JPH06115614A - Automatic picking device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve picking work efficiency and also enhance the storing efficiency of a shelf in an automatic picking device. CONSTITUTION:In a warehouse wherein a warehouse pallet 1 is placed on a shelf 12 and articles are stored on the pallet 1, at the time of picking articles, a lift frame 16 is driven to move up and down while moving a stacker crane 11 along a shelf so as to correspond the lift frame 16 to the pallet 1 on which desired articles are placed. In the next step, the pallet is taken out to the lift frame with a fork 17a, and the articles on the pallet is transferred to a pallet 18 for picking, which is arranged on the lift frame, with a picking mechanism. Since with the pallet 18 for picking placed on the lift frame 16, the articles are thus transferred to the pallet 18 after the pallet 18 is taken out from the shelf once, picking time can be reduced, enhancing the storing efficiency of the shelf 12.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to automated warehouses, and in particular
The present invention relates to a picking device for automatically picking articles stored in a warehouse.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, an automated warehouse is provided with a plurality of shelves, and buckets (or pallets) arranged on the respective shelves.
An article is placed on. When the desired article is to be unloaded, the crane is moved up and down while traveling to the corresponding shelf, and the bucket is taken out of the shelf by a fork or the like and conveyed to the loading / unloading stand (unloading). After the picking is completed, the crane returns the bucket to the original shelf (stores it).

[0003] In the above-mentioned automated warehouse, when the goods are unloaded,
Since the bucket is once transported to the loading / unloading stand and then picked, the work efficiency is not good. In other words, the picking operation takes time because the articles are manually taken out from the bucket transported to the loading / unloading table.

As an automatic warehouse for preventing the above-mentioned problems, for example, an automatic warehouse described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 4-72911 is known. In this automatic warehouse, a stacking crane is provided with a picking robot so that the picking robot can directly take out the article from the shelf.

[0005]

In the above-mentioned automatic warehouse, the stacker crane is provided with a picking robot, and the picking robot directly takes out the article from the shelf. However, in order to directly take out the article from the shelf by the picking robot, , Considering the depth of the shelf,
It is necessary to lengthen the arm of the picking robot, which inevitably increases the size of the picking robot. Further, considering that the picking robot directly takes out the article from the shelf, it is necessary to secure a space into which the arm of the picking robot is inserted, which causes a problem that storage efficiency of the shelf is reduced. .

An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic picking device which has high picking work efficiency and high shelf storage efficiency.

[0007]

According to the present invention, a plurality of shelves are arranged in a region defined by a predetermined first direction and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. , A warehouse pallet is arranged on each of the shelves, and is used in a warehouse in which articles are stored on the warehouse pallet,
In an automatic picking device for picking articles on a warehouse pallet, a traveling unit movable in the first direction, a frame unit disposed on the traveling unit and movable in the second direction, and the frame. A picking pallet placing section provided in the section, a take-out mechanism provided adjacent to the picking pallet placing section for taking in and out the warehouse pallet between the shelf section and the frame section, and the frame And a picking mechanism that is provided in the picking pallet for transferring the articles between the picking pallet and the warehouse pallet, and a recognition section that is provided in the picking mechanism and that recognizes the position of the articles. A picking device is obtained.

[0008]

According to the present invention, when an article is unloaded from a shelf provided in a warehouse, for example, the pallet for the warehouse is taken out to the elevating frame of the stacker crane and the article is transferred from the pallet for the warehouse to the pallet for picking by the picking mechanism. Then, the picking pallet is transported to the outside of the warehouse.
In this way, after separately preparing a picking pallet and taking out the warehouse pallet from the shelf, it was decided to transfer the goods from the warehouse pallet to the picking pallet,
The workability is extremely good and the storage efficiency of the shelf is high.

[0009]

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described below with reference to examples.

Referring to FIG. 1, the automatic picking device according to the present invention comprises a stacker crane 11, which is movable along a shelf 12 provided in a warehouse. The shelf 12 has a region partitioned by a vertical direction (first direction) and a horizontal direction (second direction) orthogonal to the vertical direction, and a plurality of shelves 12a are provided in this region.
Are arranged. A plurality of warehouse pallets 13 are placed on each shelf 12a. Articles (not shown in FIG. 1) are stored in these warehouse pallets 13 (note that each warehouse pallet 13 stores a plurality of or a single article which is the same or different from each other).

The stacker crane 11 is provided with a traveling section 15, and the traveling section 15 can travel along the shelf 12, that is, in the horizontal direction. The stacker crane 11 further includes an elevating frame 16 and the elevating frame 16
Is movable along the crane column, that is, in the vertical direction. The lifting frame 16 has a pair of forks 17
a and 17b are provided, and the warehouse pallet 13 is lifted from the shelf 12a to the lifting frame 1 by the fork 17a.
6 and the warehouse pallet 13 thus taken out is returned to the shelf 12a. On the other hand, fork 17b
Thus, the picking pallet 18 is sent and received between the carry-in / out conveyor (not shown) and the elevating frame 16.

Referring also to FIG. 2, a guide member 16a extending horizontally along the traveling direction of the stacker crane 11 is attached to the elevating frame 16, and a picking mechanism 19 is provided along the guide member 16a on the guide member 16a. It is attached so that it can be moved. Picking mechanism 1
9 has a beam extending in the depth direction of the shelf 12, and a movable frame 19a movable along the guide member 16a,
A dolly 1 movable along the beam of the moving frame 19a
9b and a grip portion 19c provided on the carriage 19b. The grip portion 19c has a vertically extending / contracting stretchable portion 19d and a claw portion 19e attached to the tip of the stretchable portion 19d (in FIG. 2, the claw portion is simply shown as a plate for simplification). . Further, the picking mechanism 19 is provided with a recognition sensor (not shown) for recognizing the positions of the articles in the warehouse and picking pallets 13 and 18 placed on the elevating frame 16.

Here, referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, when the articles in the warehouse are unloaded, a stacker up to a shelf 12a on which a warehouse pallet 13 in which articles 14 to be unloaded are stored is placed. The crane 11 is moved. Specifically, first,
The elevating frame 16 is moved up and down while the traveling unit 15 is traveling along the shelf 12, and the elevating frame 16 is positioned at a desired position of the shelf section 13. After that, the fork 17a is used to move the warehouse pallet 13 in the shelf 12a to the lifting frame 1
Take in 6 The picking mechanism 19 is a guide member 16.
It moves along a and reaches on the warehouse pallet 13. The picking mechanism 19 confirms the position of the articles stored in the warehouse pallet 13 by the recognition sensor to check the guide member 1
6a is slightly moved (depending on the stored parts, the carriage 19
(b is also moved), the expandable portion 19d is extended, and the claw portion 19e grips the article. Then, the picking mechanism 19
After expanding and contracting the expansion / contraction part 19d, moves in the direction of the picking pallet 18 along the guide member 16a. When the picking mechanism 19 reaches the picking pallet 18, the expandable portion 19d is extended to release the grip by the claw portion 19e and the article is stored in the picking pallet 18. If there is another article to be picked, picking is performed in the same manner and the article is stored in the picking pallet 18. Further, when handling an article stored in another shelf 12a, the same work as described above is repeated.
When the picking operation is completed in this way, the stacker crane 11 is moved to the carry-in / carry-out conveyor, the fork 17b is driven, and the picking pallet 18 is transferred from the elevating frame 16 to the carry-in / carry-out conveyor.

On the other hand, when the article is stored in the warehouse, the picking pallet 18 in which the article is stored is carried in from the carry-in / carry-out conveyor. The picking pallet 18 is moved up and down from the carry-in / out conveyor by the fork 17a.
Is taken into. While the stacker crane 11 travels by the traveling unit 15, the elevating frame 16 is moved up and down to position the elevating frame 16 on the shelf 12 where the carried-in articles are to be stored. Then, the warehouse pallet 13 emptied by the fork 17b is taken into the elevating frame 16. afterwards,
The stacker crane 11 is moved so that the fork 17a comes in front of the shelf 12a, and the warehouse pallet 13 in which the parts are stored is moved to the shelf 12a by the fork 17a.

[0015]

As described above, in the automatic picking device according to the present invention, the elevating frame is provided with the picking pallet, and after the warehouse pallet is taken out from the shelf to the elevating frame, the picking pallet and the warehouse pallet are picked by the picking mechanism. Since the articles are sent and received between and, there is an effect that the picking work time can be shortened without the shelves themselves becoming an obstacle. Moreover, since it is not necessary to directly perform the picking work from the shelf, there is an effect that the storage efficiency of the shelf is improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an embodiment of an automatic picking device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing in detail a lifting frame of a stacker crane used in the automatic picking device shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a side view of an elevating frame of a stacker crane used in the automatic picking device shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 11 Stacker Crane 12 Shelf 13 Warehouse Pallet 14 Article 15 Traveling Part 16 Lifting Frame 17a Fork 17b Fork 18 Picking Pallet 19 Picking Mechanism

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of shelves are arranged in an area defined by a predetermined first direction and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and each of the shelves is for a warehouse. In an automatic picking device, in which a pallet is arranged and used for a warehouse in which articles are stored on the pallet for a warehouse, and in an automatic picking device for picking an article on the pallet for the warehouse, a traveling unit movable in the first direction, A frame portion disposed on the traveling portion and movable in the second direction; a picking pallet mounting portion provided on the frame portion; and a picking pallet mounting portion provided adjacent to the picking pallet mounting portion. A take-out mechanism for taking in and out the warehouse pallet between the shelf portion and the frame portion, and a picking machine provided in the frame portion for transposing the articles between the picking pallet and the warehouse pallet. An automatic picking device having a structure and a recognition unit provided in the picking mechanism for recognizing the position of the article.