JP7189192B2 - Automated warehouse system - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automated warehouse system for storing and shipping articles.

An automated warehouse system that stores and issues goods is known. For example, Patent Literature 1 describes a warehouse system for loading or unloading designated articles into or out of a predetermined storage section of a storage shelf in a large warehouse or the like in which a plurality of storage racks having a plurality of storage sections on the top, bottom, left, and right are arranged. is described.

JP 2015-157683 A

By the way, in the automated warehouse system described in Patent Document 1, a pair of opposing traveling rails are laid on the bottom surface of each storage portion of the storage shelf, and articles are placed on the placing portions of the traveling rails. A plurality of pallets are supported. For example, when an article is to be taken out, the carriage travels on the travel rails to a designated storage section, and lifts and lowers the mounting table to place the designated article on the mounting table. to the end of the running rail.

Furthermore, in such a conventional automated warehouse system, the carriage waits for the arrival of the stacker crane with the elevator at the end of the travel rail, and when the stacker crane arrives, it is collected together with the articles on the elevator of the stacker crane. . The stacker crane on which the articles and the carriage are placed travels along the side of the storage shelf, lowers the platform, moves to a predetermined delivery section, and delivers the articles. Next, the stacker crane travels along the side surface of the storage shelf and raises the platform to transport the emptied carrier to the original end of the travel rail. Next, the carriage returns to the running rail and reaches a predetermined standby state. Also, when goods are to be stored, the stacker crane carries the carriage and reciprocates between the ends of the running rails and the storage part.

In this way, in the conventional automated warehouse system, the stacker crane receives the support of the carriage to receive and retrieve the goods. was wasting time waiting for the stacker crane to move, which was a factor in lowering the operating efficiency of warehouse loading and unloading.
Against this background, conventional automated warehouse systems have room for improvement from the standpoint of improving warehouse operating efficiency.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a technology for an automated warehouse system capable of improving the operating efficiency of a warehouse.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an automated warehouse system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a shelf section having storage sections arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, and a shelf section capable of moving between the storage sections in the column direction, and carrying articles into the storage sections. - Provided with a carrier for unloading and a traveling carrier capable of traveling in the row direction adjacent to the shelf. The traveling carriage includes a carriage body, a shuttle fork provided on the carriage body and capable of advancing and retreating toward the storage section, and a guide section provided on the carriage body and allowing the transport carriage to travel. The guide section is configured to be movable between a first position where the carriage can travel and a second position where the article can be placed on the shuttle fork.

According to this aspect, in the automated warehouse system, the traveling carriage is provided with the shuttle fork that can advance and retreat toward the storage section, so that the article can be placed on the shuttle fork.

Another aspect of the invention is a stacker crane. This stacker crane is a stacker crane that is provided so as to be able to travel adjacent to the shelf, and includes a truck main body that is provided so as to be able to move up and down by a lifting mechanism, and a truck main body that is provided on the truck main body and can advance and retreat toward the shelf. A shuttle fork and a guide portion provided on the carriage main body and capable of allowing a carriage for carrying in/out articles to/from the rack portion is provided. The guide section is configured to be movable between a first position where the carriage can travel and a second position where the article can be placed on the shuttle fork.

According to this aspect, the guide section can be moved to the first position to allow the carriage to travel, and the guide section can be retracted to the second position to place an article with the shuttle fork.

Yet another aspect of the invention is an automated warehouse system. This automated warehouse system has storage units arranged in multiple rows and multiple columns, and the storage units are movable in the column direction between the racks provided in multiple stages in the vertical direction, and the storage units are loaded with articles.・A carriage for unloading is provided adjacent to each storage section, a track extending in the row direction, a traveling carriage capable of running on the track, and provided adjacent to one end of each track. and an elevating unit for moving the traveling carriage onto the track of another stage. The traveling carriage includes a carriage main body, and an accommodation section provided on the carriage main body and capable of accommodating the transport carriage.

According to this aspect, the traveling carriage can accommodate the carriage and travel on the track, and can be moved onto the track of another stage by the lifting section.

Yet another aspect of the present invention is also an automated warehouse system. This automated warehouse system includes a shelf section having storage sections arranged in multiple rows and multiple columns, a storage section for storing articles, and a delivery section for releasing articles. a transport carriage for carrying articles into and out of the storage; a traveling carriage provided adjacent to the shelf section and capable of traveling between the shelf section and the warehousing section or the warehousing section; and a control section. The control unit controls the carriage so that the articles placed in one storage unit are transported to and placed in another storage unit, and the traveling carriage collects the articles placed in the other storage unit. The traveling truck that has recovered the article controls the traveling truck so as to convey the article to the delivery section, and during that time the traveling truck is controlled so as to convey another article in the shelf section.

According to this aspect, while the traveling carriage transports an article to the delivery section, the carriage can transport another article within the shelf section.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the technology of the automatic warehouse system which can improve the operating efficiency of a warehouse can be provided.

1 is a perspective view of an automated warehouse system according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a plan view of an automated warehouse system according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a plan view of a carriage according to an embodiment; FIG. It is a top view schematic diagram which shows the inside of the carrier vehicle which concerns on embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing the inside of the carriage according to the embodiment; 1 is a front view showing part of a shelf of an automated warehouse system according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a front view of a stacker crane according to an embodiment; FIG. It is a top view schematic diagram of a trolley main body part. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the carriage main body in a state where the guide portion has moved to the first position; It is a schematic diagram which shows the trolley|bogie main-body part of the state which the guide part moved to the 2nd position. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a state of a carrier that has entered a traveling carrier; FIG. 11 is a front view of an automated warehouse system according to a fifth modified example; FIG. 11 is a side view of an automated warehouse system according to a fifth modified example; FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a traveling carriage according to a fifth modified example;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. The same or equivalent constituent elements and members shown in each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplication of description will be 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.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automated warehouse system 100 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the automated warehouse system 100. FIG. The following description is based on the XYZ orthogonal coordinate system. The direction X corresponds to the horizontal left-right direction, the direction Y corresponds to the horizontal front-back direction, and the direction Z corresponds to the vertical up-down direction. Direction Y and direction Z are orthogonal to direction X, respectively. The direction X may be referred to as the left or right direction, the direction Y as the forward or rearward direction, and the direction Z as the upward or downward direction.

As shown in FIG. 2, an automated warehouse system 100 includes a shelf section 12 having storage sections 10 arranged in a plurality of rows and columns in a horizontal plane, a carrier 30, a stacker crane 50 as a traveling carrier, and a storage for storing articles 90. It mainly includes a warehousing unit 15 and a warehousing unit 16 for unloading the articles 90 . The carriage 30 is movable in the column direction (Y direction) between the storage units 10 and is configured to carry in/out the articles 90 to/from the storage units 10 . The stacker crane 50 is configured to be able to travel in the row direction (X direction) adjacent to the shelf 12 . The stacker crane 50 includes a carriage body portion 52, a shuttle fork 54 provided on the carriage body portion 52 and capable of advancing and retreating toward the housing portion 10, and a guide provided on the carriage body portion 52 and allowing the transport carriage 30 to travel. a portion 56; The warehousing section 15 is a platform for receiving articles 90 brought in from outside the automated warehouse system 100 , and the delivery section 16 is a platform for placing articles 90 carried out from the automated warehouse system 100 to the outside. The carriage 30 and the stacker crane 50 will be described later.

(shelf)
As shown in FIG. 1, the shelf 12 includes a plurality of (for example, three) shelves 14 provided vertically (in the Z direction). The shelf 14 includes a plurality of (for example, 13) continuous accommodation portions 18 provided in a row direction (X direction). A plurality of (for example, three) accommodation portions 10 are arranged in a row direction (Y direction) in the continuous accommodation portion 18 . As shown in FIG. 2 , the shelves 12 are arranged facing each other in the Y direction (row direction) so as to form a pair with the travel path 78 of the stacker crane 50 interposed therebetween. In other words, the two racks 12 that form a pair are installed across the travel path 78 that is the movement path along which the stacker crane 50 travels. The connecting housing portion 18 includes a traveling frame 20, a shelf support 22, and stopper means 18c.

A pair of traveling frames 20 are provided in parallel in the continuous accommodation portion 18 with a predetermined interval in the X direction. The running frame 20 is a columnar member having an angular C-shaped cross section perpendicular to the Y direction, which is the extending direction, and the pair of running frames 20 are open at their facing surfaces. On the upper side of the traveling frame 20, a storage section 10 is formed on which a pallet 92 on which articles 90 are placed is placed. The inner hollow portion of the traveling frame 20 has a shape that allows the wheels of the carriage 30 to travel (see also FIG. 6). Note that the housing portion 10 may be formed separately from the travel frame 20 and fixed thereto. The connecting housing portion 18 has an open end portion 18a on the side of the running path 78 of the running frame 20, and a closed end portion 18b on the opposite side. The open end 18a is opened so that the carriage 30 can pass. The closed end 18b is provided with a stopper means 18c to prevent the articles 90 and the carriage 30 from overrunning or coming off. Among the accommodating portions 10 of the continuous accommodating portion 18, the accommodating portion 10 closest to the open end portion 18a may be referred to as an accommodating portion 10a, and the accommodating portion 10 other than the accommodating portion 10a may be referred to as an accommodating portion 10b. The traveling frame 20 is supported by a plurality of shelf supports 22 erected at predetermined intervals.

(transport cart)
Next, the carriage 30 will be described. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the carriage 30. FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic top view showing the inside of the carriage 30. As shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic side view showing the inside of the carriage 30. As shown in FIG. The carriage 30 is configured to be able to float a pallet 92 on which an article 90 is placed by a predetermined height from the upper surface 20a of the travel frame 20 (see also FIG. 6). The carriage 30 includes a vehicle body 38, a mounting table 31, a lift mechanism 32, a plurality of (for example, two sets of) wheels 35, a motor 34, a drive mechanism 33, a battery 37, and a power receiving section 36. .

The carriage 30 is provided between the pair of traveling frames 20 so as to be able to travel in the extending direction (column direction) of the traveling frames 20 . The vehicle body 38 is a housing having a thin, flat, substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is formed by pressing a metal plate such as a steel plate, for example. A portion of the vehicle body 38 may be formed from a resin material. Two sets of wheels 35 are rotatably attached to both sides of the vehicle body 38 in the X direction. The motor 34 and the drive mechanism 33 are provided at positions close to both ends in the Y direction inside the vehicle body 38 in order to rotationally drive the wheels 35 . The drive mechanism 33 appropriately decelerates the rotational force of the motor 34 to rotationally drive the wheels 35 . The wheel 35 is a cylindrical member that is circular in side view, and is made of, for example, a resin material. The wheels 35 are provided so as to partially protrude from both sides of the vehicle body 38 . The wheels 35 are rotatable in contact with the rail portion 20c below the inner portion 20b of the travel frame 20 (see also FIG. 6). The number of wheels 35 is not limited, and may be six or more, for example.

The mounting table 31 and the lift mechanism 32 are provided in a space above the vehicle body 38 . The mounting table 31 is a vertically thin, flat plate-like member. The mounting table 31 is vertically driven by a lift mechanism 32 . The mounting table 31 is vertically driven between the lowest position and the highest position. Note that the mounting table 31 at the lowest position may be referred to as a mounting table 31a, and the mounting table 31 at the highest position may be referred to as a mounting table 31b.

Description will also be made with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a front view showing part of the shelf 12 of the automated warehouse system 100. As shown in FIG. As shown in the middle stage of the shelf portion 12 in FIG. 6, when the mounting table 31 is lowered to the lowest position, the upper surface 31d of the mounting table 31 is positioned below the upper surface 20a of the travel frame 20, and the upper surface 31d and the pallet 92 are spaced so that they do not come into contact with each other. In this state, the carriage 30 can freely travel on the travel frame 20 without coming into contact with the pallet 92 . As shown in the upper part of the shelf section 12 in FIG. 6, when the mounting table 31 is raised to the highest position, the upper surface 31d of the mounting table 31b protrudes upward from the upper surface 20a of the traveling frame 20, and an article 90 is placed thereon. The pallet 92 is lifted. In this state, a gap is formed between the pallet 92 and the upper surface 20a of the traveling frame 20 so that they do not come into contact with each other. Can run and move. The lift mechanism 32 may comprise, for example, a cam driven by a motor. in this case. By decelerating the rotational force of the motor and rotating the cam, the cam surface of the cam can be raised or lowered to drive the mounting table 31 up and down.

The battery 37 and the power receiving unit 36 are provided in a space below the vehicle body 38 and between the two drive mechanisms 33 . The power receiving unit 36 has an input terminal provided on the side surface of the vehicle body 38 and is connected to a charging unit 59 of the stacker crane 50 to be described later to receive power for charging the battery 37 . A battery 37 supplies power to the motor 34 and the lift mechanism 32 at predetermined timings.

(stacker crane)
Next, the stacker crane 50 will be explained. The stacker crane 50, which is a traveling truck, is provided so as to be able to travel on a traveling path 78 adjacent to the shelf 12. As shown in FIG. When the goods 90 are to be stored, the stacker crane 50 loads the pallets 92 on which the goods 90 to be stored are placed in the warehousing section 15, and transports them to the open ends 18a of the target continuous storage sections 18 by lifting and traveling operations. and store them in the storage unit 10 . When the stacker crane 50 unloads the goods 90, the stacker crane 50 collects the pallet 92 on which the target goods 90 are placed at the open end portion 18a of the continuous storage part 18, and conveys it to the unloading part 16 by lifting and traveling operations. Carry out.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the stacker crane 50. FIG. The stacker crane 50 includes an elevating mechanism 51 , a carriage body 52 , a base 53 , a shuttle fork 54 , a pair of guides 56 , a pair of elevating struts 58 , an upper support 61 , and a charging section 59 . and mainly include. The stacker crane 50 also includes a trolley mechanism (not shown) that receives electric power from, for example, an overhead wire (not shown) as power supply means. The base part 53 is a vertically thin flat member provided in the lower part of the stacker crane 50, and the driving mechanism 64 and the traveling wheels 55 for traveling along the traveling path 78 in the X direction are attached to the lower side thereof. The drive mechanism 64 includes, for example, a motor and a speed reduction mechanism, and is configured to rotationally drive the running wheels 55 . The pair of elevating columns 58 are columns having a rectangular cross section extending upward, and are erected on the base portion 53 while being separated in the X direction. The upper support portion 61 is provided so as to connect the upper portions of the pair of lifting columns 58 . Two sets of guide rollers 62 are provided on the upper side of the upper support portion 61 to support the upper track (not shown) in the Y direction. In other words, the stacker crane 50 is supported on the lower side by the traveling wheels 55 traveling on the traveling path 78 and by the guide rollers 62 sandwiching the track on the upper side.

FIG. 8 is a schematic top view of the carriage main body 52. As shown in FIG. The carriage main body 52 is a vertically thin flat member provided between a pair of lifting columns 58 and has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from above. Two pairs of side rollers 63 are rotatably provided on both sides of the carriage main body 52 in the X direction. The two sets of side rollers 63 sandwich the lifting columns 58 in the Y direction, so that the carriage main body 52 is guided along the lifting columns 58 so as to be able to move up and down. The elevating mechanism 51 is provided at the base of the elevating support 58 . The lifting mechanism 51 winds and feeds a wire rope (not shown) that suspends the carriage main body 52, thereby driving the carriage main body 52 to move up and down. By being configured in this manner, the carriage main body 52 functions as an elevating platform.

Next, the guide portion 56 will be described. The guide part 56 is a pair of rails having an angular C-shaped cross section perpendicular to the Y direction, which is the extending direction, and is configured such that the distance between the rails can be adjusted. FIG. 9 is a schematic front view showing the carriage main body 52 with the guide portion 56 moved to the first position. A pair of guide portions 56 are provided on the carriage body portion 52 so as to allow the transport carriage 30 to travel. The pair of guide portions 56 are arranged in parallel on the carriage main body portion 52 with a predetermined interval in the X direction. The facing surfaces of the pair of guide portions 56 are open so that the wheels 35 of the carriage 30 can enter and travel inside. That is, since the guide portion 56 has the same cross-sectional shape as the travel frame 20 , the carriage 30 can freely move between the travel frame 20 and the guide portion 56 .

FIG. 10 is a schematic front view showing the carriage main body 52 with the guide portion 56 moved to the second position. A pair of guide drive portions 57 are interposed between the pair of guide portions 56 and the carriage body portion 52 . The guide driving portion 57 supports the guide portion 56 at a position above the shuttle fork 54 . The guide drive section 57 is a drive mechanism that moves the guide section 56 in the X direction. The pair of guide portions 56 are driven by the guide driving portion 57 to move between the first position where the carriage 30 can travel and the pallet 92 on which the articles 90 are placed on the shuttle forks 54 . and a second position retracted to allow movement. The guide drive unit 57 includes a drive mechanism using, for example, a motor or pneumatic pressure to move the guide unit 56 between the first position and the second position.

A gap D1 is formed between the pair of guide portions 56 moved to the first position, and a gap D2 is formed between the pair of guide portions 56 moved to the second position. In other words, the pair of guide portions 56 are configured such that the interval between them can be changed between the interval D1 and the interval D2. The distance D1 is configured to be smaller than the distance D3 of the outer portion of the wheels 35 of the carriage 30 . The interval D2 is larger than the interval D1, larger than the distance D3, and larger than the width D4 of the movable portion 54a of the shuttle fork 54, which will be described later.

The charging section 59 is provided on the inner side surface of the guide section 56 in order to charge the battery 37 mounted on the carriage 30 . The connection terminal of the charging section 59 is provided so as to be movable in the X direction together with the guide section 56, and is connected to the connection terminal of the power receiving section 36 of the carriage 30 when the guide section 56 is moved to the first position. The charging unit 59 can charge the battery 37 by supplying power to the power receiving unit 36 of the carriage 30 at a predetermined timing.

Next, the shuttle fork 54 will be explained. The shuttle fork 54 includes a movable portion 54a that advances and retreats and moves up and down. The movable part 54a has a shape that allows it to be inserted under the pallet 92 of the storage part 10a closest to the open end 18a from the carriage main body 52, and a lifting capacity that can lift the pallet 92 on which the article 90 is placed. Further, the movable portion 54 a is configured to be able to descend below the lower surface of the carrier 30 traveling on the guide portion 56 in a state of retreating to the carrier body portion 52 . That is, in the state where the movable portion 54a is retracted onto the carriage body portion 52 and lowered to the lowest position, the shuttle fork 54 has a shape that can be accommodated in the space below the carriage 30 moving on the guide portion 56. .

Also, the width D4 of the movable portion 54a of the shuttle fork 54 is formed to be smaller than the interval D2. Therefore, when the guide portion 56 is retracted to the second position, the movable portion 54a protrudes upward from the guide portion 56 without being interfered with by the guide portion 56 so that the pallet 92 on which the article 90 is placed can be placed. be done. In addition, the movable portion 54a of the shuttle fork 54 has a lift capability capable of lifting the pallet 92 on which the article 90 is placed from the travel frame 20 of the storage portion 10a, pulling it back onto the carriage body portion 52, and placing it there. That is, the shuttle fork 54 is configured to transfer the pallet 92 on which the article 90 is placed between the carriage main body 52 and the storage section 10a.

(motion)
Next, an example of the operation of the automated warehouse system 100 configured in this way will be described. The control unit 60 controls the carriage 30 and the stacker crane 50 to operate according to the following procedure based on predetermined operations. The automated warehouse system 100 is configured so as to execute the cooperative operation and independent operation described below, respectively, and to execute these operations concurrently.

(Coordinated operation)
First, the cooperative unloading operation of the carriage 30 and the stacker crane 50 will be described. The cooperative unloading operation is an operation of transporting the article 90 in the storage unit 10 to the unloading unit 16 using the stacker crane 50 and the carriage 30, and includes the following processes as an example. In the cooperative retrieval operation, the control unit 60 controls the stacker crane 50 and the carrier 30 to perform the following operations. The cooperative retrieval operation is started by performing a predetermined operation on the control unit 60 . The stacker crane 50 moves in front of the open end portion 18a of the target continuous housing portion 18 by traveling and lifting. At this time, the guide portion 56 is moved to the second position. With the mounting table 31 lowered, the carrier 30 travels on the traveling frame 20 to move to the lower side of the pallet 92 on which the articles 90 are placed in the target storage unit 10, and raises the mounting table 31. The article 90 is floated together with the pallet 92 and supported. In this state, the carriage 30 moves to the open end portion 18a. When the stacker crane 50 reaches the open end portion 18a, the carriage 30 travels along the guide portion 56 connected to the travel frame 20 and moves to a predetermined position in the carriage body portion 52 (see also FIG. 9).

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 11 , the carriage 30 lowers the mounting table 31 b to the lowest position, and mounts the pallet 92 with the article 90 on the guide section 56 . At this time, a gap is formed between the mounting table 31b of the carriage 30 and the pallet 92 to such an extent that they do not come into contact with each other, and the carriage 30 becomes ready to travel with no load. Subsequently, the carriage 30 travels on the guide portion 56 and the travel frame 20 to move from the stacker crane 50 to the connecting accommodation portion 18 . Subsequently, the stacker crane 50 from which the carriage 30 has been pulled out travels and moves up and down to transport the pallet 92 on which the article 90 is placed to the delivery unit 16 for delivery.

Next, the linked warehousing operation of the carriage 30 and the stacker crane 50 will be described. The coordinated warehousing operation is an operation of transporting and storing an article 90 from the warehousing section 15 to the storage section 10 using the stacker crane 50 and the carriage 30, and includes the following processes as an example. In the coordinated warehousing operation, the control unit 60 controls the stacker crane 50 and the carriage 30 to perform the following operations. The cooperative warehousing operation is started by inputting a predetermined operation to the control unit 60 . The stacker crane 50 moves to the storage section 15 by traveling and ascending/descending. At this time, the guide portion 56 is moved to the second position. The stacker crane 50 transfers a pallet 92 carrying articles 90 from the storage section 15 onto the guide section 56 . The stacker crane 50 moves in front of the open end portion 18a of the target continuous housing portion 18 by traveling and lifting.

The carriage 30 moves to the open end 18a and waits for the stacker crane 50 to arrive. At this time, the mounting table 31b is lowered to the lowest position. When the stacker crane 50 reaches the open end portion 18a, the carriage 30 travels on the travel frame 20 and the guide portion 56 and moves to a predetermined position on the carriage body portion 52 (see FIG. 11). The carriage 30 raises the mounting table 31 to float and support the article 90 and the pallet 92 from the guide section 56 (see FIG. 9). At this time, a gap is formed between the pallet 92 and the guide portion 56 so that they do not come into contact with each other. In this state, the carriage 30 travels on the guide portion 56 and the traveling frame 20 to move from the stacker crane 50 to the predetermined storage portion 10 of the continuous storage portion 18, lowers the table 31, and picks up the article 90. The loaded pallet 92 is placed on the travel frame 20 of the storage section 10 .

(Single operation)
Next, a single unloading operation of the stacker crane 50 will be described. The single retrieval operation is an operation of transporting the article 90 in the storage unit 10a to the retrieval unit 16 using the stacker crane 50, and includes the following processes as an example. In the single retrieval operation, the control unit 60 controls the stacker crane 50 to perform the following operations. FIG. 10 shows the state of the carriage main body 52 during independent operation. In FIG. 10, the guide portion 56 is retracted to the second position. First, the shuttle fork 54 moves in front of the storage section 10a, inserts the movable section 54a under the pallet 92 on which the article 90 is placed in the storage section 10a, lifts it up from the traveling frame 20, and supports it. In this state, the pallet 92 on which the article 90 is placed is pulled into the carriage main body 52 side, and is carried into the stacker crane 50 by lowering the movable section 54a. Subsequently, the stacker crane 50 travels and moves up and down to transport the pallet 92 on which the article 90 is placed to the unloading section 16 for unloading.

Next, the independent warehousing operation of the stacker crane 50 will be described. The independent warehousing operation is an operation of using the stacker crane 50 to carry the article 90 from the warehousing unit 15 into the storage unit 10a, and includes the following processes as an example. In the independent warehousing operation, the control unit 60 controls the stacker crane 50 to perform the following operations. First, the stacker crane 50 moves to the warehousing section 15 and transfers the pallet 92 carrying the article 90 from the warehousing section 15 onto the movable portion 54 a of the shuttle fork 54 of the carriage main body 52 . In this state, the stacker crane 50 moves in front of the storage portion 10a of the target open end portion 18a by traveling and lifting. Subsequently, the stacker crane 50 lifts the pallet 92 on which the article 90 is placed by the movable portion 54a and places it on the travel frame 20 to transfer it to the storage portion 10a and store it.

As described above, the stacker crane 50 can independently retrieve or store the articles 90 within the reach of the movable portion 54a, so the loss of time spent waiting for the carriage 30 can be minimized. In addition, while the stacker crane 50 is performing the single unloading operation or single warehousing operation, the carriage 30 can concurrently perform the operation for the pallet 92 on which another article 90 is placed. Articles 90 in the storage section 10b away from the open end 18a can be put in or taken out in cooperation with the carriage 30, and articles 90 in the storage section 10a close to the open end 18a can be put in or taken out by a single operation.

(parallel operation)
Next, a first example of parallel operation of the stacker crane 50 and the carriage 30 will be described. A first example is an operation for unloading a plurality of articles 90, and the control unit 60 controls the stacker crane 50 and the carriage 30 to perform the following operations. First, the control unit 60 transports an article 9 placed in one storage unit 10 away from the open end 18a to another storage unit 10a near the open end 18a. It controls the carriage 30 . Further, the control unit 60 controls the stacker crane 50 so that the stacker crane 50 collects the articles 90 placed in the storage unit 10a. Further, the control unit 60 controls the stacker crane 50 so that the stacker crane 50 that has collected the article 90 conveys the article 90 to the unloading section 16 . In addition, while the stacker crane 50 conveys the article 90 to the unloading section 16 and leaves the warehouse, the control section 60 controls the carriage 30 to convey another article 90 within the shelf section 12 .

Next, a second example of parallel operation of the stacker crane 50 and the carriage 30 will be described. The second example is also an operation for unloading a plurality of articles 90, and the control section 60 controls the stacker crane 50 and the carriage 30 to perform the following operations. First, the stacker crane 50 performs a single retrieval operation for the articles 90 in the storage section 10a near the open end 18a. In the meantime, the carrier 30 transports another article 90 from the storage unit 10 away from the open end 18a to the open end 18a and waits. The action delivers the item 90 to the stacker crane 50 . The stacker crane 50 conveys the delivered article 90 to the delivery section 16 and delivers it.

Next, a third example of parallel operation of the stacker crane 50 and the carriage 30 will be described. In the third example, the warehousing operation and the warehousing operation are performed in parallel, and while the stacker crane 50 performs the independent warehousing operation, the carrier 30 moves the article 90 to be unloaded from the storage unit 10b away from the open end 18a. It is transported to the open end 18a and waits. When the stacker crane 50 that has completed the independent warehousing operation arrives, the transport carriage 30 promptly delivers the article 90 to the stacker crane 50 by a coordinated warehousing operation. The stacker crane 50 conveys the delivered article 90 to the delivery section 16 and delivers it. Thus, in the automated warehouse system 100, it is possible to execute the warehousing operation and the warehousing operation in parallel. By operating the stacker crane 50 and the carrier 30 in parallel in this manner, the waiting time of the stacker crane 50 and the carrier 30 can be reduced, and the overall operating efficiency of the warehouse can be improved.

Next, features of the automated warehouse system 100 configured in this way will be described.
In the automated warehouse system 100, the stacker crane 50 includes a carriage main body 52, a shuttle fork 54 provided on the carriage main body 52 and capable of advancing and retreating toward the storage section 10, and a transport carriage provided on the carriage main body 52. 30 includes a guide portion 56 in which the carriage 30 can travel, and the guide portion 56 retracts so as to allow an article 90 to be placed on the shuttle fork 54 in a first position in which the carriage 30 can travel. and a second position. With this configuration, the guide portion 56 can be moved to the first position to allow the carriage 30 to travel, and the guide portion 56 can be retracted to the second position to place the article 90 with the shuttle forks 54 . .

In the automated warehouse system 100, the guide section is a pair of rails, and since the distance between the rails is adjustable, the carriage 30 can travel between the pair of rails.

In the automated warehouse system 100, since the stacker crane 50 includes the charging unit 59 that charges the battery 37 mounted on the carrier 30, the battery 37 can be charged when the carrier 30 is accommodated in the stacker crane 50. can be done.

In the automated warehouse system 100 , the shelves 12 are provided in pairs with the travel path 78 of the stacker crane 50 interposed therebetween. With this configuration, the articles 90 can be carried into and out of the storage sections 10 of the shelf sections 12 on both sides of the travel path 78 with one stacker crane 50 .

The above has been described based on the embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that these embodiments are illustrative and that various variations and modifications are possible within the scope of the claims of the present invention, and that such variations and modifications 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.

(First modification)
In the description of the automated warehouse system 100 of the embodiment, an example of the linked operation was described in which the stacker crane 50 moves between the open end portion 18a and the warehousing portion 15 or the warehousing portion 16 without holding the carriage 30. is not limited to this. For example, the stacker crane 50 may be controlled to move between the open end 18 a and the warehousing section 15 or the warehousing section 16 while holding the carriage 30 .

(Second modification)
In the description of the automated warehouse system 100 of the embodiment, the stacker crane 50 performs a single operation for transferring the articles 90 between the storage unit 10a near the open end 18a and the stacker crane 50. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the reloading operation of the article 90 between the storage unit 10 a and the stacker crane 50 may be controlled to be performed in cooperation with the carriage 30 .

(Third modification)
In the description of the automated warehouse system 100 of the embodiment, an example of transporting the articles 90 placed on the pallets 92 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The use of a pallet 92 is not required and the articles 90 may be transported and stored singly.

(Fourth modification)
In the description of the automated warehouse system 100 of the embodiment, an example was described in which the stacker crane 50 uses the shuttle fork 54 to carry in/out the article 90 from/to the storage section 10a closest to the open end 18a. not. For example, the stacker crane 50 uses the shuttle fork 54 to carry the article 90 into and out of the storage section 10 located closer to the closed end 18b than the storage section 10a, within the reach of the movable portion 54a of the shuttle fork 54. It may be configured as

(Fifth modification)
Next, an automated warehouse system 200 according to a fifth modified example will be described. While the traveling truck of the automated warehouse system 100 of the embodiment is the stacker crane 50 having the lifting mechanism 51, the traveling truck of the automated warehouse system 200 does not have the lifting mechanism. In other words, the automated warehouse system 200 differs from the automated warehouse system 100 in that the traveling carriage does not have an elevating mechanism, and is configured to be transferred to a separately provided elevating elevator and lifted. is similar. Therefore, overlapping explanations will be omitted and different points will be mainly explained.

FIG. 12 is a front view of an automated warehouse system 200 according to a fifth modified example. In FIG. 12, description of unimportant members and portions is omitted as appropriate. FIG. 13 is a side view of the automated warehouse system 200. FIG. FIG. 13 omits the illustration of an elevating unit 260, which will be described later. The automated warehouse system 200 mainly includes a shelf section 12 , a carriage 30 , a track 270 , a traveling carriage 250 , an elevating section 260 , a warehousing section 15 , and a warehousing section 16 . The track 270 is provided for each stage adjacent to each storage section 10 and includes a pair of rails 272 extending in the row direction (X direction). Each of the pair of rails 272 has, for example, an L-shaped cross section with the inner sides open so that the wheels 253 of the traveling carriage 250 can travel.

The lifting section 260 is provided adjacent to one end 270a of the track 270 of each stage. The automatic warehouse system 200 is configured such that the traveling carriage 250 positioned at one end 270a of the track 270 of a certain stage can be moved to the track 270 of another stage by the lifting section 260 . The elevating section 260 includes a column section 262, an elevating table 264, and an elevating mechanism 266, and functions as an elevating elevator. The pillar part 262 is erected on the floor 76 as a pillar having a rectangular cross section, for example. The lift table 264 is a plate-like member extending in the X direction and the Y direction, for example, and is guided by the column part 262 so as to be able to move up and down. The lift table 264 has a shape on which the traveling carriage 250 can be placed. The elevator 264 has a running surface on which the wheels 253 of the carriage 250 running on the track 270 can run. The lifting mechanism 266 is provided, for example, at the base of the supporting column 262 . The lifting mechanism 266 drives the lifting table 264 up and down by winding and feeding a wire rope (not shown) that suspends the lifting table 264 . A warehousing section 15 and a warehousing section 16 are provided adjacent to the lowest stage of the lifting section 260 .

Next, the traveling carriage 250 will be described. 14 is a perspective view of the traveling carriage 250. FIG. The traveling carriage 250 is configured to be able to accommodate the carriage 30, to be able to travel on the track 270 in the row direction (X direction), and to be able to travel and transfer on the elevator 264. FIG. The traveling carriage 250 mainly includes a vehicle body 251 , an accommodation base 252 , a pair of guide portions 256 , a plurality (for example, two sets) of wheels 253 , a drive mechanism (not shown), and a charging portion 259 . The traveling carriage 250 is configured such that the carriage 30 can be accommodated in an accommodation table 252 provided on the top thereof.

The vehicle body 251 is a housing that has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from above and has a flat shape that is vertically thin. The wheels 253 are tires made of, for example, a resin material, and are provided on both sides of the vehicle body 251 in the Y direction. The number of wheels 253 is not limited, and may be six or more, for example. The wheels 253 are rotationally driven by a drive mechanism (not shown). The accommodation platform 252 is a flat platform provided on the upper part of the vehicle body 251, and is configured so that the carriage 30 can travel and transfer thereon. The pair of guide portions 256 are walls provided on the upper portion of the vehicle body 251 so as to sandwich the accommodation table 252 in the X direction, and are configured to guide the movement of the carriage 30 . The housing table 252 has a concave shape recessed downward from the upper surfaces of the pair of guide portions 256 . In other words, the pair of guide portions 256 has a shape projecting upward from the upper surface of the accommodation table 252 .

The traveling carriage 250 may be supplied with electric power by a trolley mechanism (not shown) from an overhead wire (not shown) provided along the track 270 of each stage, for example. The traveling carriage 250 may include a battery 258 built in the lower portion of the vehicle body 251, for example. Battery 258 may be charged by various means. The battery 258 may supply power for charging the battery 37 through the charging section 259 .

The charging portion 259 may be provided on one of the inner side surfaces of the pair of guide portions 256, for example. The charging section 259 may be configured to move in the X direction and approach the power receiving section 36 of the carriage 30 . The charging unit 259 may be configured to be capable of supplying power to the battery 37 in a non-contact manner, using high-frequency electromagnetic induction, for example. The charging section 259 may be configured to charge the battery 37 through the power receiving section 36 of the carriage 30 at a predetermined timing.

(Delivery operation)
An example of the shipping operation of the automated warehouse system 200 will be described. When the article 90 in the storage unit 10 is to be taken out, for example, the following operations may be performed. Note that the article 90 may be conveyed while being placed on a pallet 92 .
(1) Collect the article 90 with the carriage 30 .
(2) The transport carriage 30 that collected the article 90 is accommodated in the traveling carriage 250 .
(3) The traveling carriage 250 accommodating the carriage 30 is made to travel along the track 270 to the lifting section 260 .
(4) Lower the traveling carriage 250 to the lowermost track 270 by the lifting section 260 .
(5) Travel the traveling carriage 250 to the delivery section 16 along the lowermost track 270 .
(6) Collect the articles 90 on the carriage 30 to the delivery section 16 .

(Receiving operation)
An example of the warehousing operation of the automated warehouse system 200 will be described. When warehousing the articles 90 in the storage unit 10, for example, the following operations may be performed. Note that the article 90 may be conveyed while being placed on a pallet 92 .
(1) Transfer the article 90 from the warehousing section 15 onto the carriage 30 .
(2) Accommodate the carriage 30 carrying the article 90 in the traveling carriage 250 .
(3) Make the traveling carriage 250 travel along the lowermost track 270 to the lifting section 260 .
(4) The lifting section 260 lifts the traveling carriage 250 to the track 270 of a predetermined stage.
(5) Travel the traveling carriage 250 along the track 270 to the front of the predetermined storage section 10 .
(6) Store the article 90 in the predetermined storage section 10 by the carriage 30 .

These modifications have the same configuration as the automated warehouse system 100 and thus have the same features as the automated warehouse system 100 described above. In addition, since the automated warehouse system 200 of the fifth modification is provided with a traveling truck 250 for each stage, one traveling truck 250 can perform different operations simultaneously with the other traveling trucks 250 . In other words, after the lifting unit 260 completes the lifting of one traveling carriage 250, the other traveling carriages 250 can be raised and lowered sequentially without waiting for the completion of the leaving or entering work by the traveling carriage 250. Therefore, it is possible to improve the operating efficiency of the warehouse.

In the drawings used for explanation, cross sections of some members are hatched in order to clarify the relationship of the members, but the hatching does not limit the materials or materials of these members.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100... Automated warehouse system 200... Automated warehouse system 10... Storage part 12... Shelf part 15... Receiving part 16. Delivery part 18... Consecutive storage part 20. Traveling Frame 22 Shelf post 30 Transport cart 31 Mounting table 36 Power receiving unit 37 Battery 50 Stacker crane 51 Elevating mechanism 52 Main body of cart 53... Base part 54... Shuttle fork 55... Running wheel 56... Guide part 57... Guide driving part 58... Lifting column 59... Charging part 60... Control part 62 Guide roller 63 Side roller 64 Drive mechanism 78 Travel path 90 Goods 92 Pallet 250 Travel carriage 251 Car body 252 Storage table , 256 Guide section 258 Battery 259 Charging section 260 Elevating section 262 Strut section 264 Elevating table 266 Elevating mechanism 270 Track 272 rail.

Claims (4)

a shelf section in which a plurality of storage sections capable of storing pallets on which articles are placed are arranged along the row direction, the column direction, and the column direction;
a warehousing unit or a warehousing unit;
moving means for moving the pallet in the row direction, the column direction and the column direction;
with
The moving means is configured to transfer the pallet between the storage section and the delivery section or the storage section by moving the pallet,
The shelf has a continuous storage portion in which the plurality of storage portions are connected,
The continuous accommodation portion is also used as a storage place for the pallet and a passage for the moving means,
The moving means includes first moving means for moving the pallet along the row direction, second moving means for moving the pallet along the column direction, and moving the pallet along the column direction. a third transportation means;
a first travel path along which the first moving means provided along the edge of the shelf travels;
a second travel path on which the second moving means provided below the housing portion travels inside the shelf;
a power supply unit provided along the first traveling path of each stage and capable of supplying power to a set of the first moving means and the second moving means of each stage;
a battery provided inside the second moving means,
The second moving means has a carriage with the battery therein, which travels on the second travel path and can be mounted on the first moving means,
The third moving means has a transport mechanism configured to allow the pallet to be mutually carried in and out between the third moving means and one of the storage units of the shelves,
The set is configured such that the second moving means can be advanced and retracted with respect to the one storage section, and the pallet can be moved between the one storage section and another storage section among the shelf sections. ,
The set is provided on each stage of the shelf,
The third moving means is shared by the sets, and each of the sets in each stage shares the third moving means, so that the pallets on any stage can be moved in the stage direction. ,
The moving means moves any one of the pallets in the row direction, the column direction, and the step direction to move the other pallets between the storage section and the delivery section or the storage section. is configured to be movable within the shelf. The connecting housing portion has an open end that is open so that the second moving means can pass through, and a closed end that is closed so that the second moving means cannot pass through. Item 1. The automated warehouse system according to Item 1. 3. The automated warehouse system according to claim 1, wherein said third moving means has a running surface that can be shared by each of said sets in each stage. 4. The automated warehouse system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said third moving means is arranged adjacent to said first traveling path at each stage.

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