JPH11342925A - Sorting system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To replenish labels by a simple operation without generating waste after the completion of sorting work by providing a label issuance means and a label issuance instruction means. SOLUTION: A work mode is set as a label issuance mode (step S1), and the number of issuance of distribution labels is input (step S2). '0's are displayed at a time on a number display by the arrangement (step S3). Then an issuance instruction button is set ON (step S4). An ON signal is transferred and stored on an operation table, and the issuance number set the step S2 is displayed on a number display (step S5). Then whether the checking works for all stores are completed or not is judged (step S6), and when they are not completed, the operation is repeated, while when all are completed is judged, a completion button of an optional, number display means is set ON (step S7). Distribution labels of specified number are issued to the instructed stores by the arrangement.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sorting system used in the distribution process of commodities, and more specifically, issuance of a delivery label attached to a delivery container for shipping commodities to each destination store. It is about.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a product distribution center for supermarkets and convenience stores, sorting work is performed in which various kinds of goods are ordered according to orders from stores, and in recent years, this sorting work has been carried out. It is increasingly performed using a sorting system.

[0003] In this sorting system, in a collection area for each destination store provided along a product conveyance path, a number display for displaying the number of articles put into these collection areas is provided. At the same time, when each product is instructed by, for example, scanning a bar code, the number of orders for the product from each store is displayed on the number display, and the worker places the product in the collection area. By putting the displayed quantity into the containers, the ordered products of each store can be sorted into the containers by the ordered quantity.

[0004] Then, the containers after the sorting operation are shipped to each store. In this case, in order to prevent mistakes in the delivery of the goods, the delivery with the store name and store code printed thereon is performed. A label will be attached to each container.

[0005] By the way, this kind of delivery label is usually issued using a label printer, and as a form of issuance, there are cases where only a necessary number of labels are issued after the sorting operation is completed (for example, a special case). Kaihei 9-188403
In some cases, a sufficient number of labels are issued in advance.

In this case, if the latter method is adopted, it is necessary to replenish the labels for stores whose remaining number has decreased after the sorting operation is completed and before the next sorting operation is started. , The following two methods have been used.

[0007] The first method is 20 sheets for the first store,
The fourth method is to issue a delivery label individually by designating a store code and the number of prints for each store, such as 30 sheets, and to issue a delivery label individually.
This is a method in which a delivery label is roughly issued by designating a range of store codes and a uniform number of issuances, such as 50 sheets for the first branch.

[0008]

According to the first method, the store code and the number of issued cards are input for each store.
There is a disadvantage that the operation becomes complicated.

In the second method, labels are issued for stores that do not require replenishment.
There is a drawback that labels are wasted.

Therefore, according to the present invention, in such a sorting system, a label is prepared in advance,
When refilling the used labels after the sorting work is completed, pay attention to the fact that the number indicator arranged in the collection area corresponds to the destination store, and replenish the labels without waste by simple operation. The task is to make it available.

[0011]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is characterized in that it is configured as follows.

That is, the invention according to claim 1 of the present application (hereinafter, referred to as a first invention) is to provide a collection area for each destination provided along a goods transport route with a product corresponding to these collection areas. Each of the destinations is provided by providing a number indicator for displaying the number of pieces to be supplied, and by inputting the products to the delivery containers arranged in the collection area by the number indicated on the number indicators. In a sorting system that sorts ordered products by order quantity, a label issuing unit that issues a delivery label for each destination attached to the delivery container, and a label issuing unit that is provided for each of the quantity indicators. And a label issuance instructing means for instructing issuance of a delivery label.

Further, the invention according to claim 2 of the present application (hereinafter referred to as “the invention”)
A second invention) is characterized in that the label issuance instructing means in the first invention is configured to instruct the issuance of a number of labels according to the number of operations.

According to the above configuration, the following operation can be obtained.

According to the first and second aspects of the present invention, the issuance of the delivery label is instructed by operating the label issuance instructing means provided for each of the number indicators. A label is issued for a store for which the remaining amount of labels has decreased due to the operation.

Further, since labels for stores that do not require replenishment are not issued, there is no waste of labels.

In addition, since the issuance of the delivery label is instructed by operating the label issuance instructing means of the number indicator provided in the collection area, it is possible to perform the issuance instructing operation while checking the remaining number of labels. In addition, work efficiency is improved, and occurrence of errors is reduced.

In particular, according to the second invention, the number of labels is issued according to the number of times of operation of the label issuing instruction means, so that the number of labels appropriately corresponding to the number of consumed labels is issued. .

[0019]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, the overall configuration of a sorting system according to this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG.
This sorting system has a product transport path 2 for loading products to be sorted into a cart 1 for each item and transporting the products in a meandering manner, and a plurality of products for collecting ordered products for each destination store on both sides of the transport route 2. Are arranged in a line. An operation console 4 for work management is provided at a start position of the commodity transport path 2, and the operation console 4 has a barcode scanner 5 for reading a barcode attached to the commodity. And a label printer 6 for issuing a delivery label attached to the delivery container.

As shown in FIG. 2, each collection area 3 has delivery containers C... C into which sorted products are put.
And a number indicator 10 above the
... 10 are installed. Each of the number indicators 10 has a loading instruction lamp 11 for instructing the loading of a product into the container C in the collection area 3, a display section 12 for digitally displaying the number of the loaded products, and an ON operation when the loading of the product is completed. And an issue instruction button 14 for issuing a delivery label.

A number of delivery labels L... L issued in advance for the respective destination stores are stored in label storage boxes 15. .

On the other hand, this sorting system is provided with a control system as shown in FIG. This control system is connected to a host computer (not shown) provided at the distribution center, and stores sorting information such as the ordered product name and the ordered quantity for each destination store,
A system controller 20 for managing the entire sorting system;
The console 4 described above is connected to the console 0 via a repeater 21.

The console 4 and each of the number indicators 10 are connected by a bidirectional communication line via a display controller 22, and each of the number indicators 10 has a one-chip microcomputer ( (Not shown), and communicates with the console 4 to display the received order quantity on the display unit 12 and the completion button 1
For example, a completion signal or the like generated by the ON operation of 3 is transmitted to the console 4.

In this case, an ID code is assigned to each of the quantity indicators 10, and the order quantity is transmitted from the console 4 with the ID code, and each of the quantity indicators 10 has its own ID. Only when the code coincides with the code, this is fetched as a message addressed to itself and displayed on the display unit 12. Also, when transmitting from each piece display 10 to the console 4,
The message is transmitted with its own ID code attached so that the console 4 can recognize which number display 10 the message is from.

The sorting operation of commodities by this sorting system is generally performed as follows. That is,
At a start position of the transport path 2, an operator “a” shown in FIG.
When the bar code attached to the product to be sorted next is read, the sorting data such as the store where the product has been ordered and the number of orders received is read from the system controller 20 and transmitted to the repeater 21. Along with
Through the operation console 4 and the display controller 22, the input instruction lamps 11 ... 11 of the collection areas 3 ... 3 corresponding to the stores for which the order was received among the collection areas 3 ... 3 are simultaneously turned on.
The display unit 12 digitally displays the number of orders received from each store.

Then, while the worker a loads the goods on the carriage 1 and moves along the transport path 2, each collection area 3.
In the area 3 in which the insertion instruction lamps 11... 11 are turned on, the products are inserted into the containers C... C by the number displayed on the display sections 12. In this case, the worker a enters the completion button 13
Is turned on, thereby turning off the display of the insertion instruction lamp 11 and the display unit 12 one by one, and recognizing the completion of the insertion of the product into the collection area 3. Then, when the delivery container C is full, the worker a packs the container C and affixes a delivery label L taken out of the upper label storage box 15 to a side surface thereof.

In this way, if the product input and the completion button 13 are turned ON, the container C is transferred to the containers C... Are sorted by the number of orders received, and by repeating this process for all the products, the ordered products of each store are collected in the containers C.

The containers C,..., C, which have been sorted in this way, are shipped to the respective stores, and the label storage boxes 15,.
Is supplied with the delivery label L.

The replenishment of the delivery label is specifically described in FIG.
Is performed as follows according to the flowchart of FIG.

That is, the worker a operates the console 4 in step S1 to set the work mode to the label issuing mode, and then inputs the number of delivery labels to be issued in step S2, for example, 10 for 10 sheets. I do. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 5, the numerical value of "0" is simultaneously displayed on the display section 12 of each of the number indicators 10... 10 (step S3).

Next, the worker a tours the transport path 2 to check the remaining amount of the label storage boxes 15... 15 for each collection area, and
When the number 5 is found, the issue instruction button 14 of the number indicator 10 installed in the collection area 3 is turned ON (step S4). This ON signal is transmitted to the display controller 22.
The numeric value (in the example shown in FIG. 6, the number of sheets to be issued) set in step S2 as shown in FIG. 10 ") is displayed on the display section 12 of the number display 10 (step S5). Here, issue instruction button 1
Each time 4 is pressed, the number of issued sheets is added and displayed. Therefore, if the issuance instruction button 14 is turned ON continuously, for example, three times, a numerical value of 30 is displayed on the display unit 12.

Then, the worker a further traverses the transport route 2 and determines whether or not the check work has been completed for all stores (step S6). If not, the procedure returns to step S4 again to return to the above step S4. The operation is repeated, and when it is determined that the operation has been completed, the process proceeds to step S7, and the completion button 13 of the arbitrary number display 10 is turned ON.
As a result, the label printer 6 issues the specified number of delivery labels for the designated store.

As described above, the issuance of the delivery label is instructed by operating the issuance instruction button 14 of the quantity indicator 10 provided in the collection area corresponding to each destination store. A label is issued for a store where the remaining amount of the label is reduced by a simple operation without requiring input.

Further, since labels for stores that do not require replenishment are not issued, there is no waste of labels.

In addition, since the issuance of the delivery label is instructed by operating the issue instruction button 14 of the number indicator 10 provided in the collection area, the remaining number of the delivery labels stored in the label storage box 15 is checked. The issuing instruction operation can be performed while the operation efficiency is improved, and the occurrence of mistakes is reduced.

In particular, as in the present embodiment, by issuing a label issuing instruction in a number corresponding to the number of times of operation of the issuing instruction button 14, the number of labels appropriately corresponding to the number of consumed labels is issued. Will be.

In the label issuing mode, the completion button 13 may be diverted to the label issuing instruction means, and the operation of the console 4 may cause the label printer to output a delivery label issuing command. This eliminates the need for a dedicated label issuing instruction means and eliminates the need for the number indicator 10.
Has the real benefit that this sort of sorting system has lower equipment costs.

[0039]

As described above, according to the present invention, the issuance of the delivery label is instructed by operating the label issuance instructing means provided for each of the number indicators, so that it is not necessary to input the store code. With a simple operation, a label is issued for a store where the remaining amount of the label is low.

Since labels for stores that do not require replenishment are not issued, there is no waste of labels.

Further, since the issuance of the delivery label is instructed by operating the label issuing instruction means of the number indicator provided in the collection area, it is possible to perform the issuance instruction operation while checking the remaining number of labels. In addition, work efficiency is improved, and occurrence of errors is reduced.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the number of labels is issued according to the number of times of operation of the label issuing instruction means, so that the number of labels appropriately corresponding to the number of consumed labels is issued. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a layout diagram of a sorting system.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a collection area.

FIG. 3 is a control system diagram of the sorting system.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a label issuing operation.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing a state where “0” is displayed on the number indicator.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view showing a state in which the number of labels issued is displayed on the number indicator.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Commodity transport path 3 Collection area 4 Operation console 6 Label printer 10 Quantity display 14 Issue instruction button C Delivery container L Delivery label

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A collection area for each destination, which is provided along a product transport path, is provided with a number indicator for displaying the number of articles put into the collection area. In a sorting system in which the products displayed by the number display are put into the delivery containers arranged in the collection area, the ordered products for each destination are sorted by the number of orders.
Label issuing means for issuing a delivery label for each destination attached to the delivery container, and label issuing instruction means provided for each of the number indicators and instructing the label issuing means to issue a delivery label are provided. Sorting system characterized by being performed. 2. The sorting system according to claim 1, wherein the label issuance instructing means is configured to instruct the issuance of a number of labels according to the number of operations.