JP6705227B2 - Picking system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a picking system that automatically inserts a predetermined item into a receiving container.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, there is a system in which a picking robot is introduced into a picking system that puts a plurality of kinds of articles according to an order into a receiving container to automate the picking work. For example, in the picking system described in Patent Document 1, a picking robot picks up an item of a type according to an order from a shelf in which plural types of items are stored for each same type, and the picked-up item is transferred to a pallet transfer device. The technology to be transferred is described in.

JP-A-8-104404

However, in the conventional picking system, if the types of goods according to the order cannot be put into one receiving container or pallet, the items cannot be put into the next receiving container, so depending on the contents of the order, the items can be put efficiently. It was sometimes difficult to do.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a picking system in which a picking robot can insert an article into each of a plurality of receiving containers held on one shelf.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a picking system according to the present invention is a picking system for loading articles into a receiving container, and a shelf for holding a plurality of receiving containers and a transfer for transferring the receiving container to the shelf. A transporting device having a device, a moving device that moves a moving body with respect to the shelf, and a picking robot that is attached to the moving body and that puts an article into a receiving container held on the shelf. To do.

According to this, by moving one picking robot together with the moving body, it becomes possible to insert one type of article into each of the plurality of receiving containers stored in the shelf.

Further, the shelf may include an article supply unit that holds a supply container in which the articles to be placed in the receiving container are stored.

According to this, since the receiving container and the supply container can be arranged in one shelf, it is possible to save the space of the picking system. Further, since the supply container holding the article can be transferred and transferred by the transfer device, the efficiency of the picking work can be improved.

Further, the moving device may include a container holding means that is attached to the moving body and holds a supply container that stores an article to be supplied to the receiving container.

According to this, even when the picking robot moves together with the moving body, the supply container can be always arranged in the vicinity of the picking robot, and the supply container and the picking robot can be brought closer to the receiving container. It is possible to shorten the picking time by the picking robot and improve the efficiency of the picking work.

Further, the moving device may be arranged on the opposite side of the transport device with the shelf in between.

According to this, since the moving device and the transfer device do not interfere with each other, the picking operation by the picking robot and the transfer of the receiving container can be performed independently, and for example, the receiving container can be carried in and out of the shelf during the picking operation. It is possible to improve the efficiency of the entire picking system such as

Further, the shelf includes a first shelf and a second shelf, and the picking robot is held on the first shelf by moving the moving body between the first shelf and the second shelf. It may be possible to supply articles to the receiving container and the receiving container held on the second shelf.

According to this, one picking robot can put an article into a receiving container stored in a plurality of shelves, and efficiently perform the steps of picking work and carrying in/out of receiving containers and supply containers. Is possible.

According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the efficiency of the automatic picking system.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a picking system. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a shelf and a transfer device. FIG. 3 is a front view showing the shelf. FIG. 4 is a front view showing a shelf and a moving device. FIG. 5 is a side view showing a shelf and a moving device when the picking robot performs a picking operation. FIG. 6 is a side view showing a shelf and a moving device when the picking robot is moved between the first shelf and the second shelf. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a flow of operations of the picking system. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing another picking system 100.

Next, an embodiment of a picking system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiments are merely examples of the picking system according to the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is defined by the wording of the claims with reference to the following embodiments, and is not limited to the following embodiments. Therefore, among the constituent elements in the following embodiments, the constituent elements not described in the independent claims showing the highest concept of the present invention are not necessarily required to achieve the object of the present invention, but It is described as constituting the preferred form.

In addition, the drawings are schematic diagrams in which emphasis or omission is appropriately performed and ratios are adjusted to show the present invention, and may differ from actual shapes, positional relationships, and ratios.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a picking system.

As shown in the figure, the picking system 100 is a system for inserting a predetermined number of plural kinds of articles (not shown) according to the order tied to the receiving container 200, and includes a shelf 101, a carrier device 102, and The mobile device 103 and the picking robot 104 are provided. In addition, in the case of the present embodiment, the picking system 100 includes a container holding means 105.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a shelf and a transfer device.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing the shelf.

As shown in these drawings, the shelf 101 is a facility for holding a plurality of receiving containers 200, a shelf plate 113 that is a holding member that holds the receiving containers, and a frame 110 that holds the shelf plates 113 at predetermined positions. It has and. In the case of this embodiment, the shelf 101 includes a first shelf 111 and a second shelf 112 that are arranged adjacent to each other. A shelf plate 113, which is a holding member provided on the first shelf 111, is a member that holds the receiving container 200 in a mounted state, and includes a bottom shelf plate 114 that extends to the entire bottom of the first shelf 111 and a bottom shelf plate 114. An upper shelf plate 115 arranged above is provided. A moving space 116, which is a space in which the picking robot 104 can move, exists in the upper part of the central portion in the width direction (X-axis direction in the drawing) of the bottom shelf board 114, and the upper shelf board is located on both sides of the moving space 116. 115 are arranged respectively. The upper shelf plate 115 is arranged so as to project toward the moving space 116 in a cantilever state on the frame 110 arranged in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction in the drawing). Further, the first shelf 111 is provided with an article supply unit 117 that holds a supply container 210 in which articles to be supplied to the receiving container 200 are stored, in a central portion in the width direction of the bottom shelf plate 114. Further, the shelf board 113 can hold a plurality of (two in the present embodiment) receiving containers 200 arranged side by side in the depth direction of the first shelf 111 (Y-axis direction in the drawing). Further, the first shelf 111 and the second shelf 112 have the same structure and shape. The first shelf 111 and the second shelf 112 share a part of the frame 110. An image pickup device 119 capable of picking up an image of the contents of the supply container 210 arranged below is provided above the moving space 116. In the case of the present embodiment, the imaging device 119 is provided on both the first shelf 111 and the second shelf 112, but it may be provided on only one of them.

The transfer device 102 is a dolly having a transfer device 121 that can transfer the receiving container 200 between the shelf 101 and another place and can transfer the receiving container 200 to the shelf 101.

In the case of the present embodiment, the transport device 102 is arranged on one side of the shelf 101 (the positive side in the Y-axis direction in the drawing) and moves along the rail 122 laid along the shelf 101 on the floor surface. After being stopped at a predetermined position on the shelf 101, the transfer container 121 is used to transfer the receiving container 200 to and from the shelf 101.

Further, the transfer device 102 includes a number of transfer devices 121 (six in the present embodiment) corresponding to the position where the receiving container 200 is stored on the first shelf 111, and each transfer device of the first shelf 111. The receiving container 200 can be transferred to the plate 113 at one time. Further, the transfer device 121 is capable of transferring a plurality of receiving containers 200 arranged in the depth direction (Y-axis direction in the drawing) of the first shelf 111 at one time. That is, in the case of the present embodiment, the transfer device 102 can transfer all the receiving containers 200 that can be held by the first shelf 111 at once and transfer them to and from the first shelf 111 at one time. Is becoming

The transfer device 102 is not only capable of transferring the receiving container 200 to the first shelf 111 at one time, but also includes an elevating means for moving the transfer device 121 up and down, with respect to the shelf boards 113 at each stage. The receiving container 200 may be transferred according to the height of the transfer device 121. Further, the transport device 102 is not limited to a device that moves on the rail 122, and may be a device that moves in a suspended state.

Further, in the case of the present embodiment, since the receiving container 200 and the supply container 210 have the same outer shape, the transfer device 102 can transfer the supply container 210 as well as the reception container 200, and the transfer device 121 can The supply container 210 can also be transferred to the article supply unit 117 of the shelf 101.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing a shelf and a moving device.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a shelf and a moving device when the picking robot performs a picking operation.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing a shelf and a moving device when the picking robot is moved between the first shelf and the second shelf.

As shown in the figure, the moving device 103 is a device for moving the moving body 131 to which the picking robot 104 is attached to the shelf 101. In the case of the present embodiment, the moving device 103 is arranged on the opposite side of the transport device 102 with the shelf 101 interposed therebetween.

Here, the moving body 131 is a member that is moved by the moving device 103, and is a member that holds the picking robot 104. In the case of the present embodiment, the moving device 103 can move not only the picking robot 104 in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction in the drawing) but also in the depth direction of the shelf 101 (Y-axis direction in the drawing). ing. Specifically, the moving body 131 is a rod-shaped member extending in the depth direction of the shelf 101, and the picking robot 104 moves in the depth direction as the moving body 131 moves in and out of the shelf 101 in the depth direction.

The moving device 103 is a device that can move the picking robot 104 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) arranged in the moving space 116 via the moving body 131 in the vertical direction. In the case of the present embodiment, the moving device 103 further moves the picking robot 104 together with the moving body 131 to the outside of the shelf 101 as shown in FIG. 6, and in this state, the first shelf 111 and the second shelf 112 are separated. The picking robot 104 can be moved in the width direction (the X-axis direction in the figure) between them.

Specifically, the moving device 103 includes pillar members 139 at positions corresponding to both ends of the shelf 101 in the width direction. In addition, the moving device 103 includes a beam member 138 arranged in a bridge shape between the two pillar members 139 and vertically moving with respect to the pillar member 139, and a slide member 137 moving along the beam member 138. I have it. The slide member 137 of the moving device 103 holds the moving body 131 slidably in the depth direction of the shelf 101.

The picking robot 104 is a device capable of loading an article into the receiving container 200 held on the shelf 101 while being attached to a moving body. The type of the picking robot 104 is not limited to the articulated robot shown in the figure, and any robot such as a parallel link robot may be selected according to the shape and weight of the article to be picked. it can.

The container holding means 105 is a device capable of holding the supply container 210 in which the articles to be supplied to the receiving container 200 are stored, and is a device attached to the moving body 131 and moved by the moving device 103 together with the picking robot 104. is there.

In the case of the present embodiment, the container holding means 105 can hold the supply container 210 transferred to the article supply unit 117 by the transfer device 102. Further, the supply container 210 held by the container holding means 105 can be moved to the outside of the moving space 116 or the shelf 101 by the moving device 103 together with the picking robot 104.

Next, the operation of the picking system 100 will be described.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a flow of operations of the picking system.

The transfer device 121 of the transfer device 102 transfers the empty or unreceived receiving container 200 to the shelf plate 113 of the first shelf 111 (S201). The number of receiving containers 200 transferred to the first shelf 111 is not particularly limited. It should be noted that each receiving container 200 is associated with order information indicating the type and number of articles to be inserted.

Next, the transfer device 121 transfers the supply container 210 accommodating the articles included in the order information to the article supply unit 117 of the first shelf 111 (S202).

Next, the image of the article in the supply container 210 held by the article supply unit 117 is imaged by the imaging device 119, and the position of the article in the supply container 210 is grasped (S101).

Here, the moving device 103 retracts the moving body 131 to the outside of the first shelf 111 (see FIG. 6) so as not to interfere with the imaging (S301).

On the other hand, at the same time as the imaging, the transfer device 121 moves to a place other than the shelf 101 such as a receiving container storage shelf (not shown) to receive a new receiving container 200 (S203).

Next, the moving device 103 moves the moving body 131 to a position where the container holding means 105 can hold the supply container 210. When the movement is completed, the container holding means 105 holds the supply container 210 (S302).

When the container holding means 105 holds the supply container 210, the picking robot 104 is at a position where it can hold an article in the supply container 210 arranged in the article supply unit 117 and is arranged at the same height as the supply container 210. The receiving container 200 is in a state in which it can be loaded with an article. The picking robot 104 picks the article from the supply container 210 held in the bottom shelf plate 114 (lower part in the drawing) to the receiving container 200 according to the order information (S102).

While the picking robot 104 is performing the picking operation on the first shelf 111, the transfer device 102 transfers the receiving container 200 to the second shelf 112 (S204).

As described above, in the picking system 100, the transport device 102 and the moving device 103 are arranged on both sides of the shelf 101 and the first shelf 111 and the second shelf 112 are provided. The transfer device 102 can perform the transfer operation on the second shelf 112 while the picking robot 104 and the moving device 103 are in operation, which enables efficient operation.

When the picking operation in the lower stage is completed, the moving device 103 raises the moving body 131 in the moving space 116 to the position corresponding to the middle stage (S303). As the moving body 131 rises, the picking robot 104 and the supply container 210 held by the container holding means 105 also rise to the position corresponding to the middle stage.

When the ascending is completed (while possible, even during the ascending), the picking robot 104 picks the article from the supply container 210 held in the middle stage to the receiving container 200 according to the order information (S103).

In this way, the picking robot 104 and the container holding means 105 are attached to the moving body 131 and move at the same time, whereby the supply container 210 can be arranged in the vicinity of the picking robot 104, and the picking robot 104 and the supply container 210 can be arranged. Since the positional relationship between and can be made constant, the picking robot 104 can always perform the picking work with the same operation even when the picking place is changed. Therefore, efficient picking can be performed.

Similarly, when the middle-stage picking work is completed, the moving device 103 raises the moving body 131 to the upper stage (S304), and the picking robot 104 performs the picking work in the upper stage (S104).

When the picking operation on the first shelf 111 is completed, the moving device 103 moves the moving body 131 to the retracted position, and then moves the moving body 131 together with the supply container 210 held on the second shelf 112 (S305). ).

When the evacuation of the moving body 131 from the first shelf 111 is completed, the transfer device 121 of the transfer device 102 collects the receiving container 200 corresponding to the order information from the first shelf 111 (S206).

On the other hand, on the second shelf 112, the picking work is sequentially performed from the upper stage to the lower stage (S105). When the picking work is completed, the transfer device 121 of the transfer device 102 collects the receiving container 200 corresponding to the order information from the second shelf 112 (S207). Further, the container holding means 105 places the supply container 210 on the article supply unit 117 of the bottom shelf plate 114 of the second shelf 112 (S306). The supply container 210 placed on the article supply unit 117 of the second shelf 112 is collected by the transport device 102 (S208).

When the above-described series of operations from the first shelf 111 to the second shelf 112 is being performed on the second shelf 112, the receiving container 200 and the supply container 210 are transferred and the supply container 210 is transferred to the first shelf 111. It is possible to efficiently perform the automatic picking work by repeatedly performing the imaging such as the above while partially overlapping in time.

As described above, by moving the picking robot 104 along with the moving body 131, it becomes possible to load the articles into a plurality of receiving containers held on one shelf, which enables efficient picking work. It becomes possible to do it.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, another embodiment realized by arbitrarily combining the constituent elements described in this specification or excluding some of the constituent elements may be an embodiment of the present invention. Further, the present invention also includes modified examples obtained by applying various modifications to the above-described embodiment, which are conceivable to those skilled in the art, without departing from the gist of the present invention, that is, the scope of the wording set forth in the claims. Be done.

For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the number of shelves 101 may be single. Further, the article supply unit 117 in which the supply container 210 is arranged may not be fixed on the shelf 101, and when the supply container 210 is arranged on the shelf plate 113, the place becomes the article supply unit 117.

The carrier device 102 moves the supply container 210 in the width direction (X-axis direction in the drawing) and in the up-down direction (Z-axis direction in the drawing) to transfer the supply container 210 to the corresponding holding member 113 of the shelf 101. But it doesn't matter.

The moving device 103 may move the moving body 131 only in one axis or only two axes. Further, the imaging device 119 may be attached to the moving body 131.

Further, the case where the shelf 101 includes the shelf plate 113 that holds the receiving container 200 and the like in the mounted state has been described, but the holding mode of the receiving container 200 is not particularly limited, and the receiving container 200 is hung and held. The shelf 101 may be provided with a rail, a hook, or the like that operates.

Further, the transfer device 121 provided in the transfer device 102 is not limited to a device that clamps a container such as the receiving container 200 or the supply container 210, and the container may be accommodated according to the holding mode of the container on the shelf 101. It may be equipped with a fork that is scooped up from below or a hook that pushes and pulls the container to transfer it.

Further, the container holding means 105 attached to the moving body 131 is not limited to one that is hooked on the flange portion of the container and held in a suspended state, and may be provided with a fork or the like that supports the container from below. ..

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used for a picking system in which a plurality of types of articles according to orders are packed in one container.

100 Picking System 101 Shelf 102 Conveying Device 103 Moving Device 104 Picking Robot 105 Container Holding Unit 110 Frame 111 First Shelf 112 Second Shelf 113 Shelf Plate (Holding Member)
114 Bottom Shelf Plate 115 Upper Shelf Plate 116 Moving Space 117 Article Supplying Unit 119 Imaging Device 121 Transferring Device 122 Rail 131 Moving Body 137 Slide Member 138 Beam Member 139 Column Member 200 Receiving Container 210 Supply Container

Claims (5)

A picking system for loading articles into a receiving container,
A shelf holding a plurality of receiving containers,
A transfer device having a transfer device for transferring the receiving container to the shelf,
A moving device for moving the moving body with respect to the shelf,
A picking robot that is attached to the moving body and that puts an article into a receiving container held on the shelf ,
The moving device is
A container holding means attached to the moving body, for holding a supply container in which the articles to be supplied to the receiving container are stored,
The picking robot is
Picking system from the supply container held in the container holding means you put the articles into the receiving container held in the rack. The shelf is
A movement space which is a space in which the picking robot and the supply container held by the container holding means can move;
A shelf for holding the receiving container on both sides of the moving space,
The picking system according to claim 1. The picking system according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the shelf includes an article supply unit that holds a supply container that stores an article to be supplied to the receiving container. The picking system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the moving device is arranged on the opposite side of the transport device with the shelf in between. The shelf includes a first shelf and a second shelf,
By moving the moving body between the first shelf and the second shelf, the picking robot causes the receiving container held on the first shelf and the receiving container held on the second shelf. The picking system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is capable of supplying articles to.

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