JPS5917688B2 - Article sorting device using voice - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention is an article sorting system that automatically sorts moving packages according to the precedence using voice commands at cargo terminals such as truck terminals, post offices, and airports. It is related to the device.

Conventionally, when sorting packages on a conveyor according to their destination, one or more operators are placed in a predetermined area along the conveyor, and these operators read the destination markings attached to the packages and sort them. By changing the code and pressing a key on the operation panel according to the destination code (key-in), the unloading point is specified, and the sorting device is controlled by programming to distribute the cargo at the specified unloading point. ing.

However, this method involved keying in a fixed combination of keys on a complicated electronic operation panel.

A certain degree of knowledge, skill, and skill are required for its handling.

However, it takes time to train such operators, and because instructions are given to sorting destinations by manual key operation, the operator's key-in speed is relatively slow (and the physical fatigue of the hands and fingers is severe, which is inevitable). As a result, there were many key operation errors.

For this reason, there is a strong demand for the development of a device that is easy to handle, does not require advanced knowledge or skill on the part of the operator, causes less physical fatigue on the operator, and can control the sorting device at high speed and reliably.

In this case, the present invention does not require a skilled operator, and the physical fatigue of the operator is small (furthermore, it is continuously fed (
The present invention provides an article sorting device that can efficiently sort various loads (umbrellas) of different sizes.

That is, the present invention uses a voice recognition device, identifies the operator's voice with this device, and controls the sorting device at high speed according to the output electric signal of the voice recognition device depending on the destination of the parcel. In addition, the baggage conveyance path is constructed of a plurality of continuous conveyors, and the conveyor located at the most upstream location is equipped with a transmission device that selectively reduces the conveyor speed according to the frequency of occurrence of audio signals. A stopper is installed under the conveyor located at the top of the conveyor, which rotates in the direction of carrying out the cargo and moves in and out of the conveyance surface at appropriate times. This system is designed to provide a certain gap regardless of the size of the baggage, thereby sufficiently improving the performance of the sorting device.

Next, the present invention will be explained in detail based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a skeletal plan view showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the same.

In the figure, reference numeral IL11 is a constant speed conveyor, and 12.12 is an accumulation conveyor connected to the terminal end of the conveyor. l1%The conveyor speed is 3 as an example
0rrl/min.

The above-mentioned conveyors IL11 and 12.12 are two conveyors each installed in parallel as an example, and large and small mixed baggage (umbrellas) are placed in close contact with each other from the top of the transport conveyor 11 to the top of the accumulation conveyor 12. Continuous conveyance is possible.

Variable speed command feeders 13.13 are connected to the terminal ends of the accumulation conveyors 12j12, and operators p, .
Place p2.

The operators p, , p2 are provided with portable microphones M for capturing the operator's voices, and the microphones M are electrically connected to the voice recognition device 1.

Note that this voice recognition device uses a known voice recognition device that converts voice input into electrical signals.

This type of speech recognition device includes 1, for example, one that extracts the features of a speech pattern and recognizes them based on the presence or absence or combination of those features (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 49-71845 "Word Recognition Device"). There is a method that prepares a shape, overlaps it with the pattern to be recognized, selects the one with the highest degree of similarity, and recognizes it (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 114302/1983 entitled "Speech Spectrum Normalization Classification Apparatus").

Therefore, this voice recognition device 1 is used as an automatic baggage sorting device 2, which will be described later.
When sorting each baggage, the operator's voice (for example, "Tokyo", "Osaka", etc.) is sent to the voice recognition device 1 via the microphone M.

This identification device is configured to issue an electrical signal for sorting to the sorting device 2.

As shown in FIG. 3, the command feeder 13.13 is constituted by a belt conveyor whose speed can be automatically changed.

That is, in the figure, 14 and 15 are belt wheels, and 16 is a belt suspended between the belt wheels.

Reference numeral 17 denotes a variable speed motor with a reduction gear, which changes the driving speed of the belt to an appropriate speed.

Note that this belt speed is always controlled by operator P, ,
P2 identifies the cargo and sorts it at a speed of about 5, for example 30m/T, by controlling the sorting device by voice command.
Ru! Operate steadily at L.

When the operator's utterance interval, etc. is equal to or greater than a preset time interval, the conveyor is controlled to operate at a steady speed; on the other hand, when the utterance interval, etc. is shorter than the preset time interval, the conveyor is controlled to operate at a steady speed. In this case, the variable speed motor 17 is controlled so that the driving speed of the belt 16 can be reduced to a low speed.

In this case, for example, if the operator generation interval is set to 1
times/second, and if it is shorter than that, the maximum speed is 30m/mi! L~Minimum speed 15
5 so that the speed can gradually decrease between m/-.

The command feeder 13.13 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
As shown in the figure, two dispensing feeders 18 are installed in parallel.
．． 18 are connected respectively.

This delivery feeder 18.18 is constructed as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 by a chain-driven roller conveyor.

That is, the roller 20 is pivotally supported on the machine frames 19, 19.

21 is a roller shaft, and 22 is a bearing. Freewheels 23 and 24 each having a first-order or similar configuration are fixed to both ends of the roller shaft 21.

That is, the freewheels 23 and 24 use a sprocket wheel that has a built-in ratchet (not shown), which enables transmission only in the direction in which the cargo is traveling, and allows it to rotate idly in the opposite direction.

A chain 25 is then hooked onto the inner freewheel 23 of the freewheels 23 and 24.

Further, a rack bar 26 with a pin rack is engaged with the outer freewheel 24.

The rack bar 26 is moved intermittently and alternately forward and backward at high speed in the direction of the arrow by a drive device (not shown), and drives the freewheel 24 at high speed as it moves forward.

Incidentally, 27 is a guide for the rack bar.

During normal times, the rollers 20 are used as a constant-speed drive roller conveyor via a chain 25, and carry out the cargo carried in from the command feeder 3 to the next stage merging feeder 28 at high speed.

Incidentally, in this embodiment, two delivery feeders 18 are installed in parallel as shown in FIGS. The cargo is received at 18.18, and then the cargo is merged by a merging feeder 28 and converted into a single line.

That is, the two payout feeders 18.18 are individually enabled to operate at high speed by rack bars 26.26, and the timing is adjusted so that the rack bars 26.26 move forward and backward alternately.

A predetermined range of cargo is alternately delivered from each delivery feeder onto the merging feeder.

Further, the payout feeder 18.18 in this embodiment is configured such that all rollers except a portion on the input side can be driven at high speed by a rack bar 26.26 that can slide by a stroke t.

Therefore, when the rack bar is driven, only the rollers located within the projection range of the rack bar are driven at high speed.

The other rollers are driven by chain 25 at a constant speed.

Note that, after the rack bar 26 moves forward by a predetermined stroke, it immediately retreats and returns to its original position.

Incidentally, the steady speed of this delivery feeder 18 is, for example, 30 m/m, and the high speed driving speed is 65 m/m.

The merging feeder 28 has two parallel feeders as shown in FIG.
It is constituted by a wide belt conveyor sufficiently commensurate with the width of the delivery feeder 18.18 of the table.

On this conveyor, two skirts 29.degree. 29 are provided facing each other and the distance between them gradually narrows in the direction of travel.

The inner surface of this skirt 29.degree. 29 is constructed to be smooth so that the cargo that is individually conveyed from the delivery feeders 18, 18 is arranged in a line and delivered to the next spaced feeder 30.

Note that the driving speed of the merging feeder 28 is the same speed as the high-speed dispensing speed of the dispensing feeder 18, so that the merging feeder 28 operates steadily.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 1, the interval feeder 30 is a so-called stripe conveyor in which a plurality of tape-shaped belts 31 are lined up in parallel and driven at the same speed, and 32 in FIG. It is a belt pulley attached to both ends.

This belt pulley is driven at a constant speed by a drive device (not shown).

It is driven at a higher speed than the combined feeder 28.

35 is a belt pulley for applying tension to the belt 31, and 36 is a floor plate provided on the lower surface of the belt 31.

Note that near the dispensing end of the interval feeder 30.

A stopper 37 that can freely appear and retract from below the belt 31 is formed in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the belt.

This stopper 37 is composed of a pipe-shaped rotating shaft 38 that is suspended horizontally below the belt 31 and rotates at a predetermined speed, and a brake 39 that projects from the pipe-shaped rotating shaft 38 onto the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft 38 when necessary.

That is, a through hole 40j40 is formed in the pipe-shaped rotating shaft 38 on both upper and lower surfaces of the pipe in the diametrical direction, and a brake element 39 having a cross-shaped cross section is inserted into the through hole as shown in FIG. A fixed block 41 protruding from the center of the brake element locks the brake element in the rotating shaft 38 so as to be retractable.

The rotating shaft 38 is connected via a clutch brake to the rotating shaft of a motor which always rotates at a constant speed.

This driving means intermittently rotates the rotating shaft 38 by 180 degrees.

Immediately below the rotary shaft 38, there is provided a button 42 which is repeatedly raised and lowered at required time intervals by an electromagnetic device or other driving means, as shown in FIG.

A receiving plate 43 having an arcuate cross section is fixed to the upper end of this bushing 42, and this receiving plate supports the eighth brake element 39.
It is pushed up 5 as shown in the figure, and furthermore, the brake 39 is made to be able to slide on the arcuate receiving plate 43 when the rotating shaft 38 rotates.

By the way, the stopper 3T configured in this way.

Appropriately controls the rotation interval and the timing of pushing up the brake element 39 by the button 42, adjusts the time for which the stopper 31 appears and disappears on the belt 31, and makes the rotational speed of the one-rotation shaft 38 slower than the speed of the belt 31, This acts to dampen the movement of the cargo passing over the stopper and widen it to a predetermined gap.

Note that the reference numeral 45 in FIG. 1 and FIG.

This is a joint conveyor disposed between the delivery end of the interval feeder 30 and the high-speed sorting device 46.

This conveyor transfers the cargo supplied from the interval feeder 30 to the sorting device 2.

The sorting device is an automatic high-speed sorting device, and preferably the upper surface of the conveyor on which the baggage is placed is made of steel plate slats, and the slats are automatically tilted at the designated unloading point to unload the baggage. A slat-type sorting device is used for sorting (see, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 45-21774 ``Article Transfer and Distribution Device'').

The sorting device 2 receives an operator's command sent via the voice recognition device 1, and when a predetermined cargo arrives at the unloading point, the slats etc. tilt to perform the sorting.

Next, a state in which the baggage is sent onto the sorting device by the device of the present invention will be explained.

First, when the cargo is almost continuously fed from the transport conveyor 11 to the command feeder 13 via the accumulation conveyor 12, an operator P1 waits next to the feeder.
．． P2 reads out the destination for each piece of luggage.

The operator's voice is transmitted through the microphone to the voice recognition device 1.
will be received.

When sorting, the voice recognition device 1 transmits a signal to the sorting device to instruct the unloading point.

By the way, when the operator's utterance interval reaches a preset interval, for example, once per second or more, the variable speed motor 17 is automatically lowered from the steady speed by a control device (not shown), thereby changing the driving speed of the command feeder 13 to the above-mentioned utterance interval. The speed of the command feeder 13 is adjusted until a preset utterance interval is obtained.

As a result, the loads on the command feeder reach the delivery feeder 18 at approximately constant intervals (pitch) regardless of their size (length).

In other words, the constant spacing means that the gap between large packages is small, and the gap between small packages is large.

Therefore, the delivery feeder 1 gradually increases the conveyance speed of the above-mentioned cargo.
8 and a high-speed interval feeder 30 via a merging feeder 28
Even if the gap between the loads is widened due to the speed difference, the gap between the loads with large dimensions (length) will become excessively wide, and the gap between the loads with small dimensions (length) will also become excessively wide. I have no regrets.

In actual operation, the steady speed and lower limit speed of the command feeder 13 are determined by the size of the cargo to be handled.

If the operator's sorting is appropriately set in consideration of the maximum value of the signal input speed, etc., each baggage will maintain a substantially constant gap on the final stage spacing feeder 30.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the cargo is alternately delivered from the two rows of delivery feeders 18 on the left and right, and the cargo is delivered to one merging feeder 2.
8, and even in between, the cargo flows from the command feeder 13 onto each delivery feeder 18 without any stagnation.

That is, in FIG. 4, the feeder 18 on the left side in the direction of movement
Before the rack bar 26 is full of cargo, the rack bar 26 slides downstream at high speed, and only the cargo within its projection range is delivered at high speed and transferred onto the first merging feeder 28.

In this case, the loads within the projection range of the rack bar all move at the same speed (because the gaps between the loads do not change, and they move at the same speed as the merging feeder 28, even when transferred to the 1st merging feeder) The gap between them remains unchanged.

On the other hand, the subsequent cargo transferred from the command feeder 13 onto the delivery feeder 18 is placed on the roller 20 of the delivery feeder, which is released from the influence of the rack bar 26 that has slid at high speed and returns to a steady speed.

Note that until this delivery feeder 18 is filled with cargo again, the delivery feeder 18 on the right side in the traveling direction is driven at high speed to send out the cargo on the feeder 18 to the merging feeder 28.

In this way, cargo is alternately supplied from the two rows of left and right delivery feeders to the merging feeder.

The cargo thus transferred onto the merging feeder 28.

The packages are fed in single file to the spacing feeder 30, which operates at a higher speed than the combined feeder and uses the speed difference to provide the desired gap between each package.

The stopper 37 provided in the interval feeder 30 and capable of retracting and retracting rotates intermittently at a high speed in the direction of movement of the cargo at a required speed.

That is, the stopper is rapidly pushed up by the button 42 when the load passes over the stopper (see FIG. 8).
As soon as the bushier reaches its upper limit, the rotating shaft 38 begins to rotate, and when the angle of one rotation reaches 90 degrees, it sinks below the belt surface, and stops rotating when the angle of rotation reaches 180 degrees.

At this time, the button 42 is also returned to its original position.

Then, the bag moves while maintaining a gap narrower than the predetermined gap (only if there is a following baggage, the moving speed of that baggage is suppressed by the stopper).

Since the speed difference between the rotational speed of the stopper and the running speed of the belt is constant, and the time during which the belt is braked by the stopper is constant, the narrow gap also expands to a predetermined width.

Incidentally, since the stopper rotates at a predetermined speed, even if the load collides with the stopper, there will be less overturning of the load and less damage to the load.

The parcels that are sent 9 through the process described above are almost continuously transferred to the sorting device 2 while maintaining a predetermined gap.

The sorting device stores the signal inputted from the voice recognition device 1 in step 5 as described above, and sorts the livestock cargo into predetermined sorting lights.

As described above, since the present invention configures the sorting device using a voice input device, sorting signals can be sent to the sorting device at high speed and with reliable timing.

With the conventional method (key-pressing method using a manual operation panel), it was not possible to fully utilize the capabilities of high-speed sorting equipment.
According to this device using a voice input device, the operator's signal transmission (voice) ability for sorting is sufficient to exceed the potential sorting ability of the high-speed sorting device even for a long period of time.

Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to adjust the speed of the feeder and the timing of the stopper according to the size of the baggage, so it is possible to optimally maintain the gap between the bags and the feeding capacity of the baggage.

Other advantages of the present invention are listed below.

■ The operator can use both hands freely and send signals to the sorting device in any position (even while walking).

■ Operators can also perform cargo sorting work.

■ Does not require skilled operators.

■Voice input is extremely natural, which reduces physical fatigue of the operator's hands and fingers, and prevents key operation errors.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view of the same as above, FIG. 3 is a side view of a command feeder applied to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is the same (a plan view of a delivery feeder, Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A, Fig. 6 is a plan view of the interval feeder, Fig. 1 is a side view thereof, Fig. 8 is a side view of the stopper, and Fig. 9 is a brake that constitutes the stopper. Perspective view of 1st
FIG. 0 is a perspective view of the rotating shaft, and FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the bushing. 1: voice recognition device, 2: sorting device, 11: transport conveyor, 12 near accumulation conveyor. 13: command feeder, 14: belt wheel, 15: belt wheel, 16: belt, 17: variable speed motor, 18: delivery feeder, 19: machine frame, 20: roller. 21: Roller shaft, 22: Bearing, 23: 7 Lee wheel,
24: Freewheel, 25: Chain. 26: Rack bar, 27: Guide, 28: Merging feeder, 29 Nice cart, 30: Interval feeder. 31: Belt, 32: Framework, 33: Belt wheel, 34: Belt wheel, 35: Belt wheel, 36: Floor plate. 37: Stopper, 38 Two rotating shafts, 39: Brake. 40: Through hole, 41: Fixed block, 42: Pusha,
43: Arc-shaped receiving plate, 44 Ni guide, 45: Joint conveyor'
y, p,, p2: Operator 2M: Microphone.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A plurality of continuous conveyance devices conveys the baggage toward the sorting device, and at a desired point along the conveyance device, a voice signal corresponding to the sorting destination of each baggage is sent to the voice recognition device. The sorting device is controlled by the output electric signal from the identification device. The conveyance device is constituted by a conveyor, and the conveyor located at the most upstream side is controlled to operate at a steady speed when the generation interval of the audio signal is equal to or longer than a preset time interval, and the conveyor is controlled to operate at a steady speed, When the interval is smaller than a preset time interval, a transmission device is installed that controls the conveyor speed to slow down according to the occurrence interval, and a transmission device is installed below the conveyor located at the most downstream position, which rotates in the direction of carrying out the cargo. and a stopper that appears and retracts from the conveyance surface at a timely manner is incorporated, and the speed of the conveyor on the downstream side is made relatively faster than the speed of the conveyor on the upstream side. Device.