JP6579492B2 - Automatic warehouse system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to preventing the operation of an automatic warehouse system from being stopped when the automatic warehouse system is abnormal.

  In an automatic warehouse system, articles are transported by a transport device such as a stacker crane or a loading / unloading conveyor. Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent No. 5773293) stores in advance a recovery procedure from an abnormality related to the transport device, reads out the recovery procedure for the detected abnormality when grasping the abnormality, and deals with the location where the abnormality has occurred and how to deal with the abnormality. Is displayed on the monitor, and the operator restores the logistics system according to the display on the monitor.

Japanese Patent No. 5773293

  In the automatic warehouse system of the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, when an abnormality that the transfer device cannot transfer occurs, the transfer work that is initially scheduled cannot be performed. For example, when an article is transported from a shelf to another shelf by a stacker crane, the article has already been received at the frontage of the storage destination and may not be received. This abnormality is referred to as a first arrival abnormality. When such an abnormality occurs, the stacker crane stops because articles cannot be conveyed to the frontage of the storage destination. The worker restores the distribution system according to the restoration procedure displayed on the monitor. However, the transportation operation is not performed until the restoration is performed by the worker, and the operation of the automatic warehouse system is stopped.

  This invention is made in view of the said subject, and when conveying goods to a conveyance destination with a conveyance vehicle, a conveyance vehicle stops by the abnormality of a conveyance destination and it prevents that the operation | movement of an automatic warehouse system stops for that. The purpose is to provide an automated warehouse system.

  The automatic warehouse system of the present invention includes a transport vehicle that transports an article, a shelf that is disposed along a travel route of the transport vehicle, and on which the article is placed, and is provided on the transport vehicle. When transporting from the transport source on which is placed to the transport destination, an abnormality grasping means for grasping the abnormality of the transport destination, and if the abnormality of the transport destination is grasped by the abnormality grasping means, And a controller that controls to transfer the transport destination to another transport destination without performing the transport.

  In this automatic warehouse system, when an article placed on a transport source that is a shelf or an entry station is transported to a transport destination that is a shelf or an exit station by the transport vehicle, if there is an abnormality in the transport destination, the transport vehicle The abnormality grasping means provided in the control unit grasps the abnormality of the transport destination, and performs control to transfer the transport to another transport destination without transporting to the transport destination based on the grasped abnormality. Therefore, by causing the transport vehicle to carry out the transport described above, even if an abnormality is recognized, the transfer of the transport is automatically performed, and the transport can be executed within a range in which the abnormality is not recognized, so the operation of the transport system is stopped. Can be prevented.

  The automatic warehouse system of the present invention includes a single transport vehicle as a transport vehicle, and the transport source is a shelf on which an article to be transported is placed, and transports the article from the transport source to the transport destination. When the abnormality is recognized by the abnormality grasping means, control may be performed to transfer the transportation destination to the transportation source. According to this configuration, when abnormality of the transport destination is grasped by the abnormality grasping means, by transferring from the transport destination to the transport source where the article was originally placed, without referring to the storage state data of the article, The conveyance can be transferred to a shelf on which articles can be surely placed. Further, by using one transport vehicle, the control can be simplified as compared with the case of providing a plurality of transport vehicles. When multiple transport vehicles are provided, when one transport vehicle grasps the abnormality of the transport destination and transfers from the transport destination to the transport source where the article was originally placed, the other transport vehicle already There is a case where the article is transferred to the transfer destination of the transfer vehicle, that is, the transfer source where the article was originally placed, and the article cannot be transferred to the transfer destination of the transfer vehicle. However, by using one transport vehicle, the shelf that is the transport source can be surely made empty.

  In the automatic warehouse system of the present invention, the controller includes a local controller that controls the transport vehicle and a host controller that transmits a transport command to the local controller. The local controller may perform control so as to transfer the conveyance destination to the conveyance source when the abnormality grasping means grasps the abnormality of the conveyance destination. According to this configuration, when an abnormality is detected in the transport destination, the local controller can transfer the transport destination to the transport source in the local controller without receiving a new transport command from the host controller.

  In the automatic warehouse system of the present invention, the local controller includes a storage unit that stores a transfer command that is transferred from the transfer destination to the transfer source, and a re-execution unit that executes the transfer command stored in the storage unit. Good. According to this configuration, by storing a transfer command in which the transfer destination is changed to the transfer source in the local controller, the local controller does not receive the transfer command transferred from the host controller again, and the transfer command is transferred in the local controller. Can be executed again.

  According to the present invention, when an article is transported from a shelf to another transport destination, if an abnormality of the transport destination is recognized, the operation of the automatic warehouse system is stopped by automatically transferring the transport to another transport destination. Can be prevented.

The partial top view of the automatic warehouse as one Embodiment of this invention. The partial front view of an automatic warehouse. The block diagram which shows the control structure of a controller. The flowchart which shows a leaving operation. Operation diagram of the stacker crane. Operation diagram of the stacker crane. Operation diagram of the stacker crane. Operation diagram of the stacker crane.

  The optimum embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described below. The scope of the present invention should be determined according to the understanding of those skilled in the art based on the description of the scope of the claims, taking into account the description of the specification and well-known techniques in this field.

  First, in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the structural example for implementing this invention is represented with a top view and a front view. The automatic warehouse system 1 includes a rack 2, a stacker crane 3 that is a transport vehicle, a station 4, and a controller 5 (see FIG. 3) that controls the stacker crane. The article W is placed on the pallet P and is moved together with the pallet P. The article W may not be placed on the pallet P but may be placed on the shelf with the article W alone.

  The rack 2 is arranged so as to sandwich the travel path 31 of the stacker crane, and the first support column 21 is arranged on the travel path 31 side of the stacker crane on the left and right sides at predetermined intervals, and the stacker crane travels with respect to the first support column 21. It has the 2nd support | pillar 22 lined up at predetermined intervals on the opposite side to the path | route 31, and the shelf 25 which has the shelf receiving part 23 which connects the 1st support | pillar 21 and the 2nd support | pillar 22 to it. The article W is placed on the shelf receiver 23. Between a pair of left and right shelf receivers 23 in one shelf 25 is a fork passage gap 24 that allows a slide fork 35 described later to move in the vertical direction. The shelf 25 includes a high load shelf 251 and a low load shelf 252 as shown in FIG.

  The stacker crane 3 is provided on one traveling carriage 32 capable of traveling on the traveling path 31, a mast 33 provided on the traveling carriage 32, an elevator base 34 attached to the mast 33 so as to be movable up and down, and an elevator base 34. A transfer means for transferring the article W held on the lifting platform 34 to and from the shelf 25 by expanding and contracting with respect to the shelf 25, and an abnormality grasping means 36 for grasping the abnormality of the transport destination. Have. The transfer means is, for example, a slide fork 35.

  When the article W transported by the abnormality grasping unit 36 is transported from the transport source on which the article W is placed toward the transport destination, the abnormality of the transport destination is grasped. The abnormality grasping means 36 is a means for communicating with, for example, a delivery station 41 described later. The stacker crane 3 communicates with the unloading station 41 via the communication means provided in the unloading station 41 and the unloading station 41 before conveying the article W to the unloading station 41. To grasp. If it is determined that the interlock with the delivery station 41 has failed or the conveyor 43 downstream of the delivery station 41 is stopped and cannot be transferred to the delivery station 41, the delivery station 41 is in an abnormal state. I can understand.

  The communication means is an example of the abnormality grasping means 36, and may be a pre-arrival sensor that grasps whether or not the article W is placed at the transport destination in addition to the communication means. When the stacker crane 3 decelerates or stops toward the conveyance destination, whether or not another article W is placed at the conveyance destination is grasped by a first-in-stock sensor. As another example, an article grasping means for grasping the attributes (width, depth, height) of the article W held on the lifting platform 34 may be used. When the stacker crane 3 decelerates or stops toward the transport destination, the attribute of the article W that can be placed on the transport destination is acquired from the host controller 5 described later. From the attribute of the article W grasped by the article grasping means and the attribute of the article W that can be placed at the transport destination, if the attribute of the article W is larger than the attribute of the transport destination, the transfer of the article W is impossible. Can be recognized as abnormal. For example, when an attempt is made to transfer a high load W1 to the low load shelf 252 in FIG.

  The station 4 has a warehouse station 41 and a warehouse station 42. Each station has a support member 44 that is positioned at the end of the conveyor 43 that conveys the articles W and that moves up and down between the upper position and the lower position of the conveyance surface of the conveyor 43. The conveyance surface of the conveyor 43 is a virtual surface through which the bottom surface of the article W passes when the article W is conveyed on the conveyor 43. The article W can be supported above the conveyance surface of the conveyor 43 by raising the support member 44 from the conveyance surface of the conveyor 43. By supporting the article W by the support member 44, a slide fork insertion gap is formed between the article W and the transport surface of the conveyor 43. The stacker crane 3 can transfer the article W to and from the station 4 by raising the article W by the support member 44. Further, by lowering the support member 44 in a state of supporting the article W, the article W supported by the support member 44 can be lowered onto the conveyor 43. The station 4 further has communication means with the stacker crane 3. The station 4 communicates with the stacker crane 3 to raise and lower the support member 44 so that the article W can be transferred to and from the stacker crane 3.

  The controller 5 is shown in FIG. The controller 5 includes a local controller 51 that controls the stacker crane 3 and a host controller 52 that transmits a conveyance command to the local controller 51. The host controller 52 grasps the storage state data D such as the article W placed on the rack 2, the article W loaded and unloaded from the station, the placement state of the article W on the shelf 25, and the attributes of the shelf 25. The host controller 52 transmits a conveyance command to the local controller 51 based on the grasped storage state data D. When receiving the conveyance command, the local controller 51 assigns the received conveyance command to the stacker crane 3. When the transport command is assigned, the stacker crane 3 travels from the transport source where the article W to be transported is placed toward the transport destination where the article W is paid out from the stacker crane. The transportation source is the shelf 25 or the entry station 41, and the transportation destination is the shelf 25 or the delivery station 42.

  When the transport source is the shelf 25, the local controller 51 transmits the transport destination abnormality to the host controller 52 when the abnormality grasping means 36 grasps the abnormality of the transport destination, and sends a transport command to the stacker crane 3. A stop command is assigned and a transfer command for transferring the transfer destination to the transfer source is assigned. The local controller 51 may simultaneously transmit a transfer destination abnormality transmission to the host controller 52 and a transfer instruction to transfer the transfer destination to the stacker crane 3, or transmit one before the other and the other after the other. May be. Furthermore, the stop command and the transfer command may be transmitted simultaneously, or the transfer command may be transmitted after the stop command. In addition, the transfer command that is being executed may be overwritten on the transfer command by transmitting the transfer command without transmitting the stop command. Alternatively, the transfer destination may be automatically transferred to the transfer source by assigning only the stop command. In this way, the upper controller 52 can recover from the abnormal state only by the local controller 51 without searching the shelf 25 on which the article W can be placed. Further, since the transport source is the shelf 25 on which the article W is placed before the transport, the article W can be reliably placed on the shelf 25 by transferring the transport destination to the transport source.

  Further, when the transportation source is the shelf 25 or the warehousing station 41, when the abnormality grasping means 36 grasps the abnormality of the transportation destination, the local controller 51 transmits the abnormality of the transportation destination to the upper controller 52, and the upper controller 52 When 52 receives that the conveyance destination is abnormal, a new conveyance command may be transmitted to the local controller 51 based on the storage state data D together with an instruction to cancel the conveyance command being executed. The local controller 51 assigns the received conveyance command to the stacker crane 3. The stop command and the new transport command may be transmitted at the same time, or a new transport command may be transmitted after the stop command. In addition, the current conveyance command may be overwritten on the new conveyance command by transmitting a new conveyance command without transmitting the stop command. If it does in this way, a conveyance destination can be transferred to the empty shelf 25 near a conveyance destination, for example.

  Further, the local controller 51 may include a storage unit 53 that stores a transfer command that is transferred from the transfer destination to the transfer source, and a re-execution unit 54 that executes the transfer command stored in the storage unit 53. The re-execution unit 54 may re-execute the stored conveyance command after a predetermined time has elapsed, or may re-execute after grasping that the abnormality has been resolved. In this way, the transfer command transferred in the local controller 51 can be executed again without going through the host controller 52.

  4 to 8 show a series of operations from the conveyance command to recovery from the abnormality. A transport command indicating a transport source T1 and a transport destination T2 is transmitted from the host controller 52 to the local controller 51 (S1). When the local controller 51 receives the conveyance command from the host controller 52, the local controller 51 assigns the received conveyance command to the stacker crane 3 that executes the conveyance (S2). As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, when the transport command is assigned, the stacker crane 3 travels toward the transport source T1, performs a transfer operation, and travels toward the transport destination T2 (S3). For example, it is assumed that the transport destination T2 is the delivery station 42.

  The stacker crane 3 communicates with the exit station 42 via the communication means during traveling toward the exit station 42 or after stopping, and grasps the state of the exit station 42 (S4). When the abnormality of the delivery station 42 is not grasped, the article W is transferred to the delivery station 42 (S5). When the interlock with the delivery station 42 fails or the conveyor 43 downstream of the delivery station 42 is stopped and the transfer operation cannot be performed on the delivery station 42, it is understood that the delivery station 42 is in an abnormal state. . In FIG. 7, it is assumed that the article W3 is abnormally stopped on the conveyor 43 on the downstream side of the delivery station 42 and the article W cannot be transferred to the delivery station 42 by the stacker crane 3. Based on the grasp of the abnormality of the transport destination T2, the local controller 51 transfers the transport destination T2 from the delivery station 42 to the transport source T1, and the stacker crane 3 resumes traveling toward the transport source T1 and transfers. An operation is performed (S6). By transferring the transfer to the transfer source T1, the article W can be reliably transferred to the shelf 25.

  The local controller 51 transmits to the host controller 52 that the abnormality of the transport destination T2 has been grasped. Upon receiving the information, the host controller 52 restores the data related to the placement state of the article W to the placement state data before the conveyance (S7). The automatic warehouse system 1 can receive the article W4 received from the warehousing station 41 while the delivery station 42 is in an abnormal state, and can avoid stopping the operation of the automatic warehouse system 1 (S8). .

  The local controller 51 stores, in the storage unit 53, a transport command that is transferred from the transport destination T2 to the transport source T1. When a predetermined time elapses after the abnormality of the delivery station 42 is grasped or when it is grasped that the abnormality has been resolved by communicating with the delivery station 42, the re-execution unit 54 re-executes the stored conveyance command ( S9).

According to the embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) In the above-described automatic warehouse system, the controller automatically transfers the transport destination to a new transport destination when the abnormality grasping means grasps the abnormality of the transport destination. By doing in this way, even when an abnormality of the transport destination is grasped, the transportation can be executed within a range in which the abnormality is not grasped, so that the operation of the automatic warehouse system can be prevented from being stopped.
(2) By transferring the transfer destination to the transfer source where the article was originally placed, the transfer can be transferred to a shelf on which the article can be surely placed without referring to the storage state data of the article. .
(3) When the abnormality of the conveyance destination is grasped, the local controller can execute transfer of the transfer destination without passing through the host controller that manages the storage state data of the article by transferring the transfer destination to the transfer source.
(4) By storing the transferred transfer command in the local controller, the local controller can again execute the transferred transfer command in the local controller without receiving the transferred transfer command from the host controller again.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment. For example, the transfer means is a slide fork, but is not limited thereto. For example, it has an advancing / retreating member that advances / retreats along both side surfaces of the article, and an elongated hook that is provided on the advancing / retreating member and can be changed to a hooking position and a retracting position, and the hook is in the hooking position. In this state, the advancing / retreating member may be advanced and retracted, and the article may be drawn by a hook or pushed out to transfer the article. In this case, a support member that moves up and down with respect to the transfer surface of the conveyor is not provided in the station, and the stacker crane may transfer the article directly to the station conveyor. In this case, the shelf may not be a shelf shape having a shelf receiving portion and a fork passage gap but may be a flat plate connecting the first support column and the second support column. One article may be placed on one flat plate, or a plurality of articles may be placed. When a plurality of articles are placed, the host controller may manage the size of the flat plate and which attribute of the product is placed at which position on the flat plate.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although it was set as one stacker crane on the driving | running route, you may provide a several stacker crane. For example, one stacker crane transfers articles from a transport source shelf to a transport destination shelf or station, and the other stacker crane transfers goods from a transport source shelf or station to a transport destination shelf. When performing loading, the host controller transmits a conveyance command so as to transfer a shelf, which is the conveyance destination of the other stacker crane, to a shelf other than the shelf whose one stacker crane is the conveyance source. In this way, a plurality of stacker cranes are provided, and one stacker crane transfers articles from the transfer source to the transfer destination, grasps the abnormality of the transfer destination, and transfers the transfer destination to the transfer source. Even in the case of changing, one of the stacker cranes can transfer the article to the transfer source which is the transferred transfer destination without being influenced by the other stacker crane.

  In the above embodiment, the host controller restores the data related to the placement state of the article to the placement state data before transport based on the fact that the abnormality of the transport destination has been grasped in S7. Not exclusively. The storage state data may be updated based on the completion of the conveyance. For example, the stacker crane may notify the local controller or the host controller when the transfer operation is completed, and the host controller may update the storage state data after confirming the completion of the transfer operation. In this case, the storage state data is not updated when the article is transferred from the transport source, and the storage state data is updated when the article is transferred to the transport source. Moreover, you may provide a several stacker crane by doing in this way.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the conveyance command memorize | stored in S9 was performed again, it is not restricted to this. For example, you may display on the terminal etc. which an operator can confirm, without re-executing the memorize | stored conveyance instruction | command. In this case, the conveyance command to be executed may be selected from the displayed conveyance commands.

  In the present invention, when an article is transported from a shelf to another transport destination, if an abnormality of the transport destination is grasped, the transport is automatically transferred to another transport destination, and transport is performed within a range in which the abnormality is not grasped. Therefore, it is useful as an automatic warehouse system that can avoid operation stoppage.

Automatic warehouse system 1
Rack 2
First strut 21
Second support 22
Shelf receiving part 23
Fork passage clearance 24
Shelf 25
High load shelf 251
Low load shelf 252
Stacker crane 3
Travel route 31
Traveling cart 32
Mast 33
Lift platform 34
Slide fork 35
Abnormality grasping means 36
Station 4
Warehousing station 41
Shipping station 42
Conveyor 43
Support member 44
Controller 5
Local controller 51
Host controller 52
Storage unit 53
Re-execution unit 54
Article W
High load W1
Low load W2
Pallet P
Storage state data D
Transport source T1
Transport destination T2

Claims (3)

A transport vehicle for transporting articles;
A shelf arranged along a travel route of the transport vehicle, on which the article is placed;
An abnormality grasping means for grasping an abnormality of the transport destination when transporting an article to be transported from the transport source on which the article is placed toward the transport destination provided in the transport vehicle;
A controller that controls to transfer the transport destination to another transport destination without transporting to the transport destination when an abnormality of the transport destination is grasped by the abnormality grasping means;
Equipped with a,
The controller transfers the transport destination to the transport source when an abnormality of the transport destination is grasped by the abnormality grasping means when the article to be transported is transported from the transport source to the transport destination. Control to
further,
The controller is
A local controller for controlling the transport vehicle so as to transport from the transport source to the transport destination based on the received transport command;
A host controller that transmits the transport command to the local controller based on storage state data for the shelf;
The local controller performs control to transfer the transport destination in the transport command to the transport source without referring to the storage state data when the abnormality grasping means grasps the abnormality of the transport destination.
Automatic warehouse system. One transport vehicle as the transport vehicle, and
Wherein the transport origin is Ru shelf der an article for performing the transfer is placed,
The automatic warehouse system according to claim 1. The local controller is
A storage unit for storing a transport command in which the transport destination is transferred to the transport source;
A re-execution unit for executing the conveyance command stored in the storage unit;
The automatic warehouse system according to claim 1 .

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