JPS61248801A - Replenishment indicating device for flow shelf system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable replenishment to be simply and easily performed by configurating a device in such a way that when the number of articles in stock on flow shelves is found to be less than the set number based on an indicated number of articles picked up by means of a management means, replenishment which corresponds to the position of the article involved, is indicated so as to be performed. CONSTITUTION:Both the maximum number of stores and the minimum number of stores, at the point of which replenishment starts, by an article are memorized in a central management system 21. And each of shelves is filled with the maximum number of stores. Then, an order list is inputted into the central management system 21, this causes the number of stores for pickup to be displayed on a indication operating section of flow shelves 11, 11... through an operation controller 22 permitting them to be actually picked up with a belt conveyer driven. During this time, the displayed number is decreased step by step starting from the maximum number, and when the displayed number is found to be less than the minimum number of stores, an indication lamp for replenishment lights indicating that stores must be replenished. In this case, the store is replenished to the maximum number.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a fluid shelving system for transporting articles from a storage entrance to a storage exit, and particularly to a system that indicates when to replenish the goods.

[Technical Background of the Invention] As is well known, a device has an inclined shelf board, and the shelf positions facing the front are used as storage positions for separate articles, and the inclination of the shelf is used to store the article cases in front. Fluid shelf systems are becoming popular, with a structure in which when removed, a new case from the rear comes forward. A large number of such floating shelf systems are placed in storage locations such as warehouses, and are often used in so-called order picking systems, in which workers take out a predetermined number of predetermined types of products one after another according to an order list. ing.

By the way, in conventional picking operations, workers have a list (slip) to pick and take out a predetermined number of predetermined items based on the list, which takes a long time and causes a decrease in work efficiency. I have this problem.

Therefore, recently, quantity indicators are installed at each article storage position of each floating shelf, and a computer-based central control system is used to automatically display the quantity of articles to be taken out. A fluid shelf system is being actively developed that notifies the computer of the completion of work and displays the next quantity to be taken out by operating a reset switch installed in parallel to the quantity display. There is.

[Problems with the background technology] However, there is still room for improvement in the technology that attempts to improve the efficiency of picking operations by centrally managing a fluidized shelf system using a computer, and there is still room for improvement in the technology used in various ways. There is a strong demand for development that can meet the needs of people.

For example, conventionally, replenishing items on the shelves is extremely complicated and requires a great deal of effort, as managers regularly go around and replenish the items.

[Purpose of the Invention] This invention was made based on the above circumstances, and provides an extremely good fluid shelf that can automatically issue replenishment instructions for the item when the number of items in stock on the shelf falls below a predetermined number. The purpose is to provide a replenishment instruction device for the system.

[Summary of the Invention] That is, the replenishment instruction device for a fluidized shelf system according to the present invention provides instructions for replenishing a plurality of fluidized shelves that transport articles in one direction.
In a floating shelf system comprising a management means for instructing the position and quantity of articles to be taken out in response to an external article retrieval request, the number of articles in stock on the floating shelf is set based on the instruction of the quantity to be taken out by the management means. By installing an instruction means that detects when the number of items in stock is below a predetermined number and issues a replenishment instruction corresponding to the position of the item, when the number of items in stock on the shelf falls below a predetermined number, This allows the user to give replenishment instructions for the item at a glance.

[Embodiment of the Invention] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 shows a fluidized shelf system 11 to which the present invention is applied. This fluid shelf system 11
has a plurality of (three in the illustrated case) shelves 12, 12, . . . installed so as to be inclined forward. On the 8 shelves 12.12..., articles 14, 14... are placed in cases 13.13... by type on the front of the 8 shelves 12.12...
is placed. Moreover, behind each case 13° 13..., cases 13.13... of the same articles 14.14... are arranged.

Here, the above-mentioned articles 14.14... are stored on shelves 12.12.
It is taken out from the front of..., but one case 1
3 is empty, when that case 13 is removed, the rear case 13 will come forward due to the inclination, and the next takeout will be carried out from there.

In addition, the replenishment of goods 14.14... will cost $12.12.
This is done by placing a new case 13 at the rear of the...

Here, the shelves 12, 12, . . .
Display operation units 15, 15, . . . are installed at positions corresponding to the cases 13, 13, . This display operation section 15.15... is
As shown in FIG. 3, it has a digital display section 16 for displaying the quantity and a reset switch 17 for resetting the display of the digital display section 16.

The display and operation units 15, 15, . . . are controlled by a computer-based central management system via a control panel (not shown). That is, when data (order list) indicating the type and quantity of the ordered articles 14.14... is input, this central management system records the case 13.
Display operation unit 15 installed at a position corresponding to 13...
．． 15... Outputs quantitative data. Then, the quantities are displayed simultaneously on the digital display units 16 of the display/operation units 15, 15, . . . corresponding to the articles 14, 14, . . . to be taken out.

For this reason, the worker must purchase the goods based on the displayed quantity.
4.14... are picked sequentially and the reset switch 17 is operated every time the picking operation for one type of article 14 is completed.
The display on the digital display section 16 corresponding to the operated article 14 is reset, and when all the digital display sections 16 are reset, the central management system starts accepting the next order list.

Here, as shown in FIG. 4, there are a plurality of fluidized shelf systems 11 controlled by the central management system as described above facing the belt conveyor 18 (in the illustrated case, eight
) arranged side by side. In this case, a picking worker is assigned to each fluid shelf system 11, 11, . . . . In addition, a storage conveyor 1 is located in front of the belt conveyor 18 in the running direction indicated by arrow A in the figure.
9 and a delivery conveyor 20 are installed. Each of the above-mentioned liquid shelf systems 11, 11... and each conveyor 18 to 20 is controlled by a control signal from a computer-based central management system 21 supplied via a control operation panel 22. It is.

That is, when the order list is input to the central management system 21, the central management system 21 inputs the order list to the control operation panel 22.
, the number of articles 14, 14, . At this time, under the control of the central management system 21, an empty box (not shown) provided on the storage conveyor 19 is conveyed onto the belt conveyor 18 by the delivery conveyor 2G. After that, belt conveyor 1
8 is controlled by the central management system 21 into the following operational states.

First, the empty box is located at the leftmost fluid shelf system 11 in Figure 4.
When the belt conveyor 18 reaches a position corresponding to
Articles 14 picked from item 1 are stored in empty boxes.

When the predetermined time has elapsed, the belt conveyor 18 is moved again, and when the empty box reaches the position corresponding to the second fluidic shelf system 11 from the left end in FIG. After the time is stopped, the article 14 picked from the second fluidic shelf system 11 from the left end is stored in an empty box.

Also, at this time, another empty box is conveyed from the delivery conveyor 20 onto the belt conveyor 1B, and the empty box is stopped at a position corresponding to the fluidized shelf system 11 at the left end in FIG. In this way, empty boxes are stored in each liquid shelf system 11.
, 11...
8, each fluidized shelf system 11.11...
Picking operations are carried out at the same time.

Note that in this case, the articles 14, 14, .
In synchronization with the intermittent conveyance operation of the belt conveyor 18,
The liquid shelf systems ii, tl, etc. are controlled to display quantities based on the same order list sequentially from the left side in the figure.

Here, each of the above liquid shelf systems 11.11...
As shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), a lamp 23 for instructing replenishment is installed at the upper end of the rear part. Further, in each of the flow shelf systems 11, 11, . . ., a switch 25 for resetting the lamp 23 is installed on one pillar 24 at the rear thereof.

The centralized management system 21 includes each article 14,
For every 14..., that article 14.14... to the fullest extent above.

The quantity when placed on the shelves 12, 12, . . . (hereinafter referred to as maximum quantity) and the quantity at which the article 14, 14, . . .

Here, before starting the picking work, each column 12.12...
- Place the maximum number of articles 14, 14, etc., and each time the quantity is displayed on the digital display section 16 of the display operation section 15, the displayed quantity is sequentially subtracted from the maximum quantity, and the subtraction is performed. When the value falls below the above replenishment quantity, the lamp 23 is turned on to notify the worker of the replenishment time. Then, the worker
4 is replenished to the shelf 12 to the maximum extent.

Then, when the supply is completed, the worker operates the switch 25. Then, the centralized management system 21 resets the quantity of the article 14 to the maximum quantity and displays the display operation unit 1 again.
Each time the quantity is displayed in step 5, the quantity of the article 14 is decremented.

The above operations can be summarized as shown in the flowchart shown in FIG. That is, in step S1, the predetermined article 1
When the quantity data is output to the display/operation unit 15 corresponding to number 4, the quantity is subtracted from the maximum quantity in step S2. Then, in step S3, it is determined whether the subtracted value has become less than or equal to the supply quantity. In this case, if it is below the replenishment quantity (YES), the central management system 21 detects the fluid shelf system 11 on which the article 14 is placed in step S4, and outputs a replenishment signal in step S5. Then, in step S6, the lamp 23 is turned on and a replenishment instruction is issued.

After that, when the replenishment is completed, the switch 25 is turned off in step S7.
is operated, the central management system 21 performs step S
8, the quantity of the article 14 is set to the maximum quantity. Then, in step $9, it is determined whether or not the reset switch 17 has been operated, and if it has been operated (YES>,
In step 310, the next quantity data is output and in step S2
will be returned to.

In addition, if the supply quantity is not below the supply quantity in step S3 (No>), the process moves to step S9 and normal picking operation can be performed.Roughly, step S9
If the reset switch 17 is not operated (No.
>, it is on standby in step S9.

Therefore, according to the configuration of the above embodiment, the items 14, 14, etc. are placed on the shelf 12 based on the output quantity data.
, 12... Since the number of items in stock on the shelves 12.12... is managed, the items 14.14 on the shelves 12.12...
When the number of items in stock for 14, 14, . In addition, since it utilizes the function of conventional centralized management systems, that is, the function of displaying the quantity of items to be taken out, it can be easily attached to conventional liquid shelf systems, making it extremely practical. .

In general, the maximum quantity and replenishment quantity have to be set every day, but if you set the replenishment quantity with a margin, you will not run out of stock. Furthermore, in the above embodiment,
The lamp 23 was turned on as a replenishment instruction, but
Of course, various other indicating means may be used, such as flashing a lamp or sounding a buzzer.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the gist thereof.

[Effects of the Invention] Therefore, as described in detail above, according to the present invention, when the number of items in stock on the shelf becomes less than a predetermined number, an extremely good flow rate can be achieved in which a replenishment instruction for the item can be automatically given. A replenishment indicating device for a shelving system can be provided.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a replenishment instruction device for a fluidized shelf system according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a fluidized shelf system to which the same embodiment is applied, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the same fluidized shelf system. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing details of the display/operation section of the system, FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing the actual usage of the floating shelf system, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the embodiment. 11... Fluid shelf system, 12... Shelf, 13...
Case, 14... Article, 15... Display operation unit, 16
...Digital display section, 17...Reset switch,
18... Belt conveyor, 19... Storage conveyor, 20... Delivery conveyor, 21... Central management system, 22... Control operation panel, 23... Lamp, 24... Pillar, 25 ···switch. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue Figure 1 (a) (b) Figure 5

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a fluid shelf system that includes a management means for instructing a plurality of fluid shelves that convey articles in one direction the position and quantity of articles to be taken out in response to an external article retrieval request, the retrieval by the management means The fluid flow system is characterized in that it is equipped with an instruction means for detecting that the number of articles in stock on the flow shelf has become less than a set number based on a quantity instruction, and issuing a replenishment instruction corresponding to the position of the article. Replenishment instruction device for shelf system.