JP7137372B2 - Automated warehouse system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an automated warehouse system .

An automated warehouse system capable of efficiently storing and shipping a large number of goods in a small space is known. The applicant of the present application discloses an automated warehouse system provided with a plurality of storage racks capable of storing a plurality of articles in Patent Document 1. This automated warehouse system is configured to carry in and out articles between storage racks using a carrier vehicle movable in the column direction and a carrier vehicle movable in the row direction.

JP 2017-160040 A

In an automated warehouse, workers may move along the track of the trolley for maintenance of storage racks, etc. In this case, the shortest course may be the course of moving over the trolley. However, since conventional trucks do not have a structure for a person to climb over and move on, it is not easy for a worker to climb over the truck. For this reason, the worker has to bypass the shortest course and make a round trip around the storage shelf, which causes a problem of wasting labor and time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an automated warehouse system in which people can move on carts.

In order to solve the above-described problems, an automated warehouse system according to one aspect of the present invention is an automated warehouse system having storage racks capable of storing goods, wherein a first truck moves in a first direction with goods mounted thereon. and a second truck that carries the first truck and moves in a second direction that intersects with the first direction in the vicinity of the frontage of the storage shelf. The second carriage is configured such that the height of the end in the second direction at the first position in the first direction is lower than the height of the end in the second direction at a second position different from the first position in the first direction. ing.

Another aspect of the present invention is also an automated warehouse system. This automated warehouse system is an automated warehouse system having storage racks capable of storing goods, and includes a first truck that carries the goods and moves in a first direction. and a second truck that moves in a second direction that intersects with the first direction. The second carriage is provided with a recess for a person to pass through in the second direction.

Yet another aspect of the invention is a truck. This trolley is for use in an automated warehouse having a first trolley on which goods are mounted and which moves in a first direction within a storage shelf, and in which the first trolley is mounted and moves in a second direction intersecting the first direction. wherein the height of the end in the second direction at the first position in the first direction is lower than the height of the end in the second direction at a second position different from the first position in the first direction It is

Yet another aspect of the invention is also a truck. This trolley is for use in an automated warehouse having a first trolley on which goods are mounted and which moves in a first direction within a storage shelf, and in which the first trolley is mounted and moves in a second direction intersecting the first direction. , wherein a recess is provided for passage of a person in a second direction.

Arbitrary combinations of the above constituent elements, and mutually replacing the constituent elements and expressions of the present invention in methods, systems, etc. are also effective as aspects of the present invention.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an automated warehouse system that allows people to move on carts.

1 is a plan view schematically showing an example of an automated warehouse system according to an embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the arrangement of storage racks in the automated warehouse system of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a side view schematically showing the automated warehouse system of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a side view showing the arrangement of storage racks in the automated warehouse system of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing an example of a first truck of the automated warehouse system of FIG. 1; FIG. 6 is a front view of the first truck of FIG. 5; 2 is a plan view schematically showing an example of a second truck of the automated warehouse system of FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 8 is a front view of the second truck of FIG. 7; FIG. 8 is a side view of the second truck of FIG. 7; It is a side view which shows the 2nd truck which concerns on a comparative example. 2 is a side view showing a second truck of the automated warehouse system of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a second truck of the automated warehouse system of FIG. 1; FIG.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. In the embodiment and modified examples, the same or equivalent constituent elements and members are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted as appropriate. In addition, the dimensions of the members in each drawing are appropriately enlarged or reduced for easy understanding. Also, in each drawing, some of the members that are not important for explaining the embodiments are omitted.
Also, terms including ordinal numbers such as first, second, etc. are used to describe various components, but these terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from other components, and the terms The constituent elements are not limited by

[Embodiment]
The configuration of an automated warehouse system 100 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG. FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing an example of an automated warehouse system 100 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the storage racks 22 of the automated warehouse system 100. As shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a side view schematically showing the automated warehouse system 100. As shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the arrangement of the storage racks 22 of the automated warehouse system 100. As shown in FIG. In these figures, descriptions of pillars and beams are omitted.

For convenience of explanation, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system in which a certain horizontal direction is the X-axis direction, a horizontal direction orthogonal to the X-axis direction is the Y-axis direction, and a direction orthogonal to both, that is, the vertical direction is the Z-axis direction determine. The positive direction of each of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis is defined in the direction of the arrow in each figure, and the negative direction is defined in the direction opposite to the arrow. Also, the X-axis direction is sometimes referred to as the "row direction". Also, the Y-axis direction is sometimes referred to as the “column direction”. Also, the Z-axis direction is sometimes referred to as the "vertical direction". Such directional notation does not limit the configuration of the automated warehouse system 100, and the automated warehouse system 100 can be used in any configuration according to the application. Although the XYZ orthogonal coordinate system will be used in the following description, the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions do not necessarily have to be orthogonal to each other as long as they intersect at approximately 90 degrees.

First, the overall configuration of the automated warehouse system 100 will be described. The automated warehouse system 100 is a system that includes storage racks 22 that can store a large number of goods 12 . The automated warehouse system 100 includes a storage rack section 22, a first truck 14, a second truck 16, a first rail 40, a second rail 44, a power supply section 34, a control section 18, and a mode setting section 30. and including. In the embodiment, the Y-axis direction is exemplified as the first direction, and the X-axis direction is exemplified as the second direction. In the storage shelf section 22, the first rail 40 extends in the Y-axis direction. The travel path 47 is a travel path for the second carriage 16 and extends in the X-axis direction near the end of the storage shelf 22 . When collectively referring to the first truck 14 and the second truck 16, they may simply be referred to as "trucks." The second rail 44 and the power supply portion 34 extend in the X-axis direction on the travel path 47 . In this specification, the end portion of the storage shelf portion 22 on the side of the travel path 47 is referred to as "the frontage of the storage shelf portion 22".

The control unit 18 includes an MPU (Micro Processing Unit) and the like, and controls the movement of the load 12 based on the operation results from the user. The controller 18 can control the operation of the first carriage 14 and the second carriage 16 to control movement of the load 12 . The mode setting unit 30 is setting means for setting the operation mode of the automated warehouse system 100 . The mode setting unit 30 of this embodiment can set a plurality of modes. The mode setting section 30 provides the setting result to the control section 18 .

In the present embodiment, the cargo 12 is handled while being placed on a pallet (not shown), but the present invention is not limited to this, and the cargo 12 may be handled independently without using a pallet. It should be noted that conveying the load 12 while it is placed on a pallet is simply referred to as transporting the load 12 .

(Storage shelf)
The storage shelf 22 is installed on the floor Lg and is a so-called high-density storage space capable of storing a large number of loads 12 . In this embodiment, the storage shelves 22 are provided on both sides in the column direction with the travel path 47 interposed therebetween. The configuration of the storage shelf section 22 is not particularly limited as long as it can accommodate and store a plurality of articles 12 . The automated warehouse system 100 has N (N≧2) stages of storage shelf sections 22 stacked in layers in the vertical direction. This embodiment has three stages of storage shelves 22 . The N storage shelf portions 22 stacked in layers are referred to as a storage shelf group 20 . The first storage shelf 22 closest to the floor Lg is simply referred to as "first stage", the second storage shelf 22 is simply referred to as "second stage", and the third storage shelf 22 is referred to as "second stage". is sometimes simply referred to as the "third stage".

Each storage shelf section 22 includes a plurality of (for example, six) storage rows 24 arranged in the X-axis direction, and each storage row 24 includes a plurality of storage units 26 connected in the Y-axis direction. The storage unit 26 is a unit that stores the goods 12 . The frontage of each storage row 24 on the side of the second rail 44 is the frontage of the storage rack section 22 and functions as an entrance through which the first carriage 14 enters and exits.

The first rail 40 is a travel path along which the first truck 14 travels. A first rail 40 extends in the Y-axis direction in each storage row 24 . The second rail 44 is a rail on which the second truck 16 travels. A second rail 44 extends in the X-axis direction across each storage row 24 . The second rail 44 of this embodiment is provided at a position close to the frontage of the storage row 24 . When collectively referring to the first rail 40 and the second rail 44, they are simply referred to as rails. The first rail 40 is supported on a first support member 42 extending in the X-axis direction. The second rail 44 is supported on cross beams 46 extending in the Y-axis direction. Note that the first support member may be supported on the horizontal beam 46 .

(First truck)
Next, the first carriage 14 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 as well. FIG. 5 is a plan view schematically showing an example of the first truck 14. As shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a front view of the first truck 14. FIG. The first truck 14 travels in the Y-axis direction on a first rail 40 within the storage train 24 to transport the load 12 . The first truck 14 takes the load 12 into and out of the storage section 26 . The first truck 14 travels on the second truck 16 in the Y-axis direction in order to get on and off the second truck 16 .

The first carriage 14 mainly includes a vehicle body 14b, a mounting table portion 14c, a lift mechanism 14d, and a plurality of (for example, four) wheels 14f. The vehicle body 14b has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped contour that is flat in the vertical direction. Inside the vehicle body 14b, a motor (not shown) for driving the wheels 14f, a control circuit (not shown) for controlling the motor, and a battery 14g are mounted. The first carriage 14 is configured to drive the motor with the electric power of the battery 14g. The battery is a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery that can be repeatedly charged. The battery 14g of this embodiment is charged by the second truck 16 while being placed on the second truck 16. As shown in FIG.

The mounting table portion 14c is a portion that lifts and holds the load 12 . The lift mechanism 14d is a mechanism for raising and lowering the mounting table portion 14c. In FIG. 6, the mounting table portion 14c in the raised state is indicated by a broken line, and the mounting table portion 14c in the lowered state is indicated by a solid line. The lift mechanism 14 d can raise the mounting table portion 14 c to lift the load 12 from the mounting surface of the storage portion 26 . The lift mechanism 14 d can lower the loading table portion 14 c to lower the cargo 12 onto the loading surface of the storage portion 26 . A plurality of wheels 14 f can roll on the first rail 40 and on the second truck 16 .

(Second truck)
Next, the second carriage 16 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9 as well. FIG. 7 is a plan view schematically showing an example of the second carriage 16. As shown in FIG. FIG. 8 is a front view of the second truck 16, showing a state in which the first truck 14 is mounted. FIG. 9 is a side view of the second truck 16. FIG. The second carriage 16 runs on the second rail 44 in the X-axis direction. The second truck 16 conveys the first truck 14 that is empty or loaded with the cargo 12 .

The second truck 16 includes a base 16a, a truck mounting portion 16c, a first end cover 16d, a second end cover 16e, a plurality of (for example, four) wheels 16f, a current collecting unit 38, Mainly includes The base 16a is a base on which each component of the second carriage 16 is mounted. The base 16a is a plate-shaped member that extends in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction in the lower portion of the second carriage 16 . The first end cover 16d is provided on the base 16a at one end of the second carriage 16 in the X-axis direction. The second end cover 16e is provided on the base 16a at the other end of the second truck 16 in the X-axis direction. The carriage mounting portion 16c is provided on the base 16a at the central portion of the second carriage 16 in the X-axis direction. Thus, the carriage mounting portion 16c is located between the first end cover 16d and the second end cover 16e.

(Bogie mounting part)
The truck mounting portion 16 c is a portion for mounting the first truck 14 and has a pair of guide portions 16 j for guiding the first truck 14 . The pair of guide portions 16j are arranged on the upper surface of the base 16a so as to sandwich the space in which the first carriage 14 is mounted in the X-axis direction. The cross section of each guide portion 16j when viewed from the front has an angular lateral U shape. The carriage mounting portions 16c are recessed downward from the end covers at both ends in the X-axis direction of the second carriage 16, and the second carriage 16 has a substantially concave shape when viewed from the front.

(first end cover)
The first end cover 16d includes, on the base 16a, a motor 16k for driving the wheel 16f, a gear device 16g for transmitting the rotation of the motor 16k to the wheel 16f, and a control circuit (not shown) for controlling the motor 16k. and two wheels 16f on one end side. The first end cover 16d is configured to cover these elements at least from above. The first end cover 16d is provided with an operation portion 16p including an operation switch for operating the operation of the second truck. For example, the operation unit 16p is provided with, as operation switches, a power switch (not shown) for switching start and stop of operation and an emergency stop button (not shown).

The upper surface of the first end cover 16d has a high position portion 16h and a low position portion configured at a lower position than the high position portion 16h. The high position portion 16h is a portion that protrudes upward from the central portion of the first end cover 16d in the Y-axis direction. The low position portion includes a first low position portion 16m and a second low position portion 16n provided at both ends of the first end cover 16d in the Y-axis direction. The first low position portion 16m and the second low position portion 16n are portions recessed downward from the high position portion 16h. Therefore, the high position portion 16h is sandwiched between the first low position portion 16m and the second low position portion 16n in the Y-axis direction. The low portion will be described later.

(Second end cover)
The second end cover 16e functions as a casing that houses the two wheels 16f on the other end side on the base 16a. The second end cover 16e is configured to cover the wheel 16f at least from above. In this embodiment, the height of the second end cover 16e is higher than the height of the truck mounting portion 16c and lower than the height of the first end cover 16d.

The wheels 16 f are for running on the second rail 44 . The two wheels 16f on the side of the first end cover 16d are drive wheels driven by the motor 16k, and the two wheels 16f on the side of the second end cover 16e are driven wheels that are not driven by the motor.

Although one motor may drive two wheels 16f, in this embodiment, two motors 16k are provided for each of the two wheels 16f. The two motors 16k are spaced apart from each other in the Y-axis direction and arranged near each wheel 16f. The motor 16k is arranged horizontally under the first end cover 16d so that its longitudinal direction extends in the X-axis direction. The gear device 16g changes the direction of the rotating shaft and transmits the rotation of the motor 16k to the wheels 16f. Since the motor 16k is arranged in the vicinity of the wheel 16f, the transmission mechanism is simplified, and the size of the first end cover 16d can be reduced.

The current collecting unit 38 is supplied with electric power by coming into contact with the power supply section 34 (see also FIG. 1). The second carriage 16 receives power from the power supply section 34 via its current collecting unit 38 . The second carriage 16 is configured to drive a motor 16k with the received power. The second truck 16 can charge the battery of the first truck 14 with the received power.
The above is the description of the overall configuration of the automated warehouse system 100 .

(Comparative example)
Next, a comparative example of the second truck will be described. The second carriage 216 of the comparative example was devised in the process of inventing the second carriage 16 of this embodiment. FIG. 10 is a side view showing the surroundings of the second carriage 216 according to the comparative example. This figure shows the second truck 216 in a state of being arranged on the track 47 . The second carriage 216 does not have a low-position portion and is different from the second carriage 16 of the present embodiment in that the arrangement of the motor 16k is different, and other configurations are the same. Therefore, overlapping explanations will be omitted, and differences will be mainly explained.

The traveling path 47 of the second truck is a substantially rectangular shape sandwiched between two vertical pillars 20n spaced apart in the Y-axis direction between two horizontal beams 46 spaced apart in the Z-axis direction. has a longitudinal section of The second truck travels on the second rail 44 arranged on the cross beam 46 in the lower part of the travel path 47 . The first rail 40 is arranged on a first support member 42 supported by a cross beam 46 . Desirably, the end of the first rail 40 is close to the second truck so that the first truck 14 can easily transfer from the first rail 40 to the second truck. For this reason, the gap between the frontage of the storage shelf 22 and the second truck is configured to be narrow. In FIG. 10, the frontage of the storage shelf 22 is the side of the vertical pillar 20n on the travel path 47 side. A floor board (not shown) is provided at the bottom of the travel path 47, and the worker 8 can move on this floor board.

The worker 8 may move the traveling path 47 of the second truck in its extending direction (X-axis direction) for maintenance of the storage shelf 22 or the like. In this case, if there is a second truck 216 in the middle of the travel path 47 as shown in FIG. As described above, the gap between the vertical pillar 20n and the second truck 216 is so narrow that the operator 8 cannot pass through this gap. In addition, the second truck 216 does not have a structure (first and second low position portions 16m, 16n) for the worker 8 to ride over. Therefore, when the worker 8 tries to get over the second truck 216, he has to take a rather unreasonable posture. If the worker 8 assumes an unreasonable posture on the second truck 216, a safety problem may occur. For this reason, the worker 8 has to detour around the storage rack section 22 by detouring the route passing over the second carriage 216, which causes a problem of wasting labor and time.

Based on a comparative example, the second carriage 16 of the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 11 is a side view showing the surroundings of the second truck 16. As shown in FIG. This figure shows the second carriage 16 in a state of being arranged on the travel path 47 . The configuration of the travel path 47 in FIG. 11 is the same as the travel path 47 in FIG. In order to allow the worker 8 to easily pass between the second truck 16 and the storage shelf 22, the present inventors provided the second truck 16 with a passage recess ( hereinafter referred to as a "passage recess"). The passage concave portion may be a low position portion recessed downward from a high position portion where the upper surface of the second carriage 16 is high. The recessed passageway may be provided so as to allow passage of the worker 8, and may be provided so as to face the frontage of the storage rack section 22. As shown in FIG. In addition, there may be something interposed between the passage concave portion and the frontage of the storage rack portion 22 .

However, in the second truck 216 of the comparative example, the motor 16k for driving the wheels is arranged vertically, and the longitudinal direction of the motor 16k extends in the vertical direction. It was difficult to provide a passage concave portion having a shape that allows passage of 8. Therefore, in the second carriage 16 of the present embodiment, the motor 16k is arranged horizontally, and the longitudinal direction of the motor 16k extends in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction). By arranging the motor 16k horizontally, the upper space of the motor 16k can be used as a recessed passage, and the second truck 16 has a low position above the motor 16k for the worker 8 to pass through in the X-axis direction. is provided.

(passage recess)
The passage concave portion of the second truck 16 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7, 11, and 12. FIG. FIG. 12 is a diagram schematically showing the second truck 16. As shown in FIG. FIG. 12(a) shows the second truck 16 and its surroundings in plan view. FIG. 12(b) shows a cross-sectional profile along line AA in FIG. 12(a). In particular, it can be said that this figure shows the outer shape of the second carriage 16 projected in the X-axis direction. These figures omit descriptions of parts that are not important for the explanation. The second carriage 16 has a central portion 16b provided in the center in the X-axis direction, and a first end portion 16x and a second end portion 16y provided on both sides of the central portion 16b in the X-axis direction. In this embodiment, the first end cover 16d is exemplified as the first end 16x, the second end cover 16e is exemplified as the second end 16y, and the truck mounting portion 16c is exemplified as the central portion 16b. .

In the first end portion 16x, the height of the end portion 16s in the X-axis direction at the first position in the Y-axis direction is higher than the height of the end portion 16u in the X-axis direction at a second position different from the first position in the Y-axis direction. is also low. In this embodiment, the first low position portion 16m on the upper surface of the first end cover 16d is exemplified as the end portion 16s, and the high position portion 16h is exemplified as the end portion 16u. According to this configuration, since the height of the end portion 16s is lower than the height of the end portion 16u, the end portion 16s can be used as a recessed passage for the worker 8 to pass through in the X-axis direction. .

In the second carriage 16, the height of the X-axis direction end portion 16u at the second position in the Y-axis direction is higher than the height of the X-axis direction center portion 16b at the second position in the Y-axis direction. good. In this case, since the height of the end portion 16u is high, a mechanism for driving the second carriage 16 can be accommodated in the lower portion of the end portion 16u. By housing the drive mechanism in the end portion 16u, the height of the central portion 16b can be reduced.

In the second carriage 16, the height of both ends 16s and 16v in the X-axis direction at the first position in the Y-axis direction is equal to the height of at least one end 16u in the X-axis direction at the second position in the Y-axis direction. may be configured to be lower than In this case, since the height of both ends 16s and 16v is low, it is possible to use the end 16s to the end 16v of the second truck 16 as a passage through which the worker 8 passes in the X-axis direction. Become. In this embodiment, the end portion 16v is a portion near the end of the second end cover 16e in the positive Y-axis direction. The height of the end portion 16v is configured to be lower than the height of the end portion 16s.

The first position in the Y-axis direction may be the end portion, and the second position in the Y-axis direction may be the center portion. In this case, since the height of the end portion 16s is configured to be lower than the height of the end portion 16u, a recessed passage for the worker 8 can be provided on the end side of the second carriage 16 in the Y-axis direction.

The height of the second end 16y is desirably low so that the second end 16y does not obstruct the passage of the worker 8. From this point of view, the second carriage 16 has an end 16w in the X-axis direction at the third position, which is the end opposite to the first position in the Y-axis direction, so that the height of the end 16u is lower than the height of the end 16u. may be configured. In this case, since the end portion 16w is configured to be low, the possibility that the end portion 16w will hinder the passage of the worker 8 can be reduced. In this embodiment, the end portion 16w is a portion near the end of the second end cover 16e in the negative Y-axis direction.

The width of the end 16s is desirably wide to allow passage of the worker 8. From this point of view, the Y-axis direction width W2 of the end portion 16 s may be configured to be wider than the gap W1 between the second carriage 16 and the frontage of the storage rack portion 22 . In this case, the worker 8 can smoothly pass through the end portion 16s compared to when the width of the end portion 16s is narrow.

In order to facilitate passage of the worker 8, the width of the end 16s is desirably large enough to allow one foot to easily pass over it. From this point of view, the Y-axis direction width W2 of the end portion 16s may be 100 mm or more. In order to make the passage of the worker 8 smoother, the width of the end portion 16s is desirably large enough to allow both feet to pass over it. From this point of view, the Y-axis direction width W2 of the end portion 16s may be 300 mm or more. The width W2 in the Y-axis direction of the first low position portion 16m in this embodiment is set within the range of 380 to 390 mm. Note that the width W2 in the Y-axis direction of the first low position portion 16m may be 600 mm or less.

From the viewpoint of safety, when the worker 8 works near the travel path 47, it is desirable that the worker 8 can stop the movement of the second truck 16 in advance. Moreover, it is desirable that the worker 8 can resume the operation of the second truck 16 after the work is completed. Therefore, an operation portion 16p including an operation switch for operating the operation of the second carriage 16 is provided near the end portion 16u. In this case, the worker 8 can perform a stop operation before starting work, and can quickly perform a restart operation after finishing the work.

Desirably, edge 16s can be used as a footrest step to facilitate passage of operator 8. FIG. The end portion 16s is provided with a reinforcing member 16z on which a person's foot is placed. The reinforcing member 16z has strength to the extent that a person's foot can be put thereon as a step. The reinforcing member 16z may be any member as long as it can be used as a step, and for example, it may be made of a checkered steel plate having anti-slip projections on its surface. The reinforcing member 16z may be provided on the entire end portion 16s or may be provided on a part thereof.

It is desirable that the height of the end 16s is low to allow passage of the worker 8. From this point of view, the height H1 (height including the reinforcing member 16z) of the end portion 16s may be set to 400 mm or less from the lower surface of the second carriage 16 (in this example, the lower surface of the base 16a). In this case, it has been confirmed that the worker 8 can pass through the edge 16s. The height of the end portion 16s may be set to 350 mm or less from the lower surface of the second carriage 16 in order to allow the worker 8 to pass through more smoothly. In this case, passage becomes smooth. The height of the first low position portion 16m from the lower surface of the second carriage 16 in this embodiment is set within a range of 320 mm to 340 mm. Also, the height H2 of the end portion 16u may be set to 700 mm or less from the lower surface of the second carriage 16 . The height of the high portion 16h of the present embodiment is set within a range of 580 mm to 620 mm from the lower surface of the second carriage 16. As shown in FIG. Note that the height H1 of the end portion 16s may be 100 mm or more.

The shape of the second carriage 16 in plan view is symmetrical with respect to a line La that bisects the range in the Y-axis direction and extends in the X-axis direction. In addition, the shape of the second truck 16 when viewed from the side is symmetrical with respect to a line Lb that bisects the range in the Y-axis direction and extends in the Z-axis direction. Therefore, an end portion 16t of the first end portion 16x opposite to the end portion 16s in the Y-axis direction has a shape symmetrical with the end portion 16s. That is, the Y-axis direction width and height of the end portion 16t are the same as those of the end portion 16s, and the reinforcing member 16z is also provided at the end portion 16t. The end portion 16t can be used as a passage recess similarly to the end portion 16s.

(loading/unloading operation)
Next, loading and unloading operations of the automated warehouse system 100 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. The automated warehouse system 100 carries the cargo 12 from outside the warehouse into a warehouse (not shown) using a forklift or the like. The automated warehouse system 100 transports the goods 12 brought into the receiving section to a predetermined storage section 26 by the first carriage 14 and the second carriage 16 for storage. The automated warehouse system 100 transports the goods 12 stored in the predetermined storage section 26 to the delivery section (not shown) by the first carriage 14 and the second carriage 16 . The automated warehouse system 100 unloads the cargo 12 transported to the unloading section to the outside of the warehouse by a forklift or the like.

The above has been described based on the embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that this embodiment is an example, and that various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the claims of the present invention, and that such modifications and changes also fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention. It is about to be done. Accordingly, the description and drawings herein are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

(Modification)
Modifications will be described below. In the drawings and description of the modified example, the same reference numerals are given to the same or equivalent components and members as the embodiment. Explanations that overlap with the embodiment will be omitted as appropriate, and the explanation will focus on the configuration that is different from the embodiment.

In the description of the embodiment, an example was shown in which the first low position portion 16m and the second low position portion 16n are provided on both sides of the high position portion 16h, but the present invention is not limited to this. One of the first low position portion 16m and the second low position portion 16n may not be provided. In this case, the range of the high position portion 16h may continue to the end.

In the description of the embodiment, an example in which the first low position portion 16m and the second low position portion 16n are provided symmetrically was shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the height and width of the second low portion 16n may be different from the first low portion 16m.

In the description of the embodiment, an example in which the frontage of the storage shelf 22 is defined by the vertical pillars 20n is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. A member different from the vertical column 20n and defining the frontage may be provided on the side portion of the storage shelf portion 22 on the side of the travel path 47. As shown in FIG. For example, this other member may include guide members or handrails to facilitate movement of the worker 8 .

Although the reinforcing member 16z is provided at the first end 16x in the description of the embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this. The reinforcing member 16z may be provided at a location other than the first end portion 16x, such as the second end portion 16y or the central portion 16b.

In the description of the embodiment, an example was shown in which the truck travels on a travel path having rails, but the present invention is not limited to this. The carriage may run on a track without rails.

In the description of the embodiment, an example in which the automated warehouse system 100 includes the three storage racks 22 is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. The automated warehouse system may have less than two levels or more than four levels of storage shelves.

It is not essential to provide the first carriage 14 in each row of each stage, and the first carriage 14 may not be provided in each row.

An elevating mechanism may be provided for elevating the load 12 between the storage racks 22 of a plurality of stages.

It is not essential to configure the number of storage units 26 in storage row 24 uniformly. The number of storage units 26 forming the storage row 24 may be large or small depending on the unevenness of the wall of the building that houses the storage shelf units 22 .

It is not essential that the number of stages of the storage rows 24 stacked in the vertical direction be uniform. As for the number of stages of the storage row 24, an area with a large number of stages and an area with a small number of stages may be provided according to the height of the ceiling of the building in which the storage shelf section 22 is accommodated.

It is not essential that the load 12 include pallets. The automated warehouse system may handle shipments that do not contain pallets.

Instead of the forklift, another type of transfer device such as a transfer device equipped with a crane may be used to carry in/out the load 12 .

Each of these modifications has the same effect as the embodiment.

Any combination of the embodiments and modifications described above is also useful as an embodiment of the present invention. A new embodiment resulting from the combination has the effects of each of the combined embodiments and modifications.

12 Cargo 14 First truck 16 Second truck 16 b Central part 16 p Operating part 16 s, 16 u End 16 x First end 16 y Second end 16z Reinforcing member 22 Storage shelf 40 First rail 44 Second rail 47 Running path 100 Automated warehouse system.

Claims (11)

An automated warehouse system having storage racks capable of storing goods,
a first truck that carries a load and moves in a first direction;
a second truck mounted with the first truck and moving in a second direction intersecting the first direction in the vicinity of the frontage of the storage shelf;
with
The second bogie has a height of a first end in the second direction at a first position in the first direction, and a height of the first end in the second direction is at a second position different from the first position in the first direction . lower than the height of the end of 2 ,
The first end is arranged on the same side as the second end in the second direction, and forms a recess for a person to pass on the second truck in the second direction,
An automated warehouse system , wherein the running path of the second truck is provided with floorboards for the movement of people . 2. The second truck is configured such that the height of the second end is higher than the height of the central portion in the second direction at the second position in the first direction. The automated warehouse system described in . In the second truck, the height of both ends in the second direction at the first position in the first direction is higher than the height of at least one end in the second direction at the second position in the first direction. 3. The automated warehouse system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is constructed low. 4. The automated warehouse system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first position in the first direction is an end portion and the second position in the first direction is a central portion. In the second truck, the height of the end in the second direction at a third position opposite to the first position in the first direction is lower than the height of the second end. 5. The automated warehouse system according to claim 4, wherein the automated warehouse system comprises: 6. The width of the first end in the first direction is wider than the gap between the second truck and the frontage of the storage shelf. The described automated warehouse system. 7. The automated warehouse system according to claim 6, wherein the width of the first end in the first direction is 300 mm or more. 8. The automated warehouse system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the second end is provided with an operation unit including an operation switch for operating the operation of the second truck. 9. The automated warehouse system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first end is provided with a reinforcing member on which a person's foot is placed. 10. The automated warehouse system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the height of said first end is set to 400 mm or less from the lower surface of said second truck. An automated warehouse system having storage racks capable of storing goods,
a first truck that carries a load and moves in a first direction;
a second truck mounted with the first truck and moving in a second direction intersecting the first direction in the vicinity of the frontage of the storage shelf;
with
The second truck is provided with a recess for a person to pass in the second direction ,
An automated warehouse system , wherein the running path of the second truck is provided with floorboards for the movement of people .

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