As shown in FIG. 3, the transport shelf 3 is configured such that a plurality of storage boxes 81 can be arranged vertically. The transport shelf 3 is configured to be movable by an automatic transport vehicle 4 . The transport shelf 3 includes, for example, a transport shelf body 82 and a plurality of storage boxes 81 accommodated in the transport shelf body 82 .

The transport shelf main body 82 is configured so that the storage box 81 can be taken in and out along the moving direction of the holding portion 23 by the moving device 25 . The transport shelf main body 82 includes, for example, a shelf bottom plate 83 , leg portions 84 , support members 85 , and a plurality of shelf plate portions 86 .

The shelf bottom plate 83 forms a shelf bottom 83 a that contacts the automatic carrier 4 . The shape of the leg portion 84 with respect to the shelf bottom plate 83 is appropriately formed. The legs 84 extend downward from, for example, corners of the shelf bottom 83 a of the shelf bottom plate 83 . The length of the leg portion 84 (height under the shelf (height from the floor surface to the shelf bottom 83 a of the shelf bottom plate 83 )) is slightly longer than the minimum height of the automatic carrier 4 . That is, the leg portion 84 has a height at which the automatic guided vehicle 4 can be arranged. The leg portions 84 are separated by a length that allows the automatic carrier 4 to be arranged below the shelf bottom plate 83 through the leg portions 84 . Therefore, the automatic guided vehicle 4 can slip under the shelf of the transport shelf 3 through between the legs 84 of the transport shelf 3 .

In this embodiment, four or more leg portions 84 extend downward from the shelf bottom 83a at the corners of the shelf bottom plate 83 so that the transport shelf 3 stands stably upright on the floor surface. The number of legs 84 may be three as long as the transport shelf 3 stands stably upright on the floor surface. It is also preferable that the number of legs 84 is five or more.

The support member 85 is fixed to the shelf bottom plate 83, and a plurality of shelf plate portions 86 are fixed. For example, four support members 85 are used in this embodiment. The four support members 85 are provided at each of the four corners of the shelf bottom 83a, as shown in FIG. The four support members 85 are, for example, members that are long in one direction and have an L-shaped cross section.

The space between the pair of rear support members 85 and the space between the pair of front support members 85 are wide enough for the storage box 81 to pass through.

The plurality of shelf plate portions 86 are fixed to the support member 85 so as to be separated from each other in the vertical direction. The shelf plate portion 86 has a size that allows one or more storage boxes 81 to be placed thereon. In the example of this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the shelf plate portion 86 is formed in a rectangular plate shape having a size that allows two storage boxes 81 to be arranged in the front-rear direction. Four corners of the plurality of shelf plate portions 86 are fixed to four support members 85 .

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, grooves 87 in which the arms 23a of the holding portion 23 can be arranged are formed in the upper surface 89 of the shelf plate portion 86 in the same number as the arms 23a. The groove 87 is formed so that the holding portion 23 can be inserted therein. The rear end of the groove 87 is open. The depth of the groove 87 is set to be longer than the thickness of the arm 23a.

The groove 87 has a length that allows the arm 23a to be inserted to a position where the storage box 81 can be stably placed on the arm 23a. For example, the groove 87 has a length that allows the arm 23a to enter until the stopper 23b comes into contact with the housing box 81. As shown in FIG. The width of the groove 87 is set larger than the width of the arm 23a. The width of the groove 87 has a movement allowance that allows the holding portion 23 to move in the width direction with all the arms 23 a inserted in all the grooves 87 .

The groove 87 configured in this way may be configured by, for example, fixing a plurality of rod members 88b to the plate member 88a. Alternatively, the grooves 87 may be formed by subjecting the upper surface 89 of the shelf plate portion 86 to cutting or the like.

A plurality of storage boxes 81 are placed on the upper surface 89 of the shelf plate portion 86 of the transport shelf body 82 . A plurality of storage boxes 81 are configured to be able to store articles 7 therein. The storage box 81 is configured so that the worker can take out or store the articles 7 . The storage box 81 is configured, for example, in the shape of a rectangular storage box whose upper end is open.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the automatic carrier 4 is configured to be movable on the carrier shelf 3 . The automatic guided vehicle 4 is, for example, a self-propelled robot having a shelf lift mechanism 91 and wheels 92 .

The shelf lift mechanism 91 has a top plate 91a and a driving portion 91b that pushes up the top plate 91a. When the driving portion 91b extends upward, it pushes up the top plate 91a. When the driving portion 91b is contracted, the top plate 91a is lowered.

Based on the control signal from the automatic guided vehicle controller 5, the automatic guided vehicle 4 moves to a collection position (for example, immediately below the conveyed shelf 3) corresponding to the targeted conveyed shelf 3, and moves the targeted conveyed shelf 3 at the collected position. It collects and travels toward the arrangement position of the transport shelf 3 . Based on the control signal from the automatic guided vehicle controller 5 , the automatic guided vehicle 4 arranges the target conveying shelf 3 at the arrangement position of the intended conveying shelf 3 .

The automatic guided vehicle controller 5 can be realized by combining one computer or a plurality of computers, for example. The automated guided vehicle controller 5 communicates with the host system 6 by wire or wirelessly, and controls the automated guided vehicle 4 .

The host system 6 acquires information on the article 7 to be taken out from the external device. The host system 6 can be realized by combining one computer or a plurality of computers, for example. The host system 6 communicates with the take-out device controller 28 and the automatic carrier controller 5 by wire or wirelessly, and controls the take-out device 11 and the automatic carrier 4 .

In addition, the host system 6, for example, stores article information on articles such as the article 7, shelf information on the transport shelf 3 that accommodates one or more articles, AGV information on the automatic guided vehicle 4, map data of the station 2, and the like. Remember. The item information includes an item ID (identification information) and the like, and each item is assigned an item ID. The shelf information includes a shelf ID and the like, and each transport shelf 3 is assigned a shelf ID. The AGV information includes AGVID and the like, and each automatic guided vehicle 4 is assigned an AGVID.

The take-out device controller 28, automatic guided vehicle controller 5, and host system 6 described above each include a control section and a storage section. The controller is, for example, a processor. The processor is configured by, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The storage unit is, for example, memory or storage. The memory includes ROM (Read Only Memory), which is a read-only data memory, or RAM (Random Access Memory), which temporarily stores data. The storage may be mass storage such as HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive). The memory or storage stores control programs and various data.

For example, the storage unit of the take-out device controller 28 stores a threshold value for detecting whether or not the positional deviation of the storage box 81 from the initial position at the working position P exceeds the allowable range.

In this embodiment, as an example, the width of the location where the storage box 81 is arranged on the transport shelf 3 is larger than the width of the storage box 81 . Therefore, the position of the storage box 81 in the width direction on the transport shelf 3 is not at a predetermined constant position but within a predetermined range. For this reason, the threshold value for detecting positional deviation is determined based on the range in the width direction of the placement location of the storage box 81 on the transport shelf 3 .

In another example, if the arrangement position of the storage box 81 on the transport shelf 3 is constant in the width direction, the threshold value may be determined based on the size of the storage box 81 . Alternatively, the arrangement position of the storage box 81 on the transport shelf 3 may be detected by a device such as a sensor, and the threshold may be determined based on the detected position of the storage box 81 .

The processor performs various processes based on programs and the like stored in memory or storage. That is, the processor executes various programs as a software function unit.

For example, the control unit of the take-out device controller 28 detects the displacement of the storage box 81 at the working position P from the initial position based on the detection result of the sensor 27 . Then, the control section of the take-out device controller 28 compares the threshold value stored in the storage section with the positional deviation, and controls the display device 29 when detecting that the positional deviation exceeds the threshold value. If the positional deviation exceeds the threshold, it means that the positional deviation exceeds the allowable range. The storage unit of the take-out device controller 28 stores a threshold value used for detecting whether or not the positional deviation of the container 81 from the initial position at the working position P is within an allowable range. The control unit uses this threshold value to detect whether the positional deviation is within the allowable range.

The take-out device controller 28, the automatic guided vehicle controller 5, and the control units of the host system 6 use ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) as hardware function units instead of the CPU. may

Next, an example of operation of the take-out system 1 will be described. The take-out system 1 repeats a predetermined cycle. This cycle includes, for example, a box removal process A, a work process B, and a box return process C. These steps A, B, and C are performed in order.

In the box take-out step A, the take-out device 11 takes out the storage box 81 from the transport shelf 3 and moves the taken-out storage box 81 to the work position P. As shown in FIG.

In the work process B, the worker takes out or stores the articles 7 in the storage box 81 at the work position P. As shown in FIG. Further, in the work process B, the take-out device controller 28 detects the distance to the storage box 81 at the initial position based on the detection result of the sensor 27, detects the positional deviation of the storage box 81 from the initial position, and detects the positional deviation. exceeds the allowable range, the display device 29 is controlled to display the direction in which the positional deviation exceeds the allowable range.

In the box return process C, the take-out device 11 returns the storage box 81 from the work position P to the transport rack 3, and then moves the holding section 23 to the initial position.

Next, an example of one cycle of operation of the take-out system 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the takeout device 11, and FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram explaining an example of the operation of the takeout device 11. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the take-out device controller 28 first returns and moves each motor to its origin, that is, initializes each motor (step ST1) before starting one cycle of operation.

Next, if the take-out device controller 28 has not received a work completion signal from the host system 6 (NO in step ST2), it waits until it receives a take-out signal from the host system 6 (NO in step ST3). Here, the take-out signal includes information on the height of the storage box 81 containing the article 7 to be taken out. For example, the take-out signal may be information about one item 7, or may be information about a plurality of items 7 and the order in which these items 7 should be taken out.

When the takeout device controller 28 receives a signal to take out the articles 7 from the transport shelf 3 from the host system 6 (YES in step ST3), the box takeout process A is started.

Specifically, the takeout device controller 28 controls the lifting device 24 to move the holding portion 23 to the arm insertion height (step ST4). The arm insertion height is a height at which the arm 23a of the holding portion 23 can be inserted into the groove 87 of the shelf plate portion 86 on which the storage box 81 to be taken out is placed by moving the arm 23a forward by the moving device 25. . The arm insertion height is the position where the upper surface of the arm 23a is lower than the lower surface of the storage box 81. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the arm 23a does not come into contact with the storage box 81. As shown in FIG.

Next, the takeout device controller 28 controls the moving device 25 to move the holding portion 23 forward, thereby moving the arm 23a into the groove 87 of the shelf plate portion 86 on which the storage box 81 to be taken out is placed. insert. (Step ST5). The arm 23a is inserted into the groove 87 until the stopper 23b abuts against the housing box 81, for example.

Next, the takeout device controller 28 controls the lifting device 24 and the moving device 25 to take out the storage box 81 (step ST6). Specifically, the lifting device 24 is controlled to move the holding portion 23 upward to place the container 81 on the arm 23a, and then move upward until the container 81 is separated from the shelf portion 86. . Then, the take-out device controller 28 controls the moving device 25 to move the holding portion 23 and the storage box 81 backward to take them out of the transport shelf main body 82 .

Next, the take-out device controller 28 controls the lifting device 24 to move the storage box 81 to the work position P (step ST7). When the pickup device controller 28 detects that the storage box 81 has moved to the work position P based on the encoder value of the motor 54 of the lifting device 24 , the lifting device 24 stops operating. In this way, the take-out process A is completed by the take-out device 11 performing steps ST3 to ST7.

Next, the takeout device controller 28 detects the initial position of the storage box 81 at the working position P based on the detection result of the sensor 27 . The initial position is the distance from the sensor 27 to the storage box 81, for example. When the storage box 81 reaches the work position P, the worker performs a take-out operation of taking out the article 7 from the storage box 81 . Alternatively, the worker performs a storage operation of storing the article 7 in the storage box 81 .

Further, the take-out device controller 28 detects the positional deviation of the container box 81 from the initial position based on the detection result of the sensor 27 while the worker is performing the take-out or accommodation work. When the positional deviation of the storage box 81 from the initial position exceeds the allowable range, the take-out device controller 28 controls the display device 29 to display the direction in which the positional deviation exceeds the allowable range.

When the operator checks the display device 29 and confirms that the positional deviation exceeds the allowable range, the operator manually moves the container 81 to within the allowable range with respect to the initial position. (Step ST7).

That is, when the worker moves the storage box 81, the distance from the sensor 27 to the storage box 81 changes. The sensor 27 then transmits the detection result to the takeout device controller 28 . The take-out device controller 28 detects the positional deviation of the storage box 81 after the movement from the initial position, compares the positional deviation with a threshold value when there is positional deviation, and when the positional deviation exceeds the allowable range, the display device 29 to display the direction in which the positional deviation exceeds the allowable range. While moving the storage box 81, the operator confirms whether the first display section 29a1 and the second display section 29a2 of the display device 29 are turned on or off, thereby moving the storage box 81 to a position within the allowable range with respect to the initial position. move to

The operator operates the operation unit 30 when the removal work or the storage work is completed (step ST8). Thus, the work process B is completed by the worker performing the work of step ST8.

When the takeout device controller 28 detects that the work process B is completed based on the operation of the operation unit 30, the box return process C is started. Specifically, the takeout device controller 28 controls the lifting device 24 to move the storage box 81 to the storage box return height (step ST9). The storage box return height is a position where the lower surface of the article 7 held by the holding section 23 is higher than the upper surface of the shelf plate section 86 on which the storage box 81 was placed.

Next, the takeout device controller 28 controls the moving device 25 to return the storage box 81 to the shelf plate section 86 (step ST10). Specifically, the take-out device controller 28 controls the moving device 25 to move the holding section 23 and the article 7 above the shelf plate section 86, and then controls the lifting device 24 to move the storage box 81. The holding part 23 is lowered until the arm 23a is separated from the lower surface of the storage box 81 by placing it on the shelf plate part 86 .

Next, the takeout device controller 28 controls the moving device 25 to pull out the arm 23a of the holding portion 23 from the groove 87 (step ST11). In this manner, the take-out device controller 28 operates the moving device 25 and the lifting device 24 to perform steps ST9, ST10, and ST11, thereby completing the return process C. FIG.

The takeout device controller 28 then returns to step ST2. When the take-out device controller 28 receives a work completion signal from the host system 6 (YES in step ST2), it controls the lifting device 24 and the moving device 25 to move the holding section 23 to the initial position (step ST12).

In this way, one cycle of taking out the storage box 81 from the transport shelf 3, carrying out the work of taking out or storing the article 7 in the storage box 81, and returning the storage box 81 to the transport shelf 3 is completed.

According to the take-out system 1 configured in this way, the take-out device 11 takes out the storage box 81 to be worked from the carrier shelf 3 and is moved to the work position P where the work is performed by the worker. When the take-out device controller 28 detects that the positional deviation of the storage box 81 has exceeded the allowable range, the display device 29 indicates in which direction the positional deviation exceeding the allowable range has occurred. The operator is notified that the positional deviation of has exceeded the allowable range. Then, when the worker completes the removal work or the storage work, and the operator operates the operation unit 30, the return operation of returning the storage box 81 to the transport shelf 3 is started.

Therefore, the worker can work at the working position P, which is a height position at which it is easy to perform the work of removing or storing the container 81 . Furthermore, even if the positional deviation of the storage box 81 exceeds the allowable range during the take-out work or the storage work, the storage box 81 can be returned to the position where it can be returned to the transport shelf 3 by confirming the display by the display device. Furthermore, the operator operates the operation unit 30 to return the storage box 81 to the transport rack 3 . For these reasons, the takeout system 1 can improve the efficiency of the takeout operation and the accommodation operation for the container box 81 .

Furthermore, the display device 29 is used as a notification device for notifying that the positional deviation of the storage box 81 at the working position P has exceeded the allowable range. Therefore, the operator can easily recognize that the displacement of the storage box 81 has exceeded the allowable range. Furthermore, the display device 29 is provided at the rear of the housing 21 at a position that is easily visible to the worker who is performing the work of taking out or storing the storage box 81 at the working position P, so that the worker can It is easy to recognize that the positional deviation of the storage box 81 has exceeded the allowable range. Furthermore, since the display device 29 is configured to include a plurality of display portions 29a, the configuration of the display device 29 can be simplified.

Thus, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide the take-out device 11 capable of improving the efficiency of the work of taking out and storing the articles 7 from the storage boxes 81 of the transport shelf 3 .

Next, a take-out system 1A according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 to 17. FIG. The take-out system 1A of this embodiment differs from the take-out system 1 of the first embodiment in that the working position P is provided outside the moving device 25 by the lifting device 24 and the hoistway 114 of the holding unit 23 . In the take-out system 1A of the second embodiment, components having the same functions as those of the take-out system 1 described in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as in the take-out system 1 of the first embodiment. omitted.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the take-out device 11A and the transport shelf 3 of the take-out system 1A. FIG. 12 shows the direction in which the housing 21 and the storage box arrangement section 110 are arranged, that is, in this embodiment, the storage box arrangement section 110 is arranged in the front-rear direction, and the storage box arrangement section 110 is viewed in a posture facing the storage box arrangement section 110 side. Fig. 11 is a plan view showing a storage box arrangement portion 110 of the take-out device 11A. 13 to 16 are plan views schematically showing the storage box arrangement portion 110. FIG. FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the take-out device 11A.

The take-out system 1A includes, for example, a plurality of stations 2A, a plurality of transport racks 3, a plurality of automatic guided vehicles 4, an automatic guided vehicle controller 5, and a host system 6.

As shown in FIG. 11, station 2A comprises a predetermined area on the floor of a work place such as a warehouse, and an unloading device 11A. 11 A of take-out apparatuses are installed in the predetermined area|region of the floor of work places, such as a warehouse.

The take-out device 11A includes, for example, a housing 21, a holding section 23, a lifting device 24, a moving device 25, a sensor 27, a display device 29, an operation section 30, a storage box placement section 110, and a detection device. 111 , an emergency stop button 112 , and an ejector controller 28 .

The moving device 25 is configured to be able to move the storage box 81 out of the hoistway 114 of the housing 21 . The moving device 25 is configured to be able to move the storage box 81 from inside the housing 21 to the working position P of the storage box placement section 110 . For example, the moving device 25 is supported so that the moving portion 62 can move in the front-rear direction with respect to the base portion 61 so that the storage box 81 held by the holding portion 23 can be moved out of the hoistway 114 .

For example, the storage box arrangement unit 110 is provided on the side opposite to the take-out device 11A with the transport shelf 3 interposed therebetween. The storage box placement unit 110 is used by a worker to take out or store the articles 7 from the storage box 81 . The work position P is set in the storage box placement section 110 .

The storage box arrangement portion 110 includes a frame portion 110a, a support portion 110b, and a regulation portion 110c.
As shown in FIG. 12, the frame portion 110a is formed into a frame-shaped plate having the storage box 81 disposed inside. A working position P is a space inside the frame portion 110a in which the storage box 81 can be arranged. The space inside the frame portion 110a has a size that allows the holding portion 23 and the storage box 81 held by the holding portion 23 to be arranged. The space inside the frame portion 110a is defined, for example, by a pair of edges 110a1 parallel to the front-rear direction and an edge 110a2 parallel to the width direction. The widthwise dimension of the inner space is set to a size that allows the storage box 81 to move slightly in the widthwise direction.

Such a frame portion 110a has, for example, a pair of first portions 110a3 parallel to the front-rear direction, and a second portion 110a4 connected to the rear ends of the pair of first portions 110a3 and extending in the width direction. Then, the storage box 81 moves from the housing 21 to the working position P or moves from the working position P to the housing 21 through the opening between the front ends of the pair of first portions 110a3.

The support portion 110b supports the frame portion 110a at a predetermined height position with respect to the floor of the station 2A. The predetermined height is a height at which a worker can perform the take-out operation or the storage operation with respect to the container box 81 arranged at the work position P inside the frame portion 110a.

As shown in FIG. 11, the regulating portion 110c is configured to be capable of regulating upward movement of the lifting device 24 in a state where the holding portion 23 and the storage box 81 held by the holding portion 23 are at the working position P. . The restriction portion 110c is provided, for example, above the front end of the frame portion 110a. The restricting portion 110 c stops the upward movement of the moving device 25 by coming into contact with the moving device 25 .

The regulation part 110c is provided, for example, at the entrance of the space inside the frame part 110a. The restricting portion 110c is formed in a frame shape. The restriction portion 110c has a bar extending from one end to the other end in the width direction of the doorway of the space inside the frame portion 110a. For example, when the moving part 62 moves rearward from the hoistway 114 and the storage box 81 is placed at the working position P, the base part 61 or the moving part 62 is placed below the bar of the restricting part 110c. be. When the moving device 25 is moved upward by the lifting device 24, the base portion 61 or the moving portion 62 comes into contact with the restricting portion 110c, thereby stopping the upward movement of the holding portion 23 and the storage box 81 from the working position P. be done.

Note that the restricting portion 110c may be configured to contact the moving device 25 in the vertical direction when the storage box 81 is arranged at the working position P. As shown in FIG. In the case of this configuration, even if the lifting device 24 is driven while the storage box 81 is arranged at the working position P, the storage box 81 is moved upward from the working position P by the contact of the restricting portion 110c with the moving device 25. do not move to

Alternatively, the regulating portion 110c may be configured to contact the moving device 25 when the storage box 81 is moved upward by a predetermined distance from the working position P. FIG. Here, the predetermined distance is a distance that can ensure the safety of the worker who is taking out or storing the articles 7 from the storage box 81 .

The display device 29 is provided, for example, on the frame portion 110a of the storage box arrangement portion 110. As shown in FIG. The display device 29 includes, for example, a first display section 29a1 and a second display section 29a2. The first display portion 29a1 is arranged, for example, at the left end of the frame portion 110a. The second display portion 29a2 is arranged, for example, at the right end of the frame portion 110a.

The operation unit 30 is provided, for example, on the frame portion 110a. The operation unit 30 is provided, for example, at the right end of the frame portion 110a.

The detection device 111 detects the displacement of the storage box 81 at the working position P from the initial position. The detection device 111 includes, for example, a first sensor 111a and a second sensor 111b.

The first sensor 111a detects the displacement of the storage box 81 at the working position P from the initial position in the width direction. The first sensor 111a is, for example, a distance sensor that detects the distance to the storage box 81. As shown in FIG. The first sensor 111a is provided, for example, on the frame portion 110a. The first sensor 111a is arranged, for example, on one side of the working position P in the width direction, for example, on the right side.

The second sensor 111b detects the displacement of the storage box 81 at the working position P from the initial position in the front-rear direction. The second sensor 111b is, for example, a proximity sensor that detects that the distance to the target is within a predetermined distance. The second sensor 111b is provided on the stopper 23b of the moving device 25, for example. The second sensor 111b, for example, detects the target when the target is within 3 cm. Such a second sensor 111b is arranged behind the storage box 81 when the storage box 81 and the holding portion 23 are in the working position P. As shown in FIG. That is, the second sensor 111b is provided at a position aligned with the housing box 81 in the direction toward the working position P from the housing 21 .

Note that the second sensor 111b may be provided on the frame portion 110a in another example. In this configuration, the second sensor 111b is arranged at a position aligned with the working position P in the direction from the housing 21 toward the working position P, and is provided on the second portion 110a4, for example.

Emergency stop button 112 is electrically connected to ejector controller 28 . The emergency stop button 112 sends, for example, a signal to the ejector controller 28 when operated. The emergency stop button 112 is operated when stopping the operation of the takeout device 11A. The emergency stop button 112 is provided at a position that can be operated by a worker during the work of removing or storing the container box 81 arranged at the work position P, for example. The emergency stop button 112 is provided, for example, at the right end of the frame portion 110a.

Next, an example of the operation of the display device by the take-out device controller 28 will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 to 16. FIG. The take-out device controller 28 controls the display device based on the detection results of the first sensor 111 a and the second sensor 111 b of the detection device 111 .

Specifically, when the storage box 81 is placed at the work position P, the take-out device controller 28 lights up the first display section 29a1 and the second display section 29a2. At this time, the take-out device controller 28 detects the distance to the storage box 81 in the width direction based on the detection result of the first sensor 111a.

The take-out device controller 28 changes the display pattern of the display device 29 when the position of the storage box 81 is displaced due to, for example, the worker's work of taking out or storing the article 7 from the storage box 81 and the positional deviation exceeds the allowable range. .

For example, as shown in FIG. 14, the take-out device controller 28 detects the storage box 81 based on the detection result of the second sensor 111b, and determines the distance to the storage box 81 based on the detection result of the first sensor 111a. becomes longer than the storage box 81 at the initial position, and when it is detected that the difference exceeds the allowable range, the storage box 81 shifts to the left and the positional deviation exceeds the allowable range. output to the display device.

When the pickup device controller 28 detects that the storage box 81 has moved to the right side of the initial position and that the positional deviation has exceeded the allowable range, it turns off the second display section 29a2, which is the display section on the right side, The first display portion 29a1, which is the display portion on the left side, is turned on.

For example, as shown in FIG. 15, the take-out device controller 28 detects the storage box 81 based on the detection result of the second sensor 111b, and determines the distance to the storage box 81 based on the detection result of the first sensor 111a. becomes shorter than the storage box 81 at the initial position, and when the difference exceeds the allowable range, the display device indicates that the storage box 81 is shifted to the right and the positional deviation exceeds the allowable range. output to

When the pickup device controller 28 detects that the storage box 81 has moved leftward from the initial position and that the positional deviation has exceeded the allowable range, the first display section 29a1, which is the left display section, is turned off, and the right side display section 29a1 is turned off. The second display portion 29a2, which is the display portion of , is turned on.

For example, as shown in FIG. 16, the take-out device controller 28 detects that the distance to the storage box 81 is within the allowable range with respect to the initial position based on the detection result of the first sensor 111a, and detects that the second sensor 111b stops detecting the storage box 81, it detects that the storage box 81 has moved forward with respect to the initial position. When the takeout device controller 28 detects that the storage box 81 has moved forward with respect to the initial position, it turns off the first display section 29a1 and the second display section 29a2.

Further, when the ejection device controller 28 detects that the emergency stop button 112 has been operated, in this embodiment, upon receiving a signal from the emergency stop button 112, the ejection device controller 28 stops the ejection device 11A.

Next, an example of operation of the take-out device 11A will be described with reference to FIG. An example of the operation of the take-out device 11A is the same as that of FIG. 9, which is used to explain the example of the operation of the take-out device 11 of the first embodiment, except for steps ST7 and ST9. Therefore, an example of the operation of the take-out device 11A will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 17. FIG.

The specific operation of the take-out device 11A is different from that of the take-out device 11 in step ST7 in FIG. The take-out device controller 28 of the take-out device 11A controls the lifting device 24 based on the detection result of the sensor 27 to move the storage box 81 to the same height as the work position P in step ST7. Then, the takeout device controller 28 controls the moving device 25 to move the storage box 81 to the work position P, which is the space inside the frame portion 110 a of the storage box placement portion 110 .

As for the specific operation of the take-out device 11A, the operation in step ST9 differs from the operation of the take-out device 11. FIG. The take-out device controller 28 of the take-out device 11A controls the moving device 25 to move the storage box 81 from the work position P into the hoistway 114 of the housing 21 in step ST9. The takeout device controller 28 then controls the lifting device 24 .

In the take-out device 11</b>A configured in this manner, the working position P is set outside the hoistway 114 of the housing 21 . Therefore, the movable range of the operator's arm or the like at the working position P can be increased. That is, when the work position P is provided within the hoistway 114 , the worker places his/her arm or the like inside the hoistway 114 to perform the work. In this case, the movable range of the operator's arm is limited depending on the configuration of the housing 21 .

However, by providing the working position P outside the hoistway 114, the movable range of the operator's arms and the like during work can be increased. result. It is possible to improve the efficiency of taking out or storing the storage box 81 .

Further, the storage box arrangement portion 110 includes a regulation portion 110c. Therefore, the upward movement of the storage box 81 during the worker's take-out or storage work can be restricted, so that the worker's safety during the work of taking out or storing the articles 7 can be further improved.

Furthermore, the take-out device 11A includes a storage box placement section 110 . For this reason, the storage box arrangement portion 110 serves as a mark indicating the place where the worker performs the work. In addition, the presence of the storage box arrangement portion 110 can prevent the worker from approaching the housing 21 during work. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the safety of the worker who takes out or stores the articles 7 .

Further, the storage box arrangement portion 110 has a frame portion 110a, and the display device 29, the operation portion 30, and the detection device 111 are provided on the frame portion 110a. Therefore, the operator can easily check the display device 29 and easily operate the operation unit 30 . Furthermore, since there is no need to provide a separate installation location for the detection device 111, the configuration of the take-out device 11A can be simplified.

Thus, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide the take-out device 11A capable of improving the efficiency of the work of taking out and storing the articles 7 from the storage box 81 of the transport shelf 3 .

Next, a take-out system 1B according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The take-out system 1B can take out the storage box 81 using the take-out device 11 of the first embodiment or the take-out device 11A of the second embodiment, or take out the storage box 81 directly from the transport shelf 3 by the operator. can be done. In this embodiment, as an example, the takeout system 1B includes the takeout device 11A of the second embodiment. FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing the take-out device 11A of the take-out system 1B.

The take-out system 1B includes, for example, a plurality of stations 2A, a plurality of transport racks 3, a plurality of automatic guided vehicles 4, an automatic guided vehicle controller 5, an operation section 120, and a host system 6.

The operation unit 120 allows the operator to directly take out the storage box 81 from the transport shelf 3 at the second position P2, perform the take-out or storage work on the storage box 81, and then move the storage box 81 to the transport shelf 3. When the returning work is completed, it is operated by the operator. The operation unit 120 is provided, for example, in the station 2A. The operation unit 120 is, for example, a button. The operation unit 120 is electrically connected to the host system 6 . The operation unit 120 transmits, for example, a signal when operated by an operator. In other words, the operation unit 120 is an operation unit that transmits work completion to the host system 6 .

When the height of the storage box 81 placed on the transport shelf 3 and the target of the retrieval or storage operation is higher than a predetermined height position, the host system 6 controls the automatic transport vehicle 4 via the automatic transport vehicle controller 5 . to move the transport shelf 3 to the first position P1 facing the take-out device 11A. Here, the predetermined height is the upper limit of the height at which the worker can directly and safely take out the storage box 81 from the transport shelf 3 . Information on the predetermined height and information on the height position where the storage box 81 is arranged on the transport shelf 3 are stored in, for example, a storage unit provided in the host system 6 .

When the height of the storage box 81 placed on the transport shelf 3 to be taken out or stored is equal to or lower than a predetermined height, the host system 6 controls the automatic transport vehicle 4 via the automatic transport vehicle controller 5. is controlled to move the automatic carrier 4 to the second position P2 where a working space is secured so that the worker can take out the storage box 81 from the carrier shelf 3 . The second position P2 is, for example, a position lateral to the first position P1.

When the host system 6 detects that the operation unit 120 has been operated and receives a signal from the operation unit 120 in this embodiment, the host system 6 controls the automatic guided vehicle 4 via the automatic guided vehicle controller 5 to move the automatic guided vehicle 4 to the second position P2. , the transport rack 3 is moved to the waiting place.

According to the take-out system 1B, the efficiency of the take-out operation of the container 81 can be improved by directly taking out the container 81 at a height position where it can be taken out safely by the worker.

As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide the take-out system 1B capable of improving the efficiency of the work of taking out and storing the article 7 from the storage box 81 of the transport shelf 3 .

In the above example, the height of the housing 21 of the take-out device 11 and the take-out device 11A is such that the storage box 81 arranged on the uppermost stage of the transport shelf 3 can be taken out. The height of the housing 21 is, for example, as shown in FIG. The height of 21 is configured to be high according to the height of the transport shelf 3 .

Further, in the above-described example, as the detection device for detecting the positional deviation of the storage box 81 from the initial position at the working position P, the sensor 27 is used in the first embodiment, and the detection device in the second embodiment. Although an example in which 111 is used has been described, it is not so limited. As another example, a camera may be used as a detection device that detects the positional deviation of the storage box 81 at the work position P from the initial position. As an example in which a camera is used as a detection device, an example in which the take-out device 11 of the first embodiment includes a camera 26 instead of the sensor 27 as a detection device will be described with reference to FIG. 20 .

As shown in FIG. 20, the camera 26 is an example of a detection device that detects the displacement of the storage box 81 at the working position P from the initial position. The camera 26 is installed, for example, on the ceiling portion 33 of the housing 21 . The camera 26 transmits the captured image data to the retrieval device controller 28 . Note that the number of cameras 26 is not limited to one. Multiple cameras 26 may be used.

Moreover, a plurality of types of devices may be used as the detection device. Examples of this may be the first sensor 111a and the second sensor 111b described in the second embodiment, or the sensor 27 described in the first embodiment and variations of the first embodiment. and camera 26 may be used.

Further, in the above example, the display device 29 serves as a notification device for notifying the positional deviation of the storage box 81 and as a device for notifying that the storage box 81 can be removed or stored at the working position P. The configuration used has been described as an example. That is, the configuration has been described in which one device notifies of positional deviation and notifies that the removal or storage operation is possible. However, it is not limited to this. Alternatively, the notification device and the permission status notification device may each be separate devices.

According to at least one of the embodiments described above, it is possible to provide a take-out device and a take-out system capable of improving the efficiency of the work of taking out or storing the articles 7 from the storage box 81 .

While several embodiments of the invention have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Take-out system, 1A... Take-out system, 1B... Take-out system, 2... Station, 2A... Station, 3... Transport shelf, 4... Automatic guided vehicle, 5... Automatic guided vehicle controller, 6... Host system, 7... Article, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11... Ejection apparatus 11A... Ejection apparatus 21... Housing 23... Holding part 24... Lifting apparatus 25... Moving apparatus 26... Camera 28... Ejection apparatus controller 29... Display device 29a... Display part, 29a1 First display portion 29a2 Second display portion 29b Support member 30 Operation portion 81 Storage box 110 Storage box arrangement portion 110a Frame portion 110b Support portion 110c Regulation portion , 111...Detector, 111a...First sensor, 111b...Second sensor, 112...Emergency stop button, 114...Hoistway.

Claims (10)

a holding unit that holds a storage box that stores an article and is arranged on a transport shelf;
The holding part is configured to be movable between the transport shelf and a work position for carrying out an operation of picking up or storing the articles in the storage box, and moving the storage box from the transport shelf to the work position. , a holding part moving device for returning the storage box from the working position to the transport shelf;
a housing that supports the holding portion and the holding portion moving device;
a detection device for detecting positional deviation of the storage box from the initial position at the working position;
a notification device that notifies the displacement of the storage box;
an operation unit for inputting an operation for completing the removal work or the storage work;
When the displacement of the initial position with respect to the storage box exceeds the allowable range based on the detection result of the detection device, the notification device notifies the direction in which the displacement exceeds the allowable range with respect to the initial position. a device;
A take-out device comprising a When an operation is input to the operation section, the control device moves the storage box by the holding section moving device when the positional deviation of the storage box is within the allowable range based on the detection result of the detection device. 2. The take-out device according to claim 1, wherein the take-out device is returned from the working position to the transport shelf. The detection device detects positional deviation of the storage box with respect to the initial position in a width direction substantially orthogonal to both the one-axis direction including the direction from the transport shelf to the housing and the opposite direction of this direction, and the vertical direction. 2. The ejection device of claim 1, which detects the . A frame portion provided at a predetermined height from an installation location of the housing outside the hoistway of the holding portion in the housing and having an arrangement space for arranging the storage box serving as the working position inside,
The holding portion moving device includes a moving device that moves the holding portion in a direction intersecting the vertical direction, and a lifting device that moves the holding portion and the moving device in the vertical direction within the hoistway,
A take-out device according to claim 1. 5. The take-out device according to claim 4, wherein said detection device, said operation portion, and said notification device are provided on said frame portion. The detection device is provided at a position of the frame portion aligned with the working position in a width direction that is substantially orthogonal to both the direction from the housing to the working position and the vertical direction, and measures the distance to the storage box. 6. A device according to claim 4 or 5, comprising a detecting distance sensor. The detection device is provided at a position of the holding portion or the frame portion, in a direction from the housing toward the working position, in line with the containing box arranged at the working position, and the distance from the containing box to the containing box is: 7. The take-out device according to any one of claims 4 to 6, further comprising a proximity sensor that detects said storage box when it is within a preset predetermined distance. The notification device is provided with a plurality of display units, and is a display device that displays the direction in which the positional deviation of the storage box exceeding the allowable range with respect to the initial position has occurred by a combination of lighting and extinguishing of the plurality of display units. 2. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein a. A take-out device according to claim 1;
a transport device that transports the transport shelf;
When the height of the storage box placed on the transport shelf to be taken out or stored exceeds a predetermined height position, the transport device is controlled to remove the storage box from the transport shelf by the take-out device. When the height of the storage box is equal to or lower than the predetermined height position, the transport device is controlled to move the transport shelf to a different position from the first position by the operator. a controller for the transport device that moves to a second position for retrieving the bin;
A take-out system comprising: a holding part for holding a storage box, the holding part being configured to be movable between a transport shelf and a work position for carrying out an operation of picking up or storing an article from the storage box, and moving the storage box from the transport shelf to the work position. and a holding part moving device for returning the storage box from the working position to the transport shelf, and a housing for supporting the holding part and the holding part moving device. and a frame portion provided at a predetermined height from the installation location of the housing outside the hoistway in which the holding portion moving device ascends and descends, and having an arrangement space for arranging the storage box serving as the working position inside;
a detection device that is provided on the frame and detects a positional deviation of the storage box with respect to an initial position in the arrangement space;
a notification device provided on the frame for notifying misalignment of the storage box;
an operation unit provided on the frame for inputting an operation for completing the removal work or the storage work;
A storage box placement unit.

Images