JPWO2005093193A1 - Goods management device - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is an article management device that does not require a dedicated key or tag, can accurately grasp the storage status regardless of the shape and size of the article, and can store and manage articles such as valuables. A plurality of small boxes 10 provided so as to be able to be pulled out and accommodated in a plurality of insertion portions provided in multiple rows and stages, and a plurality of small boxes 10 that are restrained so that they cannot be pulled out while being inserted into the insertion portion. Each lock mechanism 30 and a management control unit 70 that controls unlocking and locking of each lock mechanism 30 are provided. The management control unit 70 has a function of performing an authentication operation for determining whether or not the person is an accessible person and an accessible small box and recording a use history related to taking out and storing the article from the small box. When the article is stored in the small box 10 and locked with the lock mechanism 30, the article can be safely stored and can be taken out at any time by unlocking. Moreover, since a plurality of small boxes can be managed simultaneously, a large number of articles can be managed safely and conveniently. Furthermore, the use history can be used as security information.

Description

  The present invention is suitable for storing and storing various items, for example, valuables such as keys, electronic cards, pistols, jewelry, securities, important documents, or important items that require attention such as chemicals. The present invention relates to an article management apparatus.

Conventional article management includes the following.
For example, in a tenant building where many companies, stores, offices, etc. are occupying, it is common to keep the keys of each tenant and store them in a key box installed in the security room. In addition, when consigned to a security company or a building maintenance company, it is stored in a key box. Furthermore, chemicals used in hospitals and the like are managed in a chemical storage box having the same structure.
In the management of the conventional key box and medicine storage box, there is one in which a key or tag is attached to a valuable item to be managed in order to prevent misuse or theft (for example, Japanese Patent No. 3188605).
However, in this conventional example, depending on the valuables to be managed, it may be difficult to attach the key or tag, or the key and tag may be lost or damaged. In addition, chemicals that are difficult to attach keys and tags are prone to mismedication due to human error, which has become a social problem.
On the other hand, considering security issues, it is desirable to be able to grasp the usage history of who brought out what and when it was stored, but such a measure could not be handled by a conventional management apparatus. Therefore, a resident manager was placed to artificially grasp the status of keys and other items. Specifically, it was confirmed that the keys were taken in and out by visual confirmation, but accidents such as incorrect return or loss after lending occurred, and it was not fully managed, and labor costs etc. increased. .

(Object of invention)
It is an object of the present invention to provide an article management apparatus that does not require a dedicated key or tag, can reliably manage the rental, storage, and return of articles, and can prevent misuse or theft. It is another object of the present invention to provide an article management apparatus that can be used at any time so that the use history can be viewed at any time. Furthermore, an object of the present invention is to provide an article management apparatus that is excellent in usability equivalent to or more than the case where there is a manager without having a resident manager. It is another object of the present invention to provide an article management apparatus that can arbitrarily take in and out articles such as valuables even if an abnormality occurs in an electric circuit in the apparatus.
(Structure of the invention)
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following article management apparatus.
An article management device according to a first aspect of the present invention is an insertion shelf, a plurality of outer boxes provided on the insertion shelf, a plurality of small boxes provided so as to be able to be pulled out and stored, and the small box being inserted into the outer box. In this state, a lock mechanism provided in each outer box that is restricted so that it cannot be pulled out, a small box opening / closing detection means that detects whether or not each of the small boxes is inserted into a corresponding outer box, Article presence / absence detecting means for judging whether or not an article is stored in a small box, an input device for artificially inputting an operation for taking out an article in the small box and an operation for storing the article in the small box, It consists of a display device that displays the status of storage and removal of articles in the small box and usage history, and a management control unit, and the management control unit provides access to a person according to the input signal of the input device, and For accessible small boxes, unlock the lock mechanism of the corresponding small box Performs rent control and return control or tablets, after lending of the article return, and executes the history recording control for recording that fact.
The article management apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is the article management apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the plurality of outer boxes are individually detachably attached to the insertion shelf, and the lock mechanism and the small box are attached to the outer boxes. A box opening / closing detection means and the article presence / absence detection means are attached.
The article management apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention is the article management apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the lending control includes a closed state confirmation step for confirming that all the small boxes are closed, and a person authentication for confirming whether or not the person is an accessible person. A small box authentication step for confirming whether the small box is accessible, an opening operation for unlocking a lock mechanism of the corresponding small box, an article removal confirmation step, and an A closing operation for locking the locking mechanism and a history recording for recording the fact of renting the article are performed.
In the article management apparatus according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the return control includes a closed state confirmation step for confirming that all the small boxes are closed, and a person authentication for confirming whether the person is an accessible person. A small box authentication step for confirming whether the small box is accessible, an opening operation for unlocking a lock mechanism of the corresponding small box, a return confirmation step for the article, and a small box for returning the article. A closing operation for locking the locking mechanism and a history recording for recording the return fact of the article are performed.
In the third or fourth aspect of the invention, the article management apparatus of the fifth invention detects whether the function of the small box opening / closing detection means is normal or not between the person authentication step and the small box authentication step. If not, the abnormal fact is recorded as a history, and the corresponding small box is excluded from the management target.
In the third invention, the article management apparatus according to the sixth invention executes a forgetting to close the small box for preventing the closing of the small box between the take-out confirmation step and the closing operation. Features.
The article management apparatus according to a seventh aspect of the invention is characterized in that, in the fourth aspect of the invention, the forgetting to close the small box is executed between the return confirmation and the closing operation when the small box is forgotten to be closed. To do.
The article management apparatus according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is the article management apparatus according to the sixth aspect, wherein when the small box closing forgetting control is a lending control, the storage of the small box is detected even after a preset waiting time has elapsed after the removal is confirmed. It is characterized by issuing an alarm when not.
The article management apparatus according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is the article management apparatus according to the seventh aspect, wherein when the small box closing forget control is a return control, the return of the small box is not detected within a preset waiting time after the return is confirmed. In addition, it is characterized by issuing an alarm.
In the third invention, the article management device according to the tenth invention determines whether or not the article taken out within the set time has been returned after the execution of the lending control. It is characterized by displaying.
An article management apparatus according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention is the first aspect of the invention, in which the main control menu is executed when the monitoring step for monitoring the functions of the display unit and the management control unit is normal, and the result of the monitoring step is normal. If not, alarm control is executed, and the alarm control includes alarm operation and unlocking of the small box.
The article management device according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention is the first aspect of the invention, in which the commercial power supply determining step for determining whether or not commercial power is supplied and charging the uninterruptible power supply when commercial power is supplied, When power is cut off, power is supplied from the uninterruptible power supply. During operation by the uninterruptible power supply, the power protection function is activated, and the power protection function detects a drop in voltage and falls below the threshold value. Is characterized by alarming and unlocking the lock mechanism of all the small boxes, and then stopping the power supply of the uninterruptible power supply.

The invention's effect

According to the first invention, since the use history is recorded after the lending control and the returning control, it is possible to check the lending and returning status of the article even if there is no resident manager.
According to the second invention, the lock mechanism, the small box opening / closing detection means and the article presence / absence detection means are attached to the outer box to form a module, and each outer box can be detachably attached to the insertion shelf. Maintenance inspection and replacement can be easily performed every time.
According to the third invention, since the closed state confirmation step is inserted, if all the small boxes are not in the closed state, none of the small boxes can be opened, and erroneous removal of the articles can be prevented. .
According to the fourth invention, since the closed state confirmation step is inserted, if all the small boxes are not in the closed state, none of the small boxes can be opened, and theft or erroneous return of the article is prevented. Can do.
According to the fifth invention, when the small box opening / closing detection means is not normal, it is possible to exclude the small box from the management target after leaving the abnormality history, so that the remaining normal small boxes are effectively used. Can do.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, when the article is taken out during the lending control but the user forgets to close the small box due to carelessness, an alarm is issued, so the small box can be closed without forgetting. Therefore, it is possible to reliably manage lending and prevent the loss of goods.
According to the seventh invention, when the article is returned during the return control, but when the user forgets to close the small box due to carelessness, an alarm is issued so that the small box can be closed without forgetting. The loss of articles can be prevented in advance.
According to the eighth invention, since the alarm is issued after the standby time has elapsed, the alarm can be surely issued only by managing the time, and the loss of articles at the time of lending can be prevented in advance.
According to the ninth aspect, since the alarm is issued after the standby time has elapsed, the alarm can be reliably issued by managing only the time, and the loss of the article upon return can be prevented.
According to the tenth invention, when the taken-out article is not returned within the waiting time, the fact can be displayed, so that the take-out person can be prompted.
According to the eleventh aspect of the invention, the functions of the management control unit and the display unit are monitored, and the main control menu is executed only when it is normal. When it is not normal, an alarm is issued to prompt maintenance and the small box is unlocked. The article can be prevented from being closed.
According to the twelfth invention, since the uninterruptible power supply works immediately when there is a power failure of the commercial power supply, the article management device does not stop functioning, and the voltage drop is monitored after the operation by the uninterruptible power supply. The alarm will not stop functioning. Even when the voltage drops below the threshold value, all the small boxes are unlocked, so that the articles cannot be taken out.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an article management apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the insertion shelf 4, the outer box 5, and the small box 10.
3A is a partial front view of the insertion shelf 4, the outer box 5, and the small box 10 in the article management apparatus, and FIG. 3B is a left side view of FIG.
FIG. 4 is a plan view of the outer box 5 and the small box 10.
FIG. 5 is a front view of the outer box 5 and the small box 10.
6A is a side view of the outer box 5 and the small box 10 with the small box control unit omitted, and FIG. 6B is a side view of the outer box 5 and the small box 10 with the small box control unit attached. FIG.
FIG. 7 is a plan view of the small box control unit.
8A is a side view of the small box control unit, and FIG. 8B is a rear view thereof.
FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the drawer state of the small box 10.
FIG. 10 is an electric circuit diagram of each locking mechanism.
FIG. 11 is a block diagram of the management control unit.
FIG. 12 is a front view of an article management apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a remote monitoring device used in the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a flowchart of article lending control.
FIG. 15 is a flowchart of article return control.
FIG. 16 is a flowchart of history recording control.
FIG. 17 is a flowchart of small box closing forgetting prevention control.
FIG. 18 is a flowchart of return reminder control.
FIG. 19 is a flowchart of the function check control.
FIG. 20 is a flowchart of power failure response control.

以上のとおり、小箱開閉検知スイッチ４１がＯＮのときは、つまり小箱１０内に物品が格納されているか否かを物品有無検知スイッチ４２のＯＮ−ＯＦＦによって判断できることとなる。なお、小箱開閉検知スイッチ４１がＯＦＦのとき、つまり小箱１０が少しでも引き出された状態では、物品有無検知スイッチ４２にＯＮの状態は発生しない。
（管理制御部）
つぎに、本発明の物品管理装置における管理制御部７０を説明する。
図１１に示すように、本発明における管理制御部７０は、コンピュータ等の情報処理装置で構成されている。
判定部７１はＣＰＵ等で構成され、入力信号に基づき必要な判断、演算を行い、出力信号を出す。
データ部７２は、アクセス可能な人物か否かを判断するための人物認証データや、アクセス可能な小箱か否かを判断するための小箱特定データが格納されている。人物認証データとしては、社員番号や暗証番号などを例示でき、小箱特定データとしては、人物特定データとリンクさせた小箱固有の番号が例示できる。
制御プログラム格納部７３には、本発明の物品管理制御を行うための、貸出制御プログラム１００、返却制御プログラム２００、履歴記録制御プログラム３００、小箱閉じ忘れ防止制御プログラム４００、返却督促制御プログラム５００、機能チェック制御プログラム６００、停電対応制御プログラム７００などが格納されている。
上記の貸出制御と返却制御は、アクセス可能な小箱１０を１個とする場合も、予め設定した２以上とする場合も、実行可能にプログラムされている。
メモリー部７４は、小箱１０への物品の出し入れや真偽等の使用履歴を書き込む記録部である。
７５は後述する遠隔監視装置用のインタフェース部である。
７７はテンキーなどの入力器で、人物認証データの入力や小箱１０の特定データ等の入力に用いられる。
４１，４２は既述の小箱開閉検知スイッチと物品有無検知スイッチで、小箱１０の開閉状態の検知信号と、小箱１０内に物品が存在するか否かを判断する検知信号が送られる。
３０は、小箱１０の挿入状態で引出し不能に拘束しておく既述のロック機構で、判定部７１からの制御信号（ロック信号、アンロック信号）により、ロック動作とアンロック動作が行われる。
表示器７８には、物品管理装置１の表面に設けられた既述の小箱１０の列数を示す「数字」１ａや段数を示す「アルファベット」１ｂ、その他の制御盤上の各種表示が含まれる。
（他の実施形態）
図１２は、図１の物品管理装置１に小箱収納部のみを設けた物品管理装置１Ａを連設したものである。管理制御部７０がコンピュータで構成されていれば、一般に制御能力は充分であるので、物理的に物品管理装置１Ａを連設していくだけで、物品管理個数を任意に増やすことができる。
図１３は、遠隔監視装置の構成例である。図１１に示すように、管理制御部７０のインタフェース部７５には遠隔監視装置８１が接続されている。接続手段は電話回線その他の適宜の手段が用いられる。この遠隔監視装置８１を用いると、図１３に示すように遠隔地に設置した多数の物品管理装置１の使用履歴を閲覧することができる。図１３の例ではテナントビルＡ，Ｂ，Ｃ…に１台ないし数台の物品管理装置１が設置され、情報センタービルＺあるいは情報センターの役割を果すテナントビルに遠隔監視装置８１が設置されている。この遠隔監視装置８１と他のテナントビルの物品管理装置１との間は電話回線などの通信網で接続されている。遠隔監視装置８１は、接続されている物品管理装置１のインタフェース部７５を介してメモリー部７４にアクセスできるので、そこに記録されている使用履歴を閲覧することができる。
この実施形態によれば、遠隔地にある多数の物品管理装置１を集中管理することができる。
（制御内容）
つぎに、前記管理制御部７０で実行される各種制御内容を説明する。
（物品の貸出制御）
図１４に示すように、貸出制御プログラム１００がスタートすることによって、物品の貸出しが可能となる。
１０１：小箱１０の全てが閉じられているか（収納されているか）否かが、常に確認され、その状況が表示器７８にも表示されている。全ての小箱１０のうち１個でも閉じられていないときは、図１０の電気回路によって、いずれの小箱１０のロック機構３０も解除されることはない。
１０２：使用者は、まず、テンキー７７などの入力手段で、人物認証データである社員コードや暗証番号を入力する。
１０３：データ部７２に格納している認証データと比較して、アクセス可能な人物か否かを認証ステップで判定する。この判定がＮＯの場合は、次のステップへ進めないので、小箱１０の引き出しは不能となる。判定がＯＫの場合は、次のステップへ進むことが可能となる。
１０４：小箱の開閉検知スイッチ４１が正常か否かを確認する。この確認は、公知の機能確認プログラムを実行すればよい。もし、いずれかの開閉検知スイッチ４１に不具合があれば、その開閉検知スイッチ４１に対応する開閉スイッチ４３（図１０参照）をＯＮし、管理対象から除外する。
１０５：つぎに、引き出したい小箱１０の特定データ、例えば数字とアルファベットを組合せた各小箱の固有のデータを入力する。
１０６：アクセスした人物と引き出し可能な小箱１０とは、入力された小箱特定データとデータ部７２の格納データの対応関係が不一致であると、つぎのステップへ進まず小箱１０の引き出しが行えなくなる。
１０７：対応関係が一致すると、判定部７１からの制御信号に基づいて、ロック機構３０が自動的にアンロックされるか、あるいは改めて開操作（例えば、開ボタンを押す等）することにより、ロック機構３０がアンロックされる。
１０８：アンロックされた後は、アクセスした者が手でつまんで小箱１０を引き出すことができ（このとき、その小箱１０の開が小箱開閉検知スイッチ４１で検知される）、小箱１０に格納していた鍵や貴重品などの物品を取出すことができる。
１０９：物品の取出しは、板バネ１５の閉じ角度で検知でき、物品有無検知スイッチ４２がＯＦＦになるので物品有無検知信号が出される。このようにして、アクセスできる人物のみがアクセス可能な１または２以上の小箱を引き出すことができるので、盗難や誤用を防止することができる。
１１０：そして、空になった小箱１０を外箱５内へ押し戻すと、小箱開閉検知スイッチ４１がＯＮとなり、ロック機構３０が起動して、小箱１０がロックされる。
１１１：以上の物品取出しに係る諸データは、メモリー部７４に使用履歴として記録される。具体的には、人物データ、小箱データ、物品有無データ、時間データである。これらのデータを使用履歴として残すので、過去の使用履歴を本装置の表示器７８あるいは後述する遠隔管理装置で随時閲覧することができるので、保安情報として利用することも可能となる。
なお、小箱１０を閉じ忘れた場合は、閉じ忘れ防止制御プログラム（４００）が作動するが、その詳細は後述する。
（物品の返却制御）
図１５に示すように、返却制御プログラム２００がスタートすることによって、物品の返却が可能となる。
２０１：小箱１０の全てが閉じられているか（収納されているか）否かが、常に確認され、その状況が表示器７８にも表示されている。全ての小箱１０のうち１個でも閉じられていないときは、図１０の電気回路によって、いずれの小箱１０のロック機構３０も解除されることはない。
２０２：使用者は、まず、テンキー７７などの入力手段で、人物認証データである社員コードや暗証番号を入力する。
２０３：データ部７２に格納している認証データと比較して、アクセス可能な人物か否かを認証ステップで判定する。この判定がＮＯの場合は、次のステップへ進めないので、小箱１０の引き出しは不能となる。判定がＯＫの場合は、次のステップへ進むことが可能となる。
２０４：小箱の開閉検知スイッチ４１が正常か否かを確認する。この確認は、公知の機能確認プログラムを実行すればよい。もし、いずれかの開閉検知スイッチ４１に不具合があれば、その開閉検知スイッチ４１に対応する開閉スイッチ４３（図１０参照）をＯＮし、管理対象から除外する。
２０５：つぎに、引き出したい小箱１０の特定データを入力する。
２０６：アクセスした人物と引き出し可能な小箱１０との対応関係が不一致であると、つぎのステップへ進まず小箱１０の引き出しが行えず、対応関係が一致すると、判定部７１からの制御信号に基づいて、ロック機構３０が自動的にアンロックされるか、あるいは改めて開操作（例えば、開ボタンを押す等）することにより、ロック機構３０がアンロックされる。
２０７：アンロックされた後は、アクセスした者が手でつまんで小箱１０を引き出すことができ（このとき、その小箱１０の開が小箱開閉検知スイッチ４１で検知される）。
２０８：使用者は、小箱１０に取出していた鍵や貴重品などの物品を再び格納することができる。
２０９：物品の再格納は、物品有無検知スイッチ４２で検知することができる。
２１０：そして、閉じられた小箱は自動的にロック機構３０を起動させてロックされる。このようにして、アクセスできる人物のみがアクセス可能な小箱に物品を再格納できるので、犯罪や誤用を防止することができる。
２１１：以上の物品返却に係る諸データは、メモリー部７４に使用履歴として記録される。具体的には、人物データ、小箱データ、物品有無データ、時間データである。これらのデータを、物品の返却事実と物品の真偽を使用履歴として残し、過去の使用履歴を本装置の表示器７８あるいは後述する遠隔管理装置で随時閲覧することができるので、保安情報として利用することができる。
なお、小箱１０を閉じ忘れた場合は、閉じ忘れ防止制御プログラム（４００）が作動するが、その詳細は後述する。
また、小箱１０へ再格納された物が真正でないと物品真偽検知手段により判断されるときは、ロック機構３０が起動しないようにすれば、小箱１０がロックされないことにより管理者に偽物が保管されたことを知らせることができ、あるいは警報を発することにより、より直接的に偽者であることを知らせることができる。
（使用履歴記録制御）
貸出制御における小箱１０の閉操作後、そして返却制御における小箱１０の閉操作後には、使用履歴の記録制御が行われる（１１１，２１１）。その詳細を、図１６に基づき説明する。
▲１▼小箱の特定データである位置データ（列数や段数）やアクセス番号を読み込み（３０１）、その結果を表示器７８に表示し（３０２）、かつ使用に伴う履歴データの追加・変更・削除をデータ部７２に記録する（３０３）。
▲２▼人物認証データである個人番号や暗証番号を読み込み（３０４）、その結果を表示器７８に表示し（３０５）、かつ使用に伴う認証データの追加・変更・削除をデータ部７２に記録する（３０６）。
▲３▼動作開始あるいは動作終了の時刻あるいは後述する警報があったときの警報時刻を入力し（３０７）、記録する（３０８）。
（小箱閉じ忘れ防止制御）
図１７において、（Ａ）図は貸出制御時の閉じ忘れ防止制御を示し、（Ｂ）図は返却制御時の閉じ忘れ防止制御を示している。
（Ａ）図において、小箱１０を開操作する（４０１）と、小箱開閉検知スイッチ４１がＯＮするので、そのＯＮ信号によってタイマーが起動する（４０２）。小箱１０から物品を取出し（４０３）、確認ステップ（４０４Ａ）を実行する。確認後に、タイムアウトか否かの判定を行う（４０５）。待機時間の長さは自由に設定できるが、閉じ忘れ防止の趣旨からは余り長いのは好ましくなく、本実施形態では、１分程度である。
待機時間を過ぎれば、警報が鳴動し（４０６）、その後警報がリセットされる（４０７）。この警報により使用者が気付いて小箱１０を閉操作すれば（４０８）、警報の事実と閉操作の事実が履歴に記録される。
そして、閉操作が行われないと、タイムアウトチェック（４０５）からアラームリセット（４０７）までのステップが繰返される。また、何回かこのステップを繰返しても小箱１０を閉めなければ、その事実が履歴に記録される（４０９）。この記録は防犯情報として利用できる。
（Ｂ）図に示す返却制御時の閉じ忘れ防止制御も、ステップ（４０４Ｂ）が返却確認に変わっているだけで、実質同様のステップで行われる。
（返却督促制御）
貸出制御の実行により、使用者は鍵等の物品を持出すことができるが、持出したまま、いつまでも返却しないこともある。こうした事態に対処するため、図１８に示す返却督促制御５００が実行される。
まず、貸出時間が経過したか否かを判定する貸出時間経過確認を実行する（５０１）。ここでいう貸出時間とは、使用者が貸出しを許可された時間であり、任意に設定できる。また設定時間は、一律に決めていてもよく（但し、長短の調整は可能）、使用者が貸出しを受ける際に決定しておいてもよい。後者の場合、貸出制御１００における閉操作より前のステップで貸出し時間を設定するステップを入れておけばよい。
貸出時間が経過した場合も、鍵等の物品の返却がない場合は、未返却の事実が表示器７８上に表示される（５０２）。また、管理者に対し適宜の方法で通知あるいは警告を行うとよい。
以後は、管理者により人手による事後処置がとられる。その事後処置の一例は、つぎのとおりである。管理者により未返却を確認すると（５０３）、持出者に連絡し（５０４）、持出者に物品の所在を確認させる（５０５）。物品があれば返却させ（５０６）、無ければ、紛失か盗難の可能性があるので（５０７）、防犯組織に通報する（５０８）。
（機能チェック制御）
物品管理装置１内の諸機能が正常に働いているかどうかをチェックするため、図１９に示す機能チェック制御６００が行われる。
まず、電源が供給されている状態でなければならないので、商用電源の停電に備えて、無停電電源装置を起動させておく（６０１）。そして、機能チェックステップを実行する（６０２）。機能チェックは、管理制御部７０と表示器７８の機能を自動的に行うプログラムにより実行すればよく、その手段は公知の方法を用いればよい。
機能チェックの結果が正常であれば、表示器７８に、物品の収納状況や使用履歴を表示させる制御（６０３）や本来の使用目的である貸出制御（１００）等のプログラム（６０４）を実行させればよい。
機能チェックの結果が異常であれば、警報を発し（６０５）、異常を履歴として記録し、さらに必要に応じ管理者へ通報あるいは遠方の遠隔監視装置８１へ送信する（６０６）。
また、同時に、全ての小箱１０のロック機構３０を一括解除する（６０７）か、小箱１０を順次にロック解除して（６０８）、小箱１０の引出しを可能とする（６０９）。
このようにすることで、物品が閉じ込められたまま取出すことができなくなる事態を防止している。
（停電対応制御）
物品管理装置１は、通常は、商用電源で作動するが、商用電源が停電した場合に備え、図２０に示す電源バックアップ機能をもたせている。
まず、商用電源が供給されているか否かを常時判断し（７０１）、供給されているときは、商用電源による運転状態であることを表示器７８に表示すると共に、無停電電源装置に充電する（７０２）。
商用電源が停電したときは、自動的に切換スイッチが入り（７０３）、無停電電源装置による給電を開始する（７０４）と共に、無停電電源装置による運転状態であることを表示器７８に表示する。
以後は、この無停電電源装置により物品管理装置を運転し、商用電源の給電が復活するまで続ける。商用電源の供給が再開されると、自動的に切換スイッチが切れて、無停電電源装置は待機状態となる。
上記の無停電電源装置によるバックアップ運転では、無停電電源装置を保護する保護制御８００が実行されている。
この保護制御は、図２０に示すように、まず無停電電源装置の供給電圧が低下したか否かを判断する（８０１）。供給電圧が低下した場合は、警報を表示器７８に表示したり、遠方の遠隔監視装置８１に通報する（８０６）。また同時に、小箱１０を強制解錠するか否かを判定する（８０２）。判定基準は、無停電電源装置の閾値であり、閾値以下に低下したときは、全小箱１０を一斉解錠する（８０３）。また、閾値以上のときは、タイマーで設定した時間が経過したか否かを判定し（８０４）、経過したときは、無停電電源装置の給電を停止する（８０５）。
このように制御することにより、物品を閉じ込めて取出し不能になる事態を防止し、また無停電電源装置のバッテリー上りを防止することができる。(overall structure)
FIG. 1 shows an article management apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The article management apparatus 1 includes a small box storage section 2 and a control section 3. The small box storage section 2 is configured such that a large number of small boxes 10 can be stored in multiple rows and columns by an insertion shelf 4 described later. In the illustrated example, there are seven rows from the first row to the seventh row and 25 rows from the A row to the Y row, but the number may be more or less. In addition, although the number which shows the number of columns is displayed on the site | part shown with the code | symbol 1a, these numbers "1"-"7" can be light-displayed with the light source provided in the back surface, and the code | symbol 1b The alphabets indicating the number of steps are displayed in the parts indicated by, and the alphabets “A” to “Y” can also be turned on by a light source provided on the back surface. This display method is not essential, and may be displayed on an appropriate display provided in the control section 3. Moreover, you may use both displays.
The article management apparatus 1 configured as described above can store 175 small boxes 10 in 7 rows × 25 stages. In addition, the small boxes 10 in the 7th row and the Y stage indicate the pulled-out state, and the remaining small boxes 10 indicate the stored state.
An input device 77 such as a touch panel and a display device 78 for displaying various states are provided on the surface of the control section 3, and a management control unit 70 for executing various functions of the article management device is provided therein. Yes.
Based on FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the structure in the small box storage section 2 is demonstrated.
(Insertion shelf)
In FIG. 2, reference numeral 4a denotes a front shelf board, and 4b denotes a rear shelf board. These two shelf boards constitute a one-stage insertion shelf 4. And this insertion shelf 4 is provided in multiple stages.
An outer box 5 corresponding to the number of rows is attached to the insertion shelf 4 at each stage. An insertion piece 5 a is attached to the lower surface of the front end portion of each outer box 5, and a mounting plate 5 b is attached to the lower surface of the rear end portion. The outer box 5 is inserted from the rear of the insertion shelf 4, the insertion piece 5a is inserted into the front shelf 4a, and the mounting plate 5b is attached to the rear shelf 4b with screws or the like. Therefore, if the screw or the like is removed, the outer box 5 can be pulled out from the insertion shelf 4 backward, and replacement and maintenance can be easily performed.
A mounting plate 8 on which a lock mechanism 30, a small box opening / closing detection switch 41, and an article presence / absence detection switch 42, which will be described later, are mounted in a module is mounted on the rear end portion of the outer box 5.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3B, a small box 10 is inserted into the outer box 5 from the front so as to be freely inserted and pulled out.
In FIG. 3 (A), the part denoted by reference numeral 10 indicates the state in which the small box 10 is inserted, and the part not denoted by reference numeral 10 indicates the state in which the small box 10 is removed. Yes.
(Outer box and small box)
Next, the configuration of the outer box 5 and the small box 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 4 to 6.
The outer box 5 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box whose upper surface is generally open, and includes a bottom plate 6 and left and right side walls 7. In addition, the upper end edge 7a of each side wall 7 is bent at a right angle so as to be directed inward. The upper edge 7a is also a guide piece for guiding insertion of the small box 10 described later.
The small box 10 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box having an open upper surface, and is composed of a rectangular bottom plate 11, a front wall 12, and left and right side walls 14. The rear end portion of the bottom plate 11 is an inclined portion 11b that is inclined obliquely so as to rise toward the rear. One of the left and right side walls 14 is formed with an engagement hole 34 into which a rod 32 of a lock mechanism 30 described later is inserted. A push piece 13 of a small box detection switch 41 described later is formed at the rear end of the other side wall 14.
A semicircular hooking groove 12a for hooking a person's finger is formed at the center of the front wall 12.
The small box 10 is preferably made of a synthetic resin. In this case, since a leakage current from an electric component to be described later does not reach the inside, it is possible to prevent problems such as magnetic disappearance of articles in the small box 10.
(Small box control unit)
The upper surface of the rear end of each outer box 5 is attached with a small box control unit such as a lock mechanism 30, a small box opening / closing detection switch 41, and an article presence / absence detection switch 42 via a mounting plate 8. .
7 and 8 show a modular box control unit. That is, reference numeral 8 denotes an attachment plate that is detachably attached to the rear shelf plate 4b together with the attachment plate 5b of the outer box 5 with screws or the like. A solenoid 31, a small box opening / closing detection switch 41, and a connection connector 8e are attached to the mounting plate 8. Further, an article presence / absence detection switch 42 is attached to the lower surface of the attachment plate 8 via a second attachment plate 8b.
Further, as shown in FIG. 6, a mounting base 8 d of the connecting portion 15 c of the leaf spring 15 is attached to the upper surface of the mounting plate 8.
As described above, since various control components are integrally mounted by the mounting plate 8, maintenance work can be easily performed by exchanging the mounting plate 8 at the time of maintenance inspection.
Each small box control unit will be described below.
(Small box opening / closing detection means)
In FIG. 4, reference numeral 41 denotes a small box opening / closing detection switch, which is installed in the outer box 5 via a mounting plate 8. The installation position is a position where the rear end portion of the side wall 14 of the small box 10 is turned on by pressing the contact in a state where the small box 10 is inserted into the insertion portion. Therefore, when the small box 10 is pulled out, the small box open / close detection switch 41 is turned OFF, so that it can be seen that the small box 10 has been pulled out.
(Article presence / absence detection means)
4 to 6, reference numeral 15 denotes a leaf spring. The leaf spring 15 includes a lid portion 15a, an inclined portion 15b, and a connecting portion 15c. The lid portion 15a is a rectangular portion having a size that fits into the small box 10. The inclined portion 15 b is a member having substantially the same angle and length as the inclined portion 11 b of the small box 11 and can overlap the inclined portion 11 b of the small box 11. And the cover part 15a and the connection part 15c are connected. From the middle of the inclined portion 15b, the connecting portion 15c is easily bent by a narrow member, and the rear end of the connecting portion 15c is fixed to the mounting base 8d at the rear end portion of the outer box 5 with screws or the like. ing.
On the other hand, on the bottom plate 6 of the outer box 5, an article presence / absence detection switch 42 is inclined and disposed at a portion that becomes the lower surface of the inclined portion 11 b of the small box 10. This inclination angle is substantially the same as the inclination angle of the inclined portion 15b when the leaf spring 15 is stationary. Accordingly, when nothing is stored in the small box 10, that is, when it is empty, the inclined portion 15 b is turned on by pressing the article presence / absence detection switch 42, and the other state (for example, the article is stored in the small box 10). Or in a state where the small box 10 is pulled out). In this way, the presence / absence of an article in the small box 10 can be detected.
Next, another example of the article presence / absence detection means will be described.
The article presence / absence detecting means may be provided with a function for determining the authenticity of an article. Alternatively, in this embodiment, an article authenticity determination unit may be provided separately from the article presence / absence detection unit. The article authenticity judging means here is means for judging whether or not the article stored in the small box 10 is an article to be originally stored, and an accident that is exchanged for a fake by this judgment. Can be effectively prevented. The following configuration examples can be illustrated.
For example, when a weight sensor such as a sheet-like strain gauge is placed on the upper surface of the bottom plate 11 of the small box 10, the weight of the article placed in the small box 10 is detected by the weight sensor, thereby determining whether the article is genuine or fake. Can be determined.
Further, if the camera 68 is provided above the small box 10, it is possible to determine whether the article is genuine or fake by performing image processing on an image captured by the camera with a computer.
(Lock mechanism)
An example of the lock mechanism 30 will be described with reference to FIG.
A solenoid 31 is installed in the outer box 5 via the mounting plate 8. The installation position is behind the state in which the small box 10 is stored. Reference numeral 32 denotes a rod which is urged to be extended by a spring 33. In this extended state, the rod 32 enters the engagement hole 34 formed at the rear end of the one side wall 14 of the small box 10. In this state, the small box 10 is in a locked state and cannot be pulled out. When the solenoid 31 is energized to retract the rod 32 and disengage from the engagement hole 34, the small box 10 is brought into an unlocked state where it can be pulled out.
Next, another example of the lock mechanism 30 will be described.
The lock mechanism 30 may be provided with a biasing function that pushes the small box 10 slightly in the pulling direction when unlocked. As this urging function, for example, a spring or the like may be used. When the small box 10 is slightly pushed out in the pulling direction at the time of unlocking by the spring, it can be seen that it is visually unlocked. For this reason, the unlocking can be confirmed without relying on an indicator lamp (for example, 1a and 1b) for displaying the unlocked small box 10, so that the indicator lamp need not be used. Of course, the use of the indicator lamp can be double confirmed, so that the use of the indicator lamp is more convenient. Any biasing means other than a spring or the like may be used.
FIG. 10 is an electric circuit diagram of the lock mechanism 30.
In the present embodiment, the lock cannot be released so that any small box 10 cannot be pulled out unless all the small boxes 10 are closed. Therefore, a circuit configuration is adopted in which a large number of small box opening / closing detection switches 41 in all the outer boxes 5 are connected in series, and the solenoids 31 of the lock mechanisms 30 are connected in parallel. With the above circuit configuration, if all the small box open / close detection switches 41 are not turned on, none of the solenoids 31 can be operated, so that the small box can be pulled out only from the fully closed state.
However, if the small box opening / closing detection switch 41 is not turned ON due to a failure, all the small boxes 10 cannot be opened / closed. To avoid such a situation, each small box opening / closing detection switch 41 is connected via a bypass circuit. The open / close switch 43 is attached. For this reason, when the open / close switch 43 corresponding to the failed small box open / close detection switch 41 is closed, all the small boxes corresponding to the normal small box open / close detection switch 41 can be opened / closed.
(Opening / closing of small box 10 and detection of presence / absence of article)
FIG. 9 shows a state in which the small box 10 is retracted and stored. The first level from the top is the state in which the small box 10 is stored with the article empty, the second level is a state in which the small box 10 is pulled out slightly, the third level is the state in which the article is completely pulled out and the article is stored, and the fourth level is the article Is stored and the small box 10 is stored.
In the state where the small box 10 shown in the first row is stored, the article presence / absence detection switch 42 is pushed by the inclined portion 15b and turned ON, and the small box open / close detection switch 41 shown in FIG. It is pushed by the wall 13 and turned on. As shown in the second stage, when the small box 10 is pulled out, the inclined portion 15 b is separated from the article presence / absence detection switch 42. At this time, the leaf spring 15 is pushed up by the inclined portion 15b and the rear end portion 15c of the small box 10, but since the inclined portion 15b and the connecting portion 15c are bent, the leaf spring 15 is pushed up without difficulty. Further, the small box open / close detection switch 41 and the article presence / absence detection switch 42 are turned off. The third level is a state in which the small box 10 is completely pulled out, and in this state, the article M can be put in or taken out of the small box 10. Then, as shown in the fourth row, when the small box 10 is stored in a state where the article M is stored, the leaf spring 15 presses the upper surface of the article M. Therefore, the inclined portion 15b of the leaf spring 15 is away from the article presence / absence detection switch 42, and the article presence / absence detection switch 42 is OFF.
The matters that can be determined by the ON / OFF of the small box open / close detection switch 41 and the article presence / absence detection switch 42 are as follows.

As described above, when the small box open / close detection switch 41 is ON, it is possible to determine whether or not an article is stored in the small box 10 by ON / OFF of the article presence / absence detection switch 42. When the small box open / close detection switch 41 is OFF, that is, when the small box 10 is pulled out even a little, the ON / OFF state of the article presence / absence detection switch 42 does not occur.
(Management control unit)
Next, the management control unit 70 in the article management apparatus of the present invention will be described.
As shown in FIG. 11, the management control unit 70 in the present invention is configured by an information processing apparatus such as a computer.
The determination unit 71 is composed of a CPU or the like, makes necessary determinations and calculations based on the input signal, and outputs an output signal.
The data unit 72 stores person authentication data for determining whether or not the person is accessible and small box specifying data for determining whether or not the person is an accessible small box. The personal authentication data can be exemplified by an employee number, a personal identification number, or the like, and the small box specifying data can be a number unique to the small box linked to the person specifying data.
The control program storage unit 73 includes a lending control program 100, a return control program 200, a history recording control program 300, a small box forgetting prevention control program 400, a return reminder control program 500, and the like for carrying out the article management control of the present invention. A function check control program 600, a power failure response control program 700, and the like are stored.
The above-described lending control and return control are programmed to be executable both when the accessible small box 10 is one and when the number is two or more set in advance.
The memory unit 74 is a recording unit that writes a use history such as putting in and out of the small box 10 and authenticity.
Reference numeral 75 denotes an interface unit for a remote monitoring device to be described later.
Reference numeral 77 denotes an input device such as a numeric keypad, which is used for inputting personal authentication data or specific data for the small box 10.
41 and 42 are the small box opening / closing detection switch and the article presence / absence detection switch described above, and a detection signal for opening / closing the small box 10 and a detection signal for determining whether or not an article exists in the small box 10 are sent. .
30 is a lock mechanism described above that is restrained so that it cannot be pulled out when the small box 10 is inserted, and a lock operation and an unlock operation are performed by a control signal (lock signal, unlock signal) from the determination unit 71. .
The display 78 includes “numerals” 1 a indicating the number of rows of the small boxes 10 provided on the surface of the article management apparatus 1, “alphabet” 1 b indicating the number of steps, and other various displays on the control panel. It is.
(Other embodiments)
FIG. 12 shows an article management apparatus 1A provided with only a small box storage unit in the article management apparatus 1 of FIG. If the management control unit 70 is composed of a computer, the control capability is generally sufficient. Therefore, the number of managed articles can be arbitrarily increased simply by physically connecting the article management apparatus 1A.
FIG. 13 is a configuration example of a remote monitoring device. As shown in FIG. 11, a remote monitoring device 81 is connected to the interface unit 75 of the management control unit 70. As the connection means, a telephone line or other appropriate means is used. When this remote monitoring device 81 is used, it is possible to browse the usage history of a large number of article management devices 1 installed at remote locations as shown in FIG. In the example of FIG. 13, one or several article management devices 1 are installed in tenant buildings A, B, C... And a remote monitoring device 81 is installed in an information center building Z or a tenant building serving as an information center. . The remote monitoring device 81 and the article management device 1 of another tenant building are connected by a communication network such as a telephone line. Since the remote monitoring device 81 can access the memory unit 74 via the interface unit 75 of the connected article management device 1, it is possible to view the usage history recorded there.
According to this embodiment, it is possible to centrally manage a large number of article management apparatuses 1 at remote locations.
(Control content)
Next, various control contents executed by the management control unit 70 will be described.
(Lending control of goods)
As shown in FIG. 14, when the lending control program 100 is started, it is possible to lend goods.
101: It is always confirmed whether or not all of the small boxes 10 are closed (stored), and the situation is also displayed on the display 78. When even one of all the small boxes 10 is not closed, the lock mechanism 30 of any small box 10 is not released by the electric circuit of FIG.
102: The user first inputs an employee code or personal identification number, which is personal authentication data, using an input means such as a numeric keypad 77.
103: Compared with the authentication data stored in the data part 72, it is determined in the authentication step whether or not the person is accessible. If this determination is NO, the process cannot proceed to the next step, and the small box 10 cannot be pulled out. If the determination is OK, it is possible to proceed to the next step.
104: Check whether the small box open / close detection switch 41 is normal. For this confirmation, a known function confirmation program may be executed. If any one of the opening / closing detection switches 41 is defective, the opening / closing switch 43 (see FIG. 10) corresponding to the opening / closing detection switch 41 is turned on and excluded from the management target.
105: Next, specific data of the small box 10 to be pulled out, for example, specific data of each small box combining numbers and alphabets is input.
106: If the correspondence relationship between the input small box specifying data and the stored data in the data section 72 does not match between the accessed person and the small box 10 that can be pulled out, the small box 10 is not pulled out without proceeding to the next step. It becomes impossible to do.
107: When the correspondences match, the lock mechanism 30 is automatically unlocked based on the control signal from the determination unit 71, or the lock mechanism 30 is unlocked again (for example, by pressing the open button). The mechanism 30 is unlocked.
108: After unlocking, the person who accessed can pick up the small box 10 by hand (the opening of the small box 10 is detected by the small box opening / closing detection switch 41). 10 can be taken out, such as keys and valuables.
109: The removal of the article can be detected by the closing angle of the leaf spring 15, and the article presence / absence detection switch 42 is turned off, so that an article presence / absence detection signal is output. In this way, one or more small boxes that can be accessed only by an accessible person can be pulled out, so that theft and misuse can be prevented.
110: When the emptied small box 10 is pushed back into the outer box 5, the small box opening / closing detection switch 41 is turned on, the lock mechanism 30 is activated, and the small box 10 is locked.
111: Various data relating to the above-mentioned article removal is recorded in the memory unit 74 as a use history. Specifically, it is person data, small box data, article presence / absence data, and time data. Since these data are left as the use history, the past use history can be browsed at any time by the display 78 of the present apparatus or a remote management apparatus described later, and can also be used as security information.
Note that when the small box 10 is forgotten to close, the forgetting to close prevention control program (400) is activated, details of which will be described later.
(Goods return control)
As shown in FIG. 15, when the return control program 200 starts, the article can be returned.
201: It is always confirmed whether or not all of the small boxes 10 are closed (stored), and the status is also displayed on the display 78. When even one of all the small boxes 10 is not closed, the lock mechanism 30 of any small box 10 is not released by the electric circuit of FIG.
202: The user first inputs an employee code or personal identification number, which is personal authentication data, using an input means such as a numeric keypad 77.
203: Compared with the authentication data stored in the data part 72, it is determined in the authentication step whether or not the person is accessible. If this determination is NO, the process cannot proceed to the next step, and the small box 10 cannot be pulled out. If the determination is OK, it is possible to proceed to the next step.
204: Check whether the small box open / close detection switch 41 is normal. For this confirmation, a known function confirmation program may be executed. If any one of the opening / closing detection switches 41 is defective, the opening / closing switch 43 (see FIG. 10) corresponding to the opening / closing detection switch 41 is turned on and excluded from the management target.
205: Next, the specific data of the small box 10 to be pulled out is input.
206: If the correspondence relationship between the accessed person and the small box 10 that can be pulled out does not match, the next step cannot proceed and the small box 10 cannot be pulled out, and if the correspondence matches, the control signal from the determination unit 71 Based on the above, the lock mechanism 30 is automatically unlocked, or the lock mechanism 30 is unlocked by performing an opening operation again (for example, pressing an open button).
207: After unlocking, the person who has accessed can pick up the small box 10 by hand (at this time, the opening of the small box 10 is detected by the small box opening / closing detection switch 41).
208: The user can store again the articles such as keys and valuables taken out of the small box 10.
209: The re-storage of the article can be detected by the article presence / absence detection switch 42.
210: The closed small box is automatically locked by activating the lock mechanism 30. In this way, since articles can be re-stored in a small box accessible only to accessible persons, crimes and misuse can be prevented.
211: The various data relating to the above article return is recorded in the memory unit 74 as a use history. Specifically, it is person data, small box data, article presence / absence data, and time data. These data can be used as security information since the return fact of the article and the authenticity of the article are left as the use history, and the past use history can be viewed at any time with the display 78 of the present apparatus or a remote management apparatus described later. can do.
Note that when the small box 10 is forgotten to close, the forgetting to close prevention control program (400) is activated, details of which will be described later.
Further, when the article authenticity detection means determines that the item re-stored in the small box 10 is not authentic, if the lock mechanism 30 is not activated, the small box 10 is not locked and the administrator is counterfeit. Can be informed that it has been stored, or by issuing an alarm, it can be informed more directly that it is a fake.
(Use history recording control)
After the closing operation of the small box 10 in the lending control and after the closing operation of the small box 10 in the return control, use history recording control is performed (111, 211). Details thereof will be described with reference to FIG.
(1) Read position data (number of columns and steps) and access number which are specific data of a small box (301), display the result on the display 78 (302), and add / change history data with use The deletion is recorded in the data part 72 (303).
(2) A personal number or personal identification number, which is personal authentication data, is read (304), the result is displayed on the display 78 (305), and addition / change / deletion of authentication data accompanying use is recorded in the data section 72. (306).
(3) The operation start time or the operation end time or the alarm time when there is an alarm described later is input (307) and recorded (308).
(Prevention of forgetting to close small boxes)
In FIG. 17, (A) shows the forgetting to close control at the time of lending control, and (B) shows the forgetting to close control at the time of return control.
(A) In the figure, when the small box 10 is opened (401), the small box opening / closing detection switch 41 is turned on, and a timer is started by the ON signal (402). An article is taken out from the small box 10 (403), and a confirmation step (404A) is executed. After confirmation, it is determined whether or not a timeout has occurred (405). Although the length of the waiting time can be set freely, it is not preferable that the waiting time is too long for the purpose of preventing forgetting to close, and is about 1 minute in this embodiment.
If the waiting time has passed, an alarm is sounded (406) and then the alarm is reset (407). If the user notices the alarm and closes the small box 10 (408), the fact of the alarm and the fact of the closing operation are recorded in the history.
If the closing operation is not performed, the steps from the time-out check (405) to the alarm reset (407) are repeated. If the small box 10 is not closed after repeating this step several times, the fact is recorded in the history (409). This record can be used as crime prevention information.
(B) The forgetting to close control at the time of the return control shown in the figure is also performed in substantially the same steps, except that step (404B) is changed to return confirmation.
(Return reminder control)
By executing the lending control, the user can take out an article such as a key, but may not return it indefinitely. In order to cope with such a situation, return dunning control 500 shown in FIG. 18 is executed.
First, a lending time elapse check is performed to determine whether or not the lending time has elapsed (501). The lending time here is the time when the user is permitted to lend and can be arbitrarily set. Further, the set time may be determined uniformly (however, the adjustment may be long or short), or may be determined when the user receives a loan. In the latter case, a step for setting the lending time may be included in the step before the closing operation in the lending control 100.
Even when the lending time has elapsed, if no article such as a key has been returned, the fact that it has not been returned is displayed on the display 78 (502). In addition, the administrator may be notified or warned by an appropriate method.
After that, manual post-action is taken by the administrator. An example of the post-treatment is as follows. When the manager confirms that the item has not been returned (503), the administrator is contacted (504), and the taker confirms the location of the article (505). If there is an article, it is returned (506). If there is no article, it may be lost or stolen (507), and a security organization is notified (508).
(Function check control)
In order to check whether various functions in the article management apparatus 1 are working normally, a function check control 600 shown in FIG. 19 is performed.
First, since power must be supplied, the uninterruptible power supply is activated in preparation for a power failure of the commercial power supply (601). Then, a function check step is executed (602). The function check may be executed by a program that automatically performs the functions of the management control unit 70 and the display device 78, and a known method may be used as the means.
If the result of the function check is normal, the display unit 78 is caused to execute a program (604) such as a control (603) for displaying the storage status and usage history of the article and a lending control (100) that is the original purpose of use. Just do it.
If the result of the function check is abnormal, an alarm is issued (605), the abnormality is recorded as a history, and further sent to the administrator or transmitted to the remote remote monitoring device 81 as needed (606).
At the same time, the lock mechanisms 30 of all the small boxes 10 are released collectively (607), or the small boxes 10 are sequentially unlocked (608), and the small boxes 10 can be pulled out (609).
By doing in this way, the situation where an article cannot be taken out while being confined is prevented.
(Power failure response control)
The article management apparatus 1 normally operates with a commercial power supply, but has a power backup function shown in FIG. 20 in case the commercial power supply fails.
First, it is always determined whether or not commercial power is being supplied (701). When the commercial power is being supplied, it is displayed on the display 78 that the commercial power source is operating, and the uninterruptible power supply is charged. (702).
When the commercial power supply fails, the changeover switch is automatically turned on (703), power supply by the uninterruptible power supply is started (704), and the operation state by the uninterruptible power supply is displayed on the display 78. .
Thereafter, the article management apparatus is operated by the uninterruptible power supply apparatus and continues until the power supply of the commercial power supply is restored. When the supply of commercial power is resumed, the changeover switch is automatically turned off and the uninterruptible power supply enters a standby state.
In the backup operation by the uninterruptible power supply, the protection control 800 that protects the uninterruptible power supply is executed.
As shown in FIG. 20, this protection control first determines whether or not the supply voltage of the uninterruptible power supply has dropped (801). When the supply voltage decreases, an alarm is displayed on the display 78, or a remote remote monitoring device 81 is notified (806). At the same time, it is determined whether or not the small box 10 is forcibly unlocked (802). The criterion is the threshold value of the uninterruptible power supply, and when it falls below the threshold value, all the small boxes 10 are unlocked simultaneously (803). If it is equal to or greater than the threshold, it is determined whether or not the time set by the timer has elapsed (804), and when it has elapsed, the power supply to the uninterruptible power supply is stopped (805).
By controlling in this way, it is possible to prevent the situation where the article is confined and cannot be taken out, and the battery of the uninterruptible power supply can be prevented from rising.

  According to the present invention, keys, valuables and other articles can be safely stored and managed, and a dedicated key or tag is not required, so that handling is convenient. Therefore, it is possible to provide an article management apparatus having both safety / crime prevention and convenience.

[Document Name] Description [Title of Invention] Article Management Device [Technical Field]
The present invention is suitable for storing and storing various items, for example, valuables such as keys, electronic cards, pistols, jewelry, securities, important documents, or important items that require attention such as chemicals. The present invention relates to an article management apparatus.
[Background]
Conventional article management includes the following.
For example, in a tenant building in which a large number of companies, stores, offices, etc. are occupying, it is common to keep the keys of each tenant and store them in a key box or the like installed in a security room. In addition, when consigned to a security company or a building maintenance company, it is stored in a key box. Furthermore, chemicals used in hospitals and the like are managed in a chemical storage box having the same structure.
In the management of the conventional key box and medicine storage box, there is one in which a key or tag is attached to a valuable item to be managed in order to prevent misuse or theft (for example, Japanese Patent No. 3188605).
However, in this conventional example, depending on the valuables to be managed, it may be difficult to attach the key or tag, or the key and tag may be lost or damaged. In addition, chemicals that are difficult to attach keys and tags are prone to mismedication due to human error, which has become a social problem.
On the other hand, considering security issues, it is desirable to be able to grasp the usage history of who brought out what and when it was stored, but such a measure could not be handled by a conventional management apparatus. Therefore, a resident manager was placed to artificially grasp the status of keys and other items. Specifically, it was confirmed that the keys were taken in and out by visual confirmation, but accidents such as incorrect return or loss after lending occurred, and it was not fully managed, and labor costs etc. increased. .
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
It is an object of the present invention to provide an article management apparatus that does not require a dedicated key or tag, can reliably manage the rental, storage, and return of articles, and can prevent misuse or theft. It is another object of the present invention to provide an article management apparatus that can be used at any time so that the use history can be viewed at any time. Furthermore, an object of the present invention is to provide an article management apparatus that is excellent in usability equivalent to or more than the case where there is a manager without having a resident manager. It is another object of the present invention to provide an article management apparatus that can arbitrarily take in and out articles such as valuables even if an abnormality occurs in an electric circuit in the apparatus.
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following article management apparatus.
An article management device according to a first aspect of the present invention is an insertion shelf, a plurality of outer boxes provided on the insertion shelf, a plurality of small boxes provided so as to be able to be pulled out and stored, and the small box being inserted into the outer box. In this state, a lock mechanism provided in each outer box that is restricted so that it cannot be pulled out, a small box opening / closing detection means that detects whether or not each of the small boxes is inserted into a corresponding outer box, Article presence / absence detection means for turning ON / OFF based on contact / non-contact of the article as to whether or not the article is stored in the small box, an operation for taking out the article in the small box, and storing the article in the small box It consists of an input device that inputs the operation artificially, a display that displays the status of storage and removal of articles in the small box and usage history, an uninterruptible power supply that is used when a commercial power supply fails, and a management control unit. The management control unit can be accessed according to the input signal of the input device To a person, and, for accessible small box, the corresponding rent control and return control or to or locked to unlocked the lock mechanism of the small box, a power failure handling control line Umono, the lending Control records the unlocking operation to unlock the lock mechanism of the corresponding small box, the take-out confirmation step of the article, the closing operation to lock the lock mechanism of the small box from which the article was taken out, and the history of recording the fact of renting the article For performing the recording, and performing forgetting to close the small box for performing an alarm when the small box is forgotten to be closed between the take-out confirmation step and the closing operation. When the control is lending control, an alarm is issued when the storage of the small box is not detected even after the preset waiting time has passed after the take-out is confirmed. Open to unlock the lock mechanism of the box And a return confirmation step of the article, a closing operation for locking the lock mechanism of the small box to which the article has been returned, and a history record for recording the return fact of the article, the return confirmation and the closing operation, In this case, forgetting to close the small box is executed when the small box is forgotten to be closed. When the small box closing forgetting control is a return control, it is set in advance after the return is confirmed. When the storage of the small box is not detected within the specified standby time, an alarm is issued, and when the power failure response control is supplied with commercial power, the uninterruptible power supply is charged, When the supply of power is cut off, power is supplied from the uninterruptible power supply, and during operation by the uninterruptible power supply, the power protection function is activated. The power supply protection function detects a drop in voltage and falls below the threshold value. If alarmed, and all small box lockers The structure is unlocked, and then the power supply of the uninterruptible power supply is stopped .
The article management apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, detects whether or not the function of the small box opening / closing detection means is normal between the person authentication step and the small box authentication step. In addition, the abnormal fact is recorded as a history, and the corresponding small box is excluded from the management target .
Item management apparatus of the third invention, in the second invention, after the execution of the lending controller, determines whether there is return of the article taken out within the set time, the undelivered fact when there is no return of the article It is characterized by displaying .
The article management apparatus according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the article management apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the main control menu is executed when the monitoring step for monitoring the functions of the display unit and the management control unit and the result of the monitoring step is normal. If not, alarm control is executed, and the alarm control includes alarm operation and unlocking of the small box .
【The invention's effect】
According to the first invention, the following effects are produced.
a) Since the use history is recorded after the lending control and the return control, it is possible to check the lending / returning status of the article without a resident manager.
b) product article presence detection means, since the ON-OFF contact and non contact the article, it is detected without human intervention, it does not occur human error.
c) When taking out the goods during the loan control, but when the user forgets to close the box due to carelessness, an alarm will be issued, so the box can be closed without forgetting and the loan management is ensured. It is possible to prevent the loss of the article. In addition, since the alarm is issued after the standby time has elapsed, the alarm can be reliably issued by managing only the time.
d) When returning the goods during the return control, but when the user forgets to close the box due to carelessness, an alarm will be issued, so the box can be closed without forgetting it, It can be prevented in advance. In addition, since the alarm is issued after the standby time has elapsed, the alarm can be reliably issued by managing only the time.
e) Since the uninterruptible power supply works immediately when there is a power failure of the commercial power supply, the article management device will not stop functioning, and it will stop functioning because it monitors and alerts the voltage drop even after operation by the uninterruptible power supply. Never do. Even when the voltage drops below the threshold value, all the small boxes are unlocked, so that the articles cannot be taken out.
According to the second invention, when the small box opening / closing detection means is not normal, it is possible to exclude the small box from the management target after leaving the abnormality history, so that the remaining normal small boxes are effectively used. Can do.
According to the third invention, when the taken-out article is not returned within the waiting time, the fact can be displayed, so the take-out person can be prompted.
According to the fourth aspect of the invention, the functions of the management control unit and the display unit are monitored, and the main control menu is executed only when it is normal, and when it is not normal, an alarm is issued to prompt maintenance and the small box is unlocked. The article can be prevented from being closed .
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
(overall structure)
FIG. 1 shows an article management apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The article management apparatus 1 includes a small box storage section 2 and a control section 3. The small box storage section 2 is configured such that a large number of small boxes 10 can be stored in multiple rows and columns by an insertion shelf 4 described later. In the illustrated example, there are seven rows from the first row to the seventh row and 25 rows from the A row to the Y row, but the number may be more or less. In addition, although the number which shows the number of columns is displayed on the site | part shown with the code | symbol 1a, these numbers "1"-"7" can be light-displayed with the light source provided in the back surface, and the code | symbol 1b The alphabets indicating the number of steps are displayed in the parts indicated by, and the alphabets “A” to “Y” can also be turned on by a light source provided on the back surface. This display method is not essential, and may be displayed on an appropriate display provided in the control section 3. Moreover, you may use both displays.
The article management apparatus 1 configured as described above can store 175 small boxes 10 in 7 rows × 25 stages. In addition, the small boxes 10 in the 7th row and the Y stage indicate the pulled-out state, and the remaining small boxes 10 indicate the stored state.
An input device 77 such as a touch panel and a display device 78 for displaying various states are provided on the surface of the control section 3, and a management control unit 70 for executing various functions of the article management device is provided therein. Yes.
Based on FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the structure in the small box storage section 2 is demonstrated.
(Insertion shelf)
In FIG. 2, reference numeral 4a denotes a front shelf board, and 4b denotes a rear shelf board. These two shelf boards constitute a one-stage insertion shelf 4. And this insertion shelf 4 is provided in multiple stages.
An outer box 5 corresponding to the number of rows is attached to the insertion shelf 4 at each stage. An insertion piece 5 a is attached to the lower surface of the front end portion of each outer box 5, and a mounting plate 5 b is attached to the lower surface of the rear end portion. The outer box 5 is inserted from the rear of the insertion shelf 4, the insertion piece 5a is inserted into the front shelf 4a, and the mounting plate 5b is attached to the rear shelf 4b with screws or the like. Therefore, if the screw or the like is removed, the outer box 5 can be pulled out from the insertion shelf 4 backward, and replacement and maintenance can be easily performed.
A mounting plate 8 on which a lock mechanism 30, a small box opening / closing detection switch 41, and an article presence / absence detection switch 42, which will be described later, are mounted in a module is mounted on the rear end portion of the outer box 5.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3B, a small box 10 is inserted into the outer box 5 from the front so as to be freely inserted and pulled out.
In FIG. 3 (A), the part denoted by reference numeral 10 indicates the state in which the small box 10 is inserted, and the part not denoted by reference numeral 10 indicates the state in which the small box 10 is removed. Yes.
(Outer box and small box)
Next, the configuration of the outer box 5 and the small box 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 4 to 6.
The outer box 5 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box whose upper surface is generally open, and includes a bottom plate 6 and left and right side walls 7. In addition, the upper end edge 7a of each side wall 7 is bent at a right angle so as to be directed inward. The upper edge 7a is also a guide piece for guiding insertion of the small box 10 described later.
The small box 10 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box having an open upper surface, and is composed of a rectangular bottom plate 11, a front wall 12, and left and right side walls 14. The rear end portion of the bottom plate 11 is an inclined portion 11b that is inclined obliquely so as to rise toward the rear. One of the left and right side walls 14 is formed with an engagement hole 34 into which a rod 32 of a lock mechanism 30 described later is inserted. A push piece 13 of a small box detection switch 41 described later is formed at the rear end of the other side wall 14.
A semicircular hooking groove 12a for hooking a person's finger is formed in the center of the front wall 12.
The small box 10 is preferably made of a synthetic resin. In this case, since a leakage current from an electric component to be described later does not reach the inside, it is possible to prevent problems such as magnetic disappearance of articles in the small box 10.
(Small box control unit)
The upper surface of the rear end of each outer box 5 is attached with a small box control unit such as a lock mechanism 30, a small box opening / closing detection switch 41, and an article presence / absence detection switch 42 via a mounting plate 8. .
7 and 8 show a modular box control unit. That is, reference numeral 8 denotes an attachment plate that is detachably attached to the rear shelf plate 4b together with the attachment plate 5b of the outer box 5 with screws or the like. A solenoid 31, a small box opening / closing detection switch 41, and a connection connector 8e are attached to the mounting plate 8. Further, an article presence / absence detection switch 42 is attached to the lower surface of the attachment plate 8 via a second attachment plate 8b.
Further, as shown in FIG. 6, a mounting base 8 d of the connecting portion 15 c of the leaf spring 15 is attached to the upper surface of the mounting plate 8.
As described above, since various control components are integrally mounted by the mounting plate 8, maintenance work can be easily performed by exchanging the mounting plate 8 at the time of maintenance inspection.
Each small box control unit will be described below.
(Small box opening / closing detection means)
In FIG. 4, reference numeral 41 denotes a small box opening / closing detection switch, which is installed in the outer box 5 via a mounting plate 8. The installation position is a position where the rear end portion of the side wall 14 of the small box 10 is turned on by pressing the contact in a state where the small box 10 is inserted into the insertion portion. Therefore, when the small box 10 is pulled out, the small box open / close detection switch 41 is turned OFF, so that it can be seen that the small box 10 has been pulled out.
(Article presence / absence detection means)
4 to 6, reference numeral 15 denotes a leaf spring. The leaf spring 15 includes a lid portion 15a, an inclined portion 15b, and a connecting portion 15c. The lid portion 15a is a rectangular portion having a size that fits into the small box 10. The inclined portion 15b is a member having substantially the same angle and length as the inclined portion 11b of the small box 11, and can overlap the inclined portion 11b of the small box 11. The lid portion 15a and the connecting portion 15c are connected. From the middle of the inclined portion 15b, the connecting portion 15c is easily bent by a thin member, and the rear end of the connecting portion 15c is fixed to the mounting base 8d at the rear end portion of the outer box 5 with a screw 16 or the like. ing.
On the other hand, on the bottom plate 6 of the outer box 5, an article presence / absence detection switch 42 is inclined and disposed on the lower surface of the inclined portion 11 b of the small box 10. This inclination angle is substantially the same as the inclination angle of the inclined portion 15b when the leaf spring 15 is fixed. Accordingly, when nothing is stored in the small box 10, that is, when it is empty, the inclined portion 15 b is turned on by pressing the article presence / absence detection switch 42, and the other state (for example, the article is stored in the small box 10). Or in a state where the small box 10 is pulled out). In this way, the presence / absence of an article in the small box 10 can be detected.
Next, another example of the article presence / absence detection means will be described.
The article presence / absence detecting means may be provided with a function for determining the authenticity of an article. Alternatively, in this embodiment, an article authenticity determination unit may be provided separately from the article presence / absence detection unit. The article authenticity judging means here is means for judging whether or not the article stored in the small box 10 is an article to be originally stored, and an accident that is exchanged for a fake by this judgment. Can be effectively prevented. The following configuration examples can be illustrated.
For example, when a weight sensor such as a sheet-like strain gauge is placed on the upper surface of the bottom plate 11 of the small box 10, the weight of the article placed in the small box 10 is detected by the weight sensor, thereby determining whether the article is genuine or fake. Can be determined.
Further, if the camera 68 is provided above the small box 10, it is possible to determine whether the article is genuine or fake by performing image processing on an image captured by the camera with a computer.
(Lock mechanism)
An example of the lock mechanism 30 will be described with reference to FIG.
A solenoid 31 is installed in the outer box 5 via the mounting plate 8. The installation position is behind the state in which the small box 10 is stored. Reference numeral 32 denotes a rod which is urged to be extended by a spring 33. In this extended state, the rod 32 enters the engagement hole 34 formed at the rear end of the one side wall 14 of the small box 10. In this state, the small box 10 is in a locked state and cannot be pulled out. When the solenoid 31 is energized to retract the rod 32 and disengage from the engagement hole 34, the small box 10 is brought into an unlocked state where it can be pulled out.
Next, another example of the lock mechanism 30 will be described.
The lock mechanism 30 may be provided with a biasing function that pushes the small box 10 slightly in the pulling direction when unlocked. As this urging function, for example, a spring or the like may be used. When the small box 10 is slightly pushed out in the pulling direction at the time of unlocking by the spring, it can be seen that it is visually unlocked. For this reason, the unlocking can be confirmed without relying on an indicator lamp (for example, 1a and 1b) for displaying the unlocked small box 10, so that the indicator lamp need not be used. Of course, the use of the indicator lamp can be double confirmed, so that the use of the indicator lamp is more convenient. Any biasing means other than a spring or the like may be used.
FIG. 10 is an electric circuit diagram of the lock mechanism 30.
In the present embodiment, the lock cannot be released so that any small box 10 cannot be pulled out unless all the small boxes 10 are closed. Therefore, a circuit configuration is adopted in which a large number of small box opening / closing detection switches 41 in all the outer boxes 5 are connected in series, and the solenoids 31 of the lock mechanisms 30 are connected in parallel. With the above circuit configuration, if all the small box open / close detection switches 41 are not turned on, none of the solenoids 31 can be operated, so that the small box can be pulled out only from the fully closed state.
However, if the small box opening / closing detection switch 41 is not turned ON due to a failure, all the small boxes 10 cannot be opened / closed. To avoid such a situation, each small box opening / closing detection switch 41 is connected via a bypass circuit. The open / close switch 43 is attached. For this reason, when the open / close switch 43 corresponding to the failed small box open / close detection switch 41 is closed, all the small boxes corresponding to the normal small box open / close detection switch 41 can be opened / closed.
(Opening / closing of small box 10 and detection of presence / absence of article)
FIG. 9 shows a state in which the small box 10 is retracted and stored. The first level from the top is the state in which the small box 10 is stored with the article empty, the second level is a state in which the small box 10 is pulled out slightly, the third level is the state in which the article is completely pulled out and the article is stored, and the fourth level is the article Is stored and the small box 10 is stored.
In the state where the small box 10 shown in the first row is stored, the article presence / absence detection switch 42 is pushed by the inclined portion 15b and turned ON, and the small box opening / closing detection switch 41 shown in FIG. It is pushed by the wall 13 and turned on. As shown in the second row, the inclined portion 15b is separated from the article presence / absence detection switch 42 when the small box 10 is pulled out. At this time, the leaf spring 15 is pushed up by the inclined portion 15b and the rear end portion 15c of the small box 10, but since the inclined portion 15b and the connecting portion 15c are bent, the leaf spring 15 is pushed up without difficulty. Further, the small box open / close detection switch 41 and the article presence / absence detection switch 42 are turned off. The third level is a state in which the small box 10 is completely pulled out, and in this state, the article M can be put in or taken out of the small box 10. Then, as shown in the fourth row, when the small box 10 is stored in a state where the article M is stored, the leaf spring 15 presses the upper surface of the article M. Accordingly, the inclined portion 15b of the leaf spring 15 is separated from the article presence / absence detection switch 42, and the article presence / absence detection switch 42 is OFF.
The matters that can be determined by the ON / OFF of the small box open / close detection switch 41 and the article presence / absence detection switch 42 are as follows.
Small box opening / closing detection switch 41 Article presence / absence detection switch 42
ON ON Small box 10 is stored
No goods
ON OFF Small box 10 is stored
With goods
OFF OFF Small box 10 drawer
The presence or absence of goods is unknown
As described above, when the small box open / close detection switch 41 is ON, it is possible to determine whether or not an article is stored in the small box 10 by ON / OFF of the article presence / absence detection switch 42. When the small box open / close detection switch 41 is OFF, that is, when the small box 10 is pulled out even a little, the ON / OFF state of the article presence / absence detection switch 42 does not occur.
(Management control unit)
Next, the management control unit 70 in the article management apparatus of the present invention will be described.
As shown in FIG. 11, the management control unit 70 in the present invention is configured by an information processing apparatus such as a computer.
The determination unit 71 is composed of a CPU or the like, makes necessary determinations and calculations based on the input signal, and outputs an output signal.
The data unit 72 stores person authentication data for determining whether or not the person is accessible and small box specifying data for determining whether or not the person is an accessible small box. The personal authentication data can be exemplified by an employee number, a personal identification number, or the like, and the small box specifying data can be a number unique to the small box linked to the person specifying data.
The control program storage unit 73 includes a lending control program 100, a return control program 200, a history record control program 300, a small box forgetting prevention control program 400, a return reminder control program 500, for carrying out the article management control of the present invention. A function check control program 600 and a power failure response control program 700 are stored.
The above-described lending control and return control are programmed to be executable both when the accessible small box 10 is one and when the number is two or more set in advance.
The memory unit 74 is a recording unit that writes a use history such as putting in and out of the small box 10 and authenticity.
Reference numeral 75 denotes an interface unit for a remote monitoring device to be described later.
Reference numeral 77 denotes an input device such as a numeric keypad, which is used for inputting personal authentication data or specific data for the small box 10.
41 and 42 are the small box opening / closing detection switch and the article presence / absence detection switch described above, and a detection signal for opening / closing the small box 10 and a detection signal for determining whether or not an article exists in the small box 10 are sent. .
30 is a lock mechanism described above that is restrained so that it cannot be pulled out when the small box 10 is inserted, and a lock operation and an unlock operation are performed by a control signal (lock signal, unlock signal) from the determination unit 71. .
The display 78 includes “numerals” 1 a indicating the number of rows of the small boxes 10 provided on the surface of the article management apparatus 1, “alphabet” 1 b indicating the number of steps, and other various displays on the control panel. It is.
(Other embodiments)
FIG. 12 shows an article management apparatus 1A provided with only a small box storage unit in the article management apparatus 1 of FIG. If the management control unit 70 is composed of a computer, the control capability is generally sufficient. Therefore, the number of managed articles can be arbitrarily increased simply by physically connecting the article management apparatus 1A.
FIG. 13 is a configuration example of a remote monitoring device. As shown in FIG. 11, a remote monitoring device 81 is connected to the interface unit 75 of the management control unit 70. As the connection means, a telephone line or other appropriate means is used. When this remote monitoring device 81 is used, it is possible to browse the usage history of a large number of article management devices 1 installed at remote locations as shown in FIG. In the example of FIG. 13, one or several article management devices 1 are installed in tenant buildings A, B, C... And a remote monitoring device 81 is installed in an information center building Z or a tenant building serving as an information center. . The remote monitoring device 81 and the article management device 1 of another tenant building are connected by a communication network such as a telephone line. Since the remote monitoring device 81 can access the memory unit 74 via the interface unit 75 of the connected article management device 1, it is possible to view the usage history recorded there.
According to this embodiment, it is possible to centrally manage a large number of article management apparatuses 1 at remote locations.
(Control content)
Next, various control contents executed by the management control unit 70 will be described.
(Lending control of goods)
As shown in FIG. 14, when the lending control program 100 is started, it is possible to lend goods.
101: It is always confirmed whether or not all of the small boxes 10 are closed (stored), and the situation is also displayed on the display 78. When even one of all the small boxes 10 is not closed, the lock mechanism 30 of any small box 10 is not released by the electric circuit of FIG.
102: The user first inputs an employee code or personal identification number, which is personal authentication data, using an input means such as a numeric keypad 77.
103: Compared with the authentication data stored in the data part 72, it is determined in the authentication step whether or not the person is accessible. If this determination is NO, the process cannot proceed to the next step, and the small box 10 cannot be pulled out. If the determination is OK, it is possible to proceed to the next step.
104: Check whether the small box open / close detection switch 41 is normal. For this confirmation, a known function confirmation program may be executed. If any one of the opening / closing detection switches 41 is defective, the opening / closing switch 43 (see FIG. 10) corresponding to the opening / closing detection switch 41 is turned on and excluded from the management target.
105: Next, specific data of the small box 10 to be pulled out, for example, specific data of each small box combining numbers and alphabets is input.
106: If the correspondence relationship between the input small box specifying data and the data stored in the data section 72 does not match between the accessed person and the small box 10 that can be pulled out, the small box 10 is not pulled out without proceeding to the next step. It becomes impossible to do.
107: When the correspondences match, the lock mechanism 30 is automatically unlocked based on the control signal from the determination unit 71, or the lock mechanism 30 is locked again by performing an opening operation (for example, pressing an open button). The mechanism 30 is unlocked.
108: After unlocking, the person who accessed can pick up the small box 10 by hand (the opening of the small box 10 is detected by the small box opening / closing detection switch 41). 10 can be taken out, such as keys and valuables.
109: The removal of the article can be detected by the closing angle of the leaf spring 15, and the article presence / absence detection switch 42 is turned off, so that an article presence / absence detection signal is output. In this way, one or more small boxes that can be accessed only by an accessible person can be pulled out, so that theft and misuse can be prevented.
110: When the emptied small box 10 is pushed back into the outer box 5, the small box open / close detection switch 41 is turned on, the lock mechanism 30 is activated, and the small box 10 is locked.
111: Various data relating to the above-mentioned article removal is recorded in the memory unit 74 as a use history. Specifically, it is person data, small box data, article presence / absence data, and time data. Since these data are left as the use history, the past use history can be browsed at any time by the display 78 of the present apparatus or a remote management apparatus described later, and can also be used as security information.
If the small box 10 is forgotten to close, the forgetting to close control program (400) is activated, and details thereof will be described later.
(Goods return control)
As shown in FIG. 15, when the return control program 200 starts, the article can be returned.
201: It is always confirmed whether or not all of the small boxes 10 are closed (stored), and the status is also displayed on the display 78. When even one of all the small boxes 10 is not closed, the lock mechanism 30 of any small box 10 is not released by the electric circuit of FIG.
202: The user first inputs an employee code or a personal identification number, which is personal authentication data, using an input means such as a numeric keypad 77.
203: Compared with the authentication data stored in the data part 72, it is determined in the authentication step whether or not the person is accessible. If this determination is NO, the process cannot proceed to the next step, and the small box 10 cannot be pulled out. If the determination is OK, it is possible to proceed to the next step.
204: Check whether the small box open / close detection switch 41 is normal. For this confirmation, a known function confirmation program may be executed. If any one of the opening / closing detection switches 41 is defective, the opening / closing switch 43 (see FIG. 10) corresponding to the opening / closing detection switch 41 is turned on and excluded from the management target.
205: Next, input specific data of the small box 10 to be pulled out.
206: If the correspondence between the accessed person and the small box 10 that can be pulled out does not match, the next step does not proceed and the small box 10 cannot be pulled out, and if the correspondence matches, the control signal from the determination unit 71 Based on the above, the lock mechanism 30 is automatically unlocked, or the lock mechanism 30 is unlocked by performing an opening operation again (for example, pressing an open button).
207: After unlocking, the person who has accessed can pick up the small box 10 by hand (at this time, the opening of the small box 10 is detected by the small box opening / closing detection switch 41).
208: The user can store again the articles such as keys and valuables taken out of the small box 10.
209: The re-storage of the article can be detected by the article presence / absence detection switch 42.
210: The closed small box is automatically locked by activating the lock mechanism 30. In this way, since articles can be re-stored in a small box accessible only to accessible persons, crimes and misuse can be prevented.
211: The various data relating to the above item return is recorded in the memory unit 74 as a use history. Specifically, it is person data, small box data, article presence / absence data, and time data. These data can be used as security information since the return fact of the article and the authenticity of the article are left as the use history, and the past use history can be viewed at any time with the display 78 of the present apparatus or a remote management apparatus described later. can do.
If the small box 10 is forgotten to close, the forgetting to close control program (400) is activated, and details thereof will be described later.
Further, when the article authenticity detection means determines that the item re-stored in the small box 10 is not authentic, if the lock mechanism 30 is not activated, the small box 10 is not locked and the administrator is counterfeit. Can be informed that it has been stored, or by issuing an alarm, it can be informed more directly that it is a fake.
(Use history recording control)
After the closing operation of the small box 10 in the lending control and after the closing operation of the small box 10 in the return control, use history recording control is performed (111, 211). Details thereof will be described with reference to FIG.
1) Read position data (number of columns and columns) and access number, which are specific data of a small box (301), display the result on the display 78 (302), and add / change / change history data with use The deletion is recorded in the data part 72 (303).
2) A personal number or personal identification number, which is personal authentication data, is read (304), the result is displayed on the display 78 (305), and addition / change / deletion of authentication data accompanying use is recorded in the data section 72. (306).
3) Input an operation start time or an operation end time or an alarm time when there is an alarm described later (307) and record it (308).
(Prevention of forgetting to close small boxes)
In FIG. 17, (A) shows the forgetting to close control at the time of lending control, and (B) shows the forgetting to close control at the time of return control.
(A) In the figure, when the small box 10 is opened (401), the small box open / close detection switch 41 is turned on, and a timer is started by the ON signal (402). The article is taken out from the small box 10 (403), and the confirmation step (404A) is executed. After confirmation, it is determined whether or not a timeout has occurred (405). Although the length of the waiting time can be set freely, it is not preferable that the waiting time is too long for the purpose of preventing forgetting to close, and is about 1 minute in this embodiment.
If the waiting time is exceeded, an alarm is sounded (406), and then the alarm is reset (407). If the user notices this alarm and closes the small box 10 (408), the fact of the alarm and the fact of the closing operation are recorded in the history.
If the closing operation is not performed, the steps from timeout check (405) to alarm reset (407) are repeated. If the small box 10 is not closed after repeating this step several times, the fact is recorded in the history (409). This record can be used as crime prevention information.
(B) The forgetting to close control at the time of return control shown in the figure is also performed in substantially the same steps, except that step (404B) is changed to return confirmation.
(Return reminder control)
By executing the lending control, the user can take out an article such as a key, but may not return it indefinitely. In order to cope with such a situation, the return reminder control 500 shown in FIG. 18 is executed.
First, a lending time elapse check is performed to determine whether or not the lending time has elapsed (501). The lending time here is the time when the user is permitted to lend and can be arbitrarily set. Further, the set time may be determined uniformly (however, the adjustment may be long or short), or may be determined when the user receives a loan. In the latter case, a step for setting the lending time in a step before the closing operation in the lending control 100 may be included.
Even when the lending time has passed, if no article such as a key has been returned, the fact that it has not been returned is displayed on the display 78 (502). In addition, the administrator may be notified or warned by an appropriate method.
After that, manual post-action is taken by the administrator. An example of the post-treatment is as follows. When the manager confirms that the item has not been returned (503), the administrator is contacted (504), and the taker confirms the location of the article (505). If there is an article, it is returned (506). If there is no article, it may be lost or stolen (507), and a security organization is notified (508).
(Function check control)
In order to check whether various functions in the article management apparatus 1 are functioning normally, a function check control 600 shown in FIG. 19 is performed.
First, since the power must be supplied, the uninterruptible power supply is activated in preparation for a commercial power failure (601). Then, a function check step is executed (602). The function check may be executed by a program that automatically performs the functions of the management control unit 70 and the display device 78, and a known method may be used as the means.
If the result of the function check is normal, the display unit 78 is caused to execute a program (604) such as a control (603) for displaying the storage status and usage history of the article and a lending control (100) which is the original purpose of use. Just do it.
If the result of the function check is abnormal, an alarm is issued (605), the abnormality is recorded as a history, and further sent to the administrator or transmitted to the remote remote monitoring device 81 as needed (606).
At the same time, the lock mechanisms 30 of all the small boxes 10 are collectively released (607), or the small boxes 10 are sequentially unlocked (608), and the small boxes 10 can be pulled out (609).
By doing in this way, the situation where an article cannot be taken out while being confined is prevented.
(Power failure response control)
The article management apparatus 1 normally operates with a commercial power supply, but has a power backup function shown in FIG. 20 in case the commercial power supply fails.
First, it is always determined whether or not commercial power is being supplied (701). When the commercial power is being supplied, it is displayed on the display 78 that the commercial power source is operating, and the uninterruptible power supply is charged. (702).
When the commercial power supply fails, the change-over switch is automatically turned on (703), power supply by the uninterruptible power supply is started (704), and the operation state by the uninterruptible power supply is displayed on the display 78. .
Thereafter, the article management apparatus is operated by the uninterruptible power supply apparatus and continues until the power supply of the commercial power supply is restored. When the supply of commercial power is resumed, the changeover switch is automatically turned off and the uninterruptible power supply enters a standby state.
In the backup operation by the uninterruptible power supply, the protection control 800 for protecting the uninterruptible power supply is executed.
In this protection control, as shown in FIG. 20, it is first determined whether or not the supply voltage of the uninterruptible power supply has decreased (801). When the supply voltage decreases, an alarm is displayed on the display 78 or a remote remote monitoring device 81 is notified (806). At the same time, it is determined whether or not the small box 10 is forcibly unlocked (802). The criterion is the threshold of the uninterruptible power supply, and when it falls below the threshold, all the small boxes 10 are unlocked simultaneously (803). If it is equal to or greater than the threshold, it is determined whether or not the time set by the timer has elapsed (804), and when it has elapsed, the power supply to the uninterruptible power supply is stopped (805).
By controlling in this way, it is possible to prevent the situation where the article is confined and cannot be taken out, and the battery of the uninterruptible power supply can be prevented from rising.
[Industrial applicability]
According to the present invention, keys, valuables and other articles can be safely stored and managed, and a dedicated key or tag is not required, so that handling is convenient. Therefore, it is possible to provide an article management apparatus having both safety / crime prevention and convenience.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an article management apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a perspective view of an insertion shelf 4, an outer box 5, and a small box 10. FIG.
3A is a partial front view of an insertion shelf 4, an outer box 5, and a small box 10 in the article management apparatus, and FIG. 3B is a left side view of FIG.
4 is a plan view of the outer box 5 and the small box 10. FIG.
5 is a front view of the outer box 5 and the small box 10. FIG.
6A is a side view of the outer box 5 and the small box 10 with the small box control unit omitted, and FIG. 6B is a side view of the outer box 5 and the small box with the small box control unit attached. 10 is a side view of FIG.
FIG. 7 is a plan view of the small box control unit.
8A is a side view of the small box control unit, and FIG. 8B is a rear view of the same.
FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a pulled-out state of the small box 10;
FIG. 10 is an electric circuit diagram of each locking mechanism.
FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a management control unit.
FIG. 12 is a front view of an article management apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a remote monitoring device used in the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a flowchart of article lending control.
FIG. 15 is a flowchart of article return control.
FIG. 16 is a flowchart of history recording control.
FIG. 17 is a flowchart of small box closing forget prevention control.
FIG. 18 is a flowchart of return reminder control.
FIG. 19 is a flowchart of function check control.
FIG. 20 is a flowchart of power failure response control.

Claims (12)

Insertion shelf,
A plurality of outer boxes provided on the insertion shelf;
In the state where the small box is inserted into the outer box, a lock mechanism provided in each outer box that is restrained so that it cannot be pulled out;
Small box opening / closing detection means for detecting whether or not each small box is inserted into a corresponding outer box,
Article presence / absence detecting means for judging whether or not an article is stored in the small box;
An input device for artificially inputting an operation for taking out an article in the small box and an operation for storing the article in the small box;
A display for displaying the status of storage and use of articles in the small box and usage history;
It consists of a management control unit,
The management control unit
Depending on the input signal of the input device, lending control and return control for unlocking and locking the locking mechanism of the corresponding small box are performed for accessible persons and for accessible small boxes. ,
An article management apparatus that executes history recording control for recording the fact after lending and returning the article. Each of the plurality of outer boxes is individually detachably attached to the insertion shelf,
2. The article management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lock mechanism, the small box opening / closing detection means, and the article presence / absence detection means are attached to each outer box. The lending control is
A closed state confirmation step for confirming that all small boxes are closed;
A person authentication step for checking whether the person is accessible,
A small box authentication step to check whether the small box is accessible;
Opening operation to unlock the locking mechanism of the corresponding small box,
A step of confirming the removal of the article;
A closing operation to lock the locking mechanism of the small box from which the article was taken out;
2. The article management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a history record for recording an article rental fact is recorded. The return control is
A closed state confirmation step for confirming that all small boxes are closed;
A person authentication step for checking whether the person is accessible,
A small box authentication step to check whether the small box is accessible;
Opening operation to unlock the locking mechanism of the corresponding small box,
An article return confirmation step;
A closing operation to lock the locking mechanism of the small box to which the article has been returned;
2. The article management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a history record for recording a return fact of the article is performed. Between the person authentication step and the small box authentication step,
Detecting whether the function of the small box opening / closing detection means is normal,
5. The article management apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein if it is not normal, a history of the abnormal fact is recorded and the corresponding small box is excluded from the management target. 4. The article management apparatus according to claim 3, wherein between the take-out confirmation step and the closing operation, forgetting to close the small box is executed to alert when the small box is forgotten to close. 5. The article management apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a small box closing forgetting prevention control for alarming when a small box is forgotten to close is executed between the return confirmation and the closing operation. The forgetting to close the small box is
7. The article management apparatus according to claim 6, wherein, in the case of lending control, an alarm is issued when the storage of a small box is not detected even after a waiting time set in advance after confirmation of taking out. The forgetting to close the small box is
8. The article management apparatus according to claim 7, wherein, in the case of return control, an alarm is issued when the return of the return is confirmed and the storage of the small box is not detected within a preset waiting time. 4. The article management according to claim 3, wherein, after execution of the lending control, it is determined whether or not the article taken out within a set time has been returned, and when the article has not been returned, an unreturned fact is displayed. apparatus. A monitoring step of monitoring functions of the display and the management control unit;
When the result of the monitoring step is normal, the main control menu is executed. When the result is not normal, the alarm control is executed.
2. The article management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the alarm control includes an alarm operation and unlocking of the small box. A commercial power judgment step for judging whether or not commercial power is supplied;
When commercial power is supplied, charge the uninterruptible power supply,
When commercial power is cut off, power is supplied from the uninterruptible power supply,
During operation with an uninterruptible power supply, activate the power protection function,
The power protection function detects a drop in voltage. If the voltage drops below a threshold value, an alarm is generated and the lock mechanism of all small boxes is unlocked, and then the power supply to the uninterruptible power supply is stopped. The article management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

Images