JP3485134B2 - Goods sorting equipment - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a plurality of carrying-out storage units for storing articles in a state where an article carry-in operation inside and an article carry-out operation from outside can be carried out, and an article carry-in operation and an article inside. A storage shelf provided with a plurality of storage compartments for storing articles in a state capable of carrying out work, an article receiving section for receiving articles from the outside of the storage shelf into the inside of the storage shelf, and the article receiving section Means for transferring an article from the storage section or the storage section for storage to the storage section for unloading and transferring the article to the storage section for unloading, and a control section for controlling the operation of the transfer section. The present invention relates to an article sorting facility configured to perform a sorting operation by artificially unloading articles stored in the plurality of unloading storage sections from the outside.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the article sorting facility described above, articles to be sorted for the time being are stored in a plurality of carrying-out storage sections, and the articles to be sorted are specified and stored in the carrying-out storage sections. Although the sorting target items are artificially carried out so that the predetermined sorting work can be carried out efficiently, conventionally, the sorting worker has the sorting target product to be carried out in the predetermined carrying-out storage section. If not, until the sorting target article is actually transferred to the unloading storage section, another sorting target article stored in another unloading storage section is carried out and the sorting target article is stored in the unloading storage section. When the sorting target article is transferred, the sorting target article is unloaded from the unloading storage section (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-10200).
(See Japanese Patent Publication No. 5).

[0003]

It is desired that the carrying-out work for carrying out the sorting target articles from the respective carrying-out storage parts be performed efficiently, and the sorting operator should carry out the carrying-out order from the carrying-out storage parts in a highly efficient manner. For example, the moving distance required for carrying out work is as short as possible, and therefore the carrying-out work is carried out while considering the carrying-out order so that the predetermined carrying-out work can be carried out in a short time. If it does not exist, for example, the sorting target article may be transferred to the carry-out storage section immediately after the sorting operator leaves the position close to the carry-out storage section, and the sorting target article may be transferred to the carry-out storage section. Considering the unloading sequence from the unloading storage unit after the target articles are actually transferred, it is difficult to properly determine the efficient removal sequence, and it is difficult to improve the efficiency of unloading work.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an article sorting facility in which a sorting operator can easily improve the efficiency of carrying-out work.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an article sorting facility for storing articles in a state in which an article loading operation can be performed inside and a sorting operator can carry out an article from the outside. A storage rack provided with a plurality of storage compartments for storage and a plurality of storage compartments for storing articles in a state capable of carrying in and carrying out articles inside, and from the outside of the storage rack An article receiving section for receiving articles in the storage shelf, and a transfer for transferring articles from the article receiving section or the storage accommodation section to the unloading accommodation section and transferring the articles to the unloading accommodation section. Means and control means for controlling the operation of the transfer means are provided, and are configured to carry out the goods stored in the plurality of carrying-out storage sections artificially from the outside and perform the sorting work. And a plurality of the above In each of the unloading storage unit, informing means is provided for informing the operating situation of said transfer means with respect to the unloading storage unit, the notification means is moved to unloading storage unit
The transfer means moves from the transfer means side to the carry-out storage section side.
Is configured to notify you if the item is being transferred
Therefore, when the article to be carried out does not exist in the predetermined carrying-out storage section, the sorting operator grasps the progress status of the article transfer work to the carrying-out storage section based on the content of the notification by the notification means. It is easy to predict the completion time of the transfer of the article to the unloading storage section before the article is actually transferred to the unloading storage section. Therefore, the sorting operator can consider an efficient unloading sequence in consideration of the start timing of the unloading operation from the unloading storage section in advance, and easily improve the efficiency of the unloading operation. Moreover, the notification means is
The transfer means that has moved to the storage compartment for use is from the transfer means side.
Informs you whether items are being transferred to the storage section
Is configured so that the transfer means is a storage for carrying out.
Regardless of the length of time it takes to move to the department
Easier to predict when the transfer of goods to the shipping storage will be completed
The sorting operator can carry out the work from the carrying-out storage section.
A more efficient delivery sequence by accurately considering the start time of
Can think of.

[0006]

[0007] The article sorting installation according to claim 2, said managing means for managing the loading state of the article to unloading accommodating portion is provided, said control means, based on the management information of the management unit, the transfer Since it is configured to control the operation of the loading means, it is possible to efficiently operate the transfer means with respect to the plurality of unloading storage parts while managing the loading state of the article into the unloading storage part. .

[0008] 3. The article sorting facilities description, the transfer means, the article held in the article holding member is conveyed by the article holding member, so as to transfer the housing section each article holding member unloaded Since it is configured, it is possible to simplify the transfer of the article by the transfer means and the transfer operation of the article.

In the article sorting facility according to a fourth aspect, input means capable of inputting operation start information of the transfer means is provided separately for each carrying-out storage section, and the control means is
Since the operation of the transfer means with respect to the carrying-out storage section corresponding to the input means is controlled based on the operation start information input by the input means, the sorting operator can perform the transfer work. It is easy to set the start time, and it is easy for the sorting operator to arbitrarily decide the efficient delivery order from each delivery storage unit, for example, by prioritizing the work of transferring a large number of articles to the delivery storage unit. .

[0010] The article sorting installation according to claim 5, wherein the said notification means and said input means is constituted by providing a push button switch of an illumination type, in the presence or absence of lighting of the push button switch,
Since it is configured to notify the operation status of the transfer means with respect to the carrying-out storage portion and to input the operation start information of the transfer means by pressing the push button switch,
The notification means and the input means can be configured by providing one illuminated push button switch, and the mounting structure of the notification means and the input means can be simplified.

In the article sorting facility according to the sixth aspect , the instructing means for instructing the article unloading information from the unloading storage section comprises:
Since a separate article is provided for each of the carry-out storage sections, it is easy to carry out a predetermined article carry-out operation.

[0012] The article sorting installation according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of temporary unit for temporarily placing an article unloaded from the unloading accommodating portion is provided for each said unloading housing portion and temporarily placed on the temporary placement portion Since it is configured to sort the goods,
While alternately transferring a plurality of types of articles to a common unloading storage section for each type of article, temporarily placing each type of article in a temporary storage section, the unloading storage section is When the number is small, it is possible to effectively utilize the small storage part for carrying out.

[0013]

1 and 2 show an automatic warehouse equipped with an article sorting facility according to the present invention, in which a plurality of article storage shelves 1 are provided on the top, bottom, left and right, and a plurality of article delivery shelves. Articles 8 to be sorted are stacked on a storage rack 5 in which storage shelves 4 having storage compartments 3 for storage are arranged across a passage 6 and a transport pallet 7 as an article holder. An article receiving section 10 for receiving the stored article 9 into the storage shelf 5 from one end side outside the storage shelf 5,
The article 9 is conveyed along the passage 6 across the article receiving section 10, the unloading storage section 1, and the storage storage section 3, and the article 9 is transferred to the unloading storage section 1 or the storage storage section 3. A stacker crane 11 as a transfer means equipped with a fork device 11a capable of moving up and down, a control device 12 as a control means for controlling the operation of the stacker crane 11, and a loading state of the article 9 into the unloading storage section 1 is managed. There is provided a management device 13 as a management means for performing the operation.

Each of the unloading storage sections 1 carries in and out the pallet 7 on which the articles 8 to be sorted are loaded and unloaded from the passage 6 side by the stacker crane 11, and the pallet 7 is loaded. The sorting worker selects the sorting target articles 8 from the outside of the storage rack 5.
That is, the article 9 is configured to be stored in a state in which the article unloading operation can be performed in which the article unloading work is performed from the front side facing the passage 6 with the article unloading shelf 2 interposed therebetween. The articles 9 are stored in such a state that the pallets 7 on which the items 8 are stacked are loaded and unloaded by the stacker crane 11 from the side of the passage 6 and the article unloading operation is possible.

As shown in FIG. 3, the carry-out quantity of the sorting target article 8 as the article carry-out information from the carry-out storage section 1 is input to each of the carry-out storage sections 1 as shown in FIG. Digital display unit 1 as instruction means for instructing
4a is provided with the carry-out display section 14, and each of the carry-out display sections 14 is provided with an indicator lamp 15 as a notification means for notifying the operating state of the stacker crane 11 with respect to the carry-out storage section 1. A completion push button switch as an input means by which the sorting operator can input a delivery completion signal indicating that the delivery of the sorting target articles 8 of the instructed delivery quantity is completed, as the operation start information of the stacker crane 11. 16 and 16 are provided.

On the front side of the article unloading shelf 2, work floors 17a and 17b on which a sorting worker performs sorting work are vertically arranged, and the work floors 17a and 17b respectively carry out unloading work. Goods 8 to be sorted that have been carried out from the storage unit 1
A plurality of flow rack type picking shelves 18 provided with a plurality of temporary placing portions 18a for vertically placing the buckets, and a bucket transporting device 20 for placing and transporting buckets 19 for storing the sorting target articles 8 according to predetermined destinations. The picking shelves 18 are provided corresponding to each of the two left and right carrying-out storage units 1.

On the sorting target article 8, article information such as the article name and the identification number of the storage section 3 for storing the sorting target article 8 or the identification number of the carrying-out storage section 1 is printed by a bar code or the like. The product label 8a is attached in advance, and the pallet 7a in which the bar code indicating the pallet number is printed is attached in advance to the pallet 7 in which the objects 8 to be sorted are stacked. The combination of and is input to the management device 13 as management information.

When the articles 9 in which the articles 8 to be sorted are stacked on the pallet 7 are conveyed to the article receiving section 10 by a forklift or the like, the bar code of the pallet label 7a is read and the pallet number data is read by the management device. 1
3, the management device 13 reads the article information based on the pallet number data and inputs the article information to the control device 12, and the control device 12 operates the stacker crane 11 based on the input article information, The article 9 is stored in the predetermined storage storage 3 or unloading storage 1.

The control device 12 conveys the article 9 stored in the storage compartment 3 and stores it in the carry-out storage section 1 and conveys the article 9 from the article receiving section 10 for carry-out. When storing directly in the storage unit 1, the stacker crane 11 starts to operate, and the indicator lamp 15 provided in the discharge display unit 14 corresponding to the discharge storage unit 1 blinks so that the stacker crane 11 can perform the discharge operation. Storage 1
Is notified that the carrying operation is in progress, and the storage of the article 9 in the carrying-out storage unit 1 is completed, and the fork device 11a is completed.
When the operation of is stopped, the indicator lamp 15 is turned off. When the stacker crane 11 arrives at the unloading storage unit 1 and the fork device 11a thereof starts to operate, the indicator light 15
May be blinked to notify that the stacker crane 11 is transferring the article 9 from the stacker crane 11 to the unloading storage section 1.

The sorting target articles 8 stored in the unloading storage section 1 together with the pallet 7 are stored in the unloading storage section 1 by a sorting operator disposed between the article unloading shelf 2 and the picking shelf 18. The picking shelves 18 corresponding to the carry-out storing section 1 are carried out by carrying out the carry-out quantity displayed on the digital display section 14a of the carry-out display section 14 provided correspondingly.
Is temporarily placed in the temporary placing section 18a in a state of being sorted according to the type of the sorting target article 8, and the sorting target article 8 temporarily placed in the temporary placing section 18a is arranged between the picking shelf 18 and the bucket transport device 20. The sorting operator who is performing the sorting operation is provided with the digital display 21 of the sorting display section provided for each temporary storage section 18a.
The bucket 1 that has been taken out of the sorting quantity displayed on the screen and is moving to the position corresponding to the picking shelf 18
Store in 9 and sort.

It should be noted that the storage section 1 for carrying out from the article receiving section 10
As for the articles 9 directly conveyed to, the total number of the sorting target articles 8 is supposed to be carried out from the carrying-out storage section 1. In this case, the management device 13 sorts the articles loaded on the pallet 7. The total number of target articles 8 is configured to be input to the digital display unit 14a as the carry-out quantity.

When the sorting operator has pressed the completion push button switch 16 after finishing discharging the sorting target articles 8 of the displayed discharging quantity, the discharging completion signal is inputted to the management device 13. The management device 13 stacks the empty pallets 7 provided near the article receiving section 10 for the articles 9 stored in the unloading storage section 1 and having the total number of the sorting target articles 8 as the unloading quantity. When the machine 22 is input to the control device 12 as the destination information, and the article 9 stored in the unloading storage section 1 is the article 9 in which the unsorted articles 8 to be sorted are stacked on the pallet 7. , The original storage unit 3 is input to the control device 12 as the destination information.

The control device 12 starts the operation of the stacker crane 11 so as to convey the articles 9 stored in the carry-out storing portion 1 based on the destination information inputted from the management device 13, and The indicator lamp 1 provided on the carry-out display unit 14 corresponding to the carry-out storage unit 1
5 is turned on to notify that the stacker crane 11 is carrying operation to the carrying-out storage unit 1, and the stacker crane 11 takes out the article 9 from the carrying-out storage unit 1 and returns to the original storage unit. 3 or stacker 22,
When the transfer to the storage unit 3 for storage or the stacker 22 is completed and the operation of the fork device 11a is stopped, the indicator lamp 15
To turn off. In this case, the stacker crane 11
Arrives at the carry-out storage unit 1 and starts operating the fork device 11a, the indicator light 15 is turned on and the stacker crane 11 moves the article 9 from the carry-out storage unit 1 to the stacker crane 11 side. When it is notified that loading is being performed, the transfer of the article 9 from the unloading storage section 1 to the stacker crane 11 side is completed, and when the operation of the fork device 11a for the unloading storage section 1 is stopped, the indicator lamp 15 is turned off. You may comprise so that it may be made.

[Other Embodiments] FIG. 5 shows an indicator lamp 15 as a notifying means for notifying the operation status of the stacker crane 11 with respect to the carrying-out storage section 1, and the stacker crane 11.
And a completion push button switch 16 as an input means through which a sorting operator can input a carry-out completion signal as operation start information into the management device 13, and an illumination type push button switch 23 provided in the carry-out storage section 1 is configured. FIG. The push button switch 23 includes a transparent push button 25 and a push button 2
The display lamp 15 that lights up inside 5 is incorporated into the case 24 to form a unit, and the blinking of the display lamp 15 notifies the stacker crane 11 to the carrying-out storing section 1 that the carrying operation is in progress. When the indicator lamp 15 is turned off, the storage of the article 9 in the carry-out storage portion 1 is completed, and the fork device 1 is completed.
In addition to notifying that the operation of 1a has stopped, a carry-out completion signal is input to the management device 13 by pressing the push button 25.

[Other Embodiments] 1. The notifying means may be a means for notifying by voice. 2. The notification means may display an image on a liquid crystal screen or the like. 3. The transfer means may transfer the sorting target articles without using an article holder such as a pallet. 4. The articles carried out from the carrying-out storage section may be directly sorted into buckets according to predetermined destinations.

It should be noted that reference numerals are given in the claims for convenience of comparison with the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the structures of the accompanying drawings by the entry.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a main part

FIG. 2 is a side view of the main part.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged front view of a main part.

FIG. 4 is a control block diagram.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged front view of a main part showing another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Outgoing storage 3 Storage section for storage 5 storage shelves 7 Article holder 8 articles (articles to be sorted) 9 articles 10 Article receiving section 11 Transfer means 12 Control means 13 Management means 14a Instruction means 15 Notification means 16 Input means 18a Temporary storage part

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Atsushi Kawamura 1-9-6 Sakuragicho, Omiya City, Saitama Prefecture Omiya Center Building, Daifuku Omiya Office (56) Reference JP-A-7-133008 (JP, A) Special Features Kaihei 4-125207 (JP, A) JP-A-6-305520 (JP, A) JP-A-4-292306 (JP, A) JP-A-4-280703 (JP, A) JP-A-4-272004 ( JP, A) JP 2-291301 (JP, A) JP 63-97511 (JP, A) JP 63-97510 (JP, A) JP 51-120566 (JP, A) (58) ) Fields surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B65G 1/00-1/20

Claims (7)

(57) [Claims] 1. An article carrying-in work and a sorting worker inside
A plurality of unloading housing part (1), the article in the ready article carrying-working and articles unloaded Working inside the housing in the ready and the article carrying-out work from the outside the article (9) by (9) A storage shelf (5) provided with a plurality of storage units (3) for storing the storage unit, and an article for receiving an article (9) from the outside of the storage shelf (5) into the storage shelf (5). A receiving part (10) and the article receiving part (10) or the storage part (3) for storage
The article (9) from the storage section (1) for unloading,
Transferring means (11) for transferring the article (9) to the carrying-out storage section (1), and control means (1) for controlling the operation of the transferring means (11).
2) is provided, and the article sorting equipment is configured to carry out the sorting operation by artificially unloading the articles (9) stored in the plurality of unloading storage sections (1) from the outside. Te, wherein the plurality of unloading housing portion in each of (1), the carrying-out storage unit informing means for informing the operation status of said transfer means (11) for (1) (15) is provided, the notification means (15) is moved to the carrying-out storage section (1)
The transfer means (11) is attached from the transfer means (11) side.
Is the article (9) being transferred to the unloading storage section (1) side?
An item sorting facility that is configured to notify whether or not . 2. Articles (9) to the carrying-out storage section (1)
Management means (13) for managing the loading state of the sheet is provided, and the control means (12) manages the management means (13).
The operation of the transfer means (11) is controlled based on the information.
The article sorting facility according to claim 1, which is configured to have the following configuration . 3. The transfer means (11) is an article holder.
The article (8) held in (7) is stored in the article holder (7).
The carrying section (1) for carrying out with the article holder (7)
The article sorting facility according to claim 1 or 2, which is configured to be transferred to . 4. The operation start information of the transfer means (11)
Input means (16) capable of input is provided in each carrying-out storage section (1).
Correspondingly provided separately, the control means (12) inputs through the input means (16).
The input means (16) on the basis of the activated operation start information.
Transfer means for the carrying-out storage section (1) corresponding to
The article sorting facility according to claim 1, wherein the sorting facility is configured to control the operation of (11) . 5. The notification means (15) and the input means
(16) is provided with an illuminated push button switch (23)
The push-out switch (23) is turned on or off, and the carry-out is performed.
State of the transfer means (11) for the storage section (1)
And notifying situation, a pressing operation of the push-button switch (23), said transfer Note
Configured to enter start-up information for the stage (11)
Article sorting installation according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein there. 6. Carrying out articles from the carrying-out storage section (1)
The instructing means (14a) for instructing information is provided in each carrying-out storing section
Claim 1, which is provided separately corresponding to (1)
Equipment for sorting articles according to 2, 3, 4 or 5. 7. The article carried out from the carrying-out storage section (1)
The plurality of temporary storage parts (18a) for temporarily storing the product (8) are
The articles (8) provided for each of the carrying-out storage sections (1 ) and temporarily placed in the temporary storage section (18a) are sorted.
It is constituted so that it may be removed.
Or the item sorting facility described in item 6.