JP3897663B2 - Automatic warehouse - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an automatic warehouse provided with a station for rotating a workpiece transferred to a stacker crane.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, a workpiece 102 provided with a joint box 101 protruding outward at a predetermined position on the upper part of a rectangular parallelepiped housing as shown in FIG. 4 may be stored in an automatic warehouse shelf for management. . The workpiece 102 is a container for storing, for example, a chemical substance that needs to be heated and stored, and the joint box 101 supplies, for example, electric power necessary for heating the chemical substance from the outside to the inside of the workpiece 102. It is a receiving part in the case of supplying to. In addition, when the chemical substance is additionally supplied into the workpiece 102 from the outside, for example, the joint box 101 may be a receiving port for the chemical substance from the outside.
[0003]
When the work 102 having the joint box 101 is received and managed on the shelf 1 of the automatic warehouse illustrated in FIG. 5, the work 102 is stored in the storage frame 5 of the shelf 1 through the joint box 101. It is necessary to supply electric power and chemical substances into the work 102. Therefore, based on a signal from the stacker crane 202 indicating that the workpiece 102 has been placed at a predetermined position of the storage frame 5, the arm is extended and connected to the joint box 101 of the workpiece 102, and power and chemical substances are supplied to the workpiece 102. A supply portion for supplying the inside is provided in the storage frame 5.
[0004]
If the supply section having such a configuration is provided on the front side of each storage frame 5 (the traveling path 22 side of the stacker crane 202), it becomes an obstacle to the loading and unloading of the workpiece 102. The stacker crane 202 is provided on the opposite side of the travel path 22 (outside the storage frame 5). Therefore, when the work 102 having the joint box 101 is stored in the storage frame 5, the work 102 is stored in the storage frame 5 so that the joint box 101 is positioned outside the storage frame 5 as shown in FIG. 5. Place in.
[0005]
Accordingly, when the workpiece 102 is placed on the workpiece placement portion 7 with the joint box 101 facing the front side 21 of the automatic warehouse, the placed workpiece 102 is carried onto the conversion machine 6 of the station 201 by the conveyor, When the work 102 needs to be rotated 90 ° clockwise or counterclockwise using the conversion machine 6 and the work 102 is stored in the shelf 1 of the automatic warehouse, the user controls the rotation direction of the conversion machine 6. Input operation for entering the warehousing instruction and warehousing instruction for warehousing the work 102 to be warehousing. The same applies when leaving.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As described above, conventionally, when the work 102 having the joint box 101 is loaded into and unloaded from the shelf 1 of the automatic warehouse, the user performs the loading / unloading operation for loading and unloading the work 102 and the rotation of the conversion machine 6 of the station 201. It is necessary to perform both the operation for controlling the direction, which is troublesome, and the conversion machine 6 depends on which one of the shelves on both sides of the stacker crane 202 is placed in or from which the goods are delivered. It was necessary to choose the direction of rotation, and work efficiency was poor.
[0007]
In view of the above-described problems, the present invention includes a station that rotates a workpiece placed on a conversion machine without causing a user to perform an operation for controlling the rotation direction of the conversion machine of the station. The purpose is to provide automated warehouses.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems and achieve the above object, the automatic warehouse of the present invention is installed in parallel and has left and right shelves with a plurality of storage frames, and travels back and forth between the left and right shelves, A stacker crane is provided for loading and unloading the workpiece into and from the specific storage frame based on the position information of the specific storage frame on either the left or right shelf.
[0009]
In addition, the automatic warehouse of the present invention includes a conversion machine that rotates a workpiece transferred to the stacker crane by a predetermined angle in a predetermined direction, and a control unit that controls the rotation of the conversion machine based on the position information. It has the station provided.
[0010]
If such an automatic warehouse of the present invention is used, when a work having a joint box is received on the shelf of the automatic warehouse, the user inputs the position information of the storage frame to receive the work to be received into the management apparatus. As long as this is done, the work placed on the conversion machine can be rotated in a direction corresponding to the position information without performing an operation for controlling the rotation direction of the conversion machine at the station. Become.
[0011]
Further, if the automatic warehouse of the present invention is used, when a work having a joint box received in a storage frame of a shelf of the automatic warehouse is to be delivered from the shelf of the automatic warehouse, the user receives the work to be delivered. As long as the position information of the storage frame is input to the management device, the station can be switched in the direction corresponding to the storage frame in which the workpiece has been stored, without using an optical sensor. It is possible to rotate the workpiece placed on the machine.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Below, the structure and operation | movement of the automatic warehouse of embodiment of this invention are demonstrated with reference to drawings.
[0013]
FIG. 1 is a simplified view of the automatic warehouse according to the present embodiment as viewed from above, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the automatic warehouse according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 3 is an automatic warehouse according to the present embodiment. The configurations of the station and the stacker crane are shown respectively.
[0014]
As shown in FIG. 1, the automatic warehouse according to the present embodiment includes a left shelf 1a and a right shelf 1b installed in parallel, a left shelf 1a, and a right shelf 1b, as in the conventional automatic warehouse. The stacker crane 2 travels forward and backward, a station 3 that delivers the workpiece 102 to / from the stacker 2 to the stacker crane 2, and a management device 4 that manages the loading / unloading state of the workpiece 102. As described above, the automatic warehouse according to the present embodiment has the same configuration as that of the conventional automatic warehouse, and the stacker crane 2 moves the workpiece 102 provided with the joint box 101 shown in FIG. 4 to the left shelf 1a. Or it is common with the conventional automatic warehouse by the point which enters into the specific storage frame 5 of the right shelf 1b in the state which orient | assigned the joint box 101 to the outer side.
[0015]
However, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the configuration of the station 3 in the automatic warehouse of the present embodiment is different from the configuration of the station 201 in the conventional automatic warehouse in the following points. That is, the station 3 in the automatic warehouse according to the present embodiment is provided with the conversion device 6 and the work placement unit 7 and the conveyor, similarly to the conventional station 201, but is not provided with the optical sensors A and B. The placement detector 8 that detects that the workpiece 102 is placed on the conversion machine 6, the second receiver 9 that receives information from the management device 4, and the position information received by the second receiver 9. The control part 10 which controls rotation of the conversion machine 6 based on is provided.
[0016]
Hereinafter, the operation of the automatic warehouse according to the present embodiment will be described.
[0017]
First, when the work 102 provided with the joint box 101 shown in FIG. 4 is stored in the specific storage frame 5 of the left shelf 1a or the right shelf 1b of the automatic warehouse according to the present embodiment, the user selects FIG. 3, with the joint box 101 facing the front side 21 of the automatic warehouse, the workpiece 102 placed on the pallet 103 is placed on the workpiece placement unit 7 of the station 3 by a forklift. Place. At the same time, the user inputs the position information and the warehousing instruction of the specific storage frame 5 of the specific shelf 1a (1b) to which the work 102 to be warehousing is to be received into the input unit 11 of the management device 4.
[0018]
As shown in FIG. 2, the position information and the warehousing instruction input to the input unit 11 are wirelessly transmitted to the stacker crane 2 by the transmission unit 12 of the management device 4 and also wirelessly or wired to the station 3. Sent.
[0019]
In the station 3, the second reception unit 9 receives the position information transmitted by the transmission unit 12 of the management device 4. In the meantime, the workpiece 102 placed on the workpiece placement section 7 of the station 3 is carried onto the conversion machine 6 by a conveyor. Then, when the work 102 is carried onto the conversion machine 6, the placement detection unit 8 (for example, an optical sensor) detects that the work 102 is placed on the conversion machine 6, and information to that effect is sent to the control unit. Send to 10.
[0020]
As described above, when the position information from the management device 4 is received by the second receiving unit 9 and it is detected that the workpiece 102 is placed on the conversion machine 6, the control unit 10 performs the second receiving unit 9. When the workpiece 102 to be stored is stored in the specific storage frame 5 based on the positional information received by the above, the joint box 101 of the workpiece 102 is placed outside the storage frame 5 (the travel path 22 of the stacker crane 2). The switch 6 is rotated 90 ° clockwise or counterclockwise so that it faces the other side. Thereby, the conversion machine 6 rotates the workpiece | work 102 carried on itself 90 degree clockwise or counterclockwise based on the said positional information.
[0021]
For example, when the user intends to store the workpiece 102 in the specific storage frame 5 of the left shelf 1a, the joint box 101 of the workpiece 102 is placed on the conversion machine 6 before the workpiece 102 is received by the stacker crane 2. It needs to face the left shelf 1a side. However, when the workpiece 102 is carried onto the conversion machine 6 by the conveyor, the joint box 101 of the workpiece 102 remains facing the front side 21 of the automatic warehouse.
[0022]
Therefore, the control unit 10 rotates the converter 6 by 90 ° in the clockwise direction to direct the joint box 101 of the workpiece 102 toward the left shelf 1a. As a result, the joint box 101 of the workpiece 102 faces toward the left shelf 1a.
[0023]
As another example, for example, when the user intends to store the workpiece 102 in the specific storage frame 5 of the right shelf 1b, the joint box of the workpiece 102 is received before the workpiece 102 is received by the stacker crane 2. 101 needs to face the right shelf 1b side on the converter 6. However, when the workpiece 102 is carried onto the conversion machine 6 by the conveyor, the joint box 101 remains facing the front side 21 of the automatic warehouse.
[0024]
Therefore, the control unit 10 rotates the converter 6 by 90 ° counterclockwise in order to point the joint box 101 toward the right shelf 1b. Thereby, the joint box 101 faces the right shelf 1b.
[0025]
As described above, the control unit 10 rotates the changer 6 by 90 degrees in the direction corresponding to the position information received by the second receiving unit 9, so that the joint box 101 of the workpiece 102 is stored corresponding to the position information. When facing the outside of the frame 5 (outside the shelf 1), the stacker crane 2 is activated, and the carriage 13 of the stacker crane 2 receives the workpiece 102 on the conversion machine 6. Then, the drive control unit 15 of the stacker crane 2 moves the stacker crane 2 main body in order to store the workpiece 102 in the storage frame 5 specified by the position information transmitted from the management device 4 and received by the first receiving unit 14. The carriage 13 is moved corresponding to the specific storage frame 5, and the carriage 13 is moved to a predetermined height. When the movement is completed, the carriage 13 moves the work 102 into the storage frame 5 specified by the position information.
[0026]
As described above, using the automatic warehouse of the present embodiment, when the work 102 having the joint box 101 is stored in the specific storage frame 5 of the left shelf 1a or the right shelf 1b, the user can When the work 102 to be stored is received in the specific storage frame 5 without performing the operation of rotating the conversion machine 6 in the direction corresponding to the storage frame 5, the joint box 101 of the work 102 is moved to the storage frame. It is possible to rotate the converter 6 so that it faces the outside of 5.
[0027]
Next, when the work 102 stored in the specific storage frame 5 of the specific shelf 1a (1b) is to be discharged from the shelf 1 of the present embodiment, the user issues the specific shelf 1a (1b). The position information of the storage frame 5 in which the target work 102 is stored and the output instruction are input to the input unit 11 of the management device 4.
[0028]
As shown in FIG. 2, the position information and the exit instruction input to the input unit 11 are transmitted to the stacker crane 2 wirelessly by the transmission unit 12 of the management device 4 and also to the station 3 wirelessly or by wire. Sent.
[0029]
In the stacker crane 2, the first receiving unit 14 receives the position information and the leaving instruction from the management device 4, and the drive control unit 15 causes the stacker crane 2 main body to travel in accordance with the position information, so that a predetermined height is reached. Then, the carriage 13 is moved. When the movement is completed, the carriage 13 takes out the workpiece 102 from the storage frame 5 specified by the position information.
[0030]
When the work 102 is taken out by the carriage 13, the drive control unit 15 moves the stacker crane 2 main body to the station 3, and the carriage 13 places the taken work 102 on the conversion machine 6. When the workpiece 102 is placed on the conversion machine 6 in this way, the placement detection unit 8 detects that the workpiece 102 has been placed on the conversion machine 6, and sends information to that effect to the control unit 10. send.
[0031]
By the way, as described above, the position information of the storage frame 5 in which the work 102 to be delivered, which is input to the input unit 11 of the management device 4, is transmitted to the station 3 by the transmission unit 12.
[0032]
Therefore, when it is detected that the workpiece 102 that has been stored in the specific storage frame 5 is placed on the conversion machine 6 as described above, the control unit 10 receives the above-mentioned information received by the second receiving unit 9. Based on the position information, the converter 6 is rotated 90 ° clockwise or counterclockwise so that the joint box 101 of the workpiece 102 faces the front side 21 of the automatic warehouse. Thereby, the conversion machine 6 rotates the workpiece 102 placed on the conversion machine 6 by 90 ° clockwise or counterclockwise based on the position information. .
[0033]
For example, when the user tries to unload the workpiece 102 from the specific storage frame 5 of the left shelf 1a, the joint box 101 of the workpiece 102 placed on the conversion machine 6 by the stacker crane 2 is the left shelf 1a. Facing to the side.
[0034]
Therefore, the control unit 10 rotates the converter 6 by 90 degrees counterclockwise in order to direct the joint box 101 of the workpiece 102 toward the front side 21 of the automatic warehouse. As a result, the joint box 101 of the workpiece 102 faces the front side 21 of the automatic warehouse.
[0035]
As another example, when the user wants to unload the workpiece 102 from the specific storage frame 5 of the right shelf 1b, the joint box 101 of the workpiece 102 placed on the conversion machine 6 by the stacker crane 2 is used. Is facing the right shelf 1b.
[0036]
Therefore, the control unit 10 rotates the converter 6 by 90 ° in the clockwise direction to direct the joint box 101 of the workpiece 102 toward the front side 21 of the automatic warehouse. As a result, the joint box 101 of the workpiece 102 faces the front side 21 of the automatic warehouse.
[0037]
As described above, the control unit 10 rotates the converter 6 by 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise based on the position information received by the second receiving unit 9, so that the joint box 101 is located on the front side 21 of the automatic warehouse. The workpiece 102 is conveyed to the workpiece placement unit 7 by the conveyor with the joint box 101 facing the front side 21 of the automatic warehouse.
[0038]
And the workpiece | work 102 conveyed to the workpiece | work mounting part 7 is carried out of an automatic warehouse by a forklift.
[0039]
As described above, when the automatic warehouse of the present embodiment is used, when the work 102 having the joint box 101 stored in the specific storage frame 5 of the specific shelf 1a (1b) is discharged from the shelf 1, By using the positional information of the storage frame 5 in which the work 102 to be delivered is received, which is input to the management device 4 by the user, the conversion machine can be used without using the conventionally used optical sensor A and optical sensor B. 6 can be rotated such that the joint box 101 faces the front side 21 of the automatic warehouse.
[0040]
In the above-described embodiment, when the work 102 having the joint box 101 is stored in the specific storage frame 5 or when the work 102 is output from the specific storage frame 5, the position information of the storage frame 5 is stored. The data is transmitted from the management device 4 to the second receiving unit 9 of the station 3. However, when the work 102 is moved into the specific storage frame 5 or when the work 102 is moved out of the specific storage frame 5, information on the shelf 1 on which the storage frame 5 exists is transferred from the management device 4 to the station 3. It may be transmitted to the second receiving unit 9. Even in that case, as described above, the workpiece 102 placed on the conversion machine 6 rotates in a direction corresponding to the information.
[0041]
When the conversion machine 6 does not rotate endlessly, the control unit 10 changes the conversion machine in a direction opposite to the direction in which the work 102 is rotated before the work 102 is placed on the conversion machine 6. 6 is preferably rotated 90 ° or more. If the conversion machine 6 rotates only 180 °, the workpiece 102 is placed on the conversion machine 6 in a state where it has already been rotated 180 ° in the clockwise direction, and the conversion machine 6 is rotated 90 ° in the clockwise direction. This is to prevent the situation where the control unit 10 cannot rotate the converter 6 by 90 ° in the clockwise direction when it is necessary to rotate it.
[0042]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the automatic warehouse according to the present invention controls the rotation of the work to be received in the direction corresponding to the position information of the storage frame to be stored, so that the user can enter the work as in the past. There is no need to perform a loading / unloading operation for unloading or an input operation for controlling the rotation direction of the conversion machine, and work efficiency can be improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a state of an automatic warehouse according to an embodiment of the present invention as viewed from above. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the automatic warehouse according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 4 is a block diagram of a station and a stacker crane in an automatic warehouse of the form of Fig. 4 Fig. 4 is a block diagram of a workpiece provided with a joint box protruding outward at a predetermined position on the upper part of a rectangular housing. Diagram showing the state of the warehouse as viewed from above [Explanation of symbols]
1a Left shelf 1b Right shelf 2 Stacker crane 3 Station 4 Management device 5 Storage frame 6 Convertor 7 Work placement unit 8 Placement detection unit 9 Second reception unit 10 Control unit 11 Input unit 12 Transmission unit 13 Carriage 14 First 1 receiver 15 drive controller 21 front side of automatic warehouse

Claims (3)

Left and right shelves with multiple storage frames installed in parallel,
A stacker crane that travels back and forth between the left and right shelves, and that loads and unloads workpieces to and from the specific storage frame based on positional information of the specific storage frame on either of the left and right shelves;
A conversion machine that rotates a workpiece transferred to the stacker crane in a predetermined direction by a predetermined angle; and a station that includes a control unit that controls the rotation of the conversion machine based on the position information;
An automatic warehouse characterized by having. 2. The automatic warehouse according to claim 1, wherein the position information includes information on a shelf to which a workpiece to be transferred to or received from the stacker crane is to be received or received from among the left and right shelves. . The control unit rotates the conversion machine by a predetermined angle in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction before the work is placed on the conversion machine based on the position information. The automatic warehouse according to claim 1.

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