JPH03267204A - Automatic storage retrieval device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide reduction in space and noise in an automatic storage retrieval device for a warehouse and the like by disposing transporting conveyers on the outside of the retrieval device in the lengthwise direction, and installing a lifting mechanism which sends/receives and lifting, and sending articles to a rack by row-arranging them at an accommodation area in the middle of the accommodation area. CONSTITUTION:A carrying-in conveyer 14 and a carrying-out conveyer 15 are disposed on the outside of a cabinet 1 in the lengthwise direction. A storing-in container lifting mechanism 11 and a storing-out container lifting mechanism 16 are disposed in the middle of an accommodation area 3 so as to connect with the carrying-in conveyer 14 and the discharging conveyer 15. Sending/ receiving a container 5 is carried out between the carrying-in/out conveyers 11, 15 and lifting bases 12, 17, and lifting and moving the container 5 are carried out between respective accommodation areas 2, 3. Sending/receiving is carried out by the action of a picker 6 according to the command of a main computer 10 between the lifting bases 12, 17 and a rack 4. It is thus possible to provide reduction in space and noise.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an automatic storage and retrieval device that is capable of automatically storing, storing, searching and retrieving articles in a warehouse or the like.

(Prior art) As this type of automatic storage and retrieval device, a pair of storage areas each having a plurality of shelves arranged in a matrix in the vertical and horizontal directions are arranged facing each other in the front and back so that the open sides of the shelves face each other.
It is known that in an intermediate space between these pair of storage areas, articles are taken in and out of the shelves by a picker provided horizontally movable horizontally for each shelf.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) Such an automatic storage and retrieval device should have a structure as compact as possible so that it can be installed in a narrow place, or even if the installation place is wide, the space can be used effectively. It is hoped that

In addition, in order to maintain the environment of the installation location as good as possible,
It is desirable that the noise during operation be as low as possible.

The present invention was made from this point of view, and an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic storage and retrieval device that is space-saving and has low noise.

(Means for Solving the Problems) This invention has a pair of storage areas each having a plurality of shelves arranged in a matrix in the vertical and horizontal directions. An automatic storage and retrieval device that takes articles in and out of the shelves using a picker provided horizontally movably in the left and right directions for each shelf in the intermediate space between the storage areas of the automatic storage and retrieval device. Conveyors for transporting items are arranged outside the search device in the front and back direction, and items are transferred between the picker on each shelf and the external conveyor, and the items received from the picker or conveyor are placed at a desired height position. An elevating mechanism is provided at the end of the storage area, in line with the storage area, to move the item up and down until it is delivered to a conveyor or picker.

(Function) In the automatic storage and retrieval device according to the present invention, an elevating mechanism that transfers articles between the picker of each shelf and the external conveyor is provided in the middle of the storage area and aligned with the storage area. Therefore, the configuration becomes compact and
It becomes possible to easily cover the entire pair of storage areas and the lifting mechanism with a rectangular cabinet, and when covered with the cabinet, noise during operation is difficult to leak to the outside.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of an automatic storage and retrieval device according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the height of the top stage.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the automatic storage and retrieval device, and FIG. 3 is a front view of the intermediate portion of the rear storage area 2 of the automatic storage and retrieval device. In addition, FIG. 3 also illustrates the container elevating mechanism 11 for warehousing and the container elevating mechanism 16 for ejecting, which are provided in the middle part of the front storage area 3.

In this automatic storage and retrieval device, storage areas 2.3 are provided at the front and rear sides of the cabinet 1, and each storage area 2.
．． In the storage area 3, shelves 4 serving as storage areas for articles are arranged in a matrix in both directions. Front and rear storage areas 2.3 are shelves 4
The open sides of the storage areas 2 and 3 face each other, and in the middle area sandwiched between the front and rear storage areas 2.3, there is a picker 6 for loading and unloading containers 5 from and to the shelves 4 for each shelf in the storage area 2.3. It is installed so that it can run freely in the left and right directions. That is, a pair of rails 7 are provided extending in the left-right direction at the corresponding height positions of each shelf in the front and rear storage areas 2.3, and the picker 6 is mounted on the rails 7 so as to be freely movable. ing. This picker 6 is provided with a pair of entry/exit arms 6a as shown in FIG.
The containers 5 stored on the shelves 4 of the front and rear storage areas 2.3 can be taken onto the picker 6, and the containers 5 can be inserted into the shelves 4 from above the picker 6.

On the other hand, on the left end side of the storage area 2.3, a communication column 8 is installed facing the running space of the picker 6, and on the front side of this communication column 8, there are shelves as shown in FIG. Column-side optical communication units 9a are provided at height positions facing the pickers 6 on the tiers, and each picker 6 is also provided with a picker-side optical communication unit 9b that faces the column-side optical communication units 9a. It is being The column-side optical communication unit 9a is connected to a main computer 10 that controls the entire automatic storage and retrieval device, and the optical communication units 9a and 9b transmit optical signals between the communication column 8 and the picker 6. It is configured to control the operation of the picker 6 by giving and receiving.

In addition, in the middle of the front storage area 3, as shown in FIG. 1, there is a storage container lifting mechanism 11 that lifts and lowers the containers 5 sent in from the outside via the carry-in conveyor 14 to each shelf. , storage area 2 by picker 6
, Search from each shelf in 3.

A shipping container lifting mechanism 16 is provided that lifts and lowers the container 5 that has been taken out to a height that communicates with the shipping conveyor 15 for shipping outside. The warehousing container elevating mechanism 11 includes a warehousing elevating platform 12 on which the container 5 is placed, and this elevating platform 12, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.
The storage column 13 is arranged in the same line as the shelves 4 in the front storage area 3. In addition, the unloading container lifting mechanism 16 includes an unloading lifting platform 17 on which the container 5 is placed, and an unloading column 18 that drives the lifting platform 17 up and down. It is arranged in the same row as the shelf 4 in area 3.

Storage container lifting mechanism 1 facing the loading conveyor 14
A conveyor (not shown) for taking in the container 5 sent from the carry-in conveyor 14 is provided on the first warehousing elevator 12 . Further, the container 5 placed on the unloading lifting platform 17 of the unloading container lifting mechanism 16 facing the unloading conveyor 15 is placed on the unloading conveyor 1.
A conveyor (not shown) is provided for sending the paper toward the terminal 5. A work area 20 is provided between the carry-out conveyor 15 and the carry-in conveyor 14 in which predetermined work is performed using the articles taken out.

Next, the operation of this automatic storage and retrieval device will be explained separately into a warehousing operation and a warehousing operation.

(A) Warehousing operation The warehousing container elevating mechanism 11 is waiting at a height position where its warehousing elevating platform 12 communicates with the carry-in conveyor 14. When the empty container 5 is sent in, the conveyor on the warehousing elevator 12 is operated and the container 5 is taken onto the warehousing elevator 12. When the loading of the container 5 is completed, the warehousing column 13 is actuated, the warehousing elevator platform 12 moves up and down, and stops when it reaches the target shelf.

In this work, if the method of returning the container 5 to the shelf 4 of the storage area 2.3 is the fixed location method, that is, if the method of returning the container 5 to the shelf 4 at a specified position is The loading platform 12 is stopped.

On the other hand, in the case of the free location system, in which the empty shelf 4 where the container 5 can be returned in the shortest time is specified and the container 5 is returned to that shelf 4 without specifying the shelf 4 to which the container 5 is to be returned,
First, the main computer 10 confirms the standby position of the picker 6 that has completed its operation and is currently on standby, and the positions of the empty shelves 4 at each stage. Then, based on the data of the standby position and the position of the empty shelf 4, the container 5 is picked up from the current standby position to the warehousing platform 12, and the container 5 is transported to the empty shelf 4. A short shelf is determined. Based on this decision, the relevant shelf storage platform 1
2 is stopped.

On the other hand, from the main computer 10 to the optical communication unit 9a
, 9b, a command for warehousing operation is given to the above-mentioned shelf picker 6, and the corresponding picker 6 goes to the warehousing elevator platform 12 to pick up the container 5. Thereafter, the container 5 is taken into the picker 6 and stored on the target shelf 4.

(B) Retrieval operation When a request is made to take out a desired article from the storage areas 2 and 3 by input to the main computer 10 online from an external computer or via a floppy disk, the main computer 10 receives a request from the container containing the article. The number of stages and row number of the shelf 4 in which the number 5 is stored is determined. Next, a command for an unloading operation is transmitted to the picker 6 of the corresponding shelf through the optical communication units 9a and 9b. Picker 6 receives the command and picks up the target shelf 4.
The container 5 is moved to the position shown in FIG.

On the other hand, in the unloading container lifting mechanism 16, the unloading lifting platform 17 starts to move up and down toward the target shelf, and stops when it reaches the target shelf.

Next, the picker 6 transfers the container 5 onto the unloading platform 17, and the unloading platform 17 carrying the container 5 starts to move up and down. When the container 5 moves to the height of the unloading conveyor 15, the unloading platform 17 stops, the conveyor above it starts operating, and the container 5 is sent from the unloading elevator 17 to the external work area 2o via the unloading conveyor 15. .

Note that it is not necessary that both the storage container lifting mechanism 11 and the shipping container lifting mechanism 16 be provided in the middle part of the front storage area 3 as shown in FIG.
As shown in the figure, a shipping container elevating mechanism 16 may be provided in the middle of the rear storage area 2. Along with this, the unloading conveyor 15 is also naturally located at the rear side.

Further, in the above embodiment, the container lifting mechanism is divided into one for warehousing and one for unloading, but one container lifting mechanism may be used for both warehousing and unloading.

In this case, the external conveyor connected to the person/exit container elevating mechanism is an in/out conveyor capable of bidirectional transfer. The loading/unloading container elevating mechanism may be provided on at least one side in the intermediate portion of at least one of the front and rear storage areas 2 and 3.

In addition, an appropriate combination of the storage container lifting mechanism, the shipping container lifting mechanism, and the loading/unloading container lifting mechanism may be used.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the automatic storage and retrieval device of the present invention,
The elevating mechanism that transfers goods between the picker on each shelf and the external conveyor is located in the middle of the storage area and is aligned with the storage area, making the structure compact and creating a pair of storage areas. Moreover, the entire lifting mechanism can be easily covered with a rectangular cabinet, and when covered with a cabinet, noise during operation is less likely to leak outside. As a result, it is possible to realize a space-saving and low-noise automatic storage and retrieval device.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of an automatic storage and retrieval device as seen from the top, which is an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the automatic storage and retrieval device; A front view showing the general configuration of the middle part of the area viewed from the front;
FIG. 4 is a plan view showing another embodiment of the invention. 1... Cabinet, 2.3... Storage area, 4... Shelf, 5... Container, 6... Picker 11... Container elevating mechanism for warehousing, 12... Elevating platform for warehousing , 13... Column for stocking,
14... Carrying in conveyor, 15... Carrying out conveyor,
16... Container elevating mechanism for ejecting, 17... Elevating platform for ejecting, 18... Column rod for ejecting 3 diagrams

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A pair of storage areas each having a plurality of shelves arranged in a matrix in the vertical and horizontal directions are placed opposite each other in the front and back so that the open sides of the shelves face each other, and an intermediate space is sandwiched between the pair of storage areas. In an automatic storage and retrieval device in which articles are taken in and out of the shelves by a picker provided horizontally movably in the left and right directions for each shelf, a conveyor for transporting the articles is provided outside the automatic storage and retrieval device. The device is arranged in the front and back direction, and transfers articles between the picker of each shelf and the conveyor, and lifts and lowers the article received from the picker or the conveyor to a desired height position and transfers the article to the conveyor or the conveyor. An automatic storage and retrieval device characterized in that an elevating mechanism for handing over to a picker is provided in the middle of the storage area and aligned with the storage area.