JPH0741231A - Random picking device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the efficiency of the picking work, surely achieve the matching of the forwarding address and the article to be picked, and improve the reliability of the confirmation of forwarding. CONSTITUTION:A random picking device cuts the form for the forwarding address by a stand for the forwarding address form and supplies it on an address carrying conveyor 11, and a book is sucked by a plurality of gathering machines 1A, 1B arranged along a carrying conveyor 10 through the decompressed air to be transmitted through a picking control valve 5 and transferred and loaded on the carrying conveyor 10. The forwarding address form to be sucked through the decompressed air is detected by a first detector 14 and written in the tracking table, and these data are shifted by the positional detection signal of the address carrying conveyor 11 under operation to be detected by a second detector 15. When the data are shifted to the preset position, a judgement is made whether the data agree with the address data printed on the forwarding address form to be read by a bar code reader 12.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a random picking device for picking a picked object such as a book in a bookbinding business, a direct mail shipping business, and a book shipping business for producing a wide variety of products in small quantities.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, in a bookbinding business that carries out high-mix low-volume production, books are picked and shipped to (members).
A random picking device is used to deliver the items collectively.

FIG. 6 schematically shows a system configuration example of the entire random picking device. As shown in FIG. 4, as the books 3, for example, a conveyer conveyor 10 that conveys the teaching material to a predetermined place and an address conveyer conveyor 11 that conveys the shipping address paper 21 to a predetermined place are arranged in parallel. A plurality of collating machines 1B for picking various teaching materials 3 along the moving direction and sending them to the conveyor 10.
Are installed in the book picking station at appropriate intervals. Further, at the position corresponding to the most upstream side of the address conveyor 11, a collating machine 1A for picking the shipping address sheet 21 is installed in the address sheet station.

Collator 1A, 1B installed at the address sheet station and each book picking station
Is configured as shown in the schematic FIG. Here, the configuration of the collator 1A installed in the address sheet station will be described.

That is, as shown in FIG. 7, the shipping address paper 21 loaded on the address paper transfer section 2 on the upper part of the collating machine 1A is supplied with the vacuum pad through the picking control valve 5 by the depressurizing air produced by the vacuum device 4. By transmitting to 6,
The shipping address sheet 21 is sucked out from the lower opening of the address sheet transfer section 2 and is hooked on a claw 8 provided on a cam 7 rotating at a constant speed, and a pull-out receiving plate 9 disposed below the hook. An address supply mechanism is provided for dropping the sheet to the address transfer conveyor 11 which is moving at a constant speed from the extraction receiving plate 9.

The above is the collating machine 1 for the address sheet station.
Although the configuration is A, the collating machine 1B of each book picking station is almost the same as that in FIG. In this case, the address paper transfer unit 2 serves as a book transfer unit, and each station is provided with the functions of automatically supplying teaching materials, storage, and book binding unit alignment.

In the random picking device having such a structure, each picking is performed based on a specific picking pattern set in the picking control valve 5 of the collating machine 1A of the address sheet station and the collating machine 1B of each book picking station. By controlling the opening and closing of the control valve 5, the addressing sheet is first sent from the collating machine 1A onto the transporting conveyor 11 via the addressing transfer section provided on the transporting conveyor side, and then the collating machine of each book station. 1B picks up the books 3 according to the member's order and sends them out onto the conveyer conveyor 10. When these are collected for each member and sent to a predetermined location, the address conveyer conveyor 1
At the last end of 1, the address paper is printed through the address transfer section.
It is supposed to be placed on top of and delivered.

[0008]

However, in such a conventional random picking device, the picking control valve 5 is opened / closed based on a specific picking pattern to mechanically deliver the shipping address sheet to the address conveyor 11. In addition, at each book station, the books 3 according to the member's order are sent out onto the conveyor 10, so that the shipping address sheet is produced by a mechanical factor at the collating machine 1A of the address sheet station. If the sheets are jammed or overlapped, there is a problem that the book is delivered without the shipping address sheet, or the existing book and the shipping address sheet are misaligned.

Further, the shipping address paper is an address transfer conveyor 1
Even if it is sent out based on the picking pattern specific to 1, the shipping address paper is scattered before it is transported to the address transfer section at the final end of the address conveyor 11, and overlaps with the next shipping address paper. If this occurs, there is a problem that the shipping address form is sent to the next process without the shipping address form.

According to the present invention, even if the addressing sheets are not delivered to the addressing conveyor due to a mechanical trouble, or if a plurality of sheets are delivered in a state of being overlapped, it can be detected before the picking work of picked objects is carried out An object of the present invention is to provide a random picking device capable of improving reliability of shipping confirmation by detecting that shipping address paper inside is scattered from a transport conveyor or even if overlapping occurs.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is to convey a picked article to a predetermined location and a transportation conveyor to move in the same direction as the transportation conveyor so that a shipping address sheet is delivered to a predetermined location. An address conveyor to convey,
Installed along the moving direction of these conveyors,
A plurality of collating machines sucking picked objects by decompressing air transmitted through the picking control valve and transferring them onto the transfer conveyor, and are installed in correspondence with the leading edge of the addressed transfer conveyor, and In a random picking device equipped with address paper supply means for sucking the shipping address paper on which the shipping address is printed as data one by one by decompressing air and supplying it onto the address conveyor, it is attached to the address paper supply means and decompressed. A first detector that detects that the shipping address paper has been sucked out by air, a second detector that detects the position of the address conveyor being driven, and the shipping address paper is supplied on the address conveyor. Data reading means for reading the address data printed on each shipping address sheet for each shipment, and the detection signal of the first detector is written, and the second detection The data is shifted by the detection signal of the tracking table and the data written in the tracking table is shifted to a predetermined position, and the data is compared with the address data read by the data reading means. If there is no match, the determination means for determining the dropout of the shipping address paper is provided.

Further, a transfer conveyor for transferring the picked object to a predetermined position, an address transfer conveyor for moving the shipping address sheet to a predetermined position by moving in the same direction as the transfer conveyor, and a moving direction of these conveyors. Along with each other, a plurality of collating machines for sucking picked objects by the depressurized air transmitted through the picking control valve and transferring the picked objects onto the transfer conveyor, and the leading edge of the address transfer conveyor. In the random picking device, the addressing paper supply means is installed correspondingly, and the addressing paper supply means for sucking the shipping address paper printed with the shipping address as data one by one by the depressurized air and supplying it onto the address conveyor is used. A first detector attached to the paper supply means for detecting that the shipping address paper has been sucked out by decompression air, and the address being driven. Third detecting a second detector for detecting the position of the transport conveyor, an object picking product passing through the final end portion provided at the final end of the address conveyor
And the detection signal of the first detector is written,
A tracking table in which data is shifted by the detection signal of the second detector, and when the data written in the tracking table is shifted to the final position, the data and the data detected by the third detector And a determination means for determining that there is an empty seat due to the shipping address paper being dropped from the addressing conveyor or being overlapped with the next shipping address paper when the two do not match.

[0013]

In the random picking apparatus having such a structure, when the first detector detects that the shipping address paper is sucked out from the address paper supply means, the detection signal is written in the tracking table. Data shift is performed by the position detection signal of the address conveying conveyor detected by the second detector, and when this data is shifted to a predetermined position, the determination means reads the data and the data reading means at that time. It is determined whether or not they match with each other. If the determination means determines that the two do not match, the shipping address paper is jammed due to mechanical factors,
When it is determined that the overlap has occurred, the address paper supply means is stopped. Therefore, since the picking objects are not picked up in vain in each collating machine, the picked objects are delivered to the final end of the address conveying conveyor 11 without the transportation and shipping address paper, or the picked objects already picked up. It is possible to prevent the deviation between the shipping address paper and the shipping address paper.

When the first detector detects that the shipping address paper is sucked out from the address paper supply means, the detection signal is written in the tracking table and the address detected by the second detector is detected. Data shift is performed by the position detection signal of the conveyer for conveyance, and when this data is shifted to the final position, the determination means compares it with the detection signal of the third detector at this time to determine whether the two match. To be judged. If the determination means determines that the two do not match, it is determined that the shipping address sheet has fallen from the address transfer conveyor during transport or has been vacant due to the overlap with the next shipping address sheet, and the system is determined. Stop. Therefore, the picked object without the shipping address sheet or the picked object in which the two shipping address sheets are overlapped is not shipped,
The reliability of shipping confirmation can be improved.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an example of the system configuration of the entire random picking device according to the present invention. The same parts as those in FIG. 6 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. Only the different points will be described here. In the system shown in FIG. 1, a first detector 14 for detecting a shipping address sheet 21 sucked by depressurized air is provided in the collating machine 1A of the addressing sheet station, and the collating machine 1A is provided with an address feeding mechanism. A bar code reader 12 for reading the bar code data printed on the shipping address paper is provided at a position where the shipping address paper 21 supplied to the address transfer unit 22 is sent to the address transfer conveyor 11, and the address transfer conveyor 11 is further provided. A second detector 15 for detecting the moving position of the address conveyor 11 is provided based on the rotation speed of the driving electric motor.

FIG. 2 shows the collator 1A, 1B of each station.
7 and the control system thereof, the same parts as those in FIG. 7 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. Here, different points will be described. In FIG. 2, the control system includes a first detector 14 for detecting that the shipping address paper is sucked out,
A second detector 15 for detecting the position of the address carrier conveyor 11 being driven, and a bar code reader for reading the bar code data indicating the member number printed on the shipping address paper supplied to the address carrier conveyor 11 from the dedicated station. 12
Then, the signal from the first detector 14 is stored, the data shift (tracking control) is performed by the signal from the second detector 15, and the membership number read by the bar code reader 12 is input. Then, each collator 1
A control computer 13 that gives a picking command to the picking control valve 5 that controls the depressurized air transmitted to the vacuum pads 6 of A and 1B is provided.

In this control computer 13, picking instruction data created in advance in the picking order planned for each member number is stored in the storage unit in association with the member number and read by the bar code reader 12. Matches the member number and the member number stored in the storage unit to determine whether they match, and if they do not match, determines that multiple shipping address sheets have been supplied. If it is determined that the picking instruction data corresponding to the member number is sent to the picking control valve 5 of the corresponding station.

Furthermore, a tracking table for writing the detection signal of the first detector 14 is prepared in the control computer 13, and the data written in this tracking table is the address detected by the second detector. The function of shifting by the position detection signal of the conveyer is compared with the address data read by the bar code reader 12 at the time when the data on the tracking table is written and shifted to a predetermined position, and both are compared. It has a function to judge whether or not it is done.

Next, the operation of the random picking device constructed as described above will be described with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG. Here, the flow of processing from the collating machine 1A of the shipping address sheet station to the shipping address sheet sent to the address conveyor 11 via the address transfer section 22 will be described.

Now, different kinds of teaching materials are loaded into each book station 1B shown in FIG. 1, and shipping address paper 21 having a member number printed in a bar code is loaded on the shipping address paper stand 1A arranged in the order of the work plan. Be present. In such a state, the control computer 1 shown in FIG.
3 is started, the tracking table is first initialized in step S1, and the detection signal from the first detector 14 which detects that the shipping address paper is sucked out is written in the tracking table in step S2. The data written in this tracking table is data-shifted by the position detection signal of the address conveyor which is detected by the second detector 15 in step S3.

When the data written in this tracking table is shifted to the expected position, the bar code data (address data) indicating the member number of the shipping address paper 21 is read at that time, and this address is sent in step S4. The data is compared with the data of the planned position in the tracking table, and it is determined in step S5 whether or not both match. In this case, when there is data, it is treated as "1", and when there is no data, it is treated as "0", and when both data are "1", it is determined that they match. When it is determined that the two do not match, two or more shipping address sheets 21 are picked at the same time by the collating machine 1A of the shipping address sheet stand, or a mechanical jam occurs. Then, the collating machine 1A of the address sheet stand is stopped and the cause of the missing address sheet is investigated. In this case, the collator 1B of each book picking stand
It goes without saying that no picking work will be done at.

If it is determined in step S5 that the data of the planned position in the tracking table and the address data indicating the member number match,
The picking instruction data corresponding to the member number is read and the corresponding picking instruction data is transmitted to the picking control valve 5 for the station 1B in the picking order determined by the member number. Then, when this address sheet flows into the address transfer section 23 at the final end by the address transfer conveyor 11 in FIG. 1, the address sheet is placed on the teaching material already picked by the address transfer section 23, and Sent to the process.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the detection signal of the first detector 14 for detecting that the shipping address sheet has been sucked out from the collating machine 1A of the shipping address sheet stand is written in the tracking table to generate the second signal. Data is shifted by the position detection signal of the address conveyor 11 detected by the detector 15 and the data written in this tracking table is shifted to a predetermined position. At that time, the address of the shipping address paper 21 is changed. The address data is read and compared with the data at the planned position in the tracking table.If the data do not match, the shipping address is judged to have been jammed or overlapped due to mechanical factors. Since the collating machine 1A of the stand for paper is stopped, wasteful picking of books is performed in the collating machine 1B of each stand. It is no longer. This allows
It is possible to prevent a book from being delivered without a transportation / shipping address sheet to the final end of the address / transport conveyor 11 and to prevent the existing book from deviating from the shipping address sheet.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, immediately after the shipping address paper is sent to the address conveyor 11, the address data read by the bar code reader 12 is compared with the data of the planned position of the tracking table, and both are in agreement. In this case, the shipping address sheet is conveyed toward the final end of the address conveying conveyor 11, but during the conveyance, the shipping address sheet jumps up due to factors such as irregularities on the conveying surface and turbulence, Occasionally, a seat may drop due to falling or overlapping with the next shipping address sheet.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the structure of a random picking device which can eliminate such a problem.
The same parts as those in FIG. In the present embodiment, in the system configuration shown in FIG. 1, at the position corresponding to the most downstream side of the transport conveyor 11, the shipping address sheet flowing on the address transport conveyor 11 immediately before the address transfer section 23 is detected. 3 detectors 16 are provided and the detection signals of the third detector 16 are input to the control computer 13 as shown in FIG.

In addition to the control function explained in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the control computer 13 outputs the detection signal of the first detector 14 written in the tracking table to the second detection signal.
Data shift is performed by the position signal of the address-carrying conveyor detected by the detector 15 until the address-conveying paper reaches the third detector 16, and the final position data and the detection signal of the third detector 16 are detected. And has a function of determining whether or not both data match.

Next, the operation of the random picking device configured as described above will be described with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG. When the control computer 13 is started,
First, in step S11, the tracking table is initialized, and in step S12, the detection signal from the first detector 14 that detects that the shipping address paper has been sucked is written in the tracking table. The data written in this tracking table is data-shifted by the position detection signal of the address conveyor which is detected by the second detector 15 in step S13.

When the data written in this tracking table is shifted to a predetermined position, the address data of the shipping address paper 21 is read at that time, and step S
In 14 the address data is compared with the data of the planned position in the tracking table, and in step S15 it is determined whether both match. And
If it is determined that the two do not match, two or more shipping address sheets 2 are sent by the collating machine 1A of the shipping address sheet stand.
It is determined that 1 is picked at the same time or that a mechanical paper jam has occurred, the collating machine 1A of the address paper stand is stopped, and the cause of the missing address paper is investigated.

If it is determined in step S15 that the data of the planned position in the tracking table and the address data indicating the member number match,
The picking control valve 5 of the collator 1B of the book picking stand in the picking order determined by reading the picking instruction data corresponding to the member number and determined by the member number
The picking instruction data is transmitted to.

Further, the data of the tracking table is shifted until the shipping address sheet reaches the address transfer section 23 at the final end, and when the data is shifted to the final position, the third step is performed at step S16. The detection signal from the detector 16 of 1 is fetched and the two are compared, and it is determined in step S17 whether both data are "1". If the detection signal of the third detector 16 and the data of the final position of the tracking table do not match, the shipping address sheet is dropped from the address conveyor 11 during transport or overlaps with the next shipping address sheet. Then, the system is judged to have been vacant and the system is stopped, and the order of the shipping address sheets near the third detector 16 and the order of the shipping address sheets in the shipping plan in the control computer are confirmed. When they match, abnormal recovery is performed.

In this case, as a method of recovering from an abnormality, it is possible to easily recover from the abnormality by attaching a series number to the shipping address paper. If the detection signal of the third detector 16 and the data of the final position of the tracking table match, the shipping address sheet on the address transport conveyor 11 has already been picked by the address transfer section 23 as a teaching material. It is placed on the table and sent to the next process.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the detection signal of the first detector 14 for detecting that the shipping address sheet has been sucked out from the collating machine 1A of the shipping address sheet stand is written in the tracking table to generate the second signal. The data shift is performed by the position detection signal of the address-transporting conveyor 11 detected by the detector 15 of No. 3, and when the corresponding data written in the tracking table is shifted to the final position, the third shift is performed.
The detection signal of the detector 16 is compared to determine whether they match, and if they do not match, the shipping address paper drops from the address conveyor 11 during transportation or overlaps with the next shipping address paper. Since it was determined that there was a vacant seat and the system was stopped, it will not be shipped with teaching materials without shipping address paper or two shipping address sheets overlapping and shipping confirmation reliability Can be improved.

Further, by assigning a series number to the shipping address paper in advance, a shipping plan is created only by the shipping address paper that has been eliminated at the time of abnormal recovery, and the shipping address paper when the shipping address paper is reflowed is created. It is possible to easily confirm whether or not the shipping plan order of only the discharged shipping address papers matches, and the work load can be reduced.

In the above embodiment, the system is stopped when it is determined that the shipping address sheet is dropped from the address transporting conveyor 11 during transportation or overlapped with the next shipping address sheet, and an empty seat is generated. However, in such a case, it may be considered that the next shipping address paper is stacked two sheets and discharged to the discharge port to improve the operation rate.

[0035]

As described above, according to the present invention, picking work of picking objects can be performed even when the address paper is not delivered to the address conveyor due to mechanical trouble or when the address papers are delivered in a state where a plurality of sheets are stacked. Provide a random picking device that can detect before shipping, and even if shipping address paper being transported is scattered from the transport conveyor or overlapped, it can improve the reliability of shipping confirmation by detecting that it can.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a system of an entire random picking device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of a collator and a control system thereof in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a collator and a control system thereof according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a system of the entire random picking device.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional collator and its control system.

[Explanation of symbols]

1A, 1B ... Collecting machine, 2 ... Book or address paper transfer section, 3 ... Books, 4 ... Vacuum device, 5 ... Picking control valve, 6 ... Vacuum pad, 7 ... Cam,
8 ... picking claw, 9 ... drawing receiving plate, 10 ... transport conveyor, 11 ... address transport conveyor, 12 ... bar code reader, 13 ... control computer, 14 ... first detector, 15 ...... Second detector, 16 ... Third detector, 21 ... Shipping address sheet, 22 ... Address transfer section, 2
3 …… Address transfer department.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued Front Page (72) Inventor Kazuo Ozawa 3-7-17 Minamikata, Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture Fukutake Shoten Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Toru Miyanaka 1-24-2 Harumi-cho, Fuchu, Tokyo TOSHIBA FA System Engineering Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Yoshiaki Furudate 1 Toshiba Town, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo Toshiba Fuchu Factory Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Takashi Okamoto 1-1-1, Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo Toshiba Corporation Head office

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A transport conveyor for transporting a picked object to a predetermined location, an address transport conveyor that moves in the same direction as the transport conveyor to transport a shipping address sheet to a predetermined location, and a moving direction of these conveyors. Along with each other, a plurality of collating machines for sucking picked objects by the depressurized air transmitted through the picking control valve and transferring the picked objects onto the transfer conveyor, and the leading edge of the address transfer conveyor. In the random picking device, which is installed correspondingly, and which is provided with addressing sheet supply means for sucking out the shipping addressing sheet with the shipping address printed as data one by one by depressurizing air and supplying it onto the addressing conveyor, A first detector attached to the paper supply means for detecting that the shipping address paper has been sucked out by depressurized air;
A second detector for detecting the position of the addressing conveyor being driven; data reading means for reading addressing data printed on each shipping addressing sheet each time a shipping addressing sheet is supplied onto the addressing conveyor; A tracking table in which the detection signal of the first detector is written and data is shifted by the detection signal of the second detector, and the data written in the tracking table is shifted to a predetermined position. A random picking device, further comprising: a determination unit that compares the data with the address data read by the data reading unit and determines whether the shipping address paper is missing when the two do not match. 2. A conveyer conveys a picked object to a predetermined place, an address conveyer which moves in the same direction as the conveyer and conveys a shipping address sheet to a predetermined place, and a moving direction of these conveyors. Along with each other, a plurality of collating machines for sucking picked objects by the depressurized air transmitted through the picking control valve and transferring the picked objects onto the transfer conveyor, and the leading edge of the address transfer conveyor. In the random picking device, which is installed correspondingly, and which is provided with addressing sheet supply means for sucking out the shipping addressing sheet with the shipping address printed as data one by one by depressurizing air and supplying it onto the addressing conveyor, A first detector attached to the paper supply means for detecting that the shipping address paper has been sucked out by depressurized air;
A second detector for detecting the position of the addressed conveyer being driven; a third detector provided at the final end of the addressed conveyer for detecting picking objects passing through the final end; When the detection signal of the first detector is written and data is shifted by the detection signal of the second detector, and when the data written in this tracking table is shifted to the final position, The data and the data detected by the third detector are compared, and when the two do not match, it is determined that the shipping address sheet has fallen from the address conveyor during transportation or is vacant due to the overlap with the next shipping address sheet. A random picking device comprising: