JP7315338B2 - 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. In this automated warehouse system, articles are placed on pallets for transportation and storage.

JP 2017-160040 A

The inventor of the present invention has obtained the following recognition regarding the automated warehouse system.
There are various sizes of goods to be stored in the automated warehouse. In the case of a small load relative to the pallet, there is a large amount of wasted space on the pallet, reducing the storage efficiency of the entire automated warehouse system. If the load is large relative to the pallet, the load may protrude from the pallet, causing the load to drop or contact shelf components. In other words, there is room for improvement in the automated warehouse system from the viewpoint of improving storage efficiency while dealing with cargo of different sizes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and one of the objects thereof is to provide an automated warehouse system capable of improving storage efficiency.

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 capable of storing goods including objects to be stored and pallets, comprising: a plurality of storage racks arranged in a row in a second direction intersecting the first direction in order from a starting point in a first direction and capable of accommodating a plurality of goods; and a control unit for controlling transfer of goods in the storage racks. A storage queue can accommodate a plurality of loads with different pallet sizes side by side.

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 capable of improving storage efficiency.

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; 2 is a state diagram illustrating an example of a warehousing operation of the automated warehouse system of FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of FIG. 9; FIG. 3 is another state diagram illustrating an example of the warehousing operation of the automated warehouse system of FIG. 1; FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of FIG. 11; FIG. 2 is a first state diagram illustrating an example of the rearrangement operation of the automated warehouse system of FIG. 1; 14 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of FIG. 13; FIG. 11 is a second state diagram illustrating an example of the replacement operation of the automated warehouse system of FIG. 1; FIG. 11 is a third state diagram illustrating an example of the rearrangement operation of the automated warehouse system of FIG. 1; FIG. 11 is a fourth state diagram illustrating an example of the rearrangement operation of the automated warehouse system of FIG. 1; FIG. 11 is a fifth state diagram illustrating an example of the rearrangement operation of the automated warehouse system of FIG. 1; FIG. 11 is a first state diagram for explaining the state of storage of goods in the automated warehouse system according to the first modified example; FIG. 20 is a second state diagram for explaining the storage state of goods in the automated warehouse system of FIG. 19; FIG. 20 is a third state diagram for explaining the storage state of goods in the automated warehouse system of FIG. 19;

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.

In addition, terms including ordinal numbers such as first and second are used to describe various components, but these terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from other components, and the components are not limited by these terms.

[Embodiment]
A configuration of an automated warehouse system 100 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. 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, as shown in the figure, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system is defined 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. 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 accommodate a large number of goods 12 . In this specification, it is assumed that the objects to be stored are handled while being mounted on a plurality of types of pallets. Accordingly, the load 12 includes the items to be stored and the pallet on which the items are loaded. Further, transferring the stored items on the pallet is simply referred to as transferring the load 12 . Also, the size of the load 12 in plan view is the pallet size in plan view unless otherwise stated. Moreover, the plurality of types of pallets have the same size in the X-axis direction, but different sizes in the Y-axis direction (hereinafter simply referred to as "pallet size").

The automated warehouse system 100 includes storage racks 22 and 32 , a first truck 14 , a second truck 16 , a first rail 40 , a second rail 44 , a power supply section 34 and a control section 18 . 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 racks 22, 32, the first rails 40 extend in the Y-axis direction. The movement 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 . The second rail 44 and the power supply portion 34 extend in the X-axis direction in the movement passage 47 . In this specification, the end portion of the storage shelf portion 22 on the side of the movement 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 transfer of the goods 12 for warehousing, warehousing, distribution, etc., based on the operation results from the user. As an example, the control unit 18 controls the first carriage 14 and the second carriage 16 so as to transfer the goods 12 between a predetermined storage unit and the storage unit 28 and the storage unit 30 or between a plurality of storage units.

(Storage shelf)
A plurality of storage shelves 22 and 32 are installed on the floor Lg, and are so-called high-density storage spaces capable of storing a large number of loads 12 . In this embodiment, the storage shelf section 22 and the storage shelf section 32 are provided on both sides of the movement path 47 in the Y-axis direction. The configuration of the storage shelves 22 and 32 is not particularly limited as long as a plurality of articles 12 can be accommodated and stored. The automated warehouse system 100 has N (N≧2) stages of storage shelves 22 and 32 stacked in layers in the vertical direction. This embodiment has three stages of storage shelves 22 and 32 .

Each storage shelf 22 includes a plurality of storage rows 24 connected in the X-axis direction. Each storage row 24 can accommodate a plurality of articles 12 arranged in order in the Y-axis direction from the starting point 24m. The starting point portion 24m is the starting point of the storage area of the storage row 24, may be the terminal area of the storage row 24, or may be an area set in advance separately from the terminal area. In this example, the origin 24m is the terminal region.

The storage shelf section 32 of each stage includes a plurality of storage sections 36 arranged in series in the X-axis direction. Each container 36 is capable of containing a single load 12 .

In the storage row 24, a unit for storing one load 12 is referred to as a storage unit 26 for convenience. Each storage row 24 has a plurality of storage units 26 that are connected in the Y-axis direction. Although the dimensions in the Y-axis direction of each storage section 26 are shown to be the same in FIGS. 2 and 4, they may be flexibly changed according to the pallet size of the cargo 12 to be stored, and may differ individually. A frontage portion 24n of each storage row 24 on the side of the second rail 44 extends along the frontage of the storage shelf portion 22 and functions as an entrance through which the first carriage 14 enters and exits. The frontage 24n may be the end of the storage row 24 storage area.

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 24 n 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 carriage 14 travels in the Y-axis on a first rail 40 within the storage train 24 for transporting 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 (not shown) are mounted. The first carriage 14 is configured to drive the motor with battery power. The battery is a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery that can be repeatedly charged.

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 load 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 and 8 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. The second carriage 16 runs on the second rail 44 in the X-axis direction. The second carriage 16 transfers the first carriage 14 that is empty or loaded with the cargo 12 .

The second truck 16 mainly includes a truck mounting portion 16c, a plurality of (for example, four) wheels 16f, and a current collecting unit 38. As shown in FIG. The carriage mounting portion 16c is provided at the central portion of the second carriage 16 in the X-axis direction. 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 cross section of each guide portion 16j when viewed from the front has an angular lateral U shape. The second carriage 16 presents a substantially concave shape in which the carriage mounting portion 16c is recessed from the left and right when viewed from the front.

The second carriage 16 receives power from the power supply section 34 via the power collection unit 38 . The second carriage 16 is configured to rotate a motor (not shown) with the received electric power to drive the wheels 16f. The second truck 16 is configured to be able to charge the battery of the first truck 14 with the received power.

(Receiving Department/Delivery Department)
Next, the warehousing unit 28 and the warehousing unit 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. The automated warehouse system 100 has a warehousing section 28 for carrying in the goods 12 from the outside of the warehouse, and a warehousing section 30 for carrying out the goods 12 to the outside of the warehouse. In FIG. 1 , the warehousing section 28 and the warehousing section 30 are arranged in the vicinity of the movement passage 47 on the X-axis negative direction side of the storage rack section 22 . In the warehousing operation, the cargo 12 from outside the warehouse is carried into the warehousing section 28 by a forklift or the like. The goods 12 carried into the storage section 28 are transferred to and stored in a predetermined storage section 26 by the first truck 14 and the second truck 16 . In the unloading operation, the cargo 12 stored in the predetermined storage section 26 is transferred to the unloading section 30 by the first carriage 14 and the second carriage 16 . The goods 12 transferred to the unloading section 30 are carried out of the warehouse by a forklift or the like.
The above is the description of the overall configuration of the automated warehouse system 100 .

Next, an example of the operation of the automated warehouse system 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 18. FIG. 9, 11, 13, and 15 to 18 are state diagrams explaining the operation of the automated warehouse system 100. FIG. These state diagrams schematically show each storage row 24 of the storage shelf section 22 in plan view. In these figures, the storage rows 24 are denoted as storage row 24A, storage row 24B, storage row 24C, storage row 24D, storage row 24E, and storage row 24F from the side closer to the storage section 28. FIG.

In this embodiment, the cargo 12 has a plurality of pallet sizes depending on the size and number of items to be stored. This example shows an example in which a load 12A with a large pallet size and a load 12B with a smaller pallet size than the load 12A are handled. As an example, the pallet size of load 12A is 1.5 m, and the pallet size of load 12B is 1.0 m.

As described above, each storage row 24 can accommodate a plurality of loads 12 arranged in the Y-axis direction in order from the starting point 24m. The origin 24m in this example is the end region of the storage row 24. FIG. A plurality of stored articles 12 are arranged with a predetermined gap therebetween, but here the gap is assumed to be zero. The storage rows 24A to 24F have a Y-axis dimension of 6 m, and can accommodate four cargoes 12A with a large pallet size, and six cargoes 12B with a small pallet size.

In the storage row 24, the area in which the goods 12 have already been stored is referred to as an already stored area 24j, and the area in which the goods 12 are not stored is referred to as an unstored area 24k. The Y-axis dimensions of the already accommodated area 24j and the unaccommodated area 24k are referred to as the "size" of each area.

(Receiving operation)
An example of the warehousing operation of transferring the goods 12 to be warehousing in the warehousing unit 28 to the storage unit 26 will be described. The warehousing operation may be controlled by various control methods. The cargo 12 to be stored is hereinafter referred to as cargo 12X.

With reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, the first process S110 in the case of transferring the cargo 12X to be stored to the storage unit 26 in the state of FIG. 9 will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating process S110. In this process S110, the control unit 18 determines the pallet size of the other goods 12 to be stored in the one storage row 24 based on the pallet size of the goods 12 stored in the starting part 24m of the one storage row 24.

In the example of FIG. 9, one load 12A is stored in the storage row 24A and the storage row 24C. One load 12B is stored in the storage row 24B and the storage row 24D. No cargo 12 is stored in storage rows 24E and 24F.

When the process S110 is started, the control unit 18 acquires the pallet size of the goods 12X to be stored (step S111). As an example, a transmissive or reflective laser sensor (not shown) may be provided near the storage unit 28, and the control unit 18 may acquire the pallet size based on the time during which the pallet blocks or reflects the laser light and the transfer speed.

As another example, a sensor (not shown) capable of detecting the pallet size of the cargo 12 may be provided on the first truck 14, and the control unit 18 may acquire the pallet size based on the detection result of the sensor of the first truck 14. Such a sensor may be a laser sensor capable of measuring the pallet size using laser light.

As another example, the pallet size of the goods 12X to be stored may be stored in a database (not shown) in advance, and the control unit 18 may acquire the pallet size from the database.

After acquiring the pallet size, the control unit 18 acquires the pallet size of the cargo 12 stored at the starting point 24m of the storage rows 24A to 24F (step S112). As an example, a laser sensor (not shown) capable of detecting the pallet size may be provided near each starting point 24m, and the control unit 18 may acquire the pallet size based on the detection result of the laser sensor.

As another example, the first trolley 14 having a sensor (not shown) capable of detecting the pallet size may run at the starting point 24m, and the control unit 18 may acquire the pallet size based on the detection result of the laser sensor.

As another example, a database (not shown) may store the history of the goods 12 in and out of each storage row 24, and the control unit 18 may acquire the pallet size of the goods 12 stored in the starting part 24m based on the history of the goods 12 stored in the database.

After acquiring the pallet size, the control unit 18 determines the pallet size (hereinafter referred to as "accommodation size") of the other cargo 12 to be stored in the storage rows 24A to 24F other than the starting point 24m of the storage row (step S113). The storage size is determined based on the pallet size of the load 12 at the origin 24m.

The determination in this step may be performed according to predetermined decision rules. As an example, the control unit 18 may determine the pallet size of the load 12 at the starting point 24m as the accommodation size. In this case, one storage row 24 accommodates loads 12 of the same pallet size. In the example of FIG. 9, the control unit 18 determines that the storage row 24A and the storage row 24C store the load 12A, and the storage row 24B and the storage row 24D store the load 12B. Note that the accommodation size of the storage columns 24E and 24F may not be determined.

After the storage size is determined, the control unit 18 controls the first truck 14 and the second truck 16 so that if the cargo to be stored is the cargo 12A, the cargo is transferred to the storage queue 24A or the storage queue 24C, and if the cargo to be stored is the cargo 12B, the cargo is transferred to the storage queue 24B or the storage queue 24D for storage (step S114).

After the cargo 12X to be stored is transferred to the storage queue 24, the control unit 18 terminates the process S110. These steps of process S110 are merely examples, and other steps may be added, some steps may be changed or deleted, and the order of steps may be changed without departing from the scope of the purpose.

With reference to FIGS. 11 and 12, the second process S120 of transferring the cargo 12X to be stored to the storage unit 26 in the state of FIG. 11 will be described. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating process S120. In the process S120, the control unit 18 determines a storage queue (hereinafter referred to as "accommodation storage queue") for storing the received cargo 12 based on the pallet size of the received cargo and the size of each unstored area 24k of the plurality of storage queues 24.

In the example of FIG. 11, the storage row 24A contains four loads 12A and the size of the unstored area 24k is zero. Storage row 24B contains six loads 12B and the size of unstored area 24k is zero. Three cargoes 12A and one cargo 12B are stored in the storage row 24C, and the size of the unstored area 24k is 0.5 m. One load 12A and three loads 12B are stored in the storage row 24D, and the size of the unstored area 24k is 1.5 m. Two cargoes 12A and two cargoes 12B are stored in the storage row 24E, and the size of the unstored area 24k is 1.0 m. One load 12A and three loads 12B are stored in the storage row 24F, and the size of the unstored area 24k is 1.5 m. Thus, the storage row 24 can accommodate a plurality of loads 12 having different pallet sizes side by side.

When the process S120 is started, the control unit 18 acquires the pallet size of the cargo 12X to be stored (step S121). This step is similar to step S111.

After obtaining the pallet size, the control unit 18 obtains the size of the non-contained area 24k of the storage columns 24A to 24F (step S122). For example, the first trolley 14 having a sensor capable of detecting the presence or absence of the load 12 may be driven in the storage train 24, and the control unit 18 may acquire the size of the unstored area 24k based on the time during which the load 12 was not detected (or detected). As another example, a database (not shown) may be stored with the storage/shipping history of the goods 12 in each storage row 24, and the control unit 18 may acquire the size of the unstored area 24k based on the storage/shipping history of the database.

After acquiring the size of the unaccommodated area 24k, the control unit 18 determines whether or not the size of each unaccommodated area 24k is equal to or larger than the pallet size of the cargo 12X to be stored (step S123). This determination operation may be performed through the storage columns 24A-24F in this order, or may be performed in a different order.

After determining whether or not it is possible to accommodate, the control unit 18 stores the determination result (step S124). Although not shown in FIG. 12, if none of the storage rows 24 can be accommodated, the controller 18 may issue some sort of alarm and stop this process.

After storing the determination result, the control unit 18 determines the accommodation/storage sequence according to a predetermined determination rule based on the determination result (step S125). An example of the determination rule will be described below.

A first determination rule will be described. According to this determination rule, the control unit 18 determines the storage queue 24 that is first determined to be storable as the storage storage queue. In the above example, the storage row 24D that is first determined to be storable is determined as the storage storage row.

A second determination rule will be described. According to this determination rule, the control unit 18 determines the storage queue 24 that is finally determined to be storable as the storage storage queue. In the above example, the storage row 24F that is finally determined to be storable is determined as the accommodation storage row.

A third determination rule will be described. According to this determination rule, the control unit 18 determines the storage queue 24 that can be accommodated and has the largest unaccommodated area 24k as the stored storage queue. In the above example, the storage row 24D having the largest unaccommodated area 24k of 1.5 m is determined as the accommodation storage row.

A fourth determination rule will be described. According to this determination rule, the control unit 18 determines the storage row 24 that can be accommodated and has the smallest size of the unaccommodated area 24k as the accommodation storage row. In the above example, the storage column 24E is determined as the accommodation storage column.

A fifth determination rule will be described. According to this determination rule, the control unit 18 determines the storage queue 24 that can be accommodated and that has the smallest difference between the size of the unaccommodated area 24k and the pallet size of the cargo 12X to be stored as the storage queue. In the above example, the storage column 24E with zero difference is determined as the accommodation storage column.

The first to fifth determination rules are merely examples, and the control unit 18 may determine the accommodation/storage sequence based on other determination rules.

After determining the storage queue, the control unit 18 controls the first truck 14 and the second truck 16 so as to transfer and store the cargo 12X to be stored in the storage storage queue (step S126).

After the goods 12X to be stored are transferred to the storage queue 24, the control unit 18 terminates the process S120. These steps of process S120 are merely examples, and other steps may be added, some steps may be changed or deleted, and the order of steps may be changed without departing from the scope of the purpose.

As in the process S120, by obtaining the size of the unaccommodated area 24k and determining the storage queue based on the result, this embodiment can transfer and store the cargo 12X to be stored in the storage queue 24 having the unaccommodated area 24k of a size capable of accommodating the cargo 12X.

(Replacement operation)
Next, referring also to FIG. 13, an example of the rearrangement operation of the automated warehouse system 100 will be described. As shown in FIG. 13, when a plurality of types of pallet-sized loads 12 are stored in one storage row 24, depending on the combination of pallet sizes, each unstored area 24k may be wasted and storage efficiency may be reduced. Therefore, in this embodiment, the rearranging operation is executed so as to increase the storage efficiency by moving the unstored area 24k from one of the plurality of storage rows 24 to the other based on the size of the unstored area.

Although there is no limit to the timing of executing the rearrangement operation, in this embodiment, the rearrangement operation is performed during the vacant time when the entering/exiting operation is not performed.

The rearrangement operation may be performed according to the operator's operation, or may be performed automatically. For example, the rearrangement operation may be executed after a predetermined time by a timer, or it may be executed during an idle time when the entering/leaving operation predicted based on the entering/leaving operation plan stored in the database and the history of the past entering/leaving operation is not performed. A learning result by artificial intelligence may be used for this prediction.

The size of the unaccommodated area 24k before rearrangement shown in FIG. 13 will be described. The storage rows 24A, 24C, 24E contain three cargoes 12A and one cargo 12B, and the size of the unstored area 24k is 0.5 m. One load 12A and four loads 12B are stored in the storage rows 24B, 24D, and 24F, and the size of the unstored area 24k is 0.5 m. The unaccommodated area 24k with a size of 0.5 m is a useless area in which even the cargo 12B with a small pallet size cannot be additionally accommodated. However, when the unaccommodated areas 24k are aggregated, it becomes 3.0 m, and one to three additional loads 12A and 12B can be accommodated.

As an example, when it is determined that the number of items 12 that can be additionally accommodated (hereinafter referred to as "additional storage capacity") increases by aggregating the unaccommodated areas 24k in a plurality of storage rows 24, a rearranging operation of aggregating the unaccommodated areas 24k may be performed. An example of the replacement process is described below.

Referring to FIG. 14, the process S130 of consolidating same pallet size loads 12 into one storage row 24 will be described. FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating process S130.

When the process S130 is started, the control unit 18 specifies the pallet size with the largest number of storages in each storage row 24 (hereinafter referred to as "largest size") (step S131). The maximum size can be identified based on the history of incoming and outgoing shipments stored in the database. Alternatively, the first trolley 14 having a sensor capable of detecting the pallet size can be run in the storage line 24, and the largest size can be specified based on the detection result of the sensor. In this step, it can be determined that the maximum size of storage rows 24A, 24C, 24E is 1.5m and the maximum size of storage rows 24B, 24D, 24F is 1.0m.

After specifying the largest size, the control unit 18 stores the cargo 12 of the pallet size other than the largest size (hereinafter referred to as "non-largest size") in each storage row 24 in the temporary storage area (step S132). The temporary storage area may be another storage row 24 or may be a separate area for temporary storage. In this example, the storage sections 36 of the storage shelf section 32 facing each other across the moving passage 47 are used as temporary storage areas. In this step, if there is a load 12 of the largest size on the front 24n side of the load 12 of the non-maximum size, the load 12 may be temporarily transferred to another temporary storage area and returned later.

In this step, as shown in FIG. 15, the cargo 12B from the storage rows 24A, 24C, 24E is stored in the temporary storage area, and the cargo 12A from the storage rows 24B, 24D, 24F is stored in the temporary storage area.

After temporarily storing the cargo 12, the control unit 18 transfers the cargo 12 to the storage line 24 having the same pallet size as the largest size (step S133). In this step, as shown in FIG. 16, cargo 12A is stored in storage rows 24A, 24C, and 24E, and cargo 12B is stored in storage rows 24B, 24D, and 24F. As a result, the storage rows 24A, 24C, and 24E all store the cargo 12A with a large pallet size, and the storage rows 24B, 24D, and 24F all store the cargo 12B with a small pallet size. In addition, the unstored area 24k of the storage rows 24B, 24D, and 24F is 1.0 m, which is large enough to additionally store the load 12B.

After transferring the temporarily stored cargo 12 to the storage queue 24, the control unit 18 terminates the process S130. These steps of process S130 are merely examples, and other steps may be added, some steps may be changed or deleted, and the order of steps may be changed without departing from the scope of the purpose.

As described in the process S130, by interchanging the cargoes 12A and 12B with different pallet sizes between the plurality of storage rows 24A, 24B, the number of additionally storable items can be increased, and the storage efficiency of the storage shelf section 22 can be improved.

In addition, by rearranging so that the size of the unaccommodated area 24k of at least one storage row 24A among the plurality of storage rows 24A to 24F is substantially zero, the number of additional containers that can be accommodated can be increased, and the accommodation efficiency of the storage shelf part 22 can be improved.

Also, the size of the non-stored area 24k of at least one of the plurality of storage rows 24A-24F can be set to accommodate the cargo 12A of a predetermined maximum pallet size. For example, from the state shown in FIG. 16, one load 12B in the storage row 24D is transferred to the storage row 24B, and as shown in FIG.

17, one cargo 12B in the storage row 24D is transferred to the storage row 24F, and as shown in FIG. 18, the unstored area 24k of the storage row 24F is aggregated into the storage row 24D, so that the storage row 24D can additionally store two cargoes 12A having a large pallet size.

Further, as described in the process S130, by replacing the cargoes 12 with different pallet sizes among the plurality of storage rows 24A to 24F based on the pallet size and the size of the unstored area 24k, the number of additional storable items can be increased and the storage efficiency of the storage shelf section 22 can be improved.

An overview of one embodiment of the present invention will be described. An automated warehouse system according to one aspect of the present invention is an automated warehouse system capable of storing goods 12 including objects to be stored and pallets, and includes storage racks 22 in which a plurality of storage rows 24 capable of accommodating a plurality of goods 12 arranged side by side in a first direction in order from a starting point 24m are arranged in a row in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a control unit 18 that controls transfer of the goods 12 in the storage racks 22. The storage rows 24 can accommodate a plurality of loads 12 having different pallet sizes side by side.

According to this aspect, the cargo 12X to be stored can be accommodated in any storage row 24 regardless of the pallet size. Since a small pallet can be used for a small load 12, wasteful space can be suppressed and storage efficiency can be improved. Also, since a large pallet can be used for a large load 12, it is possible to prevent the load 12 from falling or colliding.

The control unit 18 may be configured to determine the pallet size of the other cargo 12 to be stored in the one storage row 24 based on the pallet size of the cargo 12 stored in the starting part 24m of the one storage row 24. In this case, the pallet size of the goods 12 stored in the storage row 24 can be unified.

The control unit 18 may be configured to determine the storage queue 24 that stores the cargo 12X to be stored based on the pallet size of the cargo 12X to be stored and the size of each unstored area 24k of the plurality of storage queues 24. In this case, since the load 12 can be properly stored in the empty space, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of wasted space and improve the storage efficiency.

An automated warehouse system according to another aspect of the present invention is an automated warehouse system capable of storing goods 12 including objects to be stored and pallets, and includes storage racks 22 in which a plurality of storage rows 24 capable of accommodating a plurality of goods 12 arranged side by side in a first direction in order from a starting point 24m are arranged in a row in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a control unit 18 for controlling transfer of the goods 12 in the storage racks 22. The storage queue 24 can accommodate a plurality of cargoes 12 having different pallet sizes side by side, and the control unit 18 is configured to determine the storage queue 24 that stores the cargo 12X to be stored based on the pallet size of the cargo 12X to be stored.

According to this aspect, the storage row 24 for storing the goods 12X to be stored is determined based on the pallet size, so that the restrictions at the time of storing can be reduced and the efficiency of storage can be improved.

The control unit 18 may perform control such that the cargoes 12 are rearranged among the plurality of storage rows 24 based on the pallet size of the cargoes 12 stored in the plurality of storage rows 24 . In this case, if the cargoes 12 of different pallet sizes are stored in one storage row 24, the storage efficiency may be lowered depending on the combination of the pallet sizes.

The rearrangement described above may be an operation of consolidating same pallet size loads 12 into one of the plurality of storage rows 24 . In this case, the storage efficiency can be improved by unifying the pallet size of the goods 12 stored in the storage row 24 .

The above-described replacement may be performed during a period in which warehousing and warehousing in the automated warehouse system 100 are not performed. In this case, it is possible to reduce the influence on the loading/unloading operation and prevent a decrease in the throughput of the automated warehouse system.

The above has been described based on the embodiments of the present invention. This embodiment is an example, and it is understood by those skilled in the art 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. 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.

[First Modification]
An automated warehouse system 100 according to a first modified example will be described with reference to FIGS. 19 to 21. FIG. 19 to 21 are state diagrams for explaining the storage state of the goods 12 in the automated warehouse system 100. FIG. This modification differs from the embodiment in that the position of the starting point 24m of each storage row 24 differs according to the shape of the building that accommodates the storage shelf 22, and in that it accommodates three types of pallet-sized loads 12. Other configurations are the same. Therefore, mainly the differences will be described.

In this modification, the storage row 24D is shorter than the storage row 24E, the storage row 24C is shorter than the storage row 24D, the storage row 24B is shorter than the storage row 24C, and the storage row 24A is shorter than the storage row 24B in the dimension in the Y-axis direction. Further, in this modified example, the load 12A, the load 12B, and the load 12C having different pallet sizes can be accommodated. The pallet size of load 12C is 1.25m.

In this modified example, as shown in FIG. 19, in each storage row 24, the cargo 12 can be stored without limiting the pallet size (hereinafter referred to as "unlimited storage mode"). In the non-restricted storage mode mode, the cargo to be stored can be stored in an empty unstored area regardless of which storage row it is, so the number of cargoes that can be stored may be increased. Empty storage rows can also be formed like storage rows 24A and 24B, and these empty storage rows can be used as temporary storage areas during rearrangement.

In this modified example, as shown in FIG. 20, in each storage row 24, the pallet size can be limited and the cargo 12 can be stored (hereinafter referred to as "limited storage mode"). In the limited storage mode, a pallet size is set in each storage row 24, and only cargo of this set pallet size is stored. As the storage queue 24 is emptied, the set pallet size of the emptied storage queue 24 may be dynamically changed. The example of FIG. 21 shows a state in which after all the goods 12C in the storage row 24E have been shipped from the state of FIG. In this way, by dynamically changing the set pallet size, the storage rack section 22 can be used in a wider range of ways, and the accommodation efficiency can be improved.

[Other Modifications]
In the description of the embodiment and the first modified example, an example of accommodating two or three types of pallet-sized loads 12 was shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. The automated warehouse system may accommodate loads 12 of four or more pallet sizes. Also, it is not essential that the pallet size of the load 12 is preset. For example, an upper limit and a lower limit may be defined between which any pallet-sized cargo 12 can be accommodated, loaded or unloaded.

In the description of the embodiment, an example in which the entrance/exit for the goods 12 is provided at one end of the storage line 24 was shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. A loading/unloading port for cargo 12 may be provided at each end of storage row 24 .

Although the example in which the starting point portion 24m is fixed has been described in the description of the embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this. The origin 24m may be changed in certain cases.

In the description of the embodiment, an example was shown in which the load 12 of the same pallet size as the load 12 stored in the starting point 24m of one storage row 24 is stored in the storage row 24, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the storage queue 24 may store a pallet-sized load 12 having a size based on a value obtained by dividing the size of the unstored area 24k by an integer.

An elevating mechanism may be provided for elevating the load 12 between the storage racks 22 of a plurality of stages. In this case, rearrangement may also be performed using a lifting mechanism.

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.

Providing the first truck 14 is not essential. Instead of the first carriage 14, transfer means having another configuration capable of transferring the load 12 may be provided.

Providing the second truck 16 is not essential. Any moving mechanism that can move in the second direction with the first truck 14 mounted thereon may be used, and for example, a stacker crane may be provided instead of the second truck 16 .

Instead of the forklift, another type of transfer device such as a transfer device equipped with a crane may be used to carry in and 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, 18... Control unit, 22... Storage shelf, 24... Storage row, 24 j... Already accommodated area, 24 k... Unaccommodated area, 24 m... Starting point, 24 n... Frontage, 26... Storage unit, 100... Automated warehouse system.

Claims (7)

An automated warehouse system capable of accommodating loads including stored items and pallets,
a storage shelf section in which a plurality of storage rows capable of storing a plurality of the goods arranged in a row in order from the starting point are arranged in a row in a second direction intersecting the first direction;
a first trolley having a sensor capable of detecting information about the dimension in the first direction and capable of traveling in the first direction in the storage line with a load mounted thereon;
a control unit that controls the first carriage to transfer the goods in the storage shelf;
with
The storage row can accommodate a plurality of cargoes having different pallet sizes side by side,
The automated warehouse system, wherein the control unit determines a storage line for storing the cargo to be stored based on the dimensional information acquired by using the sensor. 2. The automated warehouse system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines the pallet size of the other cargo to be stored in the one storage row based on the pallet size of the cargo stored at the starting point of the one storage row acquired using the sensor . 2. The automated warehouse system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines a storage queue for storing the cargo to be stored based on the pallet size of the cargo to be stored and the size of each unstored area of the plurality of storage queues obtained using the sensor . 2. The automated warehouse system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines a storage queue for storing the cargo to be stored based on the pallet size of the cargo to be stored obtained using the sensor . 5. The automated warehouse system according to claim 4, wherein the control unit performs control such that cargo is rearranged between the plurality of storage rows based on the pallet size of the cargo stored in the plurality of storage rows. 6. The automated warehouse system according to claim 5, wherein said rearranging is executed so as to aggregate cargo of the same pallet size into one of said plurality of storage rows. 7. The automated warehouse system according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that said replacement is executed during a period in which no warehousing and shipping is performed in this automated warehouse system.

Images