JPH0687512A - Picking system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve cycle time of picking work. CONSTITUTION:Articles picked by different picking robots are carried to an upper stage and a lower stage of a double-stage conveyer 41. A vibrating conveyer 44 is selectively connected to the upper stage or the lower stage of the double-stage conveyer 14, to be connected to a main conveyer 45, and final order can thus be adjusted. Each picking robot can proceed with the next work without waiting for the work being done by other picking robots to be finished.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a picking system for picking a required number of articles of a required type according to a shipping request.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a distribution center or the like, a picking system is used for picking and delivering a required number of kinds of articles according to a shipping request from a customer. Generally, a picking system includes an automatic warehouse that stores a single-item pallet in which a plurality of items of the same type are stacked, and a picking robot that picks the items requested from the single-item pallet one by one. The picked articles are palletized on the shipping pallet.

[0003]

In such a picking system, the cycle time of the picking work becomes a problem. The cycle time is mainly affected by the picking robot's picking ability, the ability to move the picking robot and / or the single item pallet to the picking position, etc., but these factors are greatly affected by the palletizing work on the shipping pallet. To be done. That is, when a plurality of articles are mixedly placed on the shipping pallet, there is a constraint that the packing rate should be as high as possible in consideration of the transportation efficiency.
Therefore, the picking robot must pick up the articles in the order in which they are palletized onto the shipping pallet, which makes the supply of single-item pallets efficient, and even if the number of picking robots is increased or the capability is improved, that much is required. The cycle time could not be simply shortened.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a picking system capable of performing a picking operation without being restricted by the order of palletizing on a shipping pallet and shortening the cycle time.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a plurality of shelves that can accommodate a single-piece pallet and that are arranged in a row, and a plurality of picking positions that can be moved between the picking positions of the shelves. The picking system is configured to include a means, a plurality of branch conveyors that receive and convey articles from each picking means, and a connecting means that selectively connects the branch conveyors and the main conveyor.

[0006]

Since the present invention has the above-mentioned structure, it has the following effects.

In the picking system according to the present invention, a plurality of picking means are provided. The picking means accommodates a single pallet and moves between picking positions of a plurality of shelves juxtaposed in a row to perform picking.

Each picking means is provided with a branch conveyor for receiving and transporting the article from the picking means, and these branch conveyors are connected to the main conveyor via the connecting means. Since the connecting means selectively connects each branch conveyor and the main conveyor, the order of the articles supplied to the main conveyor can be adjusted. The main conveyor conveys the articles supplied from the branch conveyor to the destination such as the palletizing position of the palletizing robot in the order adjusted by the connecting means.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The embodiments shown in the drawings will be described below.

1 and 2 are perspective views showing an embodiment of a picking system according to the present invention.

In each drawing, the picking system of the present embodiment includes an automatic warehouse 10 that stores a large number of single-item pallets P loaded with the same type of articles, a picking device 20 that picks articles from the single-item pallets P, and a single item. It consists of a pallet P and each conveyor system that conveys picked articles.

The automated warehouse 10 includes two racks 11 in which a large number of racks on which individual pallets P are placed are arranged in a matrix.
12 and a stacker crane 1 that travels and ascends and descends between the racks 11 and 12 to transfer the single-piece pallet P to and from the rack.
3 and 3.

The stacker crane 13 includes the upper and lower rails 1.
It runs along 31 and 132, and two masts 133 and 1
An article transfer device is provided on an elevating table 134 that moves up and down along the line 33 to transfer pallets to and from the shelves of the racks 11 and 12.

A storage station 14 and a storage station 15 are provided near the ends of the racks 11 and 12.
Single pallet P is supplied to the receiving station 14,
The stacker crane 13 receives the single item pallet P from the receiving station 14 and stores it in a predetermined shelf. The delivery station 15 is used for shipping a single pallet P as it is in the case of large-scale delivery, or for unloading an empty pallet by picking all the articles.

Single pallet P to storage station 14
Is supplied via the elevator 31 and the conveyor 32. The single pallet P is transported to the elevator 31 by an unmanned transport vehicle or the like.

A picking device 20 is provided outside the rack 11.
Are arranged. The picking device 20 includes two picking robots 21 and 22 and each picking robot 2
It is composed of rails 23, 23 for moving 1, 22.

The picking robots 21 and 22 are respectively provided with hands 211 and 221.
It is possible to handle the articles one by one from the individual pallets P stored in the lowermost shelves 111 of the racks 11 by the hands 211 and 221 while moving along 3, 23.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing the structure of the picking robot 21 without the cover.

The picking robot 21 includes a rail 23,
The article W is picked from the single item pallet P stored in the shelf 111 while moving along the line 23. The hand 211 of the picking robot 21 has an upper displacement preventing member 21.
1a and a lower scooping member 211b.

Displacement prevention member 211a and scooping member 21
1b can be independently moved forward and backward while being guided by the guide rollers 212 and 213. The guide rollers 212 and 213 are provided on the lifters 214 and 215, respectively, and can be moved up and down respectively.

When picking, the shift prevention member 2
A retaining plate 216 swingably attached to the tip of 11a.
Is pressed against the upper surface of the article W to be picked, the picking conveyor 217 provided at the tip of the scooping member 211b is brought into contact with the side surface near the lower surface of the article W and driven in the arrow direction, The rake member 211b is advanced so as to enter the lower surface of the article W. As a result, the article W is restrained by the restraining plate 216 of the displacement prevention member 211a.
And the picking conveyor 217 of the scooping member 211b.

The handed article W is stored in the hand 21.
1 is moved backward / downward and placed on the conveying surface of the conveyor 42. That is, while the hand 211 is in the handling posture, the article W is moved to the side of the conveyor so as to be positioned at substantially the same height as the conveyance surface of the conveyor 42, and the deviation prevention member 211a is raised to move the restraining plate 216. If the picking conveyor 217 is reversed while releasing the article W,
Are transferred onto the conveyor 42.

Between the rails 23, 23 and the rack 11,
A branch conveyor 40 is provided. Branch conveyor 40
Is divided into the left and right in FIG. 1, and the left side is the two-stage conveyor 4
It is 1. The right side is a normal conveyor 42, and a lifter 43 is provided between the conveyor 42 and the two-stage conveyor 41.
Are arranged. The lifter 43 can move up and down,
The upper surface is provided with a plurality of rollers for conveying the placed articles.

At the left end in FIG. 1, the two-stage conveyor 41 curves 90 degrees to the right so as to surround the automatic warehouse 10 and is connected to the swing conveyor 44. Swing conveyor 4
4 is further connected to a main conveyor 45, which is curved 90 degrees to the right so as to surround the automatic warehouse 10 and is connected to a palletizer 46.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

The single-item pallet P supplied to the storage station 14 via the elevator 31 and the conveyor 32 is temporarily stored by the stacker crane 13 on a shelf other than the shelf 111 of the racks 11 and 12. Plural articles of the same type are stacked on the single-item pallet P, respectively.

On the shelf 111, which is the lowermost shelf of the rack 11, a single-piece pallet P in which different kinds of articles are loaded
Is placed. However, not all items are of different types, and items of the same type may be prepared in duplicate on the left and right sides separated from the center of the shelf 111.

Single item pallet P placed on the shelf 111
From then, the picking robots 21 and 22 pick articles one by one. When no articles are left on the single-item pallet P, the stacker crane 13 carries out the empty pallet to the delivery station 15, and instead puts the single-item pallet loaded with the lost items from the other shelves on the shelf 111.
It is transported to and placed.

The articles picked by the picking robots 21 and 22 are placed on the conveyor 42 or the upper stage of the two-stage conveyor 41. In that case, the articles picked by the picking robot 21 are transferred to the conveyor 42.
The articles picked by the picking robot 22 are placed on the upper stage of the two-stage conveyor 41.

The articles placed on the conveyor 42 are conveyed on the conveyor 42 in the left direction in FIG.
3, the lifter 43 descends, the loaded articles are discharged to the lower stage of the two-stage conveyor 41, and further conveyed to the left. The articles placed on the upper stage of the two-stage conveyor 41 are also conveyed leftward. Therefore, the articles picked by the picking robot 21 are conveyed under the two-stage conveyor 41, and the articles picked by the picking robot 22 are conveyed by the two-stage conveyor 4.
It is conveyed on the upper stage of 2.

A swing conveyor 44 is connected to the end of the two-stage conveyor 41. The swing conveyor 44 adjusts the order of the articles picked by the picking robots 21 and 22, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 3, the swing conveyor 44 is attached to the start end of the main conveyor 45 so as to be vertically rotatable. The oscillating conveyor 44 oscillates as shown by an arrow by a driving device (not shown), and is selectively connected to the upper and lower tiers of the two-stage conveyor 41. The swing conveyor 44 also includes a drive mechanism that conveys the loaded articles.

In the example of FIG. 3, three articles Wa and one article Wb reach the end of the upper stage of the two-stage conveyor 41, and two articles Wc exist in the lower stage. An article identification device (not shown) is provided near the terminal end of the two-stage conveyor 41, and it is possible to identify the type of each article conveyed in the upper and lower stages.

The oscillating conveyor 44 selects the type of article and transfers it to the main conveyor 45 so that the palletizer 46 can palletize it into an appropriate packing form. That is,
In the case of palletizing the articles a, Wb, and Wc in this order, first, the swing conveyor 44 is connected to the upper stage of the two-stage conveyor 41, and the upper stage of the two-stage conveyor 41 and the swing conveyor 44 are driven to set the article Wa to 3 It is sent to the individual main conveyor 45.

When the transfer of the article Wa is completed, the driving of the upper stage of the two-stage conveyor 41 is once stopped, the swing conveyor 44 is swung, and this time the lower stage is connected. Then, the lower stage of the two-stage conveyor 41 and the swing conveyor 44 are driven to drive the two articles W.
Send c to the main conveyor. Then, the oscillating conveyor 44 is returned to the original posture again and connected to the upper stage to transfer the article Wb.

As a result, the palletizer 46 can receive the articles in an appropriate order, and can palletize the packing efficiently. Therefore, the picking robots 21 and 22 can start the next picking work without waiting for the completion of the mutual picking work.

That is, if the conveyor is not branched and the swing conveyor 44 is not provided, even if two picking robots are prepared, each picking robot is The picking robot had to finish the picking work and passed the conveyor before starting the next picking work.

However, if the conveyor is branched so that it can be selectively connected to the main conveyor 45 as in the present embodiment, the work can be started during the work of another picking robot. In the above example, the picking robot 22 can pick the article Wc while the picking robot 22 is picking the article Wa, and when the picking robot 22 finishes picking the article Wa, the picking robot 21 picks the article Wa. Even if is not completed, the picking of the article Wb can be started.

However, the picking robots 21 and 22 cannot perform picking without regard to the order, and the picking robots 21 and 22 must not move before or after the palletizing order in the palletizer 46. That is, in the above example, before the same picking robot picks the article Wa, the article W
Picking b, Wc is not allowed. This is because adjustment cannot be performed on the swing conveyor 44. However, if the picking robots are different, even if the picking of the article Wa is later than the picking of the article Wc, there is no problem because the swing conveyor 44 can perform the final adjustment.

In the picking system of this embodiment using such two picking robots 21 and 22, the types of articles placed on the shelves 111 are not all different but, for example, left and right. Shelf on both ends 111
Alternatively, the same type of article may be prepared.

That is, each picking robot 21, 22
Move on the same rail 23, the picking robot 21 cannot move to the left of the picking robot 22,
On the contrary, the picking robot 22 is the picking robot 21.
Can't go to the right Therefore, two types of picking robots 21 and 2 are provided for the types of goods that are frequently delivered.
2 so that you can always pick, like the left and right ends,
If the same kind of article is prepared in two places, the waiting time can be eliminated and the picking efficiency can be further improved.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described above.
It is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments and can be appropriately modified within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the connecting means is an oscillating conveyor, but a merging device for selectively merging horizontally arranged branch conveyors with the main conveyor can be used instead.

[0044]

As described above, in the picking system according to the present invention, the conveying order of the articles picked by the plurality of picking means is finally adjusted by the connecting means, so that the picking work of each picking means can be performed. Order restrictions are relaxed, and thus picking efficiency can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the picking system shown in FIG. 1 seen through from the opposite direction.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged front view for explaining the operation of the swing conveyor in the embodiment shown in FIGS.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing a picking robot of the picking system of FIGS.

[Explanation of symbols]

 41 two-stage conveyor 44 swinging conveyor 45 main conveyor Wa, Wb, Wc articles

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of shelves capable of accommodating single-item pallets and arranged side by side in a row, a plurality of picking means capable of moving between respective picking positions on the respective shelves, and a plurality of articles for receiving and conveying articles from the respective picking means And a connecting means for selectively connecting the branch conveyor and the main conveyor.