JPS6253402B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an automatic loading and unloading device that can travel along the shelf and transfers cargo between an arbitrary position on the shelf and a cargo receiving platform for loading and unloading. The present invention relates to an automatic warehouse in which the crane is provided with an operation panel for setting the loading/unloading operations, destinations, etc. for automatic operation of the crane.

In such automated warehouses, with the crane located at the home position adjacent to the loading and unloading loading dock, the operator uses the operation panel of the crane to indicate the type of loading/unloading work and the destination, i.e. the loading/unloading shelf position. When a destination is input into a computer using a card or keyboard, the feedback is sent back to the display on the operation panel to display the destination. Since the numerical values are displayed separately for each shelf (by shelf), bay (shelf depth position), and level (shelf height direction position), operators can correlate it with the distribution state of the loads stored on the shelf. There was a drawback that it was difficult to specifically determine the destination of the crane (input/output shelf location).

Of course, as mentioned above, the crane is not equipped with an operation panel for setting the loading and unloading tasks and destinations for automatic operation of the crane, and the crane is moved away from the automated warehouse.
Alternatively, in a fully automated warehouse where the operation panel and a computer for automatic operation control of the crane are installed in an adjacent monitoring room, the shelves may be arranged in a symbol pattern, as described in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 135076/1983. It is known that a display is installed in the monitoring room, and inventory information from a computer that grasps the inventory status of the shelves is displayed at a corresponding position within the shelf display symbol pattern on the display. However, as mentioned above, in automated warehouses where the crane itself is equipped with an operation panel for setting the loading and unloading tasks and destinations for automatic operation of the crane, it is not known to use the display as described above. It wasn't. Moreover, in such conventional cases, unless a program has been set up to diagnose destination setting errors that would result in double loading or empty shipments, the operator setting the loading/unloading destination (crane destination) will not be able to read the instructions on the display. I had no way of knowing about the destination setting mistake mentioned above. Therefore, a configuration error diagnosis program as described above is required.
The drawback was that the initial cost was high.

The present invention aims to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks, and one embodiment thereof will be described below with reference to the attached illustrative drawings.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, 1a and 1b are shelves, and a crane travel path 2 is provided between the two shelves. Reference numeral 3 denotes an automatic loading/unloading crane, which travels along the travel path 2. 4a and 4b
These are loading/unloading loading/unloading racks installed on both the left and right sides of the home position 5 set at one end of the travel path 2 protruding from between the shelves.

The crane 3 includes an elevating carriage 9 equipped with a load transfer means 8 such as a running fork for transferring loads 7 between the load support parts 6 of the shelves 1a and 1b and the load receiving platforms 4a and 4b, and a traveling drive means. 10, and an elevating and lowering drive means 11 for the elevating carriage 9. Reference numeral 12 denotes a crane automatic operation control panel provided at the lower end of the crane 3 on the side where the home position 5 is located in the traveling direction;
An electronic computer (hereinafter referred to as
It has a built-in CPU (abbreviated as CPU) 13, and an operation panel 14 on the front for setting the destination and other driving commands. Note that the CPU 13 is installed at a suitable location away from the crane 3, and
The control panel 12 and operation panel 14 mounted on the controller may be electrically connected.

As shown in FIG. 3, the operation panel 14 includes an operation mode setting means 15, and a setting means 16 for fully automatic operation, which sets the loading/unloading cycle and selects the receiving trays 4a and 4b, as in the conventional operation panel. , a driving control lever unit 17 for manual operation, a card reader 18 for destination setting, and various abnormality display means 19.Furthermore, according to the present invention, a cathode ray display, for example, is provided as a display for displaying the inventory status of the shelves 1a and 1b. A tube (hereinafter abbreviated as CRT) 20 is provided.

As shown in FIG.
Based on the inventory information signal input from the CPU 13 which grasps the inventory status of items a and 1b, the inventory status is displayed as follows. That is, as shown in FIG.
By displaying one load support part 6 of the shelves 1a, 1b as a square symbol pattern 21 in one display unit of the CRT 20, the entire shelves 1a, 1b can be displayed as a checkerboard symbol pattern 22a, 22b. , a pair of left and right receiving trays 4a, 4b are displayed in square symbol patterns 23a, 23b in one display unit of the CRT 20 at positions corresponding to the shelf display patterns 22a, 22b, respectively, and further located at the home position 5. crane 3,
It is displayed in a specific symbol pattern 24 using a plurality of display units of the CRT 20. Further, each side display pattern 22a, 22b is provided with a bank display value, a bay display value, and a level display value, and the receiving platform display patterns 23a, 23b are provided with a receiving platform distinguishing display numerical value.

Then, based on the inventory information signal inputted from the CPU 13, that is, the in-stock/unloaded distinction signal for each load support part 6 of each shelf 1a, 1b, the position corresponding to the in-stock position in the shelf display patterns 22a, 22b is determined. , a diagonal line pattern 25 filling in the load support part display pattern 21
Display.

When the crane 3 is automatically operated to carry out warehousing work or warehousing work, as in the past, full auto setting is performed in the operation mode setting means 15, the main circuit switch is turned on, and the setting means 16 for full automatic operation is set. In addition to setting the cycle of loading and unloading, the selection setting of the loading platform is also configured. Next, a punched card with a predetermined entry/exit destination is set in the destination setting card reader 18, but when the main circuit switch is turned on, the CRT
At step 20, the current inventory status of the shelves 1a and 1b is displayed as described above. When a destination is set using the destination setting card reader 18, a display signal corresponding to the set destination is displayed.
Output from CPU13 to CRT20, CRT20
Shelf display pattern 22a displayed in
An appropriate loading/unloading destination display pattern 26 is blinkingly displayed in the cargo support section display pattern 21 corresponding to the destination (loading/unloading destination) in 22b. If the CRT 20 is capable of color display, the display color can be changed instead of displaying the entry/exit destination display pattern 26 blinking.

When warehousing is set, the above warehousing/output destination display pattern 26
If overlaps with the load display diagonal line pattern 25, it means double loading, and the entry/exit destination display pattern 26 is displayed within the load support part display pattern 21 without the load display diagonal line pattern 25 when setting the loading/unloading setting. If the shipment is empty, the abnormality display means 19 is displayed.
It is displayed in corresponding places. This abnormal display is explained above.
It may also be done by text on a CRT.

After setting the destination, by pressing the start button provided on the operation panel 14, the crane 3 automatically moves from the receiving platform 4a or 4b to the selected item on the shelf 1a or 1b based on the work command input. The loading work of transporting the load 7 to the two load supporting parts 6 or the reverse unloading operation is performed.

The present invention can be carried out as described above, and
Its features are that, instead of being housed in a monitoring room separate from the crane as in the past, the crane itself has an operation panel for setting the loading/unloading tasks and destinations for automatic operation of the crane, and a symbol pattern for the shelves the crane is in charge of. and a display is arranged to display the stock status of the shelf, and stock information from a computer that grasps the stock status of the shelf is displayed at a corresponding position within the shelf display symbol pattern on the display. and when a destination is set on the operation panel, the destination is displayed in a location corresponding to the destination in the shelf display symbol pattern displayed on the display in a manner that can be distinguished from the inventory information. be.

According to the automatic warehouse of the present invention, when setting necessary items for automatic warehousing and retrieval work on the operation panel provided on the crane, the inventory of the shelves that this crane is in charge of is displayed on the attached display. The status is displayed at a glance through a combination of the symbol pattern that displays the relevant shelf and an appropriate display that distinguishes between in-stock and empty items, allowing the setting operator to check the storage/output that they are trying to set at that time. The destination (the destination of the crane) can be visually understood very easily in relation to the load distribution state on the entire shelf. Therefore, rational inventory management is possible without the use of a computer equipped with an advanced inventory management function that automatically averages the distribution of items within the shelves.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, when a destination is set on the operation panel as described above, the destination can be placed in a location corresponding to the destination in the shelf display symbol pattern displayed on the display, so that it can be distinguished from the inventory information. Therefore, even if a program for diagnosing setting errors such as double loading or empty shipping is not set, the operator can easily check the destination position and inventory information displayed in the shelf display symbol pattern. It is possible to easily and reliably determine setting errors such as double import or empty shipment. That is, in the embodiment described above, a program for diagnosing setting errors is set, and when a setting error of double loading or empty shipping occurs, the various error display means 19 displays the setting error. Even without such a program or display means 19, it is possible to easily and reliably determine a setting error as described above from the display on the display at the same time as setting the destination, so it can be implemented at low cost.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a side view showing the crane and shelf, Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of the crane, Figure 3 is a front view of the operation panel, Figure 4 is a front view of the operation panel,
The figure is a system configuration diagram, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of display on a CRT. 1a, 1b...shelf, 3...crane, 4a, 4b...
Load receiving platform, 6... Load support section, 7... Load, 12... Control panel,
13...Electronic computer (CPU), 14...Operation panel, 15
...driving mode setting means, 16...setting means for fully automatic operation, 18...card reader for destination setting,
20...Cathode ray tube (CRT), 21...Load support part display pattern, 22a, 22b...Shelf display pattern, 25
... Cargo display diagonal line pattern, 26... Input/output destination display pattern.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In an automatic warehouse equipped with a shelf and an automatic loading/unloading crane that can travel along the shelf and transfers cargo between any position on the shelf and between a loading/unloading loading platform, The crane is provided with an operation panel for setting the loading and unloading tasks, destinations, etc. for automatic operation of the crane, and a display that displays the shelves using symbol patterns is arranged near the operation panel. Inventory information from a computer that monitors the inventory status of the shelves is displayed on the display at a corresponding position within the shelf display symbol pattern, and when a destination is set on the operation panel, the destination is displayed. , an automated warehouse with an inventory status display device, wherein the inventory information is displayed in a location corresponding to the destination in the shelf display symbol pattern displayed on the display in a state that can be distinguished from the inventory information.