JP7494414B2 - Automatic Shipping Device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an item shipping system for item logistics, and in particular to an automatic shipping device that can be used for early item picking and shipping operations at item distribution centers.

In general, when goods are shipped in a goods logistics storage warehouse, a wide variety of large quantities of goods are efficiently received or stored, and then the goods are sorted and separated into shipping containers such as carts or racks according to their shipping destination, and then shipped using the shipping containers. There are two methods for sorting: the picking method, in which a worker selects goods according to their shipping destination from shelves where goods have been received and stored in advance, stores them in shipping racks or shipping containers, and sends them down a conveyor line, etc.; and the assortment (seeding) method, in which the same goods are loaded onto a movable cart such as a cart, and the worker moves around the assortment floor and stores them in basket carts or shipping containers according to their shipping destination.

In other words, picking and sorting refers to collecting and storing items according to shipping destination. In this way, picking and sorting work is carried out to meet customer service needs, such as next-day or same-day delivery after an order is placed, for example in online sales, and is the reason that goods shipping centers are fighting against time. Various methods have been developed for systems that efficiently pick and assort a large number and variety of items according to shipping destination.

Picking and sorting work involves reading identification marks such as barcodes affixed to items using a device such as a barcode reader, and storing the items in shipping containers or shipping racks according to the displayed shipping destination information. The task of picking and assorting a wide variety of items according to their shipping destination is often done manually by workers, and although it is a simple task, since it is a simple, continuous task, storage errors are likely to occur. In recent years, various technologies have been developed to prevent picking and assorting errors, and various technical ideas have been proposed in the references listed below.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technical idea in which fluorescent tubes are installed and lit around the shelf opening (frontage) where an item shipping container is located, allowing workers to store items without making a mistake when storing them on shelves for different shipping destinations. The shipping destinations of all of the above items are set using barcodes or the like and are managed by an information management device, so only the fluorescent tubes at the container openings for the items' shipping destinations can be lit, and workers can store the items according to the lights. In addition, quantity indicators and other information are lit up on the front of the opening, so the number of items to store can also be determined by the quantity indicators.

However, such a system requires the installation of equipment such as lights and indicators in all storage containers, and all of this equipment must be linked to an item inventory management system. In item shipping and distribution centers, which are required to accurately select a huge variety of items and store them accurately in shipping containers for each customer, the introduction of such a system is essential, but it goes without saying that it involves a huge capital investment.

For example, Patent Document 2 discloses, as a method of supporting device assembly work, the technical concept of a work support device that instructs, via an image projected by a projector, the positions of parts that a worker should remove from a work part storage box in accordance with the work order. A work support method in which parts are specified via image and work instructions are given via image is effective in avoiding simple mistakes made by workers.

However, in Patent Document 2, the judgment as to whether the work was performed correctly or not is based on a mechanism that detects only the light blocking caused by the movement of the worker's hand when picking up the part using a sensor, and there is no mention of the correctness of the subsequent assembly work actions. In other words, it is limited to the correct picking up of certain parts in the manufacturing process of assembling the device, and does not support or pursue the correctness of the assembly work action itself.

The problem with the technical idea disclosed in Patent Document 2 can be said to be different from the problem of the present invention, which is to support the accurate selection of a huge variety of items and the accurate storage of them in delivery containers (picking and sorting work) at an item shipping and distribution center, as mentioned above.

JP 2012-240765 A JP 2008-222386 A

In recent years, large automated warehouses have become the mainstream for managing incoming and outgoing goods, with all goods movements controlled by computer systems. In these automated warehouses, all incoming goods are placed on a single goods tray as individual items, and the individual IDs of all goods are linked to IDs, such as barcodes, on the goods trays in which they are stored and managed (hereafter referred to as singulation).

In such a large computer-managed automated warehouse, all incoming goods are recognized by the ID of the goods tray, and the necessary goods can be taken out by an automated machine when needed. There is a need to build an efficient picking or assortment system that can sort and store goods taken out of this automated warehouse into shipping containers by customer.

As described above, in the picking and assorting work at logistics bases where a wide variety of items are delivered to individual customer destinations, there is a need for support technology that can minimize the burden on workers and enable them to work quickly and continuously without making simple picking and assorting errors, for all work actions such as accurately selecting the required number of specified items and storing them accurately in the specified shipping containers.

The present invention has an object to solve these problems associated with the conventional technology, and has as its object to provide a large-scale automated warehouse that is fully automated for loading and retrieving goods and that is significantly more economically efficient, capable of accurately selecting the required number of goods at the required time for each customer (shipping destination) from a wide variety of goods temporarily stored in a computer-managed large-scale automated warehouse, accurately storing (picking or assorting) the goods in designated shipping containers, and shipping them out at high speed.

To solve this problem, the automatic shipping device of the present invention comprises an automated warehouse that stores a large number of items and automatically removes items related to shipping, a shipping container supply means that automatically cartons and supplies shipping containers, and an item transport means that transports items related to shipping that are removed from the automated warehouse, and is characterized in that the item transport means transports items related to shipping in synchronization with the supply of shipping containers from the shipping container supply means, and stops the shipping containers and the items related to shipping adjacent to each other at any adjacent position.

The shipping container supply means is, for example, a shipping box supply line that supplies shipping boxes as shipping containers to picking workers. The item transport means is, for example, an item outgoing line that places items for shipment that are to be shipped out of an automated warehouse that stores a large number of items on item trays and transports them to a picking work position.

Similarly, in the automatic shipping device according to the present invention, the adjacent position is a position where the items to be shipped are moved to the shipping container.

In other words, the adjacent position is the picking work position where the picking worker picks up the items placed on the item tray and stores them in the shipping box.

In the automatic shipping device according to the present invention, when there are multiple types of items to be shipped, the item transport means transports each type of item successively to the adjacent position, and the shipping container supply means stops the shipping container at the adjacent position until all types of items have been moved to the shipping container.

In other words, in the automatic shipping device of the present invention, for example, when an item delivery line serving as an item transport means places 10 types of items on 10 item trays for each type and transports them to a picking work position by the item delivery line, a shipping box supply line serving as a shipping supply means stops the shipping box at the picking work position until the 10 types of items have been picked from each item tray and stored in the shipping box.

Therefore, when there are multiple types of items to be shipped, the shipping box remains in front of the picker and the next item tray is transported in front of the picker, eliminating the possibility of mistakes. In this way, the present invention makes the work the easiest for the picker. The item trays and shipping boxes linked to the items to be shipped are linked one-to-one by the automatic shipping device, and the positions on each line from the automated warehouse to shipping are all automatically controlled, so the items to be shipped and the shipping boxes are presented in front of the picker in a synchronized manner.

In the automatic shipping device according to the present invention, when there are multiple items of any type related to shipping, the item transport means stops the items of any type at the adjacent position until all the items have been moved to the shipping container.

The automatic shipping device according to the present invention is characterized in that a display means for displaying information including the type of item to be shipped and the number of each type is further disposed near the adjacent position. This display means is, for example, a display device such as an LCD connected to the automatic shipping device by a wired line, or a wristwatch-type wearable terminal connected to the automatic shipping device by a wireless line.

Therefore, the picker only needs to pay attention to how many items from the item tray should be picked and placed in the shipping box in front of them, according to the displayed information.

When a worker inputs information into the inventory management information processing means that he or she has completed the picking and storing work as instructed, one picking work is completed, and based on that information, the worker is provided with an item tray and shipping container for the next picking work. Also, for example, when multiple types of items are to be picked and stored in a shipping container, only the shipping container remains in front of the worker.

The automatic shipping device according to the present invention is characterized in that an operating means is further disposed near the adjacent position, and the shipping container supply means stops the shipping container at the adjacent position and then supplies the shipping container in a downstream direction when the operating means is operated.

This operation means is, for example, composed of a switch section such as a completion button. The picker operates this switch section to input information that the picking work is complete to the automatic shipping device. Completion input may be made not by the completion button but by a switch section such as a touch panel or foot switch. In other words, it is sufficient as long as information can be input to the automatic shipping device in some way.

The automatic shipping device according to the present invention is characterized in that it further comprises an automatic box sealing means and/or a waybill attaching means at any position downstream of the adjacent position.

In the automatic shipping device of the present invention, the shipping container containing all the items to be shipped is automatically sealed by an automatic machine, and an automatic labeling machine controlled by the automatic shipping device prints the necessary information such as the shipping destination, address, and contents of the shipment, and automatically affixes the shipping label to the shipping container.

However, as mentioned above, the automated warehouse means of the automatic shipping device of the present invention is not limited to an automated warehouse, but may have an assorting function that can discharge shipped items, or may be an item supplying device such as an automated transport vehicle. Similarly, as mentioned above, the shipping containers after picking by the automatic shipping device of the present invention are not necessarily sealed and shipped, and even if they return to the automated warehouse means, they are still automatically transported based on the technical concept of the present invention, and it goes without saying that all of this is included in the technical concept of the present invention. Furthermore, the picking work of the automatic shipping device of the present invention can of course be performed by an automatic transfer machine rather than by an operator. This means that a completely automated shipping system has been constructed in which all item shipping work is controlled by the automatic shipping device.

The automatic shipping device of the present invention further comprises a first weight measuring means for measuring the weight of an item container in which one or more items related to the shipment are placed at the adjacent position, and a second weight measuring means for measuring the weight of the shipping container, and is characterized in that it determines that the items related to the shipment have been moved to the shipping container when the absolute value of the difference between the weight change measured by the first weight measuring means and the weight change measured by the second weight measuring means is less than a predetermined threshold value.

Therefore, pickers can concentrate on their work without having to worry about the number of items being shipped.

The automatic shipping device of the present invention further comprises a robot disposed near the adjacent position, the robot including a rotating means capable of rotating in one direction, a plurality of arms arranged radially at a predetermined angle on the rotating means and movable in the vertical direction and in the radial direction from the center of the rotating means, and an item gripping means arranged at the tip of the arm for gripping an item related to the shipment from an item container in which one or more items related to the shipment are placed, and storing the gripped item in the shipping container after the rotating means has rotated by approximately the predetermined angle.

This robot is a picking robot that performs work in place of a picking worker. For example, four arms that are arranged radially at 90-degree angles on a rotating shaft as a rotating means can move up and down and in the radial direction. When a hand as an item gripping means arranged at the end of the arm is positioned above an item tray, the arm descends and the hand can pick an item to be shipped from the item tray. Next, after the arm rises and the rotating shaft rotates approximately 90 degrees in one direction, i.e., toward the shipping box, the hand is positioned above the shipping box, and the arm descends again to store the picked item in the shipping box.

This robot can therefore carry out work in place of a picking worker. Also, when the hand places an item in a shipping box, the next arm is positioned above the item tray, so there is no need to reverse the arm rotation for picking, allowing for faster work.

In the automatic shipping device of the present invention, the singulation station has an internal control means that constitutes the following means. That is, it is equipped with a singulation means that singulates a plurality of items received from a transport means such as a truck one by one, an item sorting means that reads the ID of each item singulated by the singulation means and sorts the type of each item, and an item transfer means that transfers each item sorted by the item sorting means to the automated warehouse 11 in units of one or more items of the same type. Therefore, since the singulation station shares the singulation process and sorting process that were performed by conventional automated warehouses, the process of the automated warehouse is reduced and the shipping process of the items is faster. Furthermore, if the type of item singulated and sorted by the singulation station is an item related to shipping, the shipping process of the items is even faster by directly connecting the item receiving line to the item outgoing line.

As described above, the automatic shipping device of the present invention can realize an automatic shipping system that can accurately, safely, and most efficiently ship items within an automated warehouse.

According to the present invention, in the picking and assorting work for delivering a wide variety of articles to each customer's shipping destination, the required number of specified articles are accurately selected and accurately stored in a specified shipping container, and all work actions can be performed continuously at high speed without causing simple picking and assorting errors (storage errors).Furthermore, the present invention can provide a large-scale automated warehouse managed by a computer, which is a fully automatic warehouse with significantly high economic efficiency in terms of input and output, capable of accurately selecting the required number of a wide variety of articles temporarily stored in a computer-managed large-scale automated warehouse at the required time for each customer's shipping destination, accurately storing (picking or assorting) them in a specified shipping container, and shipping them out at high speed.

1 is a conceptual diagram showing an overall image of an automatic shipping device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 4 is a timing chart illustrating the operation of the automatic shipping device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective conceptual diagram showing an operation image of the automatic shipping device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an automatic shipping device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the automatic shipping device in the second embodiment. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the automatic shipping device in the second embodiment, following FIG. 5 . FIG. 5 is a diagram showing numbers and illustrations displayed on the display unit of FIG. 4 . FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram showing an overall image of an automatic shipping device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a principle diagram showing an example of the mechanism of the arm and hand of the robot in FIG. 8 . 9A and 9B are diagrams showing how a rectangular parallelepiped object and a bottle-shaped object are picked up by the robot of FIG. 8 . FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an automatic shipping device according to a third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a robot in a third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram showing an overall image of an automatic shipping device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. 14 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of the singulation station of FIG. 13.

A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 3. A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 7. A third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 8 to 13. A fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 13 and 14. Note that the following will show a schematic view of the scope necessary for the explanation of achieving the object of the present invention, and will mainly explain the scope necessary for the explanation of the relevant parts of the present invention, with the omitted explanations being based on known technology.

Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an overall image of an automatic shipping device 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the automatic shipping device 10 according to this embodiment is configured to include an automatic warehouse (shuttle system) 11, an item outgoing line 16, an item re-entry line 22, an automatic box making machine 12, a shipping box entry line 15, and a shipping box supply line 17, and may also include an automatic sealing machine 13 and a waybill attaching machine 14. The automatic warehouse 11 stores item inventory, temporarily stores shipping boxes, etc.

The automatic box former 12 shown in FIG. 1 is an automatic machine that automatically makes shipping boxes for shipping goods to customers from an unfolded form such as a cardboard sheet into a shipping box form. Of course, it may also be a reusable plastic assembled rack box. The shipping boxes made by the automatic box former 12 are stored in the automated warehouse 11 via the shipping box storage line 15 in the same way as incoming goods, and are automatically shipped from the automated warehouse 11 via the shipping box supply line 17 at the same time as the goods are shipped to the customer.

The goods delivery line 16 shown in FIG. 1 follows instructions from the automatic shipping device 10 to load and carry out shipping goods, i.e. goods, on goods trays in accordance with the shipment of goods (products) to customers. Even if there are multiple goods to the same shipping destination, the goods are carried out in the specified order based on instructions from the automatic shipping device 10.

The goods restocking line 22 is also connected to the automated warehouse 11, and in accordance with instructions from the automatic shipping device 10, goods (items) for customers are picked up from the goods trays 23 by a picking operation, and when the goods are stored in the shipping boxes 19, the remaining shipping goods are restocked into the automated warehouse 11 together with the goods trays. Even if there are multiple goods for the same shipping destination, the remaining goods are restocked into the automated warehouse together with the goods trays in the specified order based on instructions from the automatic shipping device 10. Note that when the goods trays become empty, they are restocked into the automated warehouse 11 and new shipping goods are placed on them.

In this embodiment, all of the above-mentioned instructions for warehousing and warehousing are made by instructions from the automatic shipping device 10, so that the shipping boxes supplied along the shipping box supply line 17 to the picker 18 are supplied in sync with the shipping items in the item trays transported from the automatic warehouse 11 to the picker 18. In other words, the shipping boxes transported along the shipping box shipping line 17 from the automatic warehouse 11 by the movement of the conveyor (hereinafter referred to as the "second conveyor") are already linked one-to-one with the customer-specific shipping destination information and the specific shipping items. For example, a barcode or QR code (registered trademark) is printed or affixed, or an RFID tag is attached, in the automatic box making machine 12 or the automatic warehouse 11.

Therefore, the picker 18 only needs to be at the picking position, pick up the required number of items from the item tray supplied in front of him/her by the conveyor (referred to as the "first conveyor") that moves in sync with the second conveyor under the control of the automatic shipping device 10, and store them in a shipping box also supplied in front of him/her. Since the picker 18 only needs to be aware of the number of items to be shipped and does not need to check the type and destination of the items to be shipped, mistakes in the picking operation are greatly reduced. Furthermore, as will be described later, inspection work is also no longer necessary, which significantly improves the work efficiency of the picker.

A picker 18 in the automatic shipping device 10 according to this embodiment can know, for example, from a display unit such as a monitor or display device installed in front of him/her, how many items from the item tray in front of him/her should be picked into the shipping box in front of him/her. All of the above-mentioned information displayed on the display unit is information instructed by the automatic shipping device 10, and the shipped items, shipping boxes, and display information are all synchronized and linked one-to-one as information. Specific aspects of synchronization will be described later.

After the picking worker 18 picks up the items (goods) according to the number displayed on the display and stores them in a shipping box, he or she inputs the information that the picking work is complete to the automatic shipping device 10 by operating a switch such as a completion button. The completion input may be made not by the completion button but by a switch such as a touch panel or foot switch. In other words, it is sufficient if information can be input to the automatic shipping device 10 in some way.

In FIG. 1, the picking work is performed by a picking operator 18, but this picking work may also be performed by an automatic picking machine (automatic transfer device or robot). If the automatic transfer device follows the instructions of the automatic shipping device 10 in the automatic shipping device of the present invention, it can recognize the location of the item, grasp it, and transfer it to a shipping box according to the instructions. The automatic shipping device will be further described in the second embodiment described later.

After the picking process for an item (goods) is completed, the item is stored in a shipping box and shipped via the shipping line. At this point, inspection to determine whether the items and quantity being shipped are correct can be performed automatically using an automatic measuring device such as a weight checker (WC). For example, if a weight checker 1 (WC1) is located on the item delivery line 16 in front of the picker 18, it automatically measures the weight of the item tray containing the item, and it can be confirmed by the weight reduction that the specified quantity of items to be shipped has been picked up.

Similarly, when weight checker 2 (WC2) is on shipping line 21 in front of picker 18, it automatically measures the weight of the shipping box containing the item, and the increase in weight can be used to confirm that the specified number of items to be shipped have been stored. These weight checkers are linked to automatic shipping device 10, so they can inspect and confirm items at the time of shipment, and can also confirm the completion of the aforementioned picking work. The automatic measurement of weight will be explained in detail in the second embodiment described below.

In addition, for example, until the weight checker has confirmed that the picking operation of one item has been completed, the movement of the item trays and shipping boxes on the item outgoing line 16 or item restocking line 22 and shipping line 21 in front of the picker 18 can be stopped. By the item trays and shipping boxes remaining stopped, the picker 18 can recognize that the picking operation has not been completed accurately due to an insufficient number of items picked, etc.

As shown in FIG. 1, the automatic shipping device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention can be equipped with an automatic sealing machine 13 and/or a waybill labeler 14 on the shipping line 21 after the picking operation is completed. The automatic sealing machine 13 is a device that automatically seals the top flap of the shipping box after the items have been stored. The waybill attachment machine 14 is a device that attaches or attaches a waybill, which is automatically printed with necessary information such as the customer address, contents, and waybill of the shipped items, to the shipping box. This eliminates the need for human work in sealing the shipping box and attaching the waybill.

As shown in FIG. 1, in the automatic shipping device according to one embodiment of the present invention, the picking work does not require the movement of the worker by the human being, it is the most human-friendly work that drastically reduces the worker's work mistakes, and the work of sealing the shipping box is also unnecessary. In other words, it is called Goods To Parson for Pick and Pack.

Figure 2 is a timing chart explaining the operation of the automatic shipping device 10 according to this embodiment. The current item shipping work shown in the upper half of the figure consists of the following processes in the collection process (picking process): data communication, moving to item location (moving items to item location), visual confirmation of items, picking (pickup) of specified quantity, confirmation of assortment width (confirmation of containers for shipping), storing of specified quantity, resetting display button (input of completion of work), storing on manual conveyor (storing on line for shipping). Similarly, the current shipping work consists of the following processes in the inspection and packaging process: scanning of items (confirmation of items), storing in shipping boxes (transferring to shipping boxes or large boxes for the shipping destination), attaching of waybills, etc.

In contrast, the processes performed by the automatic shipping device according to this embodiment, shown in the lower half of the figure, in the collection process (picking process) only require the processes of automatic supply of item shipping boxes, picking up the specified quantity, storing the specified quantity, resetting the complete button, and automatic transport of the item shipping boxes. Similarly, in the inspection and packaging process, only the automatic attachment of shipping labels (including automatic sealing of shipping boxes) is required.

The item shipping process using the automatic shipping device 10 according to this embodiment significantly reduces the number of work steps. It eliminates the need for tasks such as collection, alignment and storage, and inspection, resulting in high productivity. In addition, assuming the introduction of a weight checker (WC) or similar, picking and storage accuracy is theoretically 100%, enabling high shipping accuracy to be achieved. Furthermore, it eliminates the need for a packaging process performed by human labor, resulting in a packaging-less system.

Figure 3 is a perspective conceptual diagram showing an image of the operation of the automatic shipping device 10 according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, the image of the operation of the automatic shipping device 10 according to this embodiment is that there is a large automated warehouse (including the automated warehouse 11) on one side of the picking worker 18 (upper right in Figure 3), and for example, the goods outgoing line 16 and goods restocking line 22, and the shipping box supply line 17 and shipping line 21 are adjacent to one picking worker 18. The goods outgoing line 16 and goods restocking line 22 are configured as a single line with the picking worker 18 in between, and the shipping box supply line 17 and shipping line 21 are also configured as a single line with the picking worker 18 in between.

As shown in FIG. 3, multiple picking work processes can be installed in parallel. In FIG. 3, three picking workers 18 and three picking work processes are installed in parallel for one automated warehouse 11. The number of parallel picking work processes can be configured according to the retrieval speed of goods from the automated warehouse 11 in order to ship a large amount of goods in a short period of time.

When an instruction to ship an item is given by the item receiving/shipping management information system, the item is transported from the automated warehouse 11 in an item tray at a set time along the shipping line to the front of the picker 18. At the same time, a shipping box that has been made into a box by the automatic box former 12 and stored in the automated warehouse is transported along the shipping box supply line 17 to the front of the picker 18.

The picker 18 picks up the number of items displayed on the display in front of him/her from the item tray in front of him/her, stores them in the shipping box in front of him/her, and inputs information indicating the completion of the task by pressing the button in front of him/her. Since the task simply involves picking out the items in front of him/her and storing them in the shipping box, there is no need to check the item tray or items, or the shipping box, so there is no room for error other than in the number of items picked.

After the items have been picked, the shipping box is automatically transported downstream by the shipping line 21. To perform a final inspection to check for any shipping errors, for example, the weight change (reduced by the number of items) of the item tray 20 after the picking operation on the item outgoing line 16 is completed can be automatically measured and automatically confirmed (inspected) (weight checker 1). Similarly, the weight change (increased by the number of items) of the shipping box immediately after the picking operation can be automatically measured and automatically confirmed (inspected) (weight checker 2). Details of this will be explained in the second embodiment.

Alternatively, the picker 18 himself/herself performs the picking work on a weighing scale, and the difference between the accumulated value of the weight change (weight gain) of the picker 18 due to the picking work and the accumulated value of the weight change (weight loss) of the picker 18 due to the work of putting items into a storage box can be automatically measured and automatically confirmed (inspected).

Until both of the above inspections are completed and it is confirmed that there are no errors, the item trays 20 on the item restocking line 22 are stopped and not transported, and the shipping boxes on the item shipping line 21 are also stopped and not transported. In other words, at the same time, it also prompts the worker to check whether there was a picking error or if they forgot to press the work end button. When the inspection of the items is confirmed, the item trays 20 on the item restocking line 22 are transported, and similarly the shipping boxes on the item shipping line 21 are transported. The above lines can also be stopped at the transport position where the necessary item trays and shipping boxes are located. Although it is possible to stop the transported items using conventional technology, it goes without saying that this is not simply stopping, but is included in the technical concept of the automatic shipping device according to this embodiment in consideration of the above purpose.

Although omitted from Figure 3, as mentioned above, shipping boxes transported on the goods shipping line 21 are sealed on the line by an automatic sealer, and a waybill with detailed shipping destination information is affixed by an automatic labeler. All of this is managed and instructed by the goods incoming/outgoing management information system. This is an automatic goods shipping system that leaves no room for human error by operators, and provides a truly operator-friendly automatic shipping device 10 (Goods To Parson for Pick and Pack).

As described above, according to the first embodiment, the system includes an automated warehouse 11 that stores a large number of items and automatically removes items related to shipping, a shipping box supply line 17 that automatically produces and supplies shipping boxes, and an item shipping line 16 that transports items related to shipping that are removed from the automated warehouse 11. Items related to shipping are transported from the item shipping line 16 in synchronization with the supply of shipping boxes from the shipping box supply line 17, and the shipping boxes and items related to shipping are stopped adjacent to each other at any adjacent position.

Therefore, in the picking and assorting work for delivering a wide variety of items to individual shipping destinations, which are customers, it is possible to accurately select the required number of specified items and store them accurately in specified shipping containers, all of which can be done quickly and continuously without making simple picking and assorting errors.

In addition, in a large, computer-managed automated warehouse, a large number of items of various varieties temporarily stored can be accurately selected in the required number at the required time for each shipping destination customer, and these items can be accurately stored (picked or assorted) in specified shipping containers, allowing them to be shipped at high speed, resulting in a large, fully automated warehouse with significantly higher economic efficiency in terms of loading and retrieval.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this second embodiment and in a third embodiment described later, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and will be referred to as appropriate.

Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the automatic shipping device 10. As shown in Figure 4, the automatic shipping device 10 of this embodiment includes a control unit 101, a shipping information storage unit 102, a display unit 103, a sensor unit 104, a switch unit 105, a first conveyor drive unit 106, and a second conveyor drive unit 107.

Although not shown in the figure, the control unit 101 includes a ROM that stores a control program and a RAM that serves as a working area, and controls the entire automatic shipping device 10 according to the control program.

The shipping information storage unit 102 is a database that stores and updates information such as inventory storage information, inventory information for items, item information based on customer orders, location information indicating the storage location of items, quantity information indicating the number of items ordered, and shipping destination information based on instructions from the control unit 101.

The display unit 103 is placed in a position that can be easily recognized by the worker 18 shown in FIG. 1, and displays images, illustrations, text, etc. necessary for the picking operation based on instructions from the control unit 101.

The sensor unit 104 is provided at each location of the automatic shipping device 10. For example, it is composed of a position sensor that measures the position of the trays and boxes on each conveyor, a weight sensor that measures the weight of the items in the tray, and other sensors.

The switch unit 105 is a general term for a completion button, touch panel, foot switch, etc. that is operated by the picking worker 18.

The first conveyor drive unit 106 drives the first conveyor of the goods outgoing line 16. The second conveyor drive unit 107 drives the second conveyor of the shipping box supply line 17. The first conveyor of the goods outgoing line 16 and the second conveyor of the shipping box supply line 17 move synchronously by the driving of the first conveyor drive unit 106 and the second conveyor drive unit 107 under the control of the control unit 101.

The conveyors of the shipping line 21 and the goods restocking line 22 may be driven by the first conveyor drive unit 106 and the second conveyor drive unit 107, or may be driven by other conveyor drive units (not shown). The drives of these are not directly related to the present invention, so their explanation is omitted.

In the main routine (not shown), the control unit 101 repeats predetermined initialization processing, followed by inventory processing to process inventory information for items, order processing to process customer order information, search processing to search for data in the shipping information storage unit 102, shipping processing to ship items according to the order information, and other processing.

Figures 5 and 6 are flowcharts showing the operation of the shipping process of the control unit 101 in the automatic shipping device 10 in this embodiment. In Figure 5, the control unit 101 sets both a variable n that specifies a shipping box (hereinafter referred to as a "box") and a variable m that specifies an article tray (hereinafter referred to as a "tray") to 1 (initial value) (step S101). Then, while incrementing n and m, steps S102 to S121 are repeatedly executed.

First, it is determined whether the box (n) and tray (m) specified by the variables are in fixed positions, i.e., positions where picking work is possible (step S102). If they are not in fixed positions (step S102: NO), the first conveyor that transports the tray (m) and the second conveyor that transports the box (n) are moved (step S103). In this case, the first conveyor and the second conveyor move synchronously.

When the box (n) and tray (m) reach their fixed positions due to the movement of the first and second conveyors (step S102; YES), the variables W1 and W2 in the RAM registers are both cleared to 0 (step S104). These W1 and W2 are registers that accumulate the change in weight of the box (n) and tray (m) at their fixed positions, respectively.

Next, the weight of tray (m) in the fixed position is measured (step S105). For example, the weight is measured by a first weight measuring device (not shown) arranged below tray (m) (tray 23 in FIG. 1) on the first conveyor (the conveyor of the goods delivery line 16 in FIG. 1).

Then, it is determined whether there has been a change in weight (step S106). When a picker 18 picks up an item from tray (m), the value of the first weight measuring device decreases by the weight of that item. This first weight measuring device, which is placed on the first conveyor, and a second weight measuring device (not shown), which is placed on the second conveyor (described below), have extremely high measurement accuracy and can detect a change of 1 gram.

If there is a change in weight (step S106; YES), the amount of change is stored in register W1 (step S107). For example, if the picker 18 picks up an eraser from tray (m), there is a change in weight of about 10 grams, and the value of register W1 (initially zero) increases by about 10 grams.

If there is no change in weight (step S106; NO), continue measuring the weight in step S105. If there is no change in weight after a predetermined time has elapsed, it is determined that there has been an abnormality in the picking operation of the picker 18, but since this is actually an extremely rare phenomenon, a description of it will be omitted.

Next, the weight of box (n) in the fixed position is measured (step S108). For example, the weight is measured by a second weight measuring device arranged below box (n) (box 19 in FIG. 1) on the second conveyor (the conveyor of shipping box supply line 17 in FIG. 1).

Then, it is determined whether there has been a change in weight (step S109). When the picker 18 places an item picked up from tray (m) in box (n), the weight measuring device increases by the weight of the item. If there has been a change in weight (step S109; YES), the amount of change is stored in register W2 (step S110). For example, when the picker 18 places an eraser weighing about 10 grams picked up from tray (m) in box (n), the value of register W2 (initially zero) decreases by about 10 grams.

If there is no change in weight (step S109; NO), continue measuring the weight in step S108. If there is no change in weight after a predetermined time has elapsed, it is determined that there has been an abnormality in the picking operation of the picker 18, but since this is actually an extremely rare phenomenon, a description of it will be omitted.

Next, it is determined whether pickup of tray (m) is complete (step S111). If there are multiple items to be shipped, it is determined whether the last item has been placed in box (n) from tray (m). If pickup of tray (m) is not complete (step S111; NO), the process proceeds to step S105 and the steps up to step S111 are repeated.

When pickup of tray (m) is completed (step S111; YES), it is determined whether tray (m) is the last tray (step S112). In other words, it is determined whether all items related to the order have been placed in the shipping box (n).

If tray (m) is not the last tray (step S112; NO), the value of variable m is incremented (step S113). In other words, the next tray is specified.

Then, the weight measurement of the tray is stopped (step S114). The tray that has just been picked up is still in its home position at this point, so the weight measurement must be stopped to avoid weight measurement errors until the tray specified by the incremented m reaches its home position.

Therefore, the first conveyor is moved to send the tray that has just been picked up to the item restocking line 22 shown in FIG. 1 (step S115). Then, it is determined whether the newly specified tray (m) is in its designated position (step S116). If it has not reached its designated position (step S116; NO), the first conveyor continues to move in step S115.

When the newly specified tray (m) reaches its fixed position (step S116; YES), the process proceeds to step S105, and each step is repeated until the pickup operation of the last specified tray (m) is completed.

If the tray (m) for which pickup has been completed is the last tray (step S112; YES), the process proceeds to FIG. 6 and a determination is made as to whether or not the switch unit has been turned on (step S117). In other words, a determination is made as to whether or not the pickup operator 18 has turned on a completion button, touch panel, foot switch, or the like.

When the switch unit is turned on (step S117; YES), it is determined whether the absolute value of the difference between the value accumulated and stored in register W1 and the value accumulated and stored in register W2 is smaller than a predetermined threshold value (step S118). In other words, it is determined whether the absolute value of the difference between the total weight of the items to be shipped that were picked up from the tray and the total weight of the items stored in the box at the shipping destination is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, for example, 1 gram.

If the absolute value of this difference is smaller than the threshold value (step S118; YES), all items scheduled for shipment have been safely stored in box (n) specified by the shipping destination. In this case, it is determined whether box (n) is the last box (step S119). In other words, it is determined whether the shipment of all items scheduled for shipment to all shipping destinations has been completed.

If box (n) is the last box (step S119; YES), the process returns to the main routine. However, if box (n) is not the last box (step S119; NO), the process increments the value of n and sets the value of m to 1 to specify the first tray (step S120) in order to specify the box for the next shipping destination and specify one or more trays to be stored in that box. Then, the first and second conveyors are moved to wait for the arrival of the next box and tray (step S121).

If the absolute value of the difference between the total weight of the items picked up from the tray to be shipped and the total weight of the items stored in the shipping box is equal to or greater than the threshold value (step S118; NO), this means that there is a shortage of items to be shipped or that items not to be shipped have been mixed in, so an alarm is processed (step S122) and the process returns to the main routine.

If the pickup worker 18 has not turned on the switch unit 105, such as the completion button, touch panel, or foot switch (step S117; NO), it is determined whether a predetermined time has elapsed (step S123). Since the pickup worker 18 may have forgotten to operate the completion button, etc., a grace period is provided.

In this case, since the first and second conveyors are stopped, the pickup worker 18 will usually notice that he or she has forgotten to operate the conveyors. Therefore, if the predetermined time has not elapsed (step S123; NO), the process waits for the pickup worker 18 to turn the conveyors on in step S117.

However, if the pickup operator 18 does not turn the switch on after a predetermined time has elapsed (step S123; NO), it is determined that some abnormality has occurred, an alarm is processed (step S122), and the process returns to the main routine.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the automatic shipping device further includes a first weight measuring device that measures the weight of an item tray on which one or more items related to shipping are placed at adjacent positions, and a second weight measuring device that measures the weight of a shipping box, and determines that the items related to shipping have been moved to a shipping container when the absolute value of the difference between the weight change measured by the first weight measuring device and the weight change measured by the second weight measuring device is less than a predetermined threshold value.

Therefore, pickers can concentrate on their work without having to worry about the number of items being shipped.

Next, a modified example of the second embodiment will be described. In this modified example, the above-mentioned control unit 101, display unit 103, and a weight measuring device (not shown) are used to count and display the items to be shipped.

The weight measuring device measures the weight change on the first conveyor and the second conveyor each time the pick-up worker 18 picks up an item from a tray and stores it in a box, i.e., each time an item is shipped. The control unit 101 displays an image or illustration of the item and its number on the display unit 103 based on the weight change, and also counts each weight change in a RAM register and displays it on the display unit 103.

Figure 7 is a diagram showing a display unit 103 representing a modified example of the second embodiment. An example will be described in which three items G(i) are shipped from a tray. Before the pick-up worker 18 ships the items from the tray, as shown in Figure 7 (A), the screen of the display unit 103 displays the number "3" indicating the number of items and three illustrations representing G(i).

When the pickup worker 18 ships one item, the number changes to "2" and one illustration representing G(i) is erased, as shown in FIG. 7(B). When the pickup worker 18 ships another item, the number changes to "1" and one more illustration representing G(i) is erased, as shown in FIG. 7(C). When the pickup worker 18 ships another item, the number changes to "OK" and one remaining illustration is erased, as shown in FIG. 7(D).

As a result, the pickup worker 18 no longer needs to remember the number of items shipped, allowing him or her to concentrate on the pickup task and reducing the workload.

In this case, the picker does not need to be aware of the number of items being shipped, so he or she can concentrate on the task at hand, and can check the suitability of the shipment based on the displayed numbers and illustrations.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing an overall image of an automatic shipping device 10 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The difference from the automatic shipping device 10 in FIG. 1 is that a robot performs the picking work. The other configuration is the same as in FIG. 1, so a duplicated description will be omitted.

In FIG. 8, the robot 30 is a multi-arm robot with a rotatable shaft 31 and four arms 32. As shown in the figure, each arm 32 is attached to the shaft 31 at a 90 degree angle. A hand 33, which is a mechanism for grasping an object, is attached to the tip of each arm 32.

The rotating shaft 31 rotates in one direction as shown by the arrow in the figure to perform the picking operation. Therefore, if the angle of one arm 32 in the horizontal direction is θ, the angles of the other three arms 32 are θ+1/2π, θ+π, and θ+3/2π, respectively.

Figure 9 is a principle diagram showing an example of the mechanism of the arm 32 and hand 33. Please note that the mechanism of the arm and hand in this embodiment is not limited to that shown in Figure 9, and any known mechanism can be used.

In FIG. 9(A), an arm 32 extending from a rotating shaft 31 can freely move in the radial direction and up and down directions from the center of the rotating shaft 31 in response to the rotation of rotation axes z1, z2, and z3, which correspond to the shoulder joint, elbow joint, and wrist joint of a human arm. The hand 33 can also move up and down in response to the rotation of rotation axis z4. Furthermore, a rotation mechanism 34 is provided between the head 33 and the arm 32.

Figure 9 (B) is an X-ray cross-sectional view of the rotation mechanism 34 in Figure 9 (A). The rotation mechanism 34 rotates the hand 33 in the vertical direction in response to the rotation of the rotation axis z6.

Figure 9 (C) is a side view of the hand 33 as viewed from the Y direction in Figure 9 (A). In the hand 33, the distance between the fixed gripping part 33a and the movable gripping part 33b changes according to the rotation of an internal motor (not shown). In other words, the mechanism is essentially the same as that of an adjustable spanner (or monkey wrench). Furthermore, in the fixed gripping part 33a and the movable gripping part 33b, the surface 33d that comes into contact with the object is made of an elastic material such as rubber. This prevents slipping when gripped, and prevents the object from being scratched.

Furthermore, the hand 33 is provided with a camera 33c. In addition to an imaging element including an optical system, the camera 33c is provided with a sensor element that measures the distance to the item to be picked up. As shown in FIG. 9(A), the hand 33 rotates horizontally by rotating about a rotation axis z5. For example, even if an item is placed at an angle to the tray, the placement angle can be detected from the image from the camera 33c, so the angle of the hand 33 can be adjusted to match the item by rotating the rotation axis z5.

The robot 30 receives from the automatic shipping device 10 polar coordinate data with the center of the rotating shaft 31 as the origin and data on the vertical position h of the hand 32 where pick-up begins. For any arm 32, the angle θ is set with the angle parallel to the item restocking line 22 in FIG. 1 as the reference (zero). The angle θ of each arm is shown in the dotted circle shown in FIG. 8. Also, the distance from the origin (center of the rotating shaft) to the center of the hand 33 (or the position of the camera 33c) is set to r. Therefore, the position data P of the tray and box received from the automatic shipping device 10 is expressed as P(r, θ, h).

In this case, as shown in FIG. 8, the angles θ of the tray 23 and box 19 that are the objects of the picking operation are 0 and 1/2π, respectively. In addition, the distances r from the center of the rotating shaft 31 are both D. Furthermore, the vertical positions of the tray and box are also specified in advance. Therefore, the picking and storage positions can be fine-tuned based on the positions of the tray and box.

The shapes of the items transported by the trays vary, and the placement conditions also vary. Therefore, the camera 33c of the hand 33 detects whether the shape of the item on the tray is a rectangular parallelepiped, bottle-like, spherical, or other shape, and detects the placement condition of the item. The robot 30 fine-tunes the picking and storage positions based on the detection by the camera 33c.

Figure 10 shows how a rectangular parallelepiped item G1 and a bottle-shaped item G2 are picked up. When picking up item G1, the camera 33c detects the placement state of item G1. The robot 30 adjusts the rotation axis z5 of the hand 33 according to the placement state. Next, the robot 30 adjusts the distance between the fixed gripping portion 33a and the movable gripping portion 33b of the hand 33. The robot 30 then lowers the hand 33 to grip item G1.

Figure 10 (A) shows the state in which the item G1 is grasped by the fixed gripper 33a and the movable gripper 33b. Next, the robot 30 rotates the rotation axis z6 of the rotation mechanism 34 shown in Figures 9 (A) and (B) by 180 degrees. Figure 10 (B) shows the state after rotation. This 180-degree rotation reduces the risk of item G1 dropping when moving it onto the box 19 by rotating the rotating shaft 31 from θ = 0 to θ = 1/2π.

Figure 10 (C) shows the state in which the item G2 is grasped by the fixed gripper 33a and the movable gripper 33b. Next, the robot 30 rotates the rotation axis z6 of the rotation mechanism 34 shown in Figures 9 (A) and (B) by 90 degrees. Figure 10 (D) shows the state after rotation. This 90-degree rotation reduces the risk of item G2 dropping when moving it onto the box 19 by rotating the rotating shaft 31 from θ = 0 to θ = 1/2π.

Figure 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the automatic shipping device 10 in the third embodiment. Components that are the same as those in the second embodiment shown in Figure 4 are indicated with the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations are omitted. Differences from Figure 4 will be described.

The communication unit 108 transmits and receives various information to and from the robot 30 via wired or wireless lines. For example, it transmits to the robot 30 the number of boxes involved in the shipment, i.e., shipping destination information, the number of trays for each box, and the number of items on each tray, and receives information on the work status from the robot 30. Note that since the picking work is performed by the robot 30, the display unit 103 shown in FIG. 4 is not provided.

Figure 12 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the robot 30. Although not shown in the figure, the robot control unit 301 includes a ROM that stores a control program and a RAM that serves as a working area, and controls the entire robot 30 according to the control program.

As described above, the camera 33c is equipped with an imaging element 304 that captures and identifies the positions of items in the tray and the storage positions of items in the box, as well as a sensor element 305 that detects the distance between the items in the tray and the hand 33 and the distance between the storage surface in the box and the hand 33.

The communication unit 303 transmits and receives various information via wired or wireless lines to and from the communication unit 108 of the automatic shipping device 10 shown in FIG. 11. For example, it receives information on the number of boxes involved in the shipment, i.e., shipping destination information, the number of trays for each box, and the number of items on each tray from the automatic shipping device 10, and transmits information on the work status to the automatic shipping device 10.

The mechanism unit 302 is the entire mechanism of the rotating shaft 31, the arm 32, and the hand 33 shown in FIG. 9, and is controlled by the robot control unit 301.

The operation of the automatic shipping device 10 in the third embodiment is almost the same as the operation of the automatic shipping device 10 in the second embodiment shown in Figures 5 and 6. However, since the work performed by the picking worker 18 in the second embodiment is performed by the robot 30 in the third embodiment, the process of determining whether to turn on the switch in step S117 in Figure 6 and the process of determining whether a predetermined time has passed in step S123 are deleted.

As described above, in the third embodiment, the automatic shipping device further includes a robot 30 arranged near the adjacent position. The robot 30 includes a rotating shaft 31 that can rotate in one direction, four arms 32 that are arranged radially at 90 degree angles on the rotating shaft 31 and can move up and down and in the radial direction, and a hand 33 that is arranged at the tip of the arm 32 and grasps an item to be shipped from an item tray 23 on which one or more items to be shipped are placed, and stores the grasped item in a shipping box 19 after the rotating shaft 31 has rotated by an angle of approximately 90 degrees.

This robot can therefore carry out work in place of a picking worker. Also, when the hand places an item in a shipping box, the next arm is positioned above the item tray, so there is no need to reverse the arm rotation for picking, allowing for faster work.

Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. In the fourth embodiment, a singulation station is provided next to the automatic box former 12, where multiple items received from a transport means such as a truck are singulated one by one and placed on a tray.

Figure 13 is a conceptual diagram showing an overall image of an automatic shipping device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 13, a singulation station 24 singulates (singulates or sows) various types of goods unloaded from a transportation means 25 such as a truck, and places them on trays by type via a goods receiving line 26 for storage in the automated warehouse 11.

Although not shown in the figure, the singulation station 24 is equipped with a barcode reader, a QR code (registered trademark) reader, a wireless tag reader, and other ID reading means for reading the IDs of various items unloaded from the transport means 25, a communication means for sending and receiving information to and from the automated warehouse 11, a control means for controlling the entire singulation station 24 and including an internal program ROM and a RAM that serves as a working area, and transport means such as various conveyors and their drive means.

Figure 14 is a flowchart showing the operation of the warehousing process by the control means of the singulation station 24. When the control means transitions from the main routine (not shown) to the warehousing process, it sets the variable n, which specifies the various items unloaded from the transport means 25, to an initial value of 1 (step S201). Then, the following steps are executed while incrementing the value of n.

The control means singulates (or sows) the item G(n) (step S202) and reads the ID of the item G(n) by the ID reading means (step S203).

Next, the control means determines whether flag F(n) in the RAM is "0 (type of item that has not yet been singulated)" or "1 (type of item that has already been singulated)" (step S204).

If F(n) is 0 (step S204; YES), the control means transports a tray (step S205) and places item G(n) on the tray (step S206). Next, the control means transports the tray with item G(n) placed on it to an empty location in the singulation station 24 (step S207) and sets flag F(n) to 1 (step S208).

On the other hand, if item G(n) is a type of item that has already been singulated (step S204; NO), the control means transports item G(n) to the location where the previous item is already stored (step S209) and places it on the tray at the location of the previously stored item (step S210).

After setting F(n) in step S208, or after placing item G(n) on the tray in the same location as the previously stored item in step S210, the control means determines whether item G(n) is the last item (step S211).

If item G(n) is not the last item (step S211; NO), the control means increments variable n (step S212), proceeds to step S202, and repeats the above steps.

If item G(n) is the last item (step S211; YES), the control means transports all trays in the singulation station 24 to the automated warehouse 11 via the item storage line 26 shown in FIG. 13 (step S212). Next, the CPU resets all flags F(n) to 0 (step S213) and returns to the main routine.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the singulation station 24 has an internal control means that constitutes the following means. That is, the singulation station 24 includes a singulation means that singulates a plurality of items received from a transport means 25 such as a truck one by one, an item sorting means that reads the ID of each item singulated by the singulation means and sorts the type of each item, and an item transfer means that transfers each item sorted by the item sorting means into the automated warehouse 11 in groups of one or more items of the same type.

As a result, the singulation station 24 takes over the singulation and sorting processes previously performed by conventional automated warehouses, reducing the workload of the automated warehouse 11 and speeding up the shipping process of items. Furthermore, if the type of item that has been singulated and sorted by the singulation station 24 is an item to be shipped, the item receiving line 26 can be directly connected to the item outgoing line 16, making the shipping process of the item even faster.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. All of these are part of the technical concept of the present invention.

As described above, the present invention realizes an automatic shipping system that can significantly improve the safety and operability of shipping goods in an automatic shipping warehouse such as a goods distribution center, while also significantly improving economic efficiency.

Furthermore, this system can improve the workability and economy of automatic shipment of a large number of parts, for example, in product manufacturing factories. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the logistics industry, but can be used and applied to all manufacturing applications. Therefore, the present application will be of great benefit to various industries such as the logistics industry and the manufacturing industry.

10. Automatic shipping device (Goods To Parson for Pick and Pack)
11. Automated warehouse (automated multi-level warehouse: shuttle system)
LIST OF SYMBOLS 12 Automatic box former 13 Automatic sealer 14 Waybill affixer 15 Shipping box storage line 16 Goods removal line 17 Shipping box supply line 18 Picker 19 Goods storage 20 Goods tray 21 Shipping line 22 Goods re-storage line 23 Goods pickup 24 Singulation station 25 Truck 26 Goods storage line 30 Robot 31 Rotating shaft 32 Arm 33 Hand 33a Fixed gripper 33b Movable gripper 33c Camera 34 Rotating mechanism 101 Control unit 102 Shipping information storage unit 103 Display unit 104 Sensor unit 105 Switch unit 106 First conveyor drive unit 107 Second conveyor drive unit 108, 303 Communication unit 301 Robot control unit 302 Mechanical unit 304 Image pickup element 305 Sensor element

Claims (10)

an automated warehouse that stores items on item trays;
an item transport means including an item retrieval means for loading the item onto the item tray and retrieving the item from the automated warehouse, an item storage means for storing the item into the automated warehouse, and an in/out connection transport means for connecting the item retrieval means and the item storage means;
an automatic box making means for automatically making a box of an item storage container for storing the item;
an item storage container supply means for transporting the automatically boxed item storage container and supplying the item storage container, the item storage container being located adjacent to the in-and-out connecting transport means and equipped with an item storage container side fixed position which is a position where the single item storage container is stopped so that the item is transferred from the item tray to a single item storage container that is linked one- to -one with the item;
Equipped with
an instruction is given to transport an item tray carrying shipping items related to shipment among the items to an item side fixed position adjacent to the item storage container side fixed position, the item transport means stopping a single item tray in order to transfer the items from the item tray, and a shipping container selected from the item storage containers is instructed to label the item information of the shipping items and supply them to the automatic carton making means, and the carton made shipping container is transported to the item storage container side fixed position of the item storage container supply means in synchronization with the transport of the shipping items to the item side fixed position of the in/out connecting transport means via the item outgoing means, so that the shipping container and the item tray carrying the shipping items, which are linked to each other one-to-one, are stopped adjacent to each other, and the shipping items placed on the item tray at the item side fixed position are transferred to the shipping container at the item storage container side fixed position and automatically shipped. The automatic shipping device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when there are multiple types and/or quantities of the shipping items, the item transport means transports the different types of shipping items to the item side fixed position in succession, and the item storage container supply means stops the shipping container at the item storage container side fixed position until all of the different types and/or quantities of the shipping items are transferred to the shipping container. The automatic shipping device according to claim 2, further comprising a display means for displaying information including at least the type and quantity of the shipped goods, disposed near the goods side fixed position. The automatic shipping device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an operating means disposed near the fixed position on the item side, and the item storage container supply means has a function of conveying the shipping container downstream when the operating means is executed after the shipping container is stopped at the fixed position on the item storage container side. The automatic shipping device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a shipping container transport means for transporting the shipping container containing the shipping items to a predetermined position downstream of the fixed position on the item storage container side, and an automatic box sealing means and/or a waybill affixing means. The automatic shipping device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 further comprises a first weight measuring means for automatically measuring an item tray weight change, which is a weight change of the item tray before and after the shipping item placed on the item tray is stored in the shipping container at the item storage container side fixed position, and a second weight measuring means for automatically measuring a shipping container weight change, which is a weight change of the shipping container before and after the shipping item is stored at the item side fixed position of the inbound/outbound connecting transport means, and automatically determining the completion of transfer of the shipping item to the shipping container by comparing the absolute value of the difference between the item tray weight change measured by the first weight measuring means and the shipping container weight change measured by the second weight measuring means with a predetermined threshold value. The automatic shipping device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a third weight measuring means for automatically measuring the change in the weight of the worker before and after the worker transfers the shipping item to the shipping container, and automatically determining whether the shipping item has been transferred to the shipping container by comparing the absolute value of the difference between the weight increase and weight decrease of the worker measured by the third weight measuring means with a predetermined threshold value. The robot is arranged near the article side fixed position,
The robot comprises:
A rotating means capable of rotating in one direction on a horizontal plane;
a plurality of arms provided radially from the center of the rotation means at a predetermined central angle, the arms being movable in a direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane and in a radial direction from the center of the rotation means and rotatable about a central axis in the radial direction;
an article gripping means provided at a tip of the arm for gripping the shipped article;
2. The automatic shipping device according to claim 1, further comprising: A singulation means for singulating the articles received in the automated warehouse into individual articles;
A sorting means for classifying the individualized articles by type;
The automatic shipping device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a singulation station including the above-mentioned is installed within the automatic warehouse. A singulation means for singulating the articles received in the automated warehouse into individual articles;
A sorting means for classifying the individualized articles by type;
An article carrying-in means for carrying the sorted articles into the automated warehouse;
The automatic shipping device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a singulation station including:

Images