JPH06340302A - Picking device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the number of operations of stacker cranes by providing multiple temporary yards for single item goods loading pallets in parallel with the travel routes for the stacker cranes and also providing a transfer device which transfers pallets between the temporary yards and one operating position for the transfer device. CONSTITUTION:Two rows of outside storing racks 3 and 4 provided many shelves for selectively storing single item goods loading pallets 1 and multi-item goods loading pallets 2 are arranged in an automated warehouse in parallel to each other, and two rows of inside storing racks are suspended between both racks 3 and 4. Also stacker cranes 8 and 9 are arranged along the racks so that they can travel, and a transfer device 11 which transfers a specified number of goods from a pallet 1 taken out by the stacker cranes 8 and 9 onto a empty pallet 10 and forms the multi-item goods loading pallets 2 is installed roughly at the center of the outside racks 3 and 4. Then multiple temporary yards 15a to 15d are provided in parallel with the travel routes of the stacker cranes 8 and 9, and a transfer device 16 to transfer the pallet 1 between these yards and one operating position A for the transfer device 11 is provided.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a picking device for taking out a single-product loading pallet stored in a rack and transferring articles on the single-product loading pallet onto an empty pallet to form a multi-product loading pallet. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when a plurality of types of goods are supplied from a factory to a store or the like, a multi-product loading pallet carrying a plurality of types of goods is formed, and the goods are handled and transported together with the pallets. ing. In this case, it becomes necessary to form a multi-product loading pallet from a single-product loading pallet in the shortest possible time.

For this reason, a picking device has been proposed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 4-121906, which attempts to shorten the picking time by reducing the number of reciprocating operations of the stacker crane. In this picking device, a transfer device and a pallet transfer device are mounted on a carriage so that the transfer device and the pallet transfer device can be moved in parallel with the traveling path of the stacker crane. A plurality of picking stations, which are temporary storage areas for single-product loading pallets, are installed in parallel with the traveling path of the stacker crane, and empty pallet storage stations are installed.

In the above picking device, the cart is moved to the empty pallet storage station, the empty pallet is taken out by the transfer device onto the pallet transfer device, and then the cart is moved to the corresponding picking station where the single-product loading pallet is temporarily placed. Each time the vehicle is run, the transfer device sequentially transfers the articles from the corresponding single-product loading pallet onto the empty pallet. When a multi-product loading pallet on which desired articles are loaded is formed, the trolley is moved to a predetermined picking station, and then the multi-product loading pallet is unloaded to the picking station by the pallet transport device.

[0005]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention
In the picking apparatus described in No. 21906, a trolley is equipped with a transfer device and a pallet transfer device, and has three functions of traveling, transfer of articles, and pallet loading / unloading. Therefore, the transfer work and the pallet loading / unloading work cannot be performed while the trolley is traveling, which in turn hinders the shortening of the picking time. More specifically, while traveling toward the empty pallet storage station for loading empty pallets, other work, such as transfer work of articles, cannot be performed, and the multi-product loading pallet There is a problem that the pallet cannot be carried out while traveling to the picking station after the formation of the.

In addition, since a heavy structure is required to travel, and moreover, it has to be stopped at an accurate position for later picking work, it takes time to start and stop, and the picking time is shortened. There was a problem that it was hindering. Moreover, since the transfer device is moved, there is a problem in terms of cost that the equipment cost is high.

Furthermore, since an item position confirmation device is required for each picking station so that the hand of the transfer device can properly handle the item at the time of transfer, if the number of picking stations increases, the equipment cost will increase accordingly. There was also a problem that became.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and the load of the stacker crane can be reduced without moving the transfer device, and the picking time can be shortened by performing a plurality of operations in parallel. An object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive picking device that can be achieved.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the picking device of the present invention uses a stacker crane to sequentially take out single-item loading pallets stored in a rack and transfer the single-item loading pallets from the single-item loading pallet. In a picking device for transferring articles onto an empty pallet to form a multi-product loading pallet, a plurality of temporary storage areas for temporarily mounting single-product loading pallets in parallel with the traveling path of the stacker crane, and the temporary storage area. A transfer device for transferring the single-item loading pallet in parallel with the stacker crane to one operation position of the transfer device, and an empty space for loading the empty pallet to the other operation position of the transfer device. A pallet carry-in device, and a carry-out device for carrying in a multi-product loading pallet for which transfer work has been completed from the other operating position. Than it is.

[0010]

According to the present invention having the above-described structure, the single-item loading pallets stored in the rack are sequentially taken out by the stacker crane and temporarily placed in a plurality of temporary storage areas, and the single-item loading palette is loaded from the temporary storage area by the transfer device. The pallet is transferred to one operating position of the transfer device. At the same time, the empty pallet carry-in device is operated to carry the empty pallet to the other operating position of the transfer device, and then the transfer device is operated to perform the transfer operation for one type of article. Next, the transfer device transfers another type of single-product loading pallet from the temporary storage area to one operating position of the transfer device, and the transfer device performs the transfer operation.
The above operation is repeated to form a multi-product loading pallet,
This is carried out by the carry-out device. In parallel with this unloading work, the next supply of empty pallets and the transfer of single-product loading pallets to the transfer device are performed.

Further, according to one aspect of the present invention, the single-product loading pallets are loaded into the temporary storage space from the parallel racks, and the transferred multi-product loading pallets are unloaded to the parallel racks by the unloading device. You can Therefore, the space of the racks in parallel can be effectively used.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a picking device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 (FIG. 1 is a plan view and FIG. 2 is an elevation view), this picking device is configured to be housed in an automatic warehouse as a whole. That is, two rows of outer storage racks 3 and 4 having a large number of shelves for selectively storing the single-product loading pallet 1 and the multi-product loading pallet 2 are arranged in parallel in a predetermined space in the automatic warehouse. ing. Also, between the two rows of outer storage racks 3, 4, there are two rows of inner storage racks 5, 6
Is hung.

Between the internal and external storage racks 3, 4, 5 and 6,
Stacker cranes 8 and 9 are provided which travel in parallel with the storage racks and take out or carry in the single-product loading pallet 1 or the multi-product loading pallet 2 from each storage rack. At a substantial center between the outer storage racks 3 and 4, a predetermined number of articles are transferred from the single-product loading pallet 1 picked up by the stacker cranes 8 and 9 from the storage racks 3, 4, 5 and 6 onto the empty pallet 10. A transfer device 11 that forms the multi-product loading pallet 2 is provided. The transfer device 11 includes a transfer device body 12 and an arm 1 provided on the transfer device body 12.
3 and a picking head 14 provided at the tip of the arm 13. An article position confirmation device S is provided above the transfer device 11 so that the hand of the transfer device 11 can properly handle the product.

A plurality of temporary storage areas 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d for temporarily storing the single-product loading pallet 1 are provided in parallel with the traveling paths of the stacker cranes 8, 9. The single-item loading pallets 1 taken out from the storage racks 3 and 5 are temporarily placed in the temporary storage areas 15a and 15b.
The single-item loading pallets 1 taken out from the storage racks 4 and 6 are temporarily placed on the c and 15d.
The temporary storage areas 15a, 15b, 15c, and 15d have conveyors so that the placed single-product loading pallets 1 can be transported in the arrow direction. Further, a transfer device 16 including a track truck for transferring the single product loading pallet 1 is provided between the temporary storage areas 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d and one operating position A of the transfer device 11.

Further, a large number of empty pallets 10 are stacked adjacent to the temporary storage space 15a, and an empty pallet magazine 18 which can sequentially supply the empty pallets 10 is provided. Then, the empty pallet 10 is taken out from adjacent to the empty pallet magazine 18 and the transfer device 1
Empty pallet carrying-in device 1 carried in to the other operating position B of No. 1
9 are provided. This empty pallet loading device 19
The empty pallet 10 is taken out of the empty pallet magazine 18 and is moved in the same direction as the transfer direction of the transfer device 16.
After transferring, the empty pallet 10 is carried into the other operating position B of the transfer device 11 by changing the direction by 90 °.

[0016] At a position facing the transfer device 16 with the transfer device 11 sandwiched therebetween, a carry-out consisting of a track carriage for carrying out the multi-product loading pallet 2 for which the transfer work is completed from the other operating position B of the transfer device 11. A device 20 is provided. The carry-out device 20 is connected to the carry-out conveyors 21 and 22 branched to the left and right, and the multi-product loading pallet 2 is carried out by the carry-out conveyors 21 and 22 in either the left or right direction.

Next, the picking operation of the picking device configured as described above will be described. Internal and external storage racks 3,
The single-item loading pallets 1 stored in 4, 5, 6 are sequentially taken out by the stacker cranes 8, 9 and temporarily placed in the plurality of temporary storage areas 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d. Then, the transfer device 16 transfers the desired single-product loading pallet 1 from these temporary storage areas 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d to one operating position A of the transfer device 11. At the same time, the empty pallet carry-in device 19 is operated to carry the empty pallet 10 into the other operating position B of the transfer device 11. afterwards,
The transfer device 11 is operated to transfer a predetermined number of articles from the single-item loading pallet 1 onto the empty pallet 10.

Next, after the single-item loading pallet 1 at one operating position A of the transfer device 11 is returned to the original temporary storage spaces 15a to 15d by the transfer device 16, another temporary storage space 15 is provided.
The single-item loading pallet 1 on which other types of articles are loaded from a to 15d is transferred to one operating position A of the transfer device 11 by the transfer device 16, and the transfer device 11 performs the transfer operation again. The above-described operation is repeated to form the multi-product loading pallet 2, and the multi-product loading pallet 2 is carried out to the storage rack 3 or the storage rack 4 side by operating the carry-out device 20 and one of the carry-out conveyors 21 and 22. Then, the multi-product loading pallet 2 conveyed to the discharge end of the carry-out conveyor 21 or 22 is selectively stored in any of the inside / outside storage racks 3, 4, 5 and 6 by the stacker cranes 8 and 9.

In parallel with the unloading work of the multi-product loading pallet 2, the empty pallet carry-in device 19 is used for the next transfer work.
Is operated to supply the empty pallet 10 to the other operating position B of the transfer device 11, and the transfer device 16 is operated to transfer the single product loading pallet 1 to one operating position A of the transfer device 11.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention,
A transfer device that transfers a single-product loading pallet between the temporary storage and one of the operating positions of the transfer device. The number of operations of the stacker crane can be significantly reduced without moving the transfer device, the load on the stacker crane can be reduced, and multiple operations can be performed in parallel. The time can be shortened. That is, the transfer device can transfer the single-product loading pallet from the temporary storage area to one operating position of the transfer device, and at the same time operate the empty pallet loading device to transfer the empty pallet to the other operating position of the transfer device. In addition, the next empty pallet can be supplied and the single product loading pallet can be transferred to the transfer device in parallel with the unloading work of the multi-product loading pallet for which the transfer operation has been completed.

Further, according to the present invention, the single-product loading pallet can be carried into the temporary storage space from the parallel racks, and the transferred multi-product loading pallet can be carried out to the parallel racks by the carrying-out device. The space of the racks arranged in parallel can be effectively used.

Further, according to the present invention, since it is not necessary to move the transfer device, the facility cost is low, and the transfer device operates only in one place, so that the hand of the transfer device can be properly operated. The equipment cost is low because it is sufficient to provide only one article position confirmation device for handling the article.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a picking device according to the present invention.

2 is an elevational view of the picking device shown in FIG. 1. FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Single product loading pallet 2 Multi product loading pallet 3,4 Outer storage rack 5,6 Inner storage rack 8,9 Stacker crane 10 Empty pallet 11 Transfer device 12 Transfer device main body 13 Arm 14 Picking head 15 Temporary storage 16 Transfer device 18 Empty pallet magazine 19 Empty pallet loading device 20 Unloading device 21,22 Unloading conveyor S Article position confirmation device

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A picking device for forming a multi-product loading pallet by sequentially picking up a single-product loading pallet stored in a rack by a stacker crane and transferring articles from the single-product loading pallet onto an empty pallet by a transfer device. In a plurality of temporary storage areas for temporarily placing single-item loading pallets in parallel with the traveling path of the stacker crane, and in parallel with the stacker crane between the temporary storage area and one operating position of the transfer device. A transfer device for transferring the single-item loading pallet, an empty pallet carry-in device for loading the empty pallet to the other operating position of the transfer device, and a multi-product type transfer operation completed from the other operating position A picking device comprising: a carry-out device for carrying out a loading pallet. 2. The racks are provided in parallel with the transfer device as a center, and single-product loading pallets can be loaded into the temporary storage space from the parallel racks, and multiple racks are loaded from the unloading device to the parallel racks. 2. The picking device according to claim 1, wherein the product type pallet can be carried out.