JP2762927B2 - Automatic warehouse - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic warehouse for temporarily storing loads, and more particularly to an automatic warehouse capable of efficiently storing loads of various sizes.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a factory or a warehouse, an automatic warehouse comprising a rack comprising a plurality of shelves for temporarily storing a load, and a crane for transferring the load by moving up and down the front of the front end of the rack. Is used.

[0003]

In a conventional automatic warehouse, only one load is stored in one shelf, regardless of the width of the load, which is the width in the direction perpendicular to the direction of loading and unloading. A control device that manages and controls an automatic warehouse manages only whether each shelf is an inventory shelf or empty. Therefore, even if a load with a small load width is stored in one shelf and a large storage space is left, another load can no longer be stored, and the remaining space is dead space.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic warehouse capable of storing a plurality of loads on one shelf, thereby improving rack storage efficiency.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic warehouse in which shelf management is difficult and control is not complicated, and the apparatus is not complicated.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the invention according to claim 1 is capable of accommodating various sizes of loads, which are horizontal widths in a direction perpendicular to the direction of loading and unloading. a rack comprising a plurality of shelves, such a handleable crane load of the load width of different sizes, taken in automated warehouse
Handling multiple types of loads depending on the size range of the load width.
Divided into groups and based on the load width that can be stored on each shelf,
Multiple inventory and empty patterns for each group
Configure and perform pattern shelf management, let's store at the time of storage
Of empty shelves in the pattern of the group to which the load belongs
From inside, larger than the group when storing the load
An automatic warehouse is configured to have a control means for allocating loads by giving priority to shelves that do not make it impossible to store loads of a group of load width .

[0006]

According to a second aspect of the present invention, each shelf of the rack is a flat shelf, and the transfer means provided on the lifting platform of the crane is capable of pushing and pulling a load to and from the flat shelf. The automatic warehouse described in was constructed.

[0008]

The present invention has the above-described structure, and has the following effects.

The automatic warehouse according to the first aspect of the present invention comprises:
It has a rack consisting of a plurality of shelves that can store loads of various sizes even if the load width, which is the horizontal width in the direction perpendicular to the direction of loading and unloading, and a crane that can handle loads of various sizes. . The automatic warehouse control means is an automatic warehouse
Multiple types of cargo handled by the
Divide into groups of numbers. The cargo belonging to each group is
Pattern with multiple patterns corresponding to each group
Shelf management. That is, if a load is already stored on a shelf
Even if there is a load, the remaining load width stores the load belonging to one group.
If possible, the pattern for that group
It is "empty" and the same shelf holds loads belonging to other groups
If you ca n’t, the patterns for other groups
Configure the pattern to be "inventory"
Perform management.

[0010]

In the automatic warehouse according to the second aspect of the present invention, each shelf of the rack is a flat shelf on which a load is placed and stored, and the transfer means provided on the lifting platform of the crane is mounted on the flat shelf. To push the load in and pull out.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The embodiment shown in the drawings will be described below.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a part of a rack of an embodiment of the automatic warehouse according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a rack 1 of an automatic warehouse comprises a plurality of columns 2 erected on a floor surface FL, and a flat shelf 3 bridged between the two columns 2. An interval between adjacent columns is a frontage of the shelf, and an upper surface of the shelf plate 3 is a portion where the load W is placed. A crane 4 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 travels and moves up and down on the front of the frontage, and transfers the load W to and from a shelf.

The crane 4 includes a traveling vehicle 41 traveling along the rails, two masts 42, 42 erected on the traveling vehicle 41, and an elevator 43 moving up and down along the masts 42, 42. . On the lift 43, two sets of transfer devices are mounted. The transfer device includes a telescopic arm 45 having a suction pad 44 rotatably attached to a tip thereof,
5, a boss 46 that reciprocates in the loading / unloading direction and rotates in a direction to raise and lower the arm 45, a spline 47 in which the boss 46 is fitted, and a conveyor 48 on which the load W is placed. .

FIGS. 4A to 4G show the operation of the transfer device. As shown in FIG. 4A, in gripping a load from the shelf on the right side in the figure, the arm 45 is extended rightward, and the suction pad 44 is suctioned in a posture parallel to the side surface of the front surface of the load W.
The load W is placed on the conveyor 48 by moving the boss 46 leftward along the spline 47 while contracting the arm 45 as shown in FIG. When unloading rightward, as shown in FIG. 4C, the arm 45 is extended rightward, the boss 46 is moved rightward along the spline 47, and the suction pad 44 is released.

When unloading is performed on the left side in the opposite direction, the spline 47 is rotated as shown in FIG. 4 (d), and the arm 45 is temporarily retracted upward, and then, as shown in FIG. 4 (e). 45 is moved rightward, and the conveyor 48 is operated to move the load W leftward. Next, FIG.
The arm 45 is lowered as shown in (f), and the suction pad 44 is sucked in a posture parallel to the side surface of the rear surface of the load W, and FIG.
The arm 45 is extended to the left as shown in FIG.
To the left.

As described above, the combination of the transfer device that pushes in and pulls out the load W and the flat shelf such as the shelf 3 enables
The transfer operation can be performed regardless of the width of the load W.

For a flat shelf, a pair of chuck arms is extended on both sides of a load to move the load while being sandwiched, or an arm having a locking member above the load is extended to the rear surface. Although it is possible to transfer by using a transfer device of the type that pulls out the load by locking it, a large dead space occurs on the side of the load in the former and above the load in the latter, and it can be transferred to the automatic warehouse like this embodiment. Is not very suitable.

As shown in FIG. 1, the shelf of the rack 1 stores a large load WL, a medium load WM, and a small load WS. Only one load WL can be stored on one shelf,
Two loads WM and four loads WS can be stored. Load WL,
The load WM and the load WS are classified into groups and managed.

The definition of grouping is as follows.
First, assuming that the width of the frontage of the shelf is S and the space required on the left and right of the load is d, the maximum load width size of one load that can be stored on the shelf requires a space d between the pillars 2 on both sides. , S-
It is represented by 2d. Therefore, the maximum load width of the load WL is S-2d.
Becomes Since two loads WM can be stored in one shelf, one space d is required between the two loads WM, and (S-3d) / 2 is the maximum load width of the load WM. Further, in the case of a load WS capable of storing four pieces on one shelf, five spaces d are required, so that (S-5d) / 4 is the maximum load width. The minimum load width that can be handled by the transfer device of the present embodiment is Sc.

Therefore, it is defined as follows: S−2d ≧ WL> (S−3d) / 2 (S−3d) / 2 ≧ WM> (S−5d) / 4 (S−5d) / 4 ≧ WS> Sc Is done. Of course, it is also possible to divide the data into groups, but these are omitted here for the sake of simplicity.

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration of a control device for controlling the stacker crane of the automatic warehouse according to the present embodiment.

The host computer 5 manages shelves in and out of the warehouse in accordance with work instructions. Shelf management is L rack data 5
1, the M rack data 52 and the S rack data 53 are stored, and pattern shelf management of stock or empty is performed. The load WL corresponds to the L rack data 51, the load WM corresponds to the M rack data 52, and the load WS corresponds to the S rack data 53.

The size of the cargo handled in the automatic warehouse is stored as the packaging form information 54 for each type. Upon receiving the work instruction, the host computer 54 can refer to the package information 54 to know which group of the load WL, the load WM, and the load WS the load to be handled belongs to.

FIG. 6 is a view visually showing the data of each pattern of the L rack data 51, the M rack data 52, and the S rack data 53. As shown in FIG. 1, the load WL is 1
Since one shelf can be stored in one shelf, there are as many L racks as the number of shelves. The number of L racks is 150 here. Since two loads WM can be stored in one shelf, the number of M racks is 300, twice the number of shelves, and the number of S racks is 600, four times the number of shelves.

When each rack is numbered 1, 2, 3,..., For example, one of the L racks, L ₁ , corresponds to M ₁ , M ₂ of the M rack, and S _{1 of} the S rack. _1, S _2, S
_3, corresponding to the S _4. M ₁ corresponds to S ₁ and S ₂ .

The host computer 5 manages pattern shelves for each grouped pattern. The basic rules for managing pattern shelves between groups are as follows.

[0029] If the · L ₁ is load WL is accommodated, M
₁ and M ₂ become inventory shelves. · If the load WL is housed in _{L 1, S 1, S 2} , S
_3, S ₄ is made to stock the shelves. If the · M ₁ load WM is housed, S _1, S ₂ becomes stock shelf. If · M ₁ to load WM is accommodated, load WL becomes housed not in L _1. • If the S ₁ is load WS is accommodated, load WL becomes housed not in L _1. • If the S ₁ is load WS is accommodated, loads WM becomes housed impossible to M _1.

More generally, the load WL is stored in L _n -M _2n−1 , M _2n , S _4n−3 , S
_{4n-2, S 4n-1} , S 4n is load WM is housed in inventory shelves · M _2n-1 or _{M 2n - S 4n-3,} S
_4n-2 or S _4n-1,, S _4n stock shelf, L _n is housed disabled · S _4n-3 or S _4n-2, or load WS is housed in the S _4n-1 or S _4n - M _2n-1 Alternatively, M _2n cannot be stored, and L _n cannot be stored. Of course the pattern shelf management within the group is also performed, for example, L if load WL to L ₁ in the rack data 51 if housed L ₁ is naturally made to stock shelves.

Upon receiving the storage operation instruction, the host computer 5 refers to the rack data of the group to which the load to be stored corresponds, and assigns the number of the rack to be stored. Optimally, for example, when storing a load belonging to the load WS, selecting an empty S rack so as not to make the L rack and the M rack incapable of storing the load WL, the load W
There is more room for storing M. Similarly, when storing a load belonging to the load WM, the L rack is preferably prevented from being stored.

When the rack number is determined, an instruction is output to the crane control device 6. The crane control device 6 operates the traveling motor 61 and the elevating motor 62 to convey the load to the specified rack. The center position of the frontage of each rack is the same as the center position of the frontage of the shelf in the case of the L rack, in the middle of the frontage center position of the shelf and the column 2 in the case of the M rack, and in the case of the S rack. The intermediate position between the center position of the frontage, the center position of the frontage of the M rack, and the column 2 is stored in the crane control device 6 as an address.

As described above, the host computer 5 divides the load into three groups according to the size range of the load width, and the L rack data 51 and the M rack data 5
2. The S rack data 53 manages the pattern shelves as to whether they can be stored or stored. For each of the shelves, the width and position of the load already stored for each shelf are stored, and the remaining space is calculated to determine whether the load to be stored can be stored. If the frontage center position is further calculated to determine the crane stop position,
Shelf management is difficult and control becomes very complicated. In this embodiment, the shelf management is facilitated by performing the pattern shelf management for each group, and the control is simplified.

As described above, in the automatic warehouse according to the present embodiment, when allocating a load to the rack 1 capable of supporting loads of various widths, the rack 1 stores one or more loads. Even so, the host computer 5 further recognizes the load width that can be stored, and if the load width of the load to be stored is a load width that can be stored, the load can be allocated to the shelf. In order to easily configure such optimal control,
In the present embodiment, pattern shelf management is used for each group of load width. For example, when storing a load belonging to the load WS, an S rack is selected and allocated so that a load WM having a larger load width and a load belonging to the load WL cannot be stored.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above.
It is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately modified and implemented within the scope of the present invention.

[0036]

As described above, according to the automatic warehouse according to the first aspect of the present invention, even if a load is already stored in one shelf, the control means can control the width of the load that can be stored in the remaining space. If so, other loads can be further allocated. Sand
Into groups according to the size range of the load width, and
Now manages inventory shelves for each inventory
Therefore, shelf management is easy and control is simple.

[0037]

According to the automatic warehouse according to the second aspect of the present invention, the loading means pushes in and pulls out the load from the flat rack of the rack, so that it can handle loads of various load widths.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a part of a rack of one embodiment of an automatic warehouse according to the present invention.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are a front view and a side view, respectively, showing the crane of the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a lifting platform portion of the crane shown in FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b).

FIGS. 4 (a) to 4 (g) are FIGS.
It is a top view explaining the transfer process of the crane shown in (b).

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a control structure of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a diagram visually representing rack data for pattern shelf management in the embodiment of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 rack 2 pillar 3 shelf board WL, WM, WS load

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A rack consisting of a plurality of shelves that can store loads of various sizes even when the width of the load, which is the horizontal width in the direction perpendicular to the direction of loading and unloading, can be handled, and loads of various sizes can be handled. Cranes and multiple types handled by automated warehouses
Types of loads are divided into multiple groups according to the range of load widths.
Split, and for each group based on the load width that can be stored on each shelf
Of multiple inventory and empty patterns corresponding to
Inventory shelf management, and at the time of warehousing,
From the empty shelves in the group pattern
Group with a larger load width than
An automatic warehouse having control means for allocating loads by giving priority to shelves that do not make it impossible to store loads . 2. Each shelf of a rack is a flat shelf, and
The transfer means provided on the elevator pushes the load into the flat shelf,
The automatic warehouse according to claim 1, wherein the automatic warehouse can be withdrawn .