JPH0218203A - Picking system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve work efficiency by displaying, in a picking zone, the number of remaining good items in the same zone. CONSTITUTION:A remaining good items display unit 5 is arranged in each of picking zones 21 to 210 and is connected to classification control device 15 and signals are transmitted and received among them. This classification control device 15 is connected to a work control device 7, number display units of good shelves 11, 11 in respective picking zones 21 to 210, and label printer 9, signals are transmitted and received among them, and remaining good items in respective picking zones 21 to 210 are displayed at the remaining good items display unit 5. Thus, a worker can recognize the number of the remaining good items and can estimate required work time. Then improvement in the work efficiency can be attempted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an improvement in a picking system used in the process of distributing goods, and particularly to one that enables efficient picking operations.

(Prior art) At product distribution centers for supermarkets and chain stores, a so-called picking operation is carried out in which the required number of each type of product is stocked in response to requests from each store. This was done solely by hand, with workers walking around the warehouse looking at order slips in their hands and collecting the necessary products in the required quantities. However, this method requires a high level of skill, as workers must remember the storage location of each product in the warehouse, and it is especially difficult to deal with the increasing variety and variety of products in recent years. This made it difficult to process quickly. On the other hand, each store is also trying to reduce product inventory, and from this point of view, there is a strong demand for faster picking and delivery.

In response to this situation, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5713720
A picking system as shown in Publication No. 3 is being put into practical use. This system has a picking zone along the conveyor that transports containers for each destination, and a zone indicator is installed in each zone. - A product shelf is provided, and a number indicator is provided for each pocket on the product shelf, and a container for collecting products is transported to the picking zone by the conveyor, for example, for store A. If there is an item for store A in that zone, the zone indicator light on the zone indicator lights up, and the number of items to be picked this time for store A is displayed on the number display on the product shelf in the zone. It is configured so that it can be displayed. Therefore, when a picking worker placed in the picking zone picks the indicated number of products whose number is displayed on the number display and collects them in the container, the container is discharged from the end of the conveyor. In this case, the products for the store A are collected in the requested number of items for all requested items.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) By the way, even in the pi-soking system as described above, the work of taking out the products from the pockets of the product shelf and putting them into the container is done manually. The number of items to be collected in a container is usually not constant for each picking zone, and even for one picking zone, the number of items to be collected in that picking zone is different each time, so the picker , a different amount of picking work will have to be done each time.

In such situations, if the number of items to be processed in each picking zone is not clear, for example, the number of items to be processed in each picking zone is small, but pickers may be unnecessarily hurried and put unnecessary mental burden on them, or conversely, the number of items to be processed in each picking zone is As a result of picking workers working with too much leeway when items need to be processed, work in other zones is delayed, reducing overall processing efficiency, which has a negative impact on work efficiency. This is a concern.

In addition, in the picking system described in the above publication,
The zone indicator light on the zone indicator installed in the picking zone is lit to notify the picking worker that there is a picking request, and the zone indicator light is turned off when picking is complete. However, since the number of items to be processed this time and the number of remaining items during the work cannot be determined before starting the work, the above-mentioned inconvenience cannot be solved.

The present invention addresses the above-mentioned actual situation in such a picking system, and an object of the present invention is to improve work efficiency during picking work.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, a picking system according to the present invention is characterized by being configured as follows.

That is, the present invention provides a container transport means for transporting containers for each destination, and a picking zone provided along a container transport route by the transport means,
A product shelf with products stored for each item in numerous pockets,
and a number display provided on the product shelf, and a worker placed in the picking zone picks the number of products in each bogette as indicated on the number display and transfers them to the container on the transport means. A picking system configured to collect items is characterized in that the above-mentioned picking zone is provided with a remaining item number display device that displays the number of unprocessed items in that zone. In that case, the remaining item number display device may be provided with a display section that displays, for each unprocessed item, at least the product code and the location of the pocket in which the item is stored on the product shelf. .

(Function) According to the above configuration, the number of remaining items display device placed in each picking zone displays the number of unprocessed items to be picked in that picking zone. The operator can estimate the required work time by referring to the number of unprocessed items displayed on the number of remaining items display device, so for example, if the number of items to be processed is small, pick with plenty of time to spare. On the other hand, when there are a large number of items to be processed, picking can be done quickly to complete the work in a short time, and picking can be done according to the situation, improving work efficiency. In that case, if the above-mentioned remaining quantity display device is provided with a display section that displays at least the product code and the location of the item on the shelf for each unprocessed item, it will be possible to pick the product in the shortest possible time. Routes can be easily drawn up and work efficiency can be further improved.

(Example) Examples of the present invention will be described below.

First, the overall configuration of the picking system according to this embodiment will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. As shown in FIG. Conveyor 1 that transports a plurality of containers a...a in a tact time to the terminal end 1b where
There are five picking zones 2 (21 to 210) on both sides of the pick zones 2 (21 to 210) on the national side, for a total of 10 locations.

In these picking zones 2 (21 to 21o), product shelves 4, 4 are arranged in two rows in a direction perpendicular to the conveyor 1 with the central work space 3 in between, and the conveyor in each zone 2 Remaining item number display devices 5 are arranged in the vicinity of 1, respectively. Further, a work control device 7 is disposed at a container supply position 6 near the starting end 1a of the conveyor 1, and a label printer 9 is disposed at a container discharging position 8 near the terminal end 1b. Here, the pitch of the tact conveyance of the containers a... The pitch corresponds to 2526-210. As shown in the figure, each of the above-mentioned picking zones 21...21G and the container supply position 6
In the case of the government, a total of 12 workers b...b are placed at discharge position 8 and discharge position 8.

On the other hand, each of the two rows of product shelves 4, 4 in each of the picking zones 21...2□0 is provided with a large number of pockets 10...10 for storing and storing products for each item. As shown in the figure, these pockets 10...
10 is provided with a number display 11 . . . 11, respectively. Each number display 11 includes a display section 12 that digitally displays the number of pieces to be picked, a picking instruction lamp 13,
For example, when m items C...C in the pocket 10 are to be picked,
At the same time that the picking instruction lamp 13 of the number indicator 11 in the pocket 10 lights up, the number m is digitally displayed on the display section 12. Here, when the products are picked in a case containing a plurality of products and individually, the display unit 12 is configured to display the number of cases and the number of single products to be picked.

Further, this picking system is provided with a control system as shown in FIG. This control system includes a sorting control device 15 connected directly to a host computer or via a terminal, and a data bus 16 extending from the sorting control device 15. 7 and each picking zone 21...
A large number of number indicators 11 on the product shelves 4, 4 at 210.
...11, and each picking zone 21...2r
The remaining item number display device 5 at o is connected to the label printer 9, and various signals are exchanged between them.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, a remaining item number display section 17 for digitally displaying the number of unprocessed items of products to be picked is provided in the above-mentioned remaining item number display device 5. The item number display device 5 includes a plurality of product code display units 18...18 that display product codes for each of the unprocessed items, and one number display unit 19 that digitally displays the number of items to be picked. A remaining item details display area 21 is provided with a location display section 20 . . . 20 indicating the location.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 5 to 7.

First, for sorting, the control device 15 operates according to the flowchart shown in FIG.

That is, this sorting is performed by the control device 15. For example, in store A, if the container a of the product is conveyed to the first stop position 11 by a conveyor as shown in FIG. 6th bitking zone 2r, 2
The data on the number of items to be picked this time is sent to the number indicators 11...11 provided in all the pockets 10...10 of the product shelves 4... This unfinished data is transmitted for the unprocessed items, and further, in step S3, it is determined whether the picking completion keys -, 14, . . . 14 of the number displays 11, . Then, the picking completion key 14...
14 is turned ON, the sorting completion information for the item corresponding to the picking completion key 14 is memorized, and then the picking of the item is completed for the corresponding person (1+). At the same time, a signal confirming that the picking of the item is completed is transmitted to the remaining item number display device 5, and it is determined whether the unit of sorting is completed (steps S to S7). ), In this case, the unit of sorting means, for example, the total number of items to be picked for the products destined for store A in the 1st and 6th picking zones 21.26. If it is determined that this is the case, it means that picking has been completed for all the products to be picked in the first and sixth picking zones 2+ and 2a.

Therefore, if the judgment result of YES is not obtained in step S7, the sorting control device 15 returns to step S2, repeats the processing from step S2 to step S7, and when it judges Y' E S. The process then proceeds to step S8, and a notification of completion of all picking processes in the corresponding picking zones 2+ and 26 is sent to the remaining item number display device 5.5.

On the other hand, each pocket 1 provided in the above product shelf 4...4
The number indicators 11...11 of 0...10 operate according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 during the picking operation.

That is, after each piece count display 11 performs a predetermined initialization in step S9, the count display is once blanked in step SIO, and in step S, the sorting is performed by a display command from the control device 15 (step SI in FIG. 5). and step 5sl)) is currently receiving data. When a display command is being received, in step S12 it is first determined whether or not the display command is number display data;
If it is the number display data, the number display 11 of the pocket 10 in which the item to be picked this time is stored displays the number of items picked on the display unit 12 in step S13.

In this case, the picking instruction lamp 13 is also turned on at the same time.

As a result, the first. Workers S and B in the sixth picking zone pick the pockets 10... where the picking instruction runs 113...13 of the number displays 11...11 are lit.
10, the number of products displayed on the display sections 12...12 is picked, and the conveyor 1 is moved to the first stop position 1,
In this case, it is put into container a located at
Workers S and B use the number display 1 when picking products.
1.11. Turn on the picking completion key 14.14.

In that case, the number display 11 confirms the ON operation of the completion key 14 in step SI4, and then displays it in step StS.
For sorting, turn on the control device 15 and turn on the heavy picking completion key 14.
A signal is transmitted (see step S1 in FIG. 5).

On the other hand, if it is determined in the above step S12 that the display command is not the number display data, the 5 number display]1
In step S16, it is determined whether the sorting is a picking completion confirmation notification signal from the control device 15, and if it is a confirmation notification signal, the number display on the display unit 12 is erased in step S17. It should be noted that when a NO judgment result is obtained in step S16, the number display 11 returns to step S1.
Perform other processing with &.

The number of remaining items display device 5 according to this embodiment operates as follows according to the flowchart of FIG.

First, after performing a predetermined initialization in step S19, the remaining item number display area 17 is displayed as "0" in step S20, and the remaining item bright side display area 2 is displayed in step Sa+.
1 is displayed blank, the sorting is performed by sending a display command from the control device 15 (step S in FIG. 5) in step S22.
2, see step S6 and step S8).

When the display command is received in step S22, the remaining item number display device 5 first determines whether the display command is incomplete data in step S23, and if it is incomplete data, it stores the item data and also stores the item data. ,
Check whether there is enough room to display the remaining items in the light side display area 21 (Stella 7 S 24. S25) When there is room for displaying the items, the remaining item number display section W5 additionally displays the remaining item details in the remaining item light side display area 21 in step S26, and then the remaining item number display section 17 in step S27.
The number of remaining items is displayed in increments at , and the process returns to step S2□. In addition, at the time of starting the picking operation, the product code display section 18 of the remaining item display area 21 is displayed.
. . 18, number display sections 19... 19, and location indication sections 20... 20 are, in principle, fully displayed.

As a result, the first. Workers S and B placed in the second picking zone 2126 determine the required work time based on the number of unprocessed items displayed on the remaining item number display section 17.17 of the remaining item number display device 5.5. Since you can set up a guideline, you can perform picking work according to the situation.

In other words, when the number of items displayed in the number of remaining items display section 17.17 is small, picking can be carried out with ample time. On the other hand, when the number of items displayed in the remaining item number display section 17.17 is large, picking can be carried out quickly and the picking can be completed in a short time.

In that case, the remaining item number display area 21 of each remaining item number display device 5 includes product code display sections 18...18.
and the location instruction units 20...20, the shortest route for picking the products can be easily determined, and the picking work can be carried out more efficiently. In addition, the above remaining items display area 2
1 is provided with number display sections 19...19, the number display displayed on the number display sections 19...19 indicates that 1. It is possible to judge in advance whether a sub-container is necessary when taking out products from the pockets 10...10 in E, and a display command indicating a picking completion signal is sent from the control device 15 for sorting. When the remaining item number display device 5 deletes the corresponding item data, it determines whether any unprocessed items remain (step 5241 S25
．． 528) In this case, if there are unprocessed items, the remaining item count display device 5 sorts the remaining item data in step S29, and displays the resulting remaining item details in the above-mentioned remaining item bright side display area in step S30. 21, and the number of remaining items is decremented and displayed on the number of remaining items display section 17 in step S31, and then the process returns to step S2□.

In addition, in step S22 described above, when the display command received from the control device 15 is other than unfinished data and picking completion data, the number of remaining items display device 5
performs other corresponding processing in step S32, and then returns to step S22.

If it is determined in step 528 that there are no unprocessed items, the number of remaining items display device 5 returns to step S20.

In addition, when sorting the remaining item data in step S29, the location display section 20...2
You may also set it so that the 0's are displayed in order from the top, for example counterclockwise around the product shelf 4.4.This will shorten the worker's flow line and reduce the picking time per pick. will be done.

As described above, the store A located at the first stop position II of the conveyor 1 receives the first stop for the container a of the product. The picking work in the sixth picking zone 21.26 is completed. Then, if the worker at the container supply position 6 confirms that the work in both zones is completed by the work completion message sent from the control device 15 to the work control device 7, the worker at the conveyor 1 For example, for store B, the next container a for product collection is placed on the starting end 1a of
The work control device 7 performs an operation to start the next picking work. As a result, the container a for store A located at the first stop position 11 of the conveyor 1 is moved to the second stop position 12, and the container a for store B placed at the starting end 1a is moved to the first stop position 1ri. The former container a is transported to the second container.
, in the seventh picking zone 22.27, and for the latter container i in the first picking zone. Picking operations are carried out in the same manner as described above in the sixth picking zones 21 and 26, respectively. By repeating this process, the containers a whose picking operations have been completed in all the picking zones 21 to 210 are discharged from the terminal end 1b of the conveyor 1. Note that the worker who discharges the container a from the terminal end 1b of the conveyor 1 attaches a label issued by the label printer 9 to the container a.

In addition, in the above embodiment, a case was described in which tact operation is performed with multiple picking zones, but the invention is not limited to this, and for example, a small-scale system in which one picking zone is formed over the entire length of the conveyor. It can also be applied to

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the present invention, a picking zone is provided along the conveyance means for conveying containers for each destination, and according to the display of the number display provided on the product shelf in the picking zone, In a picking system configured to pick products stored in each pocket of a product shelf, the above-mentioned picking zone is equipped with a number of remaining items display device that displays the number of unprocessed items in that zone. The number of remaining items display device placed in each zone displays the number of unprocessed items to be picked in that picking zone, so the worker in the zone can check the number of items displayed on the remaining number display device. Since you can use the number of unprocessed items as a reference to estimate the required work time, for example, if the number of items to be processed is small, you can pick with plenty of time, and conversely, if there are many items to be processed, you can pick. It has the advantage of being able to perform picking according to the situation, such as completing the work in a short time by performing picking quickly, and improving work efficiency. In that case, if the above-mentioned remaining quantity display device is provided with a display section that displays at least the product code and the location of the item on the shelf for each unprocessed item, it will be possible to pick the product in the shortest possible time. This has the advantage that the route can be easily drawn up and work efficiency is further improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 7 show an embodiment of the picking system according to the present invention, FIG. 1 is a schematic layout diagram of the picking system, FIG. 2 is a partial front view showing the configuration of product shelves in the system, Fig. 3 is a control system diagram, Fig. 4 is a schematic front view of the remaining quantity display device, Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device for sorting, and Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the quantity display. , FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the remaining item number display device. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Container conveyance means (conveyer), 2... Picking zone, 4... Product shelf, 5... Remaining item number display device, 10... Pocket, 11... Number display device, 1
8... Product code display section, 20... Location display section. Figure 4

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A container transport means for transporting containers for each destination, and a picking zone provided along the container transport route by the transport means to store products for each item in numerous pockets. A worker placed in the picking zone picks the number of products in each pocket as indicated on the number display and transports the products. A picking system configured to collect goods into a container on a means, characterized in that said picking zone is provided with a remaining item number display device for displaying the number of items of unprocessed goods in that zone. picking system. (2) The above-mentioned remaining item number display device is provided with a display section that displays, for each unprocessed item, at least the product code and the location of the pocket in which the product is stored on the product shelf. Picking system described in scope 1