JPH10250809A - Delivery conveyance system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To deliver articles to a conveyor according to the delivery order so as to dispense with an aligning device by providing a means for reading a delivery command written on a recording medium, down-stream of a writing means, and putting each delivery means in action in response to the read delivery order. SOLUTION: The delivery order of articles is commanded to a controller 12 from a host computer. The numbers of delivery frontages 4-1 to 4-10 are therefore written on ID tags 16 in the same order as the delivery order. Tag readers 20-1 to 20-8 and the like of each frontage read the ID tags 16, and upon finding the ID tags of the own frontage numbers, the tag readers inform the delivery frontages 4-1 to 4-10 to that effect. Then the delivery frontages 4-1 to 4-10 deliver articles. In this way, the articles are arranged in the delivery order on a conveyor 6 and can be picked up without an aligning device. The articles conveyed on the conveyor 6 are picked up by a picking machine 20.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a transport device for receiving and transporting articles from a plurality of cutting-out means.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A transfer apparatus for receiving and transferring articles from a plurality of cutting-out means is known. FIG. 1 shows such an example.
Indicated at 0, reference numeral 2 denotes a fluid shelf for storing articles on rollers, a plurality of rows of rollers for storing articles are provided, and articles are cut out from the cutout openings 4-1 to 4-10 at each end.
It is sent out to the conveyor 6. Reference numeral 8 denotes an alignment device that picks up the articles transported by the transport conveyor 6, arranges them in the order of shipment, and ships them. Reference numeral 10 denotes a controller that controls the entire transfer device. In the conventional transport device, articles cannot be cut out on the transport conveyor 6 in the order of shipment.
An alignment device 8 is required.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to eliminate the necessity of an aligning device in a transfer apparatus for cutting out articles from a plurality of cutting means to a conveyor and shipping the same. Claim 3
The additional problem in the above is to optimize the arrangement of the cutting means.

[0004]

According to the present invention, in a cut-out and transfer system in which a plurality of cut-out means are arranged along a transfer conveyor to cut out articles from the cut-out means to a transfer conveyor, the cut-out transfer system is synchronized with the transfer conveyor. A moving recording medium is provided, and a writing unit for a cutting instruction to the recording medium is provided upstream of the plurality of cutting units on the conveyor, and a cutting instruction written to the recording medium downstream of the writing unit. Is provided, and each cutout means is operated in accordance with the readout cutout command.

[0005] The present invention also provides a cutting and conveying system in which a plurality of cutting means are arranged along a conveyor to cut out articles from the cutting means to the conveying conveyor. A sequence of means is virtually formed, and the sequence is virtually moved along the conveyor, and when the position of the cutting means in the sequence matches the actual position of the cutting means, To determine the operation timing of each cutting means so as to give a cutting command to the means,
A simulation means is provided.

Preferably, a means for evaluating the allocation efficiency of the cut-out means, and
Means for changing the assignment of the cut-out means.

[0007]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a recording medium such as an ID tag is provided on a transport conveyor and is moved together with a belt of the conveyor. The ID tag is a portable medium on which data is recorded, and can be read and written. The ID tag may have a built-in power supply such as a battery, or may use an external microwave or the like as power. Then, a writing means for the recording medium is provided upstream of the cutout means, and data for specifying each cutout means such as the number of the cutout means to be cut out is written. A reading device is provided downstream of the writing device to read the data and control the cutout device.

In the case where only one reading means is provided, for example, the reading means is arranged at the uppermost stream of a plurality of cutting means along the conveyor to read data, and the distance from the reading means to each cutting means, or the distance of the conveyor. In accordance with the moving time, the number of moving steps, or the like, the cutout command is commanded with a delay. As a result, the distance from the reading unit to the cutout unit is compensated by the delay time, the number of delay steps, and the like, and cutout is performed according to the timing. Preferably, a reading unit is provided upstream of each cutting unit, and the cutting unit is controlled by simple control. In any case, articles can be cut out to the transport conveyor according to the shipping order, and an alignment device is not required.

Instead of actually attaching the recording medium to the conveyor, simulation means may be provided to virtually attach the recording medium to the conveyor and generate a cutout command timing. The type of the article and the number of the cutout means correspond in principle to 1: 1. When the order of the articles to be shipped is determined, the sequence of the numbers of the cutout means is determined. If this sequence is virtually advanced along the conveyor and a cutout command is generated at a timing when the number of the cutout means in the sequence matches the actual position of the cutout means, the shipping sequence of the articles can be improved. Can be cut out in the order that matches the order.

[0010] In the above description, the sequence was virtually moved last time, that is, in the same direction as the movement direction of the conveyor.
It may be reversed. The above-mentioned sequence is moved in a reverse direction from a position where an article such as a shipping station is taken out from the conveyor. Then, the timing of the cutout command is determined so that the cutout is performed at a timing at which this sequence matches the position of each cutout unit. This is to determine the operation timing of the cut-out means which gives the result since the film is reversed and the desired result, that is, the articles are lined up on the conveyor according to the shipping order.

[0011] These simulations may be performed in advance of the actual operation of the conveyor and the cutting means, etc., and the operation timing of the cutting means may be stored, or a simulation may be performed in real time while actually operating the conveyor. Alternatively, an actual cut-out command may be immediately generated by a cut-out command on a simulation.

Regardless of whether a recording medium is used or a simulation is performed, it is preferable that the assignment of the cutting means, that is, which cutting means is assigned to which article can be changed. As shown in FIGS.
The time from the start to the end of the cutout changes significantly depending on the allocation of the cutout means, and the allocation efficiency of the cutout means is defined according to the reciprocal of this time. Preferably, the allocation efficiency of the extracting means is evaluated according to the past results, and the allocation of the extracting means is changed so as to increase the allocation efficiency. FIGS. 8 and 9 show two examples of the algorithm for improving the allocation efficiency. However, there are many similar algorithms, and the present invention is not limited to those shown in FIGS.

According to the first and second aspects of the present invention, the articles are cut out on the conveyor according to the order of shipment, so that an aligning device is not required. According to the third aspect of the present invention, the allocation efficiency of the extracting means is evaluated, and the allocation of the extracting means is changed so as to improve the allocation efficiency.

[0014]

1 to 9 show an embodiment. In FIG. 1, 2
Is a fluidized shelf, at its tip there are, for example, ten cutout fronts 4-1 to 4-10. The fluidized shelves are, for example, one frontage shelves using rollers for storing articles, and a plurality of these shelves are arranged in parallel. Reference numeral 6 denotes a transport conveyor using a belt conveyor, a roller conveyor, or the like, and reference numeral 12 denotes a controller. The controller 12 controls the cut-out transport system in response to a shipping command from a host computer (not shown) or the like. The controller 12 has an efficiency evaluating unit 13 and an assignment changing unit 14, and their operations will be described with reference to FIGS.

An ID tag 16 is attached to a belt or the like of the conveyor 6.
Attach. The intervals at which the ID tags 16 are attached are the same as the intervals between the cutout fronts 4-1 to 4-10. Here, ID tags that exchange signals using microwaves as carrier waves are used. Reference numeral 18 denotes a tag writer, which cuts out the ID tags 16 and numbers the frontage 4-1 to 4-10, for example, 1 to 10
Shall be recorded. The tag writer 18 is located on the upstream side of the fluidized shelves 2, in which individual cutout fronts 4-4 are provided.
Tag readers 20-1 to 20- just upstream of 1-4-10
10 is provided. And tag readers 20-1 to 20-1
0 controls the cutout fronts 4-1 to 4-10 so as to cut out the articles to the transport conveyor 6 when the number of the cutout frontage is recorded in the ID tag 16.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a picking machine, which may pick up the articles conveyed on the conveyor 6.
No alignment of the articles is required. When the picking machine 21 is added and a plurality of picking machines are arranged along the conveyor 6, for example, the number of the picking machine is recorded on the ID tag 16, a tag reader is also arranged on the picking machine, and the own number is changed. An article corresponding to the recorded ID tag may be picked.

FIG. 2 shows the operation of the embodiment of FIG. The host computer instructs the controller 12 on the order of shipping the articles. Therefore, the numbers of the cutout fronts 4-1 to 4-10 are written in the ID tag 16 in the same order as the shipping order. Tag readers 20-1 to 20-10 of each frontage are ID
When the tag 16 is read and the ID tag of the own frontage number is found, the fact is reported to the cutout frontage. Then, the cutout frontage cuts out the article. In this way, the articles are arranged on the conveyor 6 in the order of shipment, and the articles can be picked up without the aligning device 8.

[0018]

Embodiment 2 FIGS. 3 and 4 show a second embodiment. This embodiment does not use the ID tag 16, but instead adds a virtual ID tag to the controller 12.
2 and the simulation is performed.
In the second embodiment, instead of the physical ID tag 16 of the first embodiment, a virtual ID tag is treated as being attached to a belt of a conveyor. It is assumed that the virtual ID tag circulates in synchronization with the operation of the conveyor 6.

From the host computer to the controller 12
When the shipment command is input to the simulation unit 22, the simulation unit 22 writes the number of the cutout front according to the shipment order into the virtual ID tag. The type of article and the number of the cutout front are 1:
If the shipping order of the articles is determined corresponding to 1, the order of the cutout frontage is determined, and this is a sequence of virtual ID tags. If a partial change in the shipping order of the articles is permitted, the shipping order is changed so as to minimize the number of steps from the start to the end of the extraction. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when the cutout frontage number is arbitrary within the range of (1, 5, 4), the shortest cutout order is (1, 4, 5), and this order is the shipping order. To change.

Next, the order of the cutout frontage is written in a virtual ID tag, and the cutout frontage is advanced so as to be virtually synchronized with the conveyor 6. For example, assuming that the conveyor 6 moves by one width of the conveyor in one step operation, and that each width is cut out once during this period, if the above-mentioned sequence is moved while counting the number of steps, the conveyor is moved. 6
The movement is virtually synchronized with the operation of (1). Then, in the same manner as in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the cut-out timing is determined so that the cut-out is performed at the timing when the frontage number recorded on the virtual ID tag matches the actual frontage number. Then, this timing result is recorded, the conveyor 6 is actually operated, and a cutout command is given to the cutout frontage 4-1 to 4-10 in accordance with the recorded timing.

FIGS. 5 to 7 show examples of the cutout cycle. Assuming that the conveyor 6 moves forward from left to right as indicated by the arrows in the figures, the shipping order is indicated at the lower right of the figures.
The right side of this order is the top and the left side is the end. The step number here indicates the movement of one pitch of the frontage of the conveyer 6, and the portion indicated by ● is a cutout portion. For example, in step 1 of FIG.
We cut out articles at locations. The number of steps shown here indicates the number of steps from the start to the end of clipping.

FIG. 5 shows an example of an average cutout cycle. The number of cycles required for 10 cutouts is 14 (the last step 15 is the cycle after the end of cutout). FIG. 6 shows the shortest cutting cycle, in which the order of shipment matches the order of arrangement of the cutting frontage, so that 10 articles have been successfully cut in one step. FIG. 7 shows the longest cutout cycle, which requires 19 steps to cut out 10 articles. In both the first embodiment and the second embodiment, if the allocation of the cutout frontage to which article is changed, the number of steps required for the cutout is reduced, the allocation efficiency is improved, and the cutout is performed in a shorter time. be able to.

Assuming that n articles are to be cut, the shortest number of the cutting steps is 1, and the longest number is (2n-1).
And the average value is n. Therefore, if the required number of cutout steps in the past, for example, for one month, is equal to or less than the number of cutout articles (the average number of cutout steps is equal to or less than the average number of cutout articles), it can be considered to be efficient. If the sum of the steps required for cutting out exceeds the number of cut out articles, it can be considered that the efficiency is inefficient.

In the embodiment, for example, in the past period of about one week to three months, if the number of steps required for cutting out is N and the number of articles cut out during this period is n, then N> n The allocation of the frontage shall be changed. FIG. 8 shows an example of such an algorithm. The efficiency evaluation unit 13 stores the past shipping order for one week to three months in an auxiliary memory such as a magnetic disk. Then, when a review period such as one week or three months comes, the sum N of the actual number of cutting steps performed during this time and the sum n of the number of cut articles are compared to determine whether the current state is efficient. . If the current situation is efficient, for example, if N <n or N <K · n (K is a constant close to 1), the allocation is determined to be efficient and the allocation is not changed.

In the case of inefficiency, the allocation of the cutout frontage is virtually changed, for example, for one pair of the frontage. For example, the order of the frontage 4-1 and 4-10 in FIG. 1 is virtually changed. Then, the number of steps in the case of the virtual change is simulated. As a result of the simulation, if the improvement of the efficiency is recognized, the allocation of the frontage is changed, and similarly, the simulation of whether or not the frontage is changed for the next pair is repeated. In this way, for example, after the simulation has been performed a predetermined number of times, or when the efficiency improvement by the simulation has decreased to a predetermined value or less, the processing is terminated, and the cutout transport system is operated with a new frontage allocation.

FIG. 9 shows another algorithm for evaluating the allocation efficiency and changing the allocation. In this example, data of (number in reverse order-number in forward order) is stored for each pair of frontage for a period of about one week to three months. For example, in the pair of the frontage (10, 1), the case of shipping the goods in the order of (1, 10) is the normal order,
The order of (10, 1) is reversed. It is the reverse order that reduces the efficiency. Storing (number in reverse order-number in normal order) means that this value is positive and frontage allocation is inefficient.

When the time for reviewing the allocation comes, for example, the allocation is virtually replaced for the most inefficient frontage pair. For example, in the above example, the arrangement of the frontage 10 and the frontage 1 is reversed. Along with this, data processing is required for other frontage pairs. For example, considering the pair of frontage 3 and frontage 1, since frontage 1 has been replaced with frontage 10,
In the pair of the frontage 3 and the frontage 1, the reverse order and the normal order are reversed, and the sign of the data needs to be replaced by ±. After virtually replacing the frontage in this way, for all frontage pairs,
The sum of (reverse order number−forward order number) data is obtained. If the efficiency is improved, the sum of the data should be smaller than the value before the exchange. Therefore, if the improvement is recognized, the allocation is changed, and if the improvement is not recognized, the allocation is left as it is. The same processing is repeated for the next pair. Then, this processing is repeated a predetermined number of times, or this processing is repeated until the improvement of the allocation does not occur, whereby the allocation can be changed.

There are various other algorithms for evaluating and changing the allocation efficiency of the frontage. For example, in the simplest algorithm, the most frequently shipped items are placed first. This is based on the inference that it would be more efficient to ship the most frequently shipped items first instead of considering which items should be placed first in one shipping order. In this way, the article with the largest number of shipments is assigned to the frontage, and the article with the least number of shipments is assigned to the last frontage. And even with such a simple algorithm, the allocation efficiency of the cutout frontage can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an arrangement of a cut-out transfer system according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a control algorithm according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an arrangement of a cut-out transport system according to a second embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a control algorithm according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a characteristic diagram showing a standard cutting cycle in the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a characteristic diagram showing a shortest cutting cycle in the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a characteristic diagram showing a longest cutting cycle in the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a frontage change algorithm according to the embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a modification of the frontage change.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an arrangement of a cut-out transfer system of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Flow shelf 4-1-10 Cutting frontage 6 Conveyor 8 Alignment device 10,12 Controller 13 Efficiency evaluation unit 14 Assignment change unit 16 ID tag 18 Tag writer 20-1-10 Tag reader 20,21 Picking machine 22 Simulation unit

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A cut-out and transfer system in which a plurality of cut-out means are arranged along a conveyor and cut out articles from the cut-out means to the transfer conveyor, wherein the recording medium moves to the transfer conveyor in synchronization with the conveyor. And a means for writing a cutout command to the recording medium upstream of the plurality of cutout means on the conveyor, and for reading a cutout command written to the recording medium downstream of the writing means. A cut-out transport system, characterized in that the cut-out transport system is provided with means for operating each cut-out means in response to the read-out cut-out command. 2. A cutting and conveying system in which a plurality of cutting means are arranged along a conveyor and cut out articles from the cutting means to the conveying conveyor, wherein the order of the cutting means corresponding to the order of articles to be shipped. A sequence is virtually formed, and the sequence is virtually moved along the conveyor, and when the position of the cutting unit in the sequence matches the actual position of the cutting unit, the sequence is cut out by the cutting unit. A cut-out transport system, comprising a simulation means for determining an operation timing of each cut-out means so as to give a command. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: means for evaluating the allocation efficiency of said cutout means; and means for changing the allocation of the cutout means according to the evaluated allocation efficiency. Or 2 cut-out transport system.