JPH0313406A - Reception and delivery device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make reception and delivery on the way of transfer in a reception and delivery device for a plurality of automatic storages installed in parallel by providing a transfer passage equipped with carriers for reception an delivery along the automatic storages, and connecting them with a container intake way and discharge way for each storage respectively. CONSTITUTION:A plurality of automatic storages 3 are disposed in parallel along one side of a delivery transfer passage 1 where a withdrawal carrier 2 can run, and work conveyors 4a, 4b, a roller conveyor 6 equipped with an elevation device, and a delivery station 7 are installed in parallel on the other side of the transfer passage 1. A discharge roller conveyor 18 for each storage 3 is perpendicularly connected with the delivery transfer passage 1. In the meanwhile, a reception transfer passage 11 is disposed in parallel in a lower stage of the delivery transfer passage 1, a reception station is disposed to be connected with a carrier 12 and the roller conveyor 6 equipped with the elevation device 5, and an intake roller conveyor is connected for each storage. In this constitution, reception and delivery become possible on the way of the transfer passage.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) This invention enables containers to be loaded and unloaded into and out of each automated warehouse via a transport path provided along a plurality of automated warehouses installed in parallel. It relates to a warehousing and retrieval device.

(Prior art) In the conventional example of this type of storage/unloading device, the conveyance path provided along each automated warehouse is constituted by a roller conveyor, etc. Containers are unloaded at the end of their transport path.

In addition, when warehousing, the container is sent from the end of the transport path to the transport path, stopped at a position corresponding to each automatic warehouse on the transport path, and then changed direction by a pusher or the like to each automatic storage. A common configuration is to store the products in a warehouse.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in such conventional warehousing and unloading devices, the location where containers are loaded and unloaded is limited to the end of the conveyance path, which limits the layout of the device, and the work efficiency of loading and unloading is limited. The problem was that it was bad.

On the other hand, in order to carry out loading and unloading along the route along the conveyance path, the container must be fed in at right angles to the transfer direction of the conveyance path, and the container must be taken out at right angles to the transfer direction of the conveyance path. Therefore, it is necessary to incorporate a large number of direction changing mechanisms such as pushers and chain transers to change the direction of container transport, which poses a problem in that the overall configuration becomes complicated.

This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and is a warehouse in which containers are entered and exited from each automated warehouse via a conveyance path provided along a plurality of automated warehouses installed in parallel. It is an object of the present invention to provide a storage/unloading device which has a simple configuration and is capable of loading/unloading from the middle of the transport path.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In a first aspect, the warehousing/unloading device according to the present invention is provided along a plurality of automated warehouses arranged in parallel, and where the container discharge paths of each automated warehouse merge at right angles. A container unloading station is provided along the unloading transport route, and a container unloading station is installed on the unloading transport route to take in containers taken out onto the container discharge route of the automated warehouse. an unloading truck for transporting containers to the container unloading station and transferring the containers to the station; and an incoming conveyance path provided along the plurality of automated warehouses, where the container take-in paths of each automated warehouse merge at right angles. , a container warehousing station provided along the warehousing conveyance path, and a container warehousing station provided movably on the warehousing conveyance path to take in containers brought to the container warehousing station, and transfer the taken containers to containers in the automated warehouse. It is configured to include a warehousing carrier that is carried to the intake path and transferred to the intake path.

In addition, in a second aspect, the warehousing/unloading device according to the present invention is provided along a plurality of automated warehouses installed in parallel, and the common container loading/unloading path of each automated warehouse joins at right angles. and at least one station provided along the shared warehousing/output transport path, and a station installed on the warehousing/output common transport path to pick up containers discharged to the common container intake/discharge path of the automated warehouse. The container is transported to the station and transferred to the station, while the container is taken in the container brought to the station and carried to the common container loading/discharging path of the automated warehouse and transferred to the common path. It may also be configured to include a common carrier for delivery.

(Function) In the warehousing/unloading device according to the first aspect of the invention,
Containers taken out from the automated warehouse onto the container discharge path are picked up by a shipping carrier running on the shipping path, and the taken containers are then transported to a container unloading station installed along the shipping path. The container is transported and transferred, and the shipping of the container is completed.

In addition, containers brought to a container receiving station installed along the warehousing transport route are taken in by a warehousing carrier running on the warehousing transport route, and the retrieved containers are then transferred to the container receiving route of a predetermined automated warehouse. The container is then transported to and transferred, completing the container's warehousing.

On the other hand, in the warehousing/unloading device according to the second aspect of the present invention, the container taken out from the automated warehouse onto the common container loading/unloading path is taken in by the warehousing/unloading common carrier running on the warehousing/unloading common conveyance path. The container is then transported to a station provided along the common transport path for entering and exiting the warehouse and transferred thereto, thereby completing the container's exit from the warehouse. In addition, the containers brought to the station are taken in by a common carrier for loading and unloading, and the loaded containers are then transported to the common container loading and unloading path of a designated automated warehouse and transferred. Complete.

(Example) Figure 1 shows upper and lower 2 parts of a loading/unloading device which is an example of this invention.
It is a top view showing the structure of the upper stage of the structure of the stages, and
The figure is a plan view showing the configuration of the lower stage of the upper and lower two stages.

In FIG. 1, a delivery path 1 is a transport path on which delivery carriers 2 are mounted in a freely movable manner, and a plurality of automated warehouses 3 are arranged in parallel along one side of this delivery path 1. It is located in In addition, two work roller conveyors 4a and 4b are installed at two locations along the other path of the unloading conveyance path 1 so that the conveying direction thereof is parallel to the conveying direction of the unloading conveyance path 1.
is located. These two work conveyors 4a, 4
An elevating device 5 that drives the roller conveyor 6 up and down is arranged at an intermediate position sandwiched between b, and the roller conveyor 6 is arranged so that its conveyance direction is parallel to the conveyance direction of the exit conveyance path 1. There is.

A container unloading station 7 (detailed illustration in FIG. 9) is formed at one end of each of the working roller conveyors 4a, 4b.

On the other hand, in FIG. 2, the warehousing conveyance path 11 is a conveyance path on which the warehousing carriers 12 are mounted in a movable manner, and is arranged parallel to the warehousing conveyance path 1 at the lower stage of the above-described unloading conveyance path 1. has been done. Further, a return roller conveyor 14 is disposed along the warehousing conveyance path 11, which corresponds to directly below one of the two working roller conveyors 4a and 4b. At one end of the return roller conveyor 14, there is a container receiving station 17 having a similar configuration to the container receiving station 7.
is formed, and a lifting device 5 for driving the roller conveyor 6 up and down is arranged at the other end.

The above-mentioned automated warehouse 3 has a pair of left and right storage areas 8 and 9 arranged in a direction perpendicular to the delivery path 1 and the storage path 11 below it, and each storage area 8.
Each of the shelves 9 is constructed by arranging shelves 10, each serving as a storage place for articles, in a matrix shape. The left and right storage areas 8 and 9 are arranged so that the open sides of the shelves 10 face each other, and a rail 13 is provided in the middle area sandwiched between these left and right storage areas 8 and 9. 15 is installed vertically so that it can run freely.

Further, a picker 16 is provided on the column 15 so as to be able to move up and down along the column 15. This picker 16 has a function of taking containers in and out of the shelves 10 of the storage areas 8 and 9.

Figure 3 shows a view taken along the line A-A in Figure 1, Figure 4 shows a view taken along line B-B in Figure 1, and Figure 5 shows a view taken along line C-C in Figure 1. .

As shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 5, there is a space between one storage area 8 of each automated warehouse 3 and the shipping path 1.
A discharge roller conveyor 18 is provided, which serves as a discharge path for discharging the containers W taken out from the automated warehouse 3 to a point in front of the unloading conveyance path 1.

Moreover, as shown in FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, one storage area 8 of each automated warehouse 3 and the warehousing conveyance path 1 are also provided.
1, there is provided one roller conveyor for taking in, which serves as a take-in path for taking the container W transferred from the warehousing carrier 12 into the automated warehouse.

Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, near the container unloading station 7 and the container receiving station 17, there are bars for reading bar codes attached to containers W that have arrived at these stations. A code reader 20 is provided. In addition, the delivery path 1
An optical communication unit 21a is disposed at one end of the warehousing conveyance path 11, and the conveyance path 1.1
Outgoing carrier 2 and incoming carrier 12 on 1
Also provided are optical communication signal units 21b facing the optical communication unit 21a at the end of the transport path.

Each communication unit 21a at the end of the conveyance path is connected to a main computer (not shown) that controls the entire loading and unloading device, and is connected to a main computer (not shown) that controls the entire loading/unloading device.
, 12 optical communication units 21b to control the operation of the carrier 2.12.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a plan view and a side view, respectively, of the delivery carrier 2 described above.

In FIGS. 6 and 7, 22 is a frame that constitutes the bottom of the main body of the delivery carrier 2, and this frame 22
Wheels 23 are provided at the front and rear portions of the vehicle, respectively, for supporting the delivery carrier 2 so as to be able to move forward and backward. A running motor 24 is installed on a pedestal adjusted to the front of the frame 22, and is configured to transmit the rotational output of the running motor 24 to the front wheels 23 via a chain 25. The above-described optical communication unit 21b is also installed separately on the pedestal.

On the other hand, in the rear half of the frame 22, there is a roller conveyor 26 for taking in the container W from the discharge roller conveyor 18 of each automated warehouse 3 described above and for transferring the taken in container W onto the container unloading station 7.
The roller conveyor 26 is provided with its transport direction facing the width direction of the frame 22, and guide members 27 are provided on both sides of the roller conveyor 26 to guide the container W to an appropriate position.

This roller conveyor 26 is rotationally driven by a motor (not shown), and the motor is also installed on the pedestal.

Although details regarding the warehousing carrier 12 are not shown,
This warehousing carrier 12 also has the same configuration as the above-mentioned warehousing carrier 2. However, warehousing carrier 12
The roller conveyor 28 (see FIG. 2) is driven to rotate in the opposite direction to the roller conveyor 26 of the delivery carrier 2.

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the configuration of the delivery path 1 and the storage path 11, which are arranged in two upper and lower stages, as viewed from the end side.

In FIG. 8, the exit conveyance path 1 and the warehousing conveyance path 1
Rails 29 are installed along both sides of 1,
The wheels 23 of the delivery carrier 2 and the delivery carrier 12 are mounted on the rails 29, respectively. Further, a trolley duct 30 is installed along one rail 29 of each conveyance path 1.11, and this trolley duct 3
The power source for motive power for the delivery carrier 2 and the delivery carrier 12 is obtained through the power supply 0.

Further, on the lower surface side of the other rail 29 of each conveyance path 1, 11, a mark 31 with a scale that serves as a guide for the running position of each carrier 2, 12 is provided, while each carrier 2.12 has a mark 31 attached thereto. Detectors 32 for reading the scales of the mark pars 31 are respectively provided, and the running position is confirmed by integrating the number of scales read by the detectors 32.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged plan view showing the container unloading station 7 in FIG. 1, and FIG.
An arrow sectional view is shown.

In FIGS. 9 and 10, the container unloading station 7 includes a pair of chain conveyors 33 that serve to take up containers W from the unloading carrier 2 on the unloading conveyance path 1, and a working roller conveyor for transporting the retrieved containers W. 4a (4b), and the chain conveyor 33 is inserted between adjacent rollers of the roller conveyor 34,
As shown by solid lines and virtual lines in the figure, it is configured to be able to move up and down. That is, when picking up the container W from the shipping carrier 2, it rises to a position higher than the top surface of the roller conveyor 34, as shown by the solid line in FIG.
At the stage where the container W that has been drawn in is transferred by the working roller conveyor 4a (4b) (arrow Q in FIG. 9), the roller conveyor 34 is moved as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. Chain conveyor 3 to a position lower than the top surface of
3 should descend.

Although details of the container warehousing station 17 are not shown, this container warehousing station 17 also has the same configuration as the container unloading station 7 described above. However, chain conveyor 3 at container receiving station 17
5 and a roller conveyor 36 (see FIG. 2) are driven to rotate in the opposite direction to the chain conveyor 33 and roller conveyor 34 of the container unloading station 7.

Next, an outline of the loading/unloading operation of this loading/unloading device will be explained.

When a request is made to unload a container W stored in one of the plurality of automated warehouses 3 through input to the main computer (not shown) described above, the automated warehouse 3 storing the container W performs an unloading operation. , the requested container W is taken out onto the discharge roller conveyor 18 of the automated warehouse 3. That is, the picker 16 moves the requested container W out of the shelves 10 of the storage area 8.9 by the movement of the column 15 back and forth along the rail 13 and the movement up and down of the picker 16 along the column 15. The container W is stopped in front of the shelf 10 where it is stored, the container W is taken out from the shelf 10, and the picker 16 is again moved to a position facing the discharge roller conveyor 18 by the lifting and lowering movements of the picker 16 and the forward and backward movements of the column 15. stops, and the container W is transferred from the picker 16 to the discharge roller conveyor 18. The transferred container W is carried by the drive of the discharge roller conveyor 18 to a point where the discharge roller conveyor 18 joins the shipping path 1 at right angles.

On the other hand, on the unloading carrier 2 on the unloading conveyance path 1, the location address of the discharging roller conveyor 18 from which the requested container W is to be discharged and the container W are stored through optical communication by the optical communication units 21a and 21b. The location address of the container unloading station 7 to be transferred is notified. As a result, the delivery carrier 2 travels to the meeting point of the discharge roller conveyor 18 from which the container W is discharged and stops, and the discharge roller conveyor 18 is operated by the operation of the roller conveyor 26.
From there, the container W is taken onto the shipping carrier 2.

When loading the container W is completed, the unloading carrier 2
starts running again.

When you arrive in front of the destination container unloading station 7,
The roller conveyor 26 of the unloading carrier 2 is operated again, and the container W is transferred from the unloading carrier 2 to the container unloading station 7.

At this time, at the container unloading station 7, the chain conveyor 33 is waiting in the raised position and rotating as shown by the solid line in FIG. It will be posted. When the transfer is completed, the chain conveyor 33 moves to the 10th
While descending as shown by the imaginary line in the figure, the roller conveyor 34 begins to rotate, thereby transferring the container W to the working roller conveyor 4a (4b).

By the operation of the working roller conveyor 4a (4b),
The container W is transferred to the roller conveyor 6 of the lifting device 5. During this transfer, the stored articles are taken out from the container W at the work place 37 and a predetermined work is performed.

During this time, the roller conveyor 6 of the elevating device 5 is waiting at the raised position, and when the container W is transferred from the working roller conveyor 4a (4b), the roller conveyor 6 starts to rotate. Completely transferred to the top.

Next, the lifting device 5 starts a descending operation, whereby the roller conveyor 6 on which the container W is placed descends to the same height as the lower return roller conveyor 14, and when the descent is completed, the container W is transferred to the return roller conveyor 14. The rotational drive is started in the direction of moving to 14. As a result, the container W on the roller conveyor 6 is transferred onto the return roller conveyor 14. Next, the return roller conveyor 14 starts operating, and the container W is transferred on the return roller conveyor 14 toward the container storage station 17.

During this time, the chain conveyor 35 of the container storage station 17 is waiting at a position below the upper surface of the roller conveyor 36. Container W returns to roller conveyor 1
4 to the roller conveyor 36 of the container warehousing station 17, the roller conveyor 36 starts rotating in the direction of drawing the container W, thereby completely transferring the container W onto the container warehousing station 17. . When the transfer is completed, the chain conveyor 35 of the container storage station 17 moves up.

On the other hand, the container W to be warehoused is transferred to the warehousing carrier 12 on the warehousing transport path 11 at the container warehousing station 1 through optical communication by the optical communication units 21a and 21b.
7 and the location address of the taking-in roller conveyor 19 to which the container W is to be transferred.

As a result, the warehousing carrier 12 travels to the container warehousing station 17 where the container W is waiting and stops. Note that the return operation of the container W by the return roller conveyor 14 and the traveling operation of the warehousing carrier 12 to the container warehousing station 17 may be performed in parallel.

Next, while the chain conveyor 35 of the container storage station 17 starts rotating in the direction of transferring the container W onto the roller conveyor 28 of the storage carrier 12,
The roller conveyor 28 of the warehousing carrier 12 also starts rotating in the direction of taking in the container W, and thereby the container W is completely transferred onto the warehousing carrier 12. When the transfer is completed, the warehousing carrier 12 starts traveling again, and stops when it reaches the meeting point of the target taking-in roller conveyor 19. Here, warehousing carrier 1
The second roller conveyor 28 starts rotating in the direction of transferring the container W onto the taking-in roller conveyor 19, while the taking-in roller conveyor 19 also starts rotating in the direction of taking in the container W.
are completely transferred from the receiving carrier 12 to the receiving roller conveyor 19. The transferred container W is
The goods are stored in the designated shelves 10 in the storage area 8.9 of the automated warehouse 3 by the reverse operation of the above-mentioned unloading.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the case where the outgoing route and the incoming route from each automated warehouse 3 are configured separately is explained.
As another example, the exit route and the warehousing route may be shared. That is, for example, in FIG. 1, the discharging roller conveyor 18 of each automated warehouse 3 is also used as the loading roller conveyor (in this case, the roller conveyor 18 can be driven to rotate in forward and reverse directions), and the unloading roller conveyor 18 is also used as the loading roller conveyor. The path 1 and the unloading carrier 2 are used both as an incoming conveyance path and an incoming carrier, so in this case, the roller conveyor 26 of the carrier 2 can be rotated in forward and reverse directions. Is it also used as a station (therefore, in this case, chain conveyor 3 of stage gin 7)?
3. The roller conveyors 34 can be rotated in forward and reverse directions, or one can be assigned exclusively to the container unloading station and the other one can be assigned exclusively to the container receiving station. Although it is not necessary to provide the elevating device 5 and the roller conveyor 6 that is driven up and down by the elevating device 5, it is also possible to have a multi-story structure and use it as an entry/exit route with these devices provided.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the loading and unloading device of claim 1 of the present invention, containers taken out onto the container discharge path of an automated warehouse are taken in and taken in by the unloading carrier running on the unloading conveyance path. Containers are transferred to a container unloading station installed along the unloading transport route for unloading, while containers brought to a container storage station installed along the unloading transport route are transferred to the unloading station installed along the unloading transport route. is taken in by a moving warehousing carrier,
Since the container is configured to be loaded by transferring it to the container loading path of the automated warehouse, the warehouse can be loaded and unloaded from the middle of the loading and unloading transportation paths with a simple configuration. I can do it.

Further, according to the warehousing/retrieval device of claim 2 of the present invention, since the warehousing/retrieving device of claim 1 has a configuration in which the warehousing route and the warehousing route are shared by one route, it is similar to the warehousing/retrieval device of claim 1. In addition to being able to carry out loading and unloading operations, the structure can also be simplified.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 shows upper and lower 2 of a loading/unloading device which is an embodiment of this invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of the storage route in the upper tier of the tier configuration, FIG. , FIG. 4 is a view taken along the line B-B in FIG. 1, FIG. 5 is a view taken along line C-C in FIG. 1, and FIG.
7 and 7 are respectively an enlarged plan view and a side view of the shipping carrier, and FIG. 8 is a vertical view showing the configuration of the shipping path and the receiving path, which are set in two stages, as seen from the end side. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the container unloading station of the loading/unloading device, and Figure 10 is taken along D-D in Figure 9.
It is an arrow sectional view. 1... Transportation path for shipping, 2... Carrier for shipping 3
...Automated warehouse, 7.Container unloading station, 11.Transportation path for warehousing, 12..Carrier for warehousing 17..Container warehousing station, 18..Roller conveyor for discharge, 19..・Intake roller conveyor, W...container

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) An unloading conveyance path that is provided along a plurality of parallel automated warehouses, where the container discharge paths of each automated warehouse merge at right angles, and a container unloading station that is provided along this unloading conveyance path. , an unloading carrier that is movably provided on the unloading conveyance path and takes in a container taken out onto a container discharge path of the automatic warehouse, and transports the taken-in container to the container unloading station and transfers it to the station; A warehousing conveyance path provided along the plurality of automated warehouses, where the container intake paths of each automated warehouse merge at right angles, a container warehousing station provided along the warehousing conveyance path, and the warehousing conveyance path. It is characterized by comprising a warehousing carrier which is movably provided at the container storage station and which takes in containers brought into the container storage station, and which carries the taken-in containers to a container loading path of the automated warehouse and transfers them to the loading path. A loading and unloading device that handles (2) A shared loading and unloading transport path is provided along multiple automated warehouses installed in parallel, where the shared container loading and unloading paths of each automated warehouse merge at right angles, and a shared loading and unloading transport path is provided along the shared loading and unloading transport path. and at least one station, which is movably provided on the common conveyance path for loading and unloading containers, takes in containers discharged to the common container loading and unloading path of the automated warehouse, transports the containers to the station, and transports the containers to the station. and a shared loading/unloading carrier that takes in a container brought into the station, transports the container to a shared container loading/unloading path of the automated warehouse, and transfers the container to the shared path. Output device.