JP7443910B2 - Automatic warehouse - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an automatic warehouse, and particularly to an automatic warehouse having racks and transport vehicles.

2. Description of the Related Art Automated warehouses (hereinafter referred to as "automated warehouses with individual transport vehicles") are known in which a plurality of transport vehicles for transporting goods are provided corresponding to each stage of a plurality of shelves for storing goods. Each transport vehicle travels in the extending direction of the shelf on the corresponding stage, and transfers the cargo between the transport vehicle and the shelf of the corresponding stage at a predetermined position in the extending direction of the shelf (for example, Patent Document 1 ).

JP2012-017188A

In a conventional automatic warehouse with a transport vehicle for each stage, a plurality of sensors are provided to detect the position of each transport vehicle on the travel path. For example, the origin sensor detects the origin position, the deceleration sensor detects the deceleration position near the end, and the travel limit sensor detects the limit position.
By providing sensors for each purpose in this way, the number of sensors increases.

An object of the present invention is to reduce the number of necessary sensors in a transport vehicle for an automated warehouse by controlling the vehicle using a combination of sensors.

A plurality of aspects will be described below as means for solving the problem. These aspects can be arbitrarily combined as necessary.

An automatic warehouse according to one aspect of the present invention includes a rack, a transport device, a controller, a first detected part, a second detected part, a first detecting part, and a second detecting part.
The rack has a shelf on which luggage is placed.
The transport vehicle travels along a travel path near the shelves and transfers cargo to and from the shelves.
The first detected portion indicates the first end of the travel path.
The second detected portion indicates the second end of the travel path.
The first detection section and the second detection section are provided on the carrier and detect the first detected section and the second detected section.
The first detected part is detected at the first end by only the first detection part or by both the first detection part and the second detection part.
The second detected part is detected at the second end by only the second detection part and by both the first detection part and the second detection part.
The controller determines that the transport vehicle is located at the first end when the first detected part is detected by only the first detection part of the first detection part and the second detection part.
The controller determines that the transport vehicle is located at the second end when the second detected part is detected by only the second detection part of the first detection part and the second detection part.
The controller abnormally stops the transport vehicle when both the first detection section and the second detection section detect the first detected section or the second detected section.
In this automated warehouse, it is possible to grasp the position at both ends of the travel path and control abnormal stops based on a combination of detection results from the first detection section and the second detection section. In other words, two sensors can perform four types of control (position recognition at both ends + abnormal stop at both ends). In other words, the number of required sensors can be reduced by controlling the transport vehicle of an automated warehouse using a combination of sensors.

The controller may prohibit the guided vehicle from further traveling toward the first end when the first detected portion is detected by only the first detecting portion of the first detecting portion and the second detecting portion.
The controller may prohibit the guided vehicle from further traveling toward the second end when the second detected portion is detected by only the second detection portion of the first detection portion and the second detection portion.
In this automated warehouse, movement at the first end or the second end of the travel path can be restricted based on a combination of the detection results of the first detection section and the second detection section, thereby increasing safety. In this case, additional control can be performed without increasing the number of sensors.

When the guided vehicle is abnormally stopped, the controller may determine whether the guided vehicle is located at the first end or the second end based on the detection order of the first detection unit and the second detection unit.
When the operator forcibly operates the guided vehicle after an abnormal stop, the controller prohibits the guided vehicle from further traveling toward the first end if it is at the first end, and prohibits the guided vehicle from further traveling toward the first end if it is at the second end. It may also be possible to prohibit running toward the second end.
In this automated warehouse, when the worker forcibly operates the transport vehicle after an abnormal stop, the worker is prohibited from moving outside the travel path, which increases safety.

The automated warehouse may further include a third detected part and a third detection part. The third detected part is provided vertically offset from the first detected part at the first end of the running path, and is longer than the first detected part in the running direction toward the second end. good. The third detection section is provided on the transport vehicle vertically shifted from the first detection section, and detects the third detected section.
The first detection section and the second detection section may be arranged so that the direction in which they are arranged is parallel to the traveling direction.
The controller is
When the transport vehicle is started or terminated, the transport vehicle is run toward the first end side,
When the third detection unit detects the third detected part, the conveyance vehicle is decelerated;
The conveyance vehicle is stopped when the first detected part is detected by only the first detection part among the first detection part and the second detection part.
In this automatic warehouse, during the return-to-origin operation, the guided vehicle can be moved at high speed until the third detection section detects the third detected section, and after detection, the guided vehicle can be decelerated and then stopped. can. As a result, the transport vehicle can be accurately stopped while shortening the travel time of the transport vehicle.

In the automatic warehouse according to the present invention, the number of required sensors can be reduced.

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of the automated warehouse of the first embodiment. A schematic perspective view of a carrier and a shelf. FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing the positional relationship between a detected part of a travel path and a detection part of a guided vehicle. FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing the positional relationship between a detected part of a travel path and a detection part of a guided vehicle. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a control configuration of an automated warehouse. FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing the positional relationship between a detected part of a travel path and a detection part of a guided vehicle. FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing the positional relationship between a detected part of a travel path and a detection part of a guided vehicle. FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing the positional relationship between a detected part of a travel path and a detection part of a guided vehicle. FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing the positional relationship between a detected part of a travel path and a detection part of a guided vehicle. FIG. 7 is a schematic side view showing the positional relationship between the detected portion of the travel path and the detection portion of the guided vehicle according to the second embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing the positional relationship between a detected part of a travel path and a detection part of a guided vehicle. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a control configuration of an automated warehouse. FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing the positional relationship between a detected part of a travel path and a detection part of a guided vehicle. FIG. 3 is a schematic side view showing the positional relationship between a detected part of a travel path and a detection part of a guided vehicle. FIG. 7 is a schematic side view showing the positional relationship between the detected portion of the travel path and the detection portion of the guided vehicle according to the third embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic side view showing the positional relationship between the detected portion of the travel path and the detection portion of the guided vehicle according to the third embodiment. FIG. 7 is a schematic side view showing the positional relationship between the detected portion of the travel path and the detection portion of the guided vehicle according to the third embodiment.

1. First Embodiment (1) Description of the entire automated warehouse An automated warehouse 100 according to the first embodiment will be described using FIGS. 1 and 2. The automated warehouse 100 is a system that has a plurality of shelves and can store cargo on each shelf or take out cargo stored on each shelf. FIG. 1 is a side view of the automated warehouse of the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the carrier and the shelf. In the following description, the horizontal direction in FIG. 1 will be referred to as a first direction (Y), the depth direction in FIG. 1 will be referred to as a second direction (X), and the vertical direction in FIG. 1 will be referred to as a third direction (Z).
The automated warehouse 100 includes a rack 1, a plurality of transport vehicles 3, a warehousing station 7, a warehousing station 9, a warehousing lifting device 11, and a warehousing lifting device 13.

(2) Rack The rack 1 has multiple shelves 21 arranged in the third direction. Each shelf 21 extends long in the first direction and has a plurality of baggage placement sections.
The shelves 21 are arranged on both sides or one side in the second direction with respect to the transport vehicle 3 and the travel path 5 (described later).

(3) Transport vehicle The plurality of transport vehicles 3 can travel along the first direction at the height corresponding to each shelf 21, respectively. Specifically, a traveling path 5 extending linearly in the first direction is laid at a height corresponding to each shelf 21, and the transport vehicle 3 can reciprocate on the traveling path 5 in the first direction. Further, the transport vehicle 3 has a transfer device 15, and is capable of transferring cargo W in the second direction between it and the corresponding shelf 21.

The detected portion of the travel path 5 and the detection portion of the transport vehicle 3 will be explained using FIGS. 3 and 4. 3 and 4 are schematic side views showing the positional relationship between the detected portion of the travel path and the detection portion of the guided vehicle.
As shown in FIG. 3, a first detected portion 31 is provided at the first end 5A of the travel path 5. As shown in FIG. The first detected portion 31 indicates the first end 5A of the travel path 5. Specifically, the first detected portion 31 is a reflective tape having a predetermined length in the first direction, and is attached to the side surface 5a of the rail that constitutes the running path 5. The end of the first detected portion 31 on the second end 5B side is the detection start position. Note that the predetermined length of the first detected section 31 is a length that allows both the first detection section 41 and the second detection section 42 (described later) to be turned on. Further, the position where only one of the first detection unit 41 and the second detection unit 42 is turned on is on the end side of the stop position for transferring the shelf 21 of the transport vehicle 3, the warehousing conveyor 23, and the warehousing conveyor 25. become.
As shown in FIG. 4, a second detected portion 32 is provided at the second end 5B of the travel path 5. The second detected portion 32 indicates the second end 5B of the travel path 5. Specifically, the second detected portion 32 is a reflective tape having a predetermined length in the first direction, and is attached to the side surface 5a. The second detected part 32 is located at the same position in the second direction as the first detected part 31 . The end of the second detected portion 32 on the first end 5A side is the detection start position.
In addition, in the travel path 5, the origin (control origin) is located at the first end 5A, and the opposite origin is located at the second end 5B. However, the origin and anti-origin may be on either side. The origin is a position for initializing the traveling position by returning to the origin when the transport vehicle 3 is started or stopped.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the transport vehicle 3 is provided with a first detection section 41 and a second detection section 42. The first detection section 41 and the second detection section 42 are provided in accordance with the positions of the first detected section 31 and the second detected section 32, and detect the first detected section 31 and the second detected section 32. . Specifically, the first detection section 41 and the second detection section 42 are reflective photoelectric sensors, and output a detection signal when the light from the light emitting element is reflected by the reflective tape and the light receiving element senses it. . Specifically, the first detection unit 41 and the second detection unit 42 are arranged side by side in the first direction (the positions in the second direction are the same), that is, the direction in which they are lined up is parallel to the running direction. It becomes. More specifically, the first detection section 41 and the second detection section 42 are provided on the side of the transport vehicle 3 so as to face laterally. Note that the first detection section 41 is arranged on the first end 5A side with respect to the second detection section 42.

With the above configuration, the first detected part 31 is detected by only the first detection part 41 and by both the first detection part 41 and the second detection part 42 on the first end 5A side.
With the above configuration, the second detected part 32 is detected by only the second detection part 42 and by both the first detection part 41 and the second detection part 42 on the second end 5B side.

(4) Warehousing Station and Warehousing Station The warehousing station 7 is arranged on one side of the rack 1 in the first direction. The warehousing station 7 receives cargo W to be stored in the rack 1. The warehousing station 7 has a conveyor 7a.
The unloading station 9 is arranged on the opposite side of the rack 1 in the first direction. The unloading station 9 receives the luggage W taken out from the rack 1. The delivery station 9 has a conveyor 9a.
Note that the positions and numbers of the warehousing station and the warehousing station are not particularly limited.

(5) Elevating and lowering conveyance device The warehousing elevating device 11 is arranged between the rack 1 and the warehousing station 7, and has a lifting platform 53. The lifting platform 53 moves up and down in the Z direction along the support column 55. The lifting platform 53 has a conveyor 57 that transfers the cargo W between the warehousing station 7 and the warehousing conveyor 23 of the rack 1. The conveyor 57 can support a plurality of loads W. Further, the warehousing conveyor 23 of the rack 1 is provided for each shelf 21 in a portion adjacent to the warehousing lifting device 11.

The unloading lifting device 13 is arranged between the rack 1 and the unloading station 9, and has a lifting platform 63. The elevating table 63 is movable up and down in the third direction along the support column 65. The lifting platform 63 has a delivery conveyor 67 that transfers the cargo W between the delivery station 9 and the delivery conveyor 25 of the rack 1. Moreover, the unloading conveyor 67 of the rack 1 is provided for each shelf 21 in a portion adjacent to the unloading elevating device 13.

(6) Control configuration The control configuration of the automated warehouse 100 will be explained using FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram showing the control configuration of the automated warehouse.
The automated warehouse 100 has a controller 51.
The controller 51 is a device that manages the storage and loading and unloading of cargo in the automated warehouse 100, and also controls the plurality of transport vehicles 3, the warehousing station 7, the unloading station 9, the warehousing lifting device 11, and the unloading lifting device 13. be. The controller 51 is a computer having a processor (e.g., CPU), a storage device (e.g., ROM, RAM, HDD, SSD, etc.), and various interfaces (e.g., A/D converter, D/A converter, communication interface, etc.). It is a system.

The controller 51 may perform various control operations by executing programs stored in a storage unit (corresponding to part or all of the storage area of the storage device), or may include some control operations in the controller 51. It may also be realized using hardware that can be used.
The controller 51 may be realized by one computer system or by multiple computer systems.

The controller 51 is connected to the warehousing lifting device 11 , the warehousing lifting device 13 , the warehousing station 7 , the warehousing station 9 , and the plurality of transport vehicles 3 . The controller 51 can control these devices.
Although not shown, the controller 51 is connected to a sensor for detecting the size, shape, and position of an object, a sensor and switch for detecting the status of each device, and an information input device.
The transport vehicle 3 has an on-vehicle controller 61. The on-vehicle controller 61 has the same configuration and functions as the controller 51. The on-vehicle controller 61 controls the travel and transfer operation of the carrier vehicle 3 . A first detection section 41 and a second detection section 42 are connected to the on-vehicle controller 61 . The on-vehicle controller 61 receives detection signals from these sensors.

(7) Warehousing operation and warehousing operation in an automated warehouse (7-1) Warehousing operation First, the conveyor 57 of the lifting platform 53 of the warehousing lifting device 11 moves to the position of the conveyor 7a of the warehousing station 7.

Next, the conveyor 7a conveys the cargo W to the conveyor 57 of the warehousing lifting device 11.
Next, the lifting platform 53 moves up and down to the height of the step corresponding to the shelf 21 on which the cargo W is stored.
Next, the conveyor 57 of the lifting platform 53 transports the cargo W to the warehousing conveyor 23.

Next, the transport vehicle 3 moves to the warehousing conveyor 23 and loads the cargo W thereon.
Finally, the transport vehicle 3 travels in the first direction and lowers the cargo W to the target position on the shelf 21.

(7-2) Unloading operation First, the transport vehicle 3 travels in the first direction to the position where the luggage W is located on the shelf 21, and loads the luggage W.
Next, the transport vehicle 3 moves to the delivery conveyor 25 and unloads the cargo W.
Next, the elevating platform 63 of the unloading elevating device 13 moves up and down to the height of the step corresponding to the shelf 21 on which the cargo is stored.

Next, the unloading conveyor 25 transports the cargo W to the unloading conveyor 67 of the lifting platform 63 of the unloading lifting device 13.
Next, the lifting platform 63 moves up and down to the position of the conveyor 9a of the delivery station 9.
Finally, the unloading conveyor 67 of the lifting platform 63 conveys the cargo W to the conveyor 9a of the unloading station 9.

Note that the origin is the reference position for travel, and determines how much distance is required from there to the stop position of the cargo. When returning to the origin, the encoder value is set to 0 or a correction value is entered at the origin.
Furthermore, at the anti-origin, it is determined whether the stored anti-origin position when the anti-origin is reached is different from the encoder value when the anti-origin is reached.

(8) Travel control of the guided vehicle Travel control of the guided vehicle 3 will be explained using FIGS. 6 to 9. 6 to 9 are schematic side views showing the positional relationship between the detected portion of the travel path and the detection portion of the transport vehicle.
(8-1)
The in-vehicle controller 61 detects that the transport vehicle 3 is located at the first end 5A (more specifically Specifically, it is determined that the transport vehicle 3 is located at the origin. This is because, as shown in FIG. 6, the first detection section 41 detects the first detected section 31, but the second detection section 42 does not detect the first detected section 31. This means that it is determined that is located at the first end 5A.

When the on-vehicle controller 61 detects the second detected part 32 only by the second detecting part 42 of the first detecting part 41 and the second detecting part 42, the transport vehicle 3 is located at the second end 5B (more specifically). Specifically, it is determined that the transport vehicle 3 is located opposite to the origin. This is because, as shown in FIG. 7, the second detection section 42 detects the second detected section 32, but the first detection section 41 does not detect the second detected section 32. This means that it is determined that is located at the second end 5B.
The on-vehicle controller 61 abnormally stops the transport vehicle 3 when both the first detecting section 41 and the second detecting section 42 detect the first detected section 31 or the second detected section 32 . As an example, a state in which both the first detection section 41 and the second detection section 42 detect the first detected section 31 means that the transport vehicle 3 is stopped properly at the first end 5A, as shown in FIG. This is a case where the robot is moving further from the position to the limit position on the outside in the first direction. The limit position is the running end of the control limit, and is the position at which an abnormal stop is performed. Note that beyond the limit position, a physical running end is determined by a mechanical stopper.
As another example, when both the first detection section 41 and the second detection section 42 detect the second detected section 32, as shown in FIG. This is a case where the vehicle is moved from a normal stop position to a limit position further outward in the first direction.

As described above, based on the combination of detection results of the first detection unit 41 and the second detection unit 42, it is possible to grasp the position of the guided vehicle 3 at both ends of the travel path 5 and control abnormal stoppage. . Conventionally, an origin sensor was provided to grasp the origin position, but this can be omitted. In other words, by controlling the transport vehicle 3 of the automated warehouse 100 using a combination of sensors, the number of necessary sensors can be reduced.
Note that the origin of the transport vehicle 3 is at the moment when the first detecting section 41 detects the first detected section 31, immediately after, or a position after a slight movement. Further, the transport vehicle 3 sets the opposite origin to the moment when the second detecting section 42 detects the second detected section 32, immediately after, or a position after a slight movement.

(8-2)
As shown in FIG. 6, when the on-vehicle controller 61 detects the first detected part 31 only by the first detecting part 41 of the first detecting part 41 and the second detecting part 42 (when the carrier vehicle 3 is at the origin) ), the transport vehicle 3 is prohibited from further traveling to the side opposite to the second end 5B.
As shown in FIG. 7, when the on-vehicle controller 61 detects the second detected part 32 only by the second detecting part 42 out of the first detecting part 41 and the second detecting part 42 (when the carrier 3 is at the opposite origin) case), the transport vehicle 3 is prohibited from further traveling to the side opposite to the first end 5A.
As described above, movement at the first end 5A and second end 5B of the travel path 5 can be restricted based on the combination of the detection results of the first detection section 41 and the second detection section 42, thereby improving safety. becomes higher. In this case, additional control can be performed without increasing the number of sensors.

(8-3)
When the vehicle-mounted controller 61 detects the first detected part 31 or the second detected part 32 by both the first detection part 41 and the second detection part 42 and abnormally stops the transport vehicle 3, the vehicle controller 61 detects the first detection part Based on the detection order of the section 41 and the second detection section 42, it is determined which limit of the first end 5A or the second end 5B the transport vehicle 3 is located at.
For example, when the first detecting section 41 detects the first detected section 31 before the second detecting section 42 (for example, FIG. 8), the on-vehicle controller 61 determines that the carrier 3 is located at the limit of the first end 5A. Then judge. If the second detecting section 42 detects the second detected section 32 before the first detecting section 41 (for example, FIG. 9), the on-vehicle controller 61 determines that the guided vehicle 3 is located at the limit of the second end 5B. do.

The on-vehicle controller 61 prohibits the transport vehicle 3 from moving away from the second end 5B (outside in the traveling direction) when the operator forcibly operates the transport vehicle 3 after an abnormal stop. , the second end 5B, the transport vehicle 3 is prohibited from moving away from the first end 5A (outward in the traveling direction).
As described above, when the operator forcibly operates the transport vehicle 3 after an abnormal stop, the operator is prohibited from moving further to the outside of the travel path 5, which increases safety.
Furthermore, in this embodiment, processing (control) can be increased without increasing the number of sensors.

2. Second Embodiment In the first embodiment, an example has been described in which the transport vehicle 3 is provided with the first detection section 41 and the second detection section 42. However, the transport vehicle 3 may be equipped with other sensors.
A second embodiment will be described as such an example using FIGS. 10 to 12. Note that the second embodiment has all the basic configurations of the first embodiment. FIGS. 10 and 11 are schematic side views showing the positional relationship between the detected portion of the travel path and the detection portion of the guided vehicle according to the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a functional block diagram showing the control configuration of the automated warehouse.

The automated warehouse 100 further includes a third detected section 33 and a third detection section 43.
As shown in FIG. 10, the third detected part 33 is provided on the side surface 5a at the first end 5A of the traveling path 5, being vertically shifted from the first detected part 31, and 31 toward the second end 5B side in the first direction (running direction). That is, the detection start position of the third detected part 33 is located closer to the second end 5B than the detection start position of the first detected part 31.
The length of the third detected portion 33 is determined by calculating the distance (braking distance) that can be controlled to stop at the origin (without reaching the limit) after starting detection at the speed at which the vehicle returns to the origin. The same applies to the detection start position.
The third detection section 43 is provided in accordance with the third detected section 33 and detects the third detected section 33 . Specifically, the third detection unit 43 is a reflective photoelectric sensor, and outputs a detection signal when the light from the light emitting element is reflected by the reflective tape and the light receiving element senses it. Specifically, the third detection section 43 is provided on the transport vehicle 3 so as to be vertically shifted from the first detection section 41 . More specifically, the third detection unit 43 is provided on the side of the transport vehicle 3 so as to face laterally.

The origin return operation of the transport vehicle 3 will be explained using FIGS. 13 and 14. The return-to-origin operation is performed, for example, when the conveyance vehicle 3 is powered on. FIG. 13 is a schematic side view showing the positional relationship between the detected portion of the travel path and the detection portion of the guided vehicle.
First, the on-vehicle controller 61 causes the transport vehicle 3 to travel toward the first end 5A when the transport vehicle 3 is started or terminated.

Next, the in-vehicle controller 61 determines whether the third detecting section 43 has detected the third detected section 33 or not.
As shown in FIG. 13, when the third detected portion 33 is detected, the on-vehicle controller 61 executes the deceleration mode to decelerate the transport vehicle 3.

Next, the on-vehicle controller 61 determines whether the first detecting section 41 has detected the first detected section 31 or not.
As shown in FIG. 14, when the first detected part 31 is detected, the on-vehicle controller 61 stops the transport vehicle 3.

As described above, in the return-to-origin operation, the guided vehicle 3 can be moved at high speed until the third detection section 43 detects the third detected section 33, and after the detection, the guided vehicle 3 is decelerated. You can then stop it. As a result, the transport vehicle 3 can be accurately stopped while shortening the travel time of the transport vehicle 3.
Note that when the transport vehicle 3 is moved at a constant speed until it stops, it takes time depending on the position where the movement is started. Therefore, by moving the conveyance vehicle 3 at high speed to the position where deceleration is started and then moving it slowly at the end, time can be shortened and the vehicle can be stopped slowly at the end, thereby increasing stopping accuracy.
In the present embodiment, when the third detecting section 43 detects the third detected part 33 after the return to origin is completed, the on-vehicle controller 61 detects the third detected part 33 at a position where detection is started and which is stored in advance. 33, and if it deviates by a predetermined value or more, an abnormality can be reported. In this way, the third detection section 43 allows the running count check to be performed with a simple configuration. Note that the travel count check may be performed by the third detection unit 43 alone or together with other sensors.

3. Third Embodiment In the second embodiment, the third detected section 33 and the third detection section 43 are used to start deceleration when returning to the origin, but the above operation may be performed using other configurations.
A third embodiment will be described as such an example using FIGS. 15 to 17. 15 to 17 are schematic side views showing the positional relationship between the detected portion of the travel path and the detection portion of the transport vehicle according to the third embodiment.
Note that the basic configuration and operation are the same as those of the second embodiment, so the following description will focus on the differences.

(1) Configuration The first detected portion 31A is longer than the first detected portion 31 of the second embodiment. That is, the detection start position of the first detected part 31A is located closer to the second end 5B than in the second embodiment.
Unlike the second embodiment, the third detected section is not provided.

In the transport vehicle 3, the interval in the running direction between the first detection section 41A and the second detection section 42A is longer than that in the second embodiment.
In the transport vehicle 3, the third detection section is not mounted.

(2) Return-to-origin operation The operation of returning to the origin by moving the carrier 3 toward the first end 5A will be described.
As shown in FIG. 16, when the first detection section 41A detects the first detected section 31A, the on-vehicle controller 61 starts decelerating the transport vehicle 3.
Next, as shown in FIG. 17, when the second detection section 42A detects the first detected section 31a and turns on, the on-vehicle controller 61 stops the transport vehicle 3. Specifically, since the position shown in FIG. 17 is the limit position, the in-vehicle controller 61 slightly moves the transport vehicle 3 from the above state to the opposite side of the first end 5A, so that the second detection section 42A When the detected portion 31a is no longer detected and turned off, the conveyance vehicle 3 is stopped and that position is set as the origin.

(3) Normal Traveling Operation In the normal traveling operation of the guided vehicle 3, when the first detection unit 41A detects the first detected portion 31A, the on-vehicle controller 61 stops the guided vehicle 3. Further, when the first detecting section 41A and the second detecting section 42A detect the first detected section 31A, the on-vehicle controller 61 abnormally stops the transport vehicle 3.

4. Common Items of the Embodiments The first to third embodiments have the following items in common.
An automated warehouse (for example, the automated warehouse 100) includes a rack, a transport device, a controller, a first detected part, a second detected part, a first detecting part, and a second detecting part.
The rack (for example, rack 1) has a shelf (for example, shelf 21) on which luggage (for example, luggage W) is placed.
A transport vehicle (for example, transport vehicle 3) travels near the shelf along a travel path (for example, travel path 5) and transfers cargo to and from the shelf.
The first detected portion (for example, the first detected portion 31) indicates the first end (for example, the first end 5A) of the travel path.
The second detected portion (for example, the second detected portion 32) indicates the second end (for example, the second end 5B) of the travel path.
The first detection unit (for example, the first detection unit 41, the first detection unit 41A) and the second detection unit (for example, the second detection unit 42, the second detection unit 42A) are provided in the transport vehicle, and A first detected part and a second detected part are detected.
The first detected part is detected at the first end by only the first detection part or by both the first detection part and the second detection part.
The second detected part is detected at the second end by only the second detection part and by both the first detection part and the second detection part.
The controller (for example, the vehicle-mounted controller 61) determines that the transport vehicle is located at the first end when the first detected part is detected by only the first detection part of the first detection part and the second detection part.
The controller determines that the transport vehicle is located at the second end when the second detected part is detected by only the second detection part of the first detection part and the second detection part.
The controller abnormally stops the transport vehicle when both the first detection section and the second detection section detect the first detected section or the second detected section.
In this automated warehouse, it is possible to grasp the position at both ends of the travel path and control abnormal stops based on a combination of detection results from the first detection section and the second detection section. Conventionally, an origin sensor was provided to grasp the origin position, but this can be omitted. In other words, the number of required sensors can be reduced by controlling the transport vehicle of an automated warehouse using a combination of sensors.

5. Other Embodiments Although a plurality of embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. In particular, the multiple embodiments and modifications described in this specification can be arbitrarily combined as necessary.
The first detected portion and the second detected portion may be configured by not providing tape only at the ends of the travel path. In this case, the on-vehicle controller 61 can recognize that the transport vehicle 3 has reached the end by switching the detection signal of the sensor from ON to OFF.

The first detected part and the second detected part may be provided on the lower side or the upper side of the transport vehicle. For example, the first detected part and the second detected part may be provided on the upper surface of the traveling rail, and the first detection part and the second detection part may be provided facing downward in the transport vehicle.
In the second embodiment, the position of the third detection section in the transport vehicle 3 in the traveling direction is not particularly limited. That is, the third detection section may be provided other than above the second detection section. The first detection section and the second detection section do not need to be lined up in the running direction. For example, the first detection section and the second detection section may be arranged offset in a direction intersecting the traveling direction.

The transport vehicle may be a stacker crane or other type.
The travel path of the transport vehicle may have curves or corners.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION This invention is widely applicable to the automatic warehouse in which the shelf which stores goods is provided in multiple stages, and the conveyance vehicle which conveys goods is arrange|positioned for each stage.

1: Rack 3: Transport vehicle 5: Running path 5A: First end 5B: Second end 7: Incoming station 7a: Conveyor 9: Outgoing station 9a: Conveyor 11: Incoming lifting device 13: Outgoing lifting device 21: Shelf 31 : First detected part 32 : Second detected part 33 : Third detected part 41 : First detection part 42 : Second detection part 43 : Third detection part 51 : Controller 61 : Vehicle-mounted controller 53 : Lifting platform 55: Support 57: Conveyor 63: Lifting platform 65: Support 67: Conveyor 100: Automatic warehouse W: Cargo

Claims (3)

a rack having a shelf on which luggage is placed;
a transport vehicle that travels along a travel path near the shelf and transfers cargo to and from the shelf;
controller and
a first detected portion indicating a first end of the running path; a second detected portion indicating a second end of the running path;
comprising a first detection section and a second detection section that are provided on the transport vehicle and detect the first detected section and the second detected section,
The first detected part is detected at the first end by only the first detection part and by both the first detection part and the second detection part,
The second detected part is detected at the second end by only the second detection part and by both the first detection part and the second detection part,
The controller includes:
When the first detected part is detected by only the first detecting part among the first detecting part and the second detecting part, it is determined that the first detected part is located at the first end,
When the second detected part is detected by only the second detecting part among the first detecting part and the second detecting part, determining that the second detected part is located at the second end,
When both the first detecting section and the second detecting section detect the first detected section or the second detected section, controlling the transport vehicle to abnormally stop ;
When the guided vehicle is brought to an abnormal stop, it is determined whether the guided vehicle is located at the first end or the second end based on the detection order of the first detection unit and the second detection unit,
When an operator forcibly operates the carrier, if the worker is at the first end, the carrier is prohibited from further traveling toward the first end, and if the worker is at the second end, the carrier is prohibited from further traveling toward the first end. An automatic warehouse that is controlled to prohibit traveling to the second end side . a rack having a shelf on which luggage is placed;
a transport vehicle that travels along a travel path near the shelf and transfers cargo to and from the shelf;
controller and
a first detected portion indicating a first end of the travel path;
a second detected portion indicating a second end of the travel path;
comprising a first detection section and a second detection section that are provided on the transport vehicle and detect the first detected section and the second detected section,
The first detected part is detected at the first end by only the first detection part and by both the first detection part and the second detection part,
The second detected part is detected at the second end by only the second detection part and by both the first detection part and the second detection part,
The controller includes:
When the first detected part is detected by only the first detecting part among the first detecting part and the second detecting part, it is determined that the first detected part is located at the first end,
When the second detected part is detected by only the second detecting part among the first detecting part and the second detecting part, determining that the second detected part is located at the second end,
When both the first detecting section and the second detecting section detect the first detected section or the second detected section, controlling the transport vehicle to abnormally stop;
At the first end of the running path, a third detected part is provided vertically shifted from the first detected part and is longer in the running direction from the first detected part toward the second end. Department and
further comprising: a third detection section that is provided on the transport vehicle vertically shifted from the first detection section and detects the third detected section;
The first detection section and the second detection section are arranged so that the direction in which they are arranged is parallel to the traveling direction,
The controller includes:
When the transport vehicle is started or terminated, the transport vehicle is caused to travel toward the first end side,
When the third detection portion detects the third detected portion, the transport vehicle is decelerated;
The automated warehouse is configured to control the transport vehicle to stop when the first detected part is detected by only the first detection part among the first detection part and the second detection part. a rack having a shelf on which luggage is placed;
a transport vehicle that travels along a travel path near the shelf and transfers cargo to and from the shelf;
controller and
a first detected portion indicating a first end of the travel path;
a second detected portion indicating a second end of the travel path;
comprising a first detection section and a second detection section that are provided on the transport vehicle and detect the first detected section and the second detected section,
The first detected part is detected at the first end by only the first detection part and by both the first detection part and the second detection part,
The second detected part is detected at the second end by only the second detection part and by both the first detection part and the second detection part,
The controller includes:
When the first detected part is detected by only the first detecting part among the first detecting part and the second detecting part, it is determined that the first detected part is located at the first end,
When the second detected part is detected by only the second detecting part among the first detecting part and the second detecting part, determining that the second detected part is located at the second end,
When both the first detecting section and the second detecting section detect the first detected section or the second detected section, controlling the transport vehicle to abnormally stop;
When the first detecting section detects the first detected section during the return-to-origin operation, the controller further decelerates the conveyance vehicle, and then when the second detecting section detects the first detected section, the controller decelerates the transport vehicle further. An automated warehouse in which a controller stops the transport vehicle.

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