JPH03147604A - Picking indicating arrangement in physical distribution system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make prompt and secure pickup possible even by a non-skilled hand by providing a pickup conveyor along each fluidized shelf, performing display of indication and quantity of the item classification of goods to be picked up in a way of centralized control, and arranging to pickup to a tote box on the conveyor. CONSTITUTION:When information of goods to be picked up is input by a centralized control system 10, a control panel 10a turns on the item indicating lamps of item classification that correspond to the pickups among the item indication lamps of a goods pickup verification indicator 18 provided at the upper part in the center of each fluidized shelf 11, and further indicates quantities on the item indicators of respective item classifications, and, at the same time, a tote box B on a storage conveyor 13 is delivered on a pickup conveyor 12 through a delivery conveyor 14. A picker picks up according to the indication and throws into the tote box B on the conveyor 12. Owing to this construction, picking can be quickly and surely performed even by a non-skilled hand.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention provides picking instructions in a distribution system that can efficiently pick a predetermined number of items from shelves in which many different types of items are partitioned and stored. It is related to the device.

(Prior Art) At distribution centers, warehouses, and the like, picking work is performed in a so-called distribution system, in which, for example, items to be shipped according to customer orders are picked, packed and shipped to each customer. Such logistics systems usually have slanted shelves lined up on both sides of a transport device such as a belt conveyor, with the shelves facing the front serving as storage locations for separate items. A large number of fluid shelf systems have been installed in the storage area of the Kasa distribution center, with a structure in which when the front goods case is removed, a new case comes forward by utilizing the slope of the front. It is often used in so-called order picking systems, in which a picker takes out a predetermined number of different types of items one after another from an item case and places them in returnable boxes on a belt conveyor.

This order picking system has an automatic display method, and according to this method, one form of such a distribution system is shown in Tokushō 57-137203 Publication.
In this case, picking instructions are displayed and picking instructions are displayed on the front of the shelves forming each item classification, which is divided into multiple sections in the entire area to be picked up, and is divided according to the type of shipping item of the goods to be taken out. Attach individual item indicators to display the quantity to be shipped, arrange one returnable box for one customer or multiple returnable boxes for multiple customers on each floating shelf, and place the first returnable box on each floating shelf. When the picking operation is completed, for example, a belt conveyor or the like automatically moves the distance of one setsubun.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the conventional order picking system, the automatic display system plays a major role, and uses computer information processing to display the quantity and position of the items to be picked. Although this improved the ability to skewer and greatly reduced the number of picking errors, it still required skill from the picking operator. This is because the picking is done by one person, so this method is the best way to notify people.

In other words, it is not possible to think of a method other than a method in which one picker visually checks which of the 12 item indicators installed on the front of the shelf of a floating shelf with 12 item divisions needs to be picked. I couldn't. Therefore, the only way to get used to the picking work, shorten the picking time, or reduce the number of picking mistakes is to increase the level of skill through education and experience. However, in on-site picking work, even new pickers are expected to be able to quickly get used to the work and be able to pick efficiently. Furthermore, since the above-mentioned picking system method is extremely nerve-wracking for the picker, it has been desired to be able to perform the picking work more easily and reduce the working time.

Therefore, the present invention has been made to satisfy the above-mentioned needs, and its purpose is to divide each item classification according to the type of shipping item on a liquid shelf divided into a plurality of parts in the entire picking area. To provide a picking instruction device which allows both new and experienced workers to pick articles relatively easily and promotes quick and reliable picking work.

(Means for solving the problems) The present invention has been made to achieve the above object,
The gist of this is to pick one liquid shelf along the direction of forming item classifications, each of which is divided into a plurality of liquid shelves over the entire area picked by the picker, and further divided into categories for each type of shipping item of the goods to be picked up. A conveyor means is disposed for transporting returnable boxes at different transport speeds from near the center of the area to near the center of the adjacent fluidized shelf, and with a temporary stop. An item indicator for each item to be removed is provided with an item display light that displays a list of whether or not items have been removed in the arrangement state of the item indicator that has a removal quantity display section and a removal completion button provided for each item category. , the conveyor means, the item display, and the article take-out confirmation display are controlled based on a picking instruction of the storage position of the article to be taken out and the quantity to be taken out from a computer or an external storage device, and the conveyor takes out the goods from each item category. A picking instruction device in a distribution system, characterized by comprising a management means for storing in a returnable box on the means.

(Function) The item display device installed in each item classification, which is divided into multiple shipping shelves for each type of shipping item of the goods to be taken out, displays the picking from the computer or external storage device. Based on the instruction, the shipping items to be picked from the item classification are displayed by lighting, and the number of articles to be picked is displayed. At this time, the lighting status of the item display in each floating shelf is displayed in a list on the indicator light of the item removal confirmation indicator installed at the upper center of the floating shelf, and there is a list of lighting conditions for each item category. Only the display section of the item display device that contains the item to be taken out lights up. Therefore, a picker in charge of one floating shelf looks at the item removal confirmation indicator at the top center of the floating shelf and confirms whether all the item indicators on the floating shelf are lit or not, and then the item indicator containing the item to be picked out is displayed. This eliminates the need to use the Shingaru to check one by one in order to find only the lit item display from among the many item indicators provided in each item category.

In addition, returnable boxes that move with the conveyor from the top to the bottom of one liquid shelf that a picker is in charge of, for example,
It moves at high speed from the hand to the vicinity of the center, temporarily stops at the center, slows down from the center to the lower hand, and stops right near the border with the adjacent fluid shelf. Then, the returnable box moves at high speed to near the center of the adjacent flow shelf, and from then on, it reverses this speed change and intermittently flows backward! ll#
When the picker is adjacent to the returnable box that moves intermittently while changing the moving speed, the picker efficiently stores the items in the item classification on the liquid shelf in cooperation with the picker.

(Example) Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the entire logistics system, and 11 in the figure indicates a central management system 10 such as a computer or external storage device.
This is a fluid shelf that is divided into a plurality of parts in the entire picking area Z based on the picking instruction of the storage position of the article to be taken out and the quantity to be taken out. This fluid shelf 11...
In this case, for example, eight pieces are arranged side by side on the belt conveyor 12. In this case, each flow 11111...
・Each binka~P is on the upper f- side of each fluidized shelf 11,
That is, it is disposed at the left end in the figure, facing in an oblique direction. Also,
In front of the belt conveyor 12 in the running direction indicated by arrow A, there is a storage conveyor 13 and a delivery conveyor 1.
4 are installed. Returnable box B is on belt conveyor 12
is loaded and fed intermittently in stages according to the belt conveyor 12.

The belt conveyor 12 has a flow shelf 11 for carrying one returnable box B.
The feed is carried out intermittently in stages at the upper, middle, and lower positions. That is, the returnable box B on the belt conveyor 12 enters the upper part of one of the flow shelves 11a at high speed, stops temporarily at the center of the 1/2 pitch, and then moves to the middle of the 1/2 pitch. It is configured to be fed at low speed to a lower position, stopped at -, and then fed at high speed to a central position of the adjacent fluidizing shelf 11b, and to be transferred by reversing these intermittent feedings.

Each of the above fluidized shelves 11 and each conveyor 12, 13, and 14
is controlled by a control signal from a computer-based central management system IO being supplied via the control scraper 10a.

As shown in FIG. 2, the fluidized shelves 11 are arranged in plurality, for example, in three upper and lower stages, each of which is inclined in the plane.
15... in the vertical direction, and these shelves 15
. . . Item classifications 1a and Ib are further divided into four columns in the traveling direction of the conveyor 12 according to the type of shipping items.
, Ic, and Id are defined. And these shelves 15
. . . stores cases 16 . . . containing 8 articles G for each item classification ■ . At the rear of each of these cases 16, there are further cases 16, each containing the same shipping item G, arranged in tandem.

Here, the above article G is taken out from the front of the shelf 15, but when one case 16 becomes empty, when that case 16 is removed, the case 16 at the back comes forward due to the inclination, so it cannot be removed from the shelf. The next extraction is performed from one to the other. Moreover, the supply of the -product G is carried out by sending a new case 16 to the rear of the -15. Book 1
At the bottom of the storage position of the case 16 on the front of the case 115,
Item display devices 17 are installed respectively. That is, an item display 17 is arranged for each item category ■.

As shown in FIG. 3, this item display 17 includes a quantity display section 17a that digitally displays the quantity of articles G to be taken out, and a quantity display section 17a that lights up to indicate the presence or absence of an article to be taken out; It has a completion button 17b. -)- The display 17 is the control operation panel 10a.
is controlled by a computerized central management system 10 via. In other words, this centralized management system 1
0 is an item classification of 11115 corresponding to case 16 containing the item G when data (order list) indicating the type and number of the ordered item G is input.
Quantity data is output to the item display 17 installed at. Then, the article G that the picker P should take out
The digital quantity display section 17a of the item display 2S17 of the item category ■ corresponding to is lit, and the quantity is displayed all at once.

Therefore, the picker P sequentially picks the articles G based on the quantity displayed on the digital quantity display section 17a, and presses the take-out completion button every time the picking operation for one type of article G in the item category I is completed. 1
．． When 7b is pressed, the ejection completion button 17b''C is pressed.
``The display on the display section 17a is reset to the number # corresponding to the scraped item G,'' (1) When all the display sections 1.7a in the item category ■ are reset, the central management system 10 Quantity display section 1 will now accept order lists for next picking.
7a is displayed blinking. (However, the number V is not displayed,
) -F As mentioned above, one picker P has one liquid shelf 1.
1, there are three rows of boxes 15... each row handles items of item category I in four locations, and is in charge of picking a total of 12 types of items. Therefore, the picker P checks the displays on the 12 item displays 17 that display the items to be picked corresponding to the returnable boxes B that are sent in sequence, and determines the lighting status of the display section 17a. In order to improve picking efficiency, 12 items and a display 17 are placed at the center of the front of one speculator 15 of each liquid shelf 11.
An item removal confirmation display 18 is attached for each item to be removed, and the picker P is equipped with a single item display instead of the 12 item indicators. The item removal confirmation display 18 allows it to be determined whether or not the items on the 12 item display units have been removed.

As shown in FIG. 4, this item removal confirmation display 18 includes an item indicator (■) for each item category in which the item to be removed is located among each item category I...
Only the indicator light 18a of No. 7 is turned on.

That is, information regarding the articles to be taken out sent from the computer of the central management system 10 is transmitted to the control operation panel 10.
The data is stored in a storage circuit in the data display control section (not shown) of a.

The information includes the order number, the shelf number where the items are stored, the item classification number, and the number of items. This information is sent to each fluid shelf 11 when all article information to be taken out from the central management system 10 has been received. Each flow sti
The article retrieval confirmation display 18 provided in the display 18 has an M control box (not shown), and inside thereof is provided a circuit for identifying a floating shelf number and a memory circuit for storing an item classification number and an article quantity. ing. When the circuit for identifying the floating shelf number identifies that the input floating shelf number matches the own shelf number, it generates an output signal and sets the storage device to store the item classification number. The stored item classification number is added to the display conversion circuit, which lights up the item indicator light 18a on the item removal confirmation display 18, and at the same time lights up the digital quantity indicator 17a of the item display corresponding to the item classification number. Display.

At this time, under the control of the central management system 10, the returnable box B provided on the storage conveyor 13 is conveyed onto the belt conveyor 12 by the delivery conveyor 14.

Thereafter, the belt conveyor 12 is controlled by the central control system 10 into the following operating state.

First, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the picker P is positioned on the upper side of each flow [11..., that is, facing diagonally to the left end, and the zero-returnable box B, which is in a working position, is placed on the belt conveyor. 12, it moves at high speed to the center of the fluidized shelf 11a and stops there. That is, it moves by 1/2 pitch of the movement area of the fluidic shelf 11a. Simultaneously with the start of movement of the returnable box L3, the item indicator light 1-8a of the item removal confirmation display 18 is turned on, and the digital quantity display section 17a of the item display 17 is turned on to display the quantity. The picker P picks the article G from the leftmost item category Ia on the 1-child side of the flow am l 1 a, and stores it in the returnable box B. Then, the returnable box r3 is moved from the center to the liquid shelf 11a.
Move at low speed to the right end of the lower side and stop.

The moving violet at this time also moves by 1/2 pitch of the moving area of the fluidized shelf 11a. While moving at low speed, picker P moves from item category 1a on the upper-L side to item category I on the lower side.
Move to d, pick the corresponding item, and place it in returnable box B.
Store it in. At that time, since the item indicator light 18a of the item removal confirmation display 18 is lit, the adjacent liquid shelf 1
．． If the picker P in 1b is free, he can pick the item in the item classification Id at the bottom left of 11a by looking at the item indicator light 18a, and organize the 11 items in the returnable box B. can. That is, the item indicator light 18a of the item removal confirmation display 18 indicates that the liquid shelf 11 adjacent to the liquid shelf 11a handled by one picker P is
The cooperation of the picker P in b can be expected, and by forcing the pickers I) to work together, the sense of collective responsibility can be improved and the picking efficiency can be increased.Next, when the picking on the flow shelf 11a is completed, , the removal completion buttons 17b of each item indicator 17 of the flow 1111a are all pressed, all of these digital quantity indicators 17a... are turned off, and the item indicator light 18a of the article removal confirmation indicator 18 is turned off. All lights go out. However, several seconds after the lights go out, the item indicator light 18a of the item removal confirmation indicator 18 and the display section 17 of the item indicator 17
a is for the next picking (+-None is displayed blinking. 0 Returnable box B moves at high speed by 1/2 pitch in the center of the adjacent flow 111b and is replaced with a new returnable box. In this way, returnable box B The belt conveyor 12 intermittently sends out 1/2 pitches at intervals between the shelves 11a to 11h, and the picking operation is performed simultaneously from each of the fluidized shelves 11a to 11h.

In this case, since the articles picked simultaneously from each of the flow shelves 11a to llh are based on different order lists, the items are picked from each flow shelf 11a to llb in synchronization with the intermittent conveyance operation of the belt conveyor 12. On the other hand, the control is such that quantities are displayed based on the same order list starting from the left end.

As explained above, according to the present invention, each of the liquid shelves divided into a plurality of parts over the entire picking area is further divided in the direction of forming item classifications for each type of shipping item of the article to be taken out. A conveyor means is disposed along the pick area for transporting the returnable boxes at different transport speeds from near the center of the picking area of one fluid shelf to near the center of the adjacent fluid shelf, and with a temporary stop; The item to be taken out is provided with an item indicator light that displays a list of whether or not items have been taken out, in the upper center of the liquid shelf, with an item indicator having a takeout quantity display section and a takeout completion button provided for each item category. The conveyor means, the item display, and the article removal confirmation display are controlled based on a picking instruction of the storage position of the article to be taken out and the quantity to be taken out from a computer or an external storage device. Since it is equipped with a management means for taking out items from each item classification and storing them in returnable boxes on the conveyor means, it is possible to collect items from each item classification classified according to the type of shipping items on the liquid shelf divided into multiple parts in the entire picking area. Not only can it be relatively easy for both new and experienced pickers to pick items, and by having adjacent pickers work together, it improves the sense of collective responsibility and promotes quick and reliable picking. obtain.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing the entire logistics system, FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 1, and FIG.
The figure is a perspective view showing one fluid shelf, FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an item display, and FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an article removal confirmation display. 10... Centralized management system, 11... Fluid shelf, 17
...Item display, 17a...Number display section, 17
b... Removal completion button, 18... Item removal confirmation indicator, 18a... Item indicator light.

Claims (1)

[Claims] Each of the fluid shelves is divided into a plurality of parts over the entire picking area by the picker, and each of the fluid shelves is further divided into item classifications according to the type of shipping item of the goods to be taken out. Conveyor means for transporting returnable boxes at different transport speeds and with a temporary stop from the vicinity of the center to the vicinity of the center of the adjacent fluidized shelves is provided, and conveyor means for transporting the returnable boxes with a temporary stop is provided at the upper center of the fluidized shelf for each of the item categories. An item removal confirmation indicator for the item to be removed is provided with an item indicator light that displays a list of whether or not items have been removed in the arrangement state of the item indicator having a removal quantity display section and an item removal completion button, and a computer or external The conveyor means, the item display, and the article retrieval confirmation display are controlled based on the storage position of the article to be taken out and the picking instruction of the quantity to be taken out from the storage device, and the article is taken out from each item category and passed on the conveyor means. A picking instruction device in a distribution system, characterized by comprising a management means for storing in boxes.