JPH07277513A - Piled-up article handling device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To utilize cargo shape data in binding by preparing work data on an optimum position which can be bound by a binding machine based on the cargo shape data of articles when they are piled up on a pallet by a picking robot and binding the optimum height position by the binding machine based on the work data before the articles are carried out. CONSTITUTION:A picking robot 14 is controlled by a control circuit 15, and cargoes W are piled up on a pallet 2. The piling up of the cargoes W is done by inputting cargo shape data that a computer 16 prepares according to certain rules into a drive circuit 26 when a demand for articles is received from a customer and controlling the picking robot 14. Upon completion of loading of cargoes, the computer 16 operates the optimum position where binding is possible based on the cargo shape data to prepare binding work data. A drive circuit 27 of a binding machine 24 is driven and controlled based on the work data to bind the optimum height H by a binding string 29.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a technique of supplying packing style data of articles when they are loaded as work data of another machine in a post process.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, at a distribution center or the like, a plurality of items of the same type stacked on a pallet from an automated warehouse are delivered to a picking place, and the picking robot picks up necessary items at the picking place. Each pallet is gripped and placed on the pallet allocated to the required number for each customer. Then, the pallet on which several kinds of articles are placed is conveyed to the bundling device by the conveying device so that the articles are not bundled and the load is not collapsed, and the pallet is carried out.

[0003]

However, in the past, since the binding device had to be manually adjusted in height, it took a long working time.
There was also a problem that it was not suitable for automatic driving such as night work. Further, when the bundling device is automatically operated, it is possible to deal only with the case where only the same packing form is processed, and depending on the case, it is not possible to cope with various packing forms of different stacked articles. In addition, it is necessary to bind each pallet according to the shape of the stacked articles, and if the shape is mistaken, the binding may be insufficient and the string may loosen and the load may collapse. It took time to decide the bundling position based on the packing style of the stacked articles at the position. Therefore, the present invention is intended to make it possible to directly use the packing form data for stacking articles on a pallet after picking and placing the articles on the binding machine.

[0004]

The problems to be solved by the present invention are as described above, and the means for solving the problems will be described. According to a first aspect of the present invention, a robot that stacks a plurality of articles on a pallet, a work machine that works on the articles stacked by the robot in a post-process, and package data of the stacked articles in a post-process. A processing device for stacked articles is configured by means for sending the stacked articles to the work machine. According to a second aspect of the present invention, work data corresponding to the work of the work machine is created based on the package form data, and the work machine is controlled in a subsequent process by using the work data. . According to a third aspect of the present invention, the work machine is a bundling machine, the optimum bundling position is determined from the packing style data to create work data, and the bundling machine binds the stacked articles based on the work data. Is configured to do.

[0005]

By using such a means, the picking robot puts a plurality of types of articles on one pallet, and the work at the optimum position where the binding machine, which is used in the subsequent process, can bind the data in the packing style data. Data is created,
This work data allows the binding machine to bind the positions at the optimum height before carrying out.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view of a distribution center, FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of a processing apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view of the embodiment in which the binding position can be changed up and down by the binding machine, and FIG. 5 is a binding cord when only the load is placed on the pallet at a low position. It is a side view when not hanging.

Referring to FIG. 1, for example, a case where a desired article is taken out from a plurality of pallets loaded with the same type of articles at a distribution center and a required number of articles are mixed and placed on each pallet for each customer will be described. Then, one side (Fig. 1
The rack 1 of the automated warehouse is arranged on the right side, the transfer device A (the left side in FIG. 1) for discharging the picked goods is arranged on the other side, and the article carry-in section B and the article carry-out section C are arranged on the rear side.
The article carry-in section B, the article carry-out section C, the rack 1, and the carrying device A
A picking device P is arranged in the central portion surrounded by.

In the article loading section B, a loading conveyor 4
A string cutting machine 5 and a straightening machine 6 are arranged in the middle of the carry-in conveyer 4, and the string that binds the articles W placed on the pallet is cut by the string cutting machine 5 and the straightening machine 6 is used before entering the warehouse. It corrects the misalignment of the front, rear, left and right luggage. A turntable 7 is arranged on the carry-out side of the straightening machine 6, the direction of the luggage W is changed by the turntable 7, and the cargo W is conveyed to the receiving station 9 and then a stacker crane from the receiving station 9 to a predetermined rack of the rack 1. It is transported by S.

Conveyor stations 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, and 10e are arranged parallel to the rack 1, and the conveyor stations 10a, 10b, and 10 are arranged.
Reference numeral c denotes an article placed on the pallet from the rack 1, and the article can be delivered to and from the conveyors 12a, 12b, 12c, and the article placed on the conveyor 12a, 12b, 12c is conveyed to the depalletizing position. Loading stations 20a, 20b facing each other so as to sandwich the picking device P corresponding to the conveyors 12a, 12b, 12c.
20c is arranged, a desired article is picked up by the picking device P from the articles in the depalletizing position, and the loading stations 20a, 20b, 20c
Each is placed on the upper pallet.

The conveyor station 10d is for carrying the empty pallets after being picked up on the conveyors 12a, 12b, 12c to the carrier A side and carrying them as a pallet for loading to the loading section. The conveyor station 10e is designed to convey an empty pallet to the empty pallet magazine 11 for temporary storage, and to carry it from the empty pallet magazine 11 to the loading side when necessary. Further, in the transfer device A, an unmanned transfer vehicle 22 travels back and forth on the rails 21 and 21 and can be stopped at a station or a conveyor position so that an article can be delivered. On the turntable 23 and the carry-out conveyor 25, there is provided a binding machine 24 for binding the cargo on the pallet so as not to collapse the cargo.

The picking device P is a picking robot 14 having a hand 14a that can be swung and expanded and contracted (folded), and a gripping portion 14b that is provided at the tip of the hand 14a to adsorb (or grip) an article, and the picking robot 14
A traveling device 19 for moving back and forth, the traveling device 19 traveling back and forth on a rail 19a, picking up articles on the conveyors 12a, 12b, 12c, and pallets on the loading stations 20a, 20b, 20c. It can be placed on. The picking robot 14 is controlled by a control circuit 15, and as shown in FIG. 2, a computer 16 including a CPU, a RAM and a ROM drives an actuator such as a motor of the picking robot 14 via an I / O interface 17. Is connected to the drive circuit 26 and the drive circuit 27 of the binding machine 24.

In such a structure, the articles picked up from the rack 1 of the automatic warehouse are carried out by the stacker crane S to the delivery stations 10a, 10b, 10c, and then conveyed by the conveyors 12a, 12b, 12c to the depalletizing position, When stopped, the distance between the article and the article is detected by the misregistration detection sensor, the difference from the set value is calculated by the CPU, and correction data is created.

The position of the picking robot 14 is corrected by the correction data during the picking operation, and the gripping portion 1 of the picking robot 14 is corrected.
4b makes it possible to accurately pick up a predetermined article, conveys it to the loading station 20, and unloads and stacks it on the pallet 2 in a predetermined order to a set position. The order of this loading is based on the package data, and when the customer requests the desired product, the computer can use the computer to determine the most stable and efficient package according to the shape of one product and the number of items to be placed on the pallet 2. Package data is created according to a certain law so that When the drive circuit 26 is controlled in accordance with the package form data and the loading work is completed, the pallet is placed on the carrier A and carried out to the article carry-out section C, as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, the binding machine 24 binds the binding machine 24 to the highest position where it can be bound so that the load does not collapse. Wa is a fractional item.

The bundling position (height H) of the bundling cord 29 uses the package pattern data when the pickup device P places it on the pallet 2 on the loading side, and the computer 16 stores the package pattern data. Calculate the highest position that can be bound together to create work data, and use this work data for I / O.
Drive circuit 2 for binding machine 24 via interface 17
Bundling cord 29 at the position of the optimum height H that can be bundled and supplied to
Tie it with.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the load easily collapses,
In the case of a tall luggage W or a fractional product Wa, the binding machine 2
4 shows the case where there are two upper and lower binding positions. That is, the binding cord 29 is vertically bound (height H).
And the binding position (height h). Of course, normally one binding cord 2 is placed at the binding position (height H).
It is multiplied by 9.

Since there is a case where the load W or the fractional product Wa easily collapses depending on the package shape, in FIG. 4, the position of the center of gravity differs depending on the product in the box constituting the load W or the fractional product Wa. When it is easy for the load to collapse, the optimum binding position (height H) can be changed up or down based on the data on the package shape data and the data on the package W, even if there is only one binding string 29.

Further, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the possibility of collapse of the load is low when only one stage of the load W is placed on the pallet 2, so that the binding machine 24 is used to bind the cord. It is useless to hang it, and in such a case, the binding cord 29 is not hung on the basis of the packing style data. As a result, the cycle time of the work can be shortened, and the cost of the binding band required for binding can be saved.

According to the present invention, work data for setting the binding position is created from the package style data.
In addition, since the load collapse occurs when the acceleration is large when the material is conveyed by the conveying apparatus A, data for speed control thereof is supplied to the conveying drive apparatus as work data, or automatically conveyed after being conveyed from the article unloading section C. When entering a warehouse, the stacking height of the package data is supplied as work data to the control circuit of the automatic warehouse so that the stacked goods can be stored on the shelf of the optimum height. It is possible to improve the storage efficiency of the automated warehouse, and it is also possible to use the order when loading on a truck etc. as work data. These work data are not limited and are applicable to post-process work after picking work. it can.

[0019]

Since the present invention is constructed as described above, it has the following effects. That is, since it is configured as in claim 1, since the packing style data of the transferred article creates the work data corresponding to the work machine in the subsequent process, the work machine can shorten the time without newly creating the work data. .

According to the second aspect of the invention, only one control mechanism is required for the picking device and the work machine in the subsequent process, work data can be shared, optimal work can be performed, and cost can be reduced. .

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the binding machine can perform the binding work at the optimum position for the stacked articles based on the packing form data, eliminating the binding error and the collapse of the load. The binding time was shortened, the binding material was minimized, and the working efficiency was improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a distribution center.

FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the processing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view of an embodiment in which the binding positions of the binding machine are two.

FIG. 4 is a side view of an embodiment in which the binding position of the binding machine can be changed up and down.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the pallet in which only the luggage is placed at a lower position and a binding cord is not hung.

[Explanation of symbols]

 P Picking device 2 Pallet 15 Control circuit 16 Computer 17 I / O interface 24 Bundling machine 27 Drive circuit 29 Bundling cord

[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] June 13, 1995

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Name of item to be amended] Claims

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Claims]

[Procedure Amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0004

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[0004]

The problems to be solved by the present invention are as described above, and the means for solving the problems will be described. Claim 1 is based on a robot for stacking a plurality of articles on a pallet, and for the articles stacked by the robot , based on data relating to the stacked articles.
It is configured by a working machine for working and a processing device for stacked articles. Further, claim 2 is directed to the robot and
And a control device for controlling the working machine, the control device comprising:
Goods are sent to the robot by sending the package data.
And stack them in the same packaging
On the other hand, it corresponds to the work of the work machine created from the package data.
To send the work data to
It is something that can be made. Further, the working machine is a binding machine ,
The control device sends work data, which is created from the packing style data and indicates an optimum binding position, to the binding machine to perform stacking.
The bundled articles are bound at the optimal binding position .

[Procedure 3]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0019

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[0019]

Since the present invention is constructed as described above, it has the following effects. That is, since it is configured as in claim 1, the work machine can perform the optimum work on the stacked articles based on the data regarding the stacked articles.

[Procedure amendment 4]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0020

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

According to the second aspect of the present invention, only one controller for the robot and the working machine is required, and the cost can be reduced. In addition, the work machine creates new work data.
You can work without having to complete the work, so you can save time
You can do optimal work.

[Procedure Amendment 5]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0021

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[0021] since it is configured as in claim 3, binding machine is created
Based on business data , it becomes possible to bind work to optimal positions for stacked products, eliminate binding mistakes, prevent collapse of loads, shorten binding time, and minimize binding materials. And the working efficiency was improved.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A robot for stacking a plurality of articles on a pallet, a working machine for working on the articles stacked by the robot in a post-process, and packing form data of the stacked articles in the post-process. An apparatus for processing stacked articles, which comprises a means for sending the stacked articles to a work machine. 2. Based on the package data according to claim 1,
A processing device for stacked articles, which creates work data corresponding to the work of the work machine, and uses the work data to control the work machine in the subsequent process. 3. The work machine according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a binding machine, determining an optimal binding position from the packing style data to create work data, and stacking the binding machine based on the work data. A stacking article processing device that binds articles.