JPH11116061A - Container placed condition detection method for cargo handling device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To securely control a cargo handling device by detecting a position, a height, the number, and a placed condition of a container group on a cargo bed of a truck. SOLUTION: By use of a distance gauge 6 provided on a clamp mechanism 9 at a cargo handling device 4 to perform run, traverse, and elevation above a stocking port 1a for a truck 2, vertical and lateral sizes of a container 3 positioned at a corner in a container group stacked on a cargo bed of the truck 2 after entering are determined, a center position of the container 3 is then determined, and the distance gauge 6 is actuated to move along the whole container group based on results of detection to detect a height, the number, and a placed condition of the container group.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention detects the position, height, number, and placement state of a group of containers when unloading a container containing fruits and vegetables loaded on a truck bed in a vegetable market, for example. The present invention relates to a container loading state detection method for a cargo handling device that can accurately control the cargo handling device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, loading and unloading operations for unloading containers from trucks are performed manually. Further, in order to improve the efficiency of unloading work by hand, the use of a cargo handling device has been studied.

[0003]

When loading or unloading a container, a truck bed having a plurality of containers stacked thereon has a truck bed and the uppermost layer of the container which rise or change in inclination. In addition, the amount of change differs for each vehicle type or individual truck. In such a situation, when carrying out the cargo handling operation of the container using the above-described cargo handling device, the clamp mechanism that moves up and down the traveling and traversing cargo handling device can accurately detect the state of the container group on the truck bed. Need to position. In this case, in controlling these various types, it is necessary to recognize the loading state on the truck bed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem, and it is possible to reliably control a cargo handling device by detecting a position, a height, a number, and a placement state on a truck bed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for detecting a container placement state of a cargo handling device that can be performed.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is to move a distance meter in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction above a container located at a corner of a group of containers loaded on a loaded truck bed. Then, the size of the container is obtained, then the center position of the container is obtained, and thereafter, the distance meter is moved over the entire container group to detect the height, the number, and the mounting state of the container group. . By doing so, the container group can be recognized three-dimensionally.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention relates to a container located at a corner of a group of containers loaded on a loaded truck carrier by a distance meter provided on a cargo handling device that travels, traverses, and ascends and descends above a truck storage location. Of the container in the vertical and horizontal directions, and then the center position of the container.
Based on these detection results, the height, the number, and the placement state of the container group are detected by operating the distance meter and moving the container group over the entire container group.

Further, according to the present invention, in the above-described method, after detecting the mounting state of the uppermost layer of the container group by the distance meter, the mounting state of the next lower layer after unloading the uppermost layer is detected. By comparing the detection result with the detection result of the upper layer, if the detection results of the position and the mounting state are the same, it is determined that the layer below the detection layer is in the same state as the detection layer.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an automatic cargo handling facility to which a method for detecting a container placement state of a cargo handling device of the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 shows the vicinity of the cargo handling device in the automatic cargo handling equipment. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a main part of a clamp mechanism in the automatic cargo handling equipment. FIG. 4 shows a state where a main part of the clamp mechanism in the automatic cargo handling equipment is viewed in plan. FIG. 5 shows a state in which a truck having a container placed on a storage port in the automatic cargo handling equipment has been stored. FIG. 6 shows the movement process of the distance meter in the method for detecting the container placement state of the cargo handling device of the present invention. 7 and 8 show detection signal waveforms when the range finder is moved in the container loading state detection method of the cargo handling apparatus according to the present invention.

The method for detecting the container placement state of a cargo handling device according to the present invention is carried out by an automatic cargo handling device 1 shown in the figure. The automatic loading and unloading device 1 loads or unloads containers 3 from, for example, a truck 2 truck of a mini-vehicle equipped with pneumatic tires, and loads a pallet 1A on which the containers 3 unloaded from the truck 2 are placed. A roller table 1B to be placed, a conveyor 1C for transporting the container 3 from the roller table 1B to a predetermined location, and the like are provided.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a cargo handling device movably provided on two traveling beams 5 supported by pillars 4a above the entire cargo handling position, and the cargo handling device 4 is guided by the traveling beams 5, 5. Truck 7 moving in the traveling direction of the truck 2
And a transverse carriage 8 provided on a traveling carriage 7 movable in the traveling direction of the truck 2, and a clamp mechanism 9 that moves up and down from the transverse carriage 8. When driving the traveling carriage 7, the traversing carriage 8, and the clamp mechanism 9, each drive unit is controlled in accordance with an output from a control device (not shown), and performs a moving, lifting, lowering, gripping or releasing operation. Have been.

The clamp mechanism 9 clamps, for example, two containers 3 on the carrier of the truck 2 in a vertical direction and two containers in a horizontal direction, and then lifts and transports the containers.
In order to unload onto the pallet 1A or to load four containers 3 collectively from the pallet 1A on the loading platform of the truck 2, the following configuration is adopted.

Reference numeral 11 denotes an elevating mechanism, for example, a winch, which is disposed on the traversing carriage 8, and the elevating base 12 is held in a suspended manner via a wire rope 11a wound or sent out by the winch 11. . And as a mechanism for guiding the elevation of the elevation base 12,
In the present invention, the pantograph mechanism 13 is employed. In the configuration of the present embodiment, the linear guide 13a is used for the slide portion of the pantograph mechanism 13.

Reference numeral 14 denotes a rotary base installed below the elevating base 12 via a horizontal rotary mechanism. As the horizontal rotation mechanism of the rotation base 14, in the configuration of the present embodiment, a pivot 15 is pivotally supported so as to be rotatable on the elevating base 12, and the pivot 15 is rotated by a power cylinder 16, for example. ing. Then, by attaching the rotation base 14 to the lower end of the pivot 15, the rotation base 14 rotates horizontally integrally with the pivot 15.

Reference numeral 17 denotes, for example, two pairs of air cylinders which are disposed in a hanging manner on the rotary base 14. In this embodiment, four pairs of the air cylinders 17 are provided. . Then, for example, a wire rope 1
Each of the clamp portions 19 is installed in a suspended manner through the respective portions 8.

The clamp unit 19 has a configuration in which a pair of positioning air cylinders 19b and clamping air cylinders 19c are respectively arranged on a hand base 19a in a predetermined manner.
As shown in FIG. 4, 9b is disposed on a diagonal line of the container 3 in a plan view, and is used to push the opposing corners of the container 3 from the inside with an extrusion fitting 19d attached to the rod end in a projecting manner. Can be The clamping air cylinder 19c is arranged on the center line in the longitudinal direction of the container 3 in a plan view, and is used to engage the clamp claws 19e with both grips 3a provided on the container 3 from the inside.

Further, when the edge of the hand base 19a comes into contact with the container 3, the winch 11
And a limit switch S2 for stopping the lowering of the elevating base 11 and stopping the lowering of the elevating base 11, and a limit switch S2 for driving the winch 11 to elevate the elevating base 12 when the arm base end of the clamp claw 19e comes into contact.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a cylinder which is suspended from the elevating base 12, and the rod is fitted into a guide cylinder 21 which stands on the upper surface of the rotating base 14 at a position facing the rod of the cylinder 20. Thus, the rotation of the rotation base 14 is prevented.

The distance meter 6 used for carrying out the method of the present invention is, for example, a non-contact type that measures by ultrasonic waves, and is provided so as to look downward from the lifting base 12 of the clamp mechanism 9. .

In the above configuration, the cargo handling operation of the container 3 is performed by controlling the driving of each part. When performing this control, it is necessary to accurately detect the position, height and mounting state of the container 3. In addition, the container 3 can be properly and efficiently unloaded by detecting the mounted state of the container 3 on the bed of the truck 2 in this manner.

A procedure for detecting the position, height, number, and placement state of the containers 3 when carrying out the container unloading operation will be described below. In the automatic cargo handling equipment 1, as shown in FIG.
a is provided, and for example, in this storage port 1a,
As shown in FIG. 5, three rows of containers 3 are stacked on each of A1 to A3 in row A, and containers 3 are stored in rows B1 to B3 in row B.
3 is stacked on each of the three rows, and the container 3 is placed in the C row in the C1 row.
Tracks 3 are stacked in three rows on each of the columns C to C3, and in row D, three levels of containers 3 are stacked on D1 and two levels of containers 3 are stacked on D2.

When the truck 2 enters the storage port 1a, the clamp mechanism 9 fixed at a predetermined height is moved to approach the container group A1 above the container group A1 in plan view, and the initial detection of the position and size of the container 3 is performed. I do.

Here, the plane data of the storage port 1a is:
The data is fixedly stored in advance in a storage device (not shown) as XY plane coordinate data. For example, when the truck 2 enters the storage port 1a slightly obliquely, a deviation from the XY plane coordinates occurs. That is, when the truck 2 enters the storage port 1a, the XY plane coordinates of each of the four corners of the container group placed on the loading platform must be XY.
Assuming that the distance meter 6 is located within a predetermined range of the plane coordinates, the distance meter 6 is moved to the center position in the predetermined range.

Then, from the state where the distance meter 6 is located at the corner of the storage port 1a, first, in order to grasp the position of the container 3, in the short direction of the bed of the truck 2, that is, FIG.
A1 to A3 directions (hereinafter, this direction is referred to as X
The distance meter 6 is moved in the direction A) to detect two long sides, sides 3X1 and 3X2, of the container 3 of A1 facing the X direction. At this time, FIG.
In the signal shown in (1), greatly raised portions are sides 3X1 and 3X2 of the container 3 of A1.

Next, the distance meter 6 is moved in the long direction of the bed of the truck 2, that is, in the directions A1 to D1 (hereinafter, this direction is referred to as the Y direction) as shown in FIG.
The two short sides, sides 3Y1 and 3Y2, of the container 3 of A1 facing in the Y direction are detected. At this time, the greatly raised portions in the signal shown in FIG. 7B detected by the distance meter 6 are the sides 3Y1 and 3Y2 of the container 3 of A1.

The sides 3X1 and 3 of the container 3 of A1
By detecting between X2 and between sides 3Y1 and 3Y2 of container 3 of A1 as described above, X- of storage port 1a is detected.
Compared with the Y-plane coordinates, the position of A1, that is, the position of the storage port 1a of the container 3 at the XY plane coordinates of the unloading start container 3 can be detected, and the height of the container 3 of A1 is detected from the detection signal level. The size in the X and Y directions can be detected from the detection time. In addition, even if noise or inclusion signal of the container 3 appears in the detection signal in each column in the X direction, all signals appearing from one side in the X direction to another side in the X direction are ignored. By doing so, it is possible to improve the detection accuracy of the number of containers 3 and the placement state detected below.

Next, based on the detection result of the size of the container 3 of A1 in the X and Y directions, a moving stroke for moving the distance meter 6 is determined as shown in FIG. 6B. FIG.
In (b), after moving in the X direction as in A1, A2, and A3, B3, B2, and B1, and so on in row C
The state of the entire container group is detected by meandering in the order of the rows.

In the present embodiment, the movement control of the distance meter 6 is based on the detection signal level of the distance meter 6 in order to move the distance meter 6 in a meandering manner. When the detection signal level at the floor height is reached, the movement of the distance meter 6 in the X direction is stopped, and the distance meter 6 is moved in the Y direction by the size of one container 3 in the Y direction detected as described above. Then, the distance meter 6 is moved in the X direction in the opposite direction to the traveling direction in the X direction of the front row, and the distance meter 6 sequentially detects the distance and moves the distance in the X direction of the storage port 1a. If the detection signal level at the floor level of the storage port 1a continues for a certain period of time, it is programmed in advance to end the detection.

The detection signal of the container group detected by moving the distance meter 6 as shown in FIG. 6B appears as shown in FIG. That is, when the detection is started and the distance meter 6 is at the storage port 1a, the detection signal is equal to the storage port 1a.
At the floor level. Thereafter, the distance meter 6 moves to the loading platform, and the detection signal also becomes the loading platform level accordingly. When the distance signal reaches the container 3 of A1, the detection signal has three levels of detection levels, and the detection signals of A1, A2, and A3 are obtained. Three are detected.

After the detection of A3, the detection signal becomes the platform level, but the distance meter 6 moves in the X direction as it is. When the detection signal reaches the floor level of the storage port 1a,
The distance meter 6 stops moving in the X direction, the distance meter 6 moves in the Y direction by one distance in the Y direction of the container 3, and thereafter, the distance is opposite to the traveling direction of the A row in the X direction. The total 6 moves in the X direction to detect the loading platform, and detects the three rows of containers 3 in row B in the order of B3, B2, and B1.

Thereafter, the range finder 6 turns as described above to detect the three rows of containers 3 in row C in the order of C1, C2 and C3, and then the range finder 6 turns as described above. After detecting the loading platform, after the loading platform level signal continues for the position corresponding to D3 without the reference numeral, the container 3 of the two-stage D2 and the container 3 of the three-stage D3 are sequentially detected.

Then, the range finder 6 changes its direction and proceeds to the detection of the next row. However, if the detection signal remains at the floor level of the storage port 1a and continues for the distance in the X direction for the time required for the range finder 6 to move. , Detection ends. As a result of this detection, the control device (not shown) includes three rows of containers 3 in the X direction and four rows of containers 3 in the Y direction. Of these, three rows of containers 3 are stacked in rows A to C in the Y direction. And the fourth row in the Y direction (D row)
Detects that two containers 3 are stacked in D2 and three containers 3 are stacked in D1 by opening one container 3 in the X direction.

Note that the truck 2 is connected to the storage port 1a.
If the container is misaligned or the container 3 has a gap or if there is a gap between the containers 3, for example, if there is a gap in the X direction between A1 and A2, noise occurs in the detection signal. After that, there is no problem because one side of A2 can be detected from one side in the X direction, and there is no problem. For example, if there is a gap between rows A to D in the Y direction, or if they are arranged diagonally, In the method of the present invention, the movement of the distance meter 6 is moved to the center of the container 3 in the Y direction. There is no false detection.

The movement of the distance meter 6 is controlled by, for example, the distance meter 6 always moving the distance from one end to the other end of the storage port 1a in the X direction instead of the above-described direction change program of the distance meter 6. After the distance meter 6 arrives at one end or the other end, the distance is set to 1 in the Y direction of the container 3.
The range finder 6 is moved in the Y direction by the size of the unit, and the range finder 6 is moved in the X direction opposite to the forward direction of the X direction in the front row. If the detection signal level at the floor level of the storage port 1a continues for the time that the distance meter 6 moves in the X direction distance of 1a, the program may end the detection.

Next, the clamp mechanism 9 is finely adjusted in the XY directions based on the XY plane position information of the container 3 of A1 detected in the initial stage, and the winch 11 is moved until the limit switch S1 is operated. After driving, the elevating base 12 is lowered, the limit switch S1 is operated and the winch 11 is stopped, and then the rod of the air cylinder 17 is protruded to drive the positioning air cylinder 19b and the clamping air cylinder 19c. The container 3 is gripped. When the clamping air cylinder 19c is driven to open the clamping claw 19e, the clamping claw 19e is opened.
The base end of the arm comes into contact with the limit switch S2 to operate, whereby the winch 11 is driven to wind and the elevating base 12 is raised, and thereafter, the cargo handling device 4 is moved to the pallet 1A, where the container 3 is moved. Place.

Then, four pieces located at the corners of the container group,
That is, containers 3 of A1, A2, B1, and B2 in the uppermost layer
After that, the clamp mechanism 9 is moved by the loading / unloading device 4 to the next unloading point calculated from the dimensions of the container 3 based on the state and position information of the container group, and the above procedure is repeated. . By doing so, the unloading operation can be performed quickly and reliably. In addition, the following unloading is performed for two A3 and B3 containers on the uppermost layer, three C1, C2 and D1 on the uppermost layer, one C3 on the uppermost layer,
It is performed in the order of

During the unloading operation, although the position of the container group on the XY plane is detected, the entire container group may actually be tilted. The limit switch S1 is operated at the edge of the container 3 located at the top of the inclined container 3 among the four containers 3 grasped at a time, and the container 3 located at the bottom of the container 3 is inclined.
In such a case, there may occur a phenomenon that the extrusion fitting 19d and the clamp claw 19e are not correctly positioned with respect to the container 3, and the container 3 located at the inclined lowermost portion is not grasped.

Therefore, in order to prevent the above-mentioned phenomenon, the limit switch S1 is actuated by the contact between the edge of the container 3 located at the inclined uppermost portion and the hand base 19a at the position corresponding to the container 3 once. Elevating base 1
2 is stopped, and the rod of the air cylinder 17 is protruded, so that the hand base 1
If 9a is in contact, the wire rope 18 bends; otherwise, the rod of the air cylinder 17 is protruded to allow the hand base 19a to contact the upper edge of the container 3 for the first time. By doing so, the pushing-out fitting 19d and the clamp claws 19e can be correctly positioned with respect to the four containers 3 grasped at a time even if the container group is inclined.

However, the lifting base 12 is stopped by operating the limit switch S1 as described above,
In the case of the clamp mechanism 9 of the present embodiment that grasps three containers 3, when four clamps 3 cannot be grasped at the same time by the clamp mechanism 9, that is, two of A 3 and B 3, C of the uppermost layer
In the case of three of 1, C2 and D1 and one of C3, all the limit switches S1 corresponding to the four containers 3 do not operate, so that the clamping mechanism 9 may cause a gripping operation error and interrupt the work. However, according to the method of the present invention, since the placement state of the container group has already been detected at this time, two clamps A3 and B3 and three clamps C1, C2 and D1 in the uppermost layer are provided. When one of C3 and C3 is gripped, all four limit switches S1 do not operate and even if four containers 3 cannot be gripped at the same time, no gripping operation error occurs.

After the uppermost container 3 is unloaded, the mounted state of the second-stage container 3 is detected by the distance meter 6 again. The difference between the second tier and the third tier is that everything including the container 3 of the second tier in D2 is located at the height of the second tier. According to the present invention, when the container group state of the third stage is detected, the container 3 of D2 in the second stage is detected.
This time, the loading state of the container group of the second tier is changed only in the height direction when the containers 3 of A1 to D1 of the third tier are unloaded. If it is determined that there is no change in the placement state in the Y direction, the detection of the placement state of the container group by the distance meter 6 is not performed when the first stage is unloaded. By doing so, the detection time by the range finder 6 can be reduced, and the entire unloading operation time can be reduced.

Thus, the container 3 in the second stage is A1,
A2, B1, B2, A3, B3, C1, C
2, D1 and D2, 4 pieces, and C3, 1 piece are unloaded in that order, and the container 3 is unloaded at the first stage as well as the second stage. Then, after it is detected by the distance meter 6 that all of the detected container groups have been unloaded, the unloading operation is completed. In the above procedure, the range finder 6 may be moved for each stage to detect the placement state of the container group.

As described above, the information on the accurate position, height, number, and number of containers 3 loaded on the loading platform of the truck 2 can be obtained by the container loading state detection method of the cargo handling device of the present invention. With this detection, every time the container 3 is unloaded, the loading platform of the truck 2 and the uppermost layer of the container group are raised or the inclination is changed, and even if the amount of change is different for each vehicle type or individual truck 2 Thus, each part of the automatic cargo handling equipment 1 can be accurately controlled, so that the unloading operation of the container 3 can be performed quickly and efficiently.

[0042]

As described above, the container loading state detecting method of the cargo handling apparatus according to the present invention detects the loading state such as the position, height, and number of the container group on the truck bed by using the range finder. Since each part of the cargo handling device is controlled based on the detection result, it is possible to carry out the cargo handling work accurately and quickly, and it is possible to respond to the height and inclination of the loading platform and container group that change with the cargo handling work, and malfunction Can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of an automatic cargo handling equipment to which a method for detecting a container placement state of a cargo handling device according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing the vicinity of the cargo handling device and the clamp mechanism in the automatic cargo handling equipment to which the container loading state detecting method of the cargo handling device according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a main part showing a side surface of a clamp mechanism in the automatic cargo handling equipment to which the container loading state detecting method of the cargo handling device of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a main part of a clamp mechanism in the automatic cargo handling equipment to which the method for detecting a container placement state of a cargo handling device according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state in which a truck having a container placed in a storage port to which the method for detecting a container placement state of a cargo handling device according to the present invention is applied;

FIGS. 6A and 6B show a travel process of a range finder in the method for detecting a container mounted state of a cargo handling device according to the present invention, wherein FIG. 6A shows a travel process in an initial detection stage, and FIG. FIG.

FIG. 7 is a detection signal waveform when the range finder is moved as shown in FIG. 6A in the container loading state detection method of the cargo handling device of the present invention, wherein FIG.
(B) is a figure which each shows the case where it moves in the Y direction.

8 is a detection signal waveform when the range finder is moved as shown in FIG. 6B in the container loading state detection method of the cargo handling device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 automatic cargo handling equipment 3 container 4 cargo handling equipment 6 distance meter

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Maki Maekawa 5-3-28 Nishikujo, Konohana-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Inside Hitachi Zosen Corporation (72) Inventor Kiyoshi Okita 5-chome, Nishikujo, Konohana-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka No. 3 28 Inside Hitachi Zosen Corporation

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. Traveling, traversing above a truck parking place,
By means of a distance meter provided on the loading / unloading device for lifting / lowering, the vertical and horizontal sizes of the containers located at the corners of the group of containers loaded on the loaded truck bed are obtained, and then the center position of the container is determined. After that, based on these detection results, based on these detection results, the range finder is operated and moved over the entire container group to detect the height, number and placement state of the container group. Container mounting state detection method. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: detecting a placement state of an uppermost layer of the container group by a distance meter, detecting a placement state of a lower layer next to the unloading of the uppermost layer, and comparing the detection result with the detection result of the upper layer. 2. The cargo handling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, when the detection results of the position and the placement state are the same, it is determined that a layer below the detection layer is in the same state as the detection layer. 3. Container loading state detection method.