KR20230131662A - Freight tranfort system and method for controlling the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The cargo transfer system according to the present invention includes a first conveyor for transporting cargo, and is arranged adjacent to the first conveyor to transport the cargo transported by the first conveyor, thereby transporting the cargo together with the first conveyor. A conveyor device comprising a second conveyor forming a path; A first sensor for detecting cargo transported along the cargo transfer path; And a control unit that controls the conveyor device according to the detection signal of the first sensor. The control unit calculates the first cargo spacing (D1) between two cargoes sequentially transported along the cargo transfer path from the detection signal of the first sensor, and the first cargo spacing (D1) is preset If it is smaller than the reference distance (Dr), the conveyor device is controlled to widen the gap between two cargoes on the cargo transfer path by temporarily stopping and restarting the first conveyor while the second conveyor is operating. do.

Description

Cargo transfer system and its control method {FREIGHT TRANFORT SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to a cargo transport system, and more specifically, to a cargo transport system and a control method that can constantly adjust the transport interval between continuously transported cargo.

The term logistics is an abbreviation for physical distribution and is a general term for the function or activity of effectively moving products and goods from producers to consumers. In other words, logistics refers to several activities such as packaging, unloading, transportation, storage, and information.

Typically, transporting products and goods goes through several processes such as packaging, storage, collection/loading, transportation, unloading/delivery, and storage. No matter what means of transportation is used, it is impossible to move products and goods without going through this process. Physical distribution (logistics) is a comprehensive view of the entire movement.

In recent years, mass production, mass sales, and mass consumption have become the trends of the times, and the importance of logistics is gradually increasing as the need to streamline the flow of materials between them has increased. For this reason, the demand for logistics warehouses is also increasing significantly.

A logistics warehouse generally refers to a storage warehouse for temporary or long-term storage of all items used in daily life, such as various foodstuffs, beverages, clothing, home appliances, miscellaneous goods, and industrial supplies produced in large quantities at a factory or production site. Due to the recent rapid development of the logistics industry, these logistics warehouses are designed and constructed to go beyond simple logistics management and promote the creation of new businesses such as inventory management, as well as efficient stock placement and inventory management within the warehouse. there is.

Because rapid receipt and release of cargo is essential to these warehouses, most are equipped with mechanized or automated means of loading and unloading cargo. Typically, automated equipment such as stacker cranes, shuttles, lifts, and transfer conveyors are used in logistics warehouses. In addition, sorter devices that can automatically sort various cargoes according to specific classification criteria set by the user are also used in logistics warehouses.

In a logistics warehouse, cargo is classified through the following processes. First, the cargo collected from courier senders is unloaded on the transfer conveyor, and the unloaded cargo moves along the transfer conveyor and is put into the sorter. Cargo entering the sorter is sent to the branch conveyor assigned to each delivery destination and loaded onto the transport vehicle from the branch conveyor.

Recently, online shopping and subsequent delivery services have been increasing due to the development of information and communication technology, and due to this change in shopping methods, large quantities of goods are being distributed in a small quantity order pattern of various products. According to this trend, it is becoming more important to improve the classification accuracy of cargo in logistics warehouses and transport cargo to the correct location.

However, as cargo is unloaded, sorted, and transported on the conveyor, situations in which cargo is transported at irregular intervals frequently occur. For example, when cargo is transported at very narrow intervals or is transported in bundles, sorter misclassification problems are likely to occur. And if the spacing between cargoes is excessively far, the efficiency of cargo transfer decreases.

Registered Patent Publication No. 2163483 (2020. 09. 29.)

The present invention was developed in consideration of the above-mentioned points, and detects the transfer interval between transported cargoes, and temporarily stops and retransfers the following cargo according to the transport interval between the preceding cargo and the following cargo. The purpose is to provide a cargo transfer system and a control method that can constantly adjust the transfer interval.

The cargo transport system according to the present invention for solving the above-described object includes a first conveyor for transporting cargo, and an arrangement adjacent to the first conveyor so as to transport the cargo transported by the first conveyor. a conveyor device including a second conveyor that forms a cargo transfer path together with the first conveyor; A first sensor for detecting cargo transported along the cargo transfer path; And a control unit that controls the conveyor device according to the detection signal of the first sensor, wherein the control unit is configured to determine the first load between two cargoes sequentially transported along the cargo transfer path from the detection signal of the first sensor. Calculate the spacing (D1) between cargoes, and if the spacing (D1) between first cargoes is smaller than the preset reference spacing (Dr), temporarily stopping and restarting the first conveyor while the second conveyor is operating. The conveyor device is controlled to widen the gap between two cargoes on the cargo transfer path, and the spacing (D1) between the first cargoes is calculated by the following equation 1.

Formula 1. D1 = Tn * V

(Tn: The time when the first sensor did not detect the cargo from the time the first sensor stopped detecting the leading cargo among the two cargoes to the time it started detecting the lagging cargo, V: The speed at which the conveyor device transfers the cargo )

The control unit, when the spacing (D1) between the first cargoes is smaller than the reference spacing (Dr), the leading cargo of the two cargoes is located on the second conveyor and the succeeding cargo is positioned on the first conveyor. In the positioned state, the first conveyor is stopped for the calculated cargo waiting time (Ts) and then restarted. The cargo waiting time (Ts) can be calculated using Equation 2 below.

Formula 2. Ts = (Dr - D1) / V

A first gap is provided between the first conveyor and the second conveyor, and the first sensor can detect cargo that has reached the first gap.

The conveyor device is arranged adjacent to the second conveyor with a second gap so as to transport the cargo transported by the second conveyor, and forms the cargo transfer path together with the first conveyor and the second conveyor. The cargo transfer system according to the present invention includes a third conveyor, and includes a second sensor that detects cargo that has reached the second gap and transmits a detection signal to the control unit, and the control unit includes the second sensor. From the detection signal of the sensor, the second cargo gap (D2) between the two cargoes that sequentially reach the second gap is calculated, and if the second cargo gap (D2) is smaller than the reference interval (Dr) The conveyor device is controlled to widen the gap between two cargoes sequentially passing through the second gap by temporarily stopping and restarting the second conveyor while the third conveyor is operating, wherein the second cargo is The spacing (D2) can be calculated using Equation 3 below.

Formula 3. D2 = T2 * V

(T2: Time when no cargo is detected from the time the second sensor stops detecting the leading cargo among the two cargoes to the time it starts detecting the lagging cargo)

The control unit calculates the length (L) of the preceding cargo among the two cargoes from the detection signal of the first sensor, and if the length (L) of the preceding cargo is greater than the preset reference length (Lr), the first cargo The spacing between cargoes (D1) is compared with an extended standard spacing (De) that is larger than the standard spacing (Dr), and if the spacing between first cargoes (D1) is smaller than the expanded standard spacing (De), the second conveyor The conveyor device can be controlled to widen the gap between two cargoes on the cargo transfer path by temporarily stopping and restarting the first conveyor during operation.

The extended reference interval (De) can be calculated using Equation 4 below.

Formula 4. De = Dr * (L - Lr) * W

(W: weight)

Meanwhile, the control method of the cargo transport system according to the present invention for solving the above-described object includes a conveyor device in which a plurality of conveyors forming a cargo transport path are arranged in sequence, and cargo transported along the cargo transport path. A control method of a cargo transport system including a first sensor for detecting (a) a first cargo gap (D1) between two cargoes sequentially transported along the cargo transport path from a detection signal of the first sensor Calculating with the following equation 1;

Formula 1. D1 = Tn * V

(Tn: The time when the first sensor did not detect the cargo from the time the first sensor stopped detecting the leading cargo among the two cargoes to the time it started detecting the lagging cargo, V: The speed at which the conveyor device transfers the cargo )

(b) comparing the calculated first cargo spacing (D1) with a preset reference spacing (Dr); (c) If the spacing (D1) between the first cargoes is smaller than the reference spacing (Dr), while operating a conveyor disposed relatively downstream based on the cargo transfer direction among the conveyors of the conveyor device, the conveyor moves to a relatively upstream position. It includes the step of controlling the conveyor device to widen the gap between two cargoes on the cargo transfer path by temporarily stopping and then restarting the deployed conveyor.

The cargo transfer system according to the present invention detects the transfer interval between transported cargoes, and can constantly adjust the transfer interval between cargoes by temporarily stopping and retransferring the following cargo according to the transport interval between the preceding cargo and the following cargo. Therefore, the problem of cargo misclassification can be reduced due to the narrow transport interval between cargoes, and cargo sorting and cargo discharge tasks can be carried out smoothly.

1 is a plan view showing a portion of a cargo transport system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a block diagram showing a partial configuration of a cargo classification system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 to 5 are side views showing some configurations of a cargo transport system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 shows two cargoes being sequentially transported by the conveyor device of the cargo transport system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 is a control flowchart for explaining a control method of a cargo transfer system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figures 8 and 9 are for explaining the operation of the cargo transfer system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, the cargo transport system and its control method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Figure 1 is a plan view showing a portion of a cargo transport system according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a block diagram showing a partial configuration of a cargo classification system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figures 3 to 5 are This is a side view showing a partial configuration of a cargo transport system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in the drawing, the cargo transfer system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a conveyor device 110 for transporting cargo (F) and cargo (F) transported by the conveyor device 110. It includes a plurality of sensors 130, 140, 150 for detection, and a control unit 160 for controlling the conveyor device 110. The cargo transfer system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention controls the conveyor device 110 by the control unit 160 according to the detection signal received from the plurality of sensors 130, 140, and 150, thereby conveying the conveyor device ( 110), the gap between transported cargoes (F) can be adjusted.

The conveyor device 110 includes a plurality of conveyors 112, 114, 116, and 118 that operate to transport cargo F. A plurality of conveyors 112, 114, 116, and 118 are arranged sequentially so that their ends are adjacent to each other to form a cargo transfer path (P). Here, the cargo transfer path (P) is a virtual path through which the cargo (F) loaded on the conveyor device 110 passes. Hereinafter, the plurality of conveyors 112, 114, 116, and 118 will be described by dividing them into the first conveyor 112, the second conveyor 114, the third conveyor 116, and the fourth conveyor 118. I decided to do it. The plurality of conveyors 112, 114, 116, and 118 are divided into a first conveyor 112, a second conveyor 114, a third conveyor 116, and a fourth conveyor based on the transport direction of the cargo (F). (118) may be arranged in sequence to form a cargo transfer path (P). That is, the first conveyor 112 is placed upstream based on the transport direction of the cargo (F), then the second conveyor 114 is placed adjacent to the first conveyor 112, and then the third conveyor ( 116) is arranged adjacent to the second conveyor 114, and finally, the fourth conveyor 118 is arranged adjacent to the third conveyor 116.

A sorter 120 that can sort the cargo (F) by changing the transport direction of the cargo (F) may be installed on the fourth conveyor 118. The sorter 120 is controlled by the control unit 160 to change the direction of the cargo (F) that has reached the sorting area toward the branch conveyors 122 and 124 connected to the fourth conveyor 118, or to change the direction of the cargo (F) that has reached the sorting area toward the branch conveyors 122 and 124 connected to the fourth conveyor 118. It can be passed as is to keep it.

A plurality of conveyors 112, 114, 116, and 118 are arranged to be spaced apart from others. A first gap (G1) is provided between the first conveyor 112 and the second conveyor 114, and a second gap (G2) is provided between the second conveyor 114 and the third conveyor 116. And a third gap G3 is formed between the third conveyor 116 and the fourth conveyor 118. The sizes of the first gap G1, the second gap G2, and the third gap G3 may be the same or different. The plurality of conveyors 112, 114, 116, and 118 may be controlled by the control unit 160 to transfer the cargo F at the same transfer speed. Additionally, each conveyor 112, 114, 116, and 118 can be individually controlled.

A plurality of sensors 130, 140, and 150 detect cargo (F) transported along the cargo transfer path (P) and transmit a detection signal to the control unit 160. Hereinafter, the plurality of sensors 130, 140, and 150 will be described by dividing them into a first sensor 130, a second sensor 140, and a third sensor 150. The first sensor 130 is installed to detect the cargo (F) that has reached the first gap (G1) between the first conveyor 112 and the second conveyor 114, and the second sensor 140 is installed to detect the cargo (F) that has reached the first gap (G1) between the first conveyor 112 and the second conveyor 114. It is installed to detect cargo (F) that has reached the second gap (G2) between the conveyor (114) and the third conveyor (116). Additionally, the third sensor 150 is installed to detect the cargo (F) that has reached the third gap (G3) between the third conveyor (116) and the fourth conveyor (118). The plurality of sensors 130, 140, and 150 may all be in the form of optical sensors.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 , the first sensor 130 includes a light emitting unit 131 and a light receiving unit 132 arranged up and down to face each other with a first gap G1 in between. Light generated from the light emitting unit 131 may pass through the first gap G1 and reach the light receiving unit 132. As shown in FIG. 3 , when there is no cargo F in the first gap G1, light generated from the light emitting unit 131 may reach the light receiving unit 132. At this time, the detection signal generated by the first sensor 130 may be transmitted to the control unit 160 as a signal in which the cargo F is not detected. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4, when at least a part of the cargo (F) is located on the first gap (G1), the light generated in the light emitting unit 131 is blocked by the cargo (F) and is transmitted to the light receiving unit 132. cannot be reached At this time, the detection signal generated by the first sensor 130 may be transmitted to the control unit 160 as a signal that detects the cargo (F). The first sensor 130 is used from the time the front end of the cargo (F) reaches the first gap (G1) as shown in FIG. 4 to the time when the rear end of the cargo (F) reaches the first gap (G1) as shown in FIG. 5. A signal detecting cargo (F) can be generated up to the point where it is reached. When the rear end of the cargo (F) deviates from the detection area of the first sensor 130 in the first gap (G1) or the first gap (G1), the first sensor 130 detects that the cargo (F) is not detected again. A signal can be transmitted to the control unit 160. The first sensor 130 may generate a detection signal by distinguishing between cases where the cargo (F) is detected and cases where the cargo (F) is not detected in various ways. The second sensor 140 and the third sensor 150 may have the same configuration as the first sensor 130.

The control unit 160 receives detection signals from a plurality of sensors 130, 140, and 150 and controls the conveyor device 110. In particular, the control unit 160 can calculate the gap between two cargoes sequentially transported along the cargo transfer path (P) from the detection signals of the sensors 130, 140, and 150. In addition, the control unit 160 can control the plurality of conveyors 112, 114, 116, and 118 differently according to the calculated spacing between cargoes to adjust the spacing between two cargoes to a certain size or more.

Hereinafter, a specific method of controlling the gap between two cargoes sequentially transported along the cargo transport path P by the cargo transfer system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

As shown in FIG. 6, when two cargoes (Fa) (Fb) are sequentially transported along the cargo transfer path (P), the first sensor 130 detects the cargo (Fa) passing through the first gap (G1). (Fb) can be detected in sequence. The control unit 160 calculates the gap between two loads (Fa) (Fb) from the detection signal of the first sensor 130, and operates the first conveyor 112 when the gap between the loads is smaller than the preset size. The conveyor device 110 can be controlled to widen the gap between the two cargoes (Fa) (Fb) on the cargo transfer path (P) by temporarily stopping and then restarting.

A specific method of adjusting the gap between two cargoes (Fa) (Fb) is as shown in the control flow chart of FIG. 7.

First, in the cargo non-detection time (Tn) confirmation step (S10), the control unit 160 checks the cargo non-detection time (Tn) in which cargo is not detected from the detection signal of the first sensor 130, and determines the cargo non-detection time The first inter-cargo spacing (D1) between the two cargoes (Fa) (Fb) is calculated from (Tn). Here, the cargo non-detection time (Tn) refers to the time from the point at which detection of the leading cargo (Fa) among the two cargoes (Fa) (Fb) sequentially transported along the cargo transfer path (P) ends to the following cargo ( This is the time during which cargo was not detected until the start of detection of Fb). Specifically, the cargo non-detection time (Tn) is calculated from the time when the rear end of the preceding cargo (Fa) leaves the detection area of the first sensor 130 and the leading edge of the following cargo (Fb) enters the detection area of the first sensor 130. It is the time until it reaches. The control unit 160 can calculate the spacing D1 between first cargoes from the following equation 1.

Formula 1. D1 = Tn * V

Here, V is the speed at which the conveyor device 110 transfers the cargo.

Thereafter, in the next step (S20), the control unit 160 compares the first cargo spacing (D1) with the preset reference spacing (Dr). The reference interval (Dr) can be set to an appropriate size that can continuously and quickly transfer cargo without problems in continuously processing or sorting the transported cargo. The reference interval (Dr) can be set in various ways depending on the characteristics of the cargo transfer system 100, such as the cargo transfer speed (V) of the conveyor device 110 or the cargo classification speed by the sorter 120.

When the spacing (D1) between the first cargoes is greater than or equal to the standard spacing (Dr), the operation of the conveyor is maintained (S30). For example, as shown in FIG. 6, between the leading cargo (Fa) that passes through the first gap (G1) and reaches the second conveyor 114 and the trailing cargo (Fb) that reaches the first gap (G1) If the spacing (D1) between the first cargoes is greater than or equal to the standard spacing (Dr), the first conveyor (112) is maintained in operation so that the trailing cargo (Fb) moves to the second conveyor (114) without stopping and follows the cargo (Fa). You can.

On the other hand, when the spacing (D1) between the first cargoes is smaller than the reference spacing (Dr), a step (S40) of stopping the conveyor placed relatively upstream based on the cargo transfer direction and calculating the cargo waiting time (Ts) is performed. It is carried out. Cargo waiting time (Ts) is the conveyor's pause time to adjust the gap between two cargoes (Fa) (Fb) to the standard spacing (Dr). Cargo waiting time (Ts) can be calculated using Equation 2 below.

Formula 2. Ts = (Dr - D1) / V

For example, as shown in (a) of FIG. 8, the first cargo gap between the leading cargo (Fa) that reaches the second conveyor 114 and the trailing cargo (Fb) that reaches the first gap (G1) If (D1) is smaller than the reference interval (Dr), the control unit 160 stops the first conveyor 112 and stops the trailing cargo (Fb) loaded on the first conveyor 112 according to Equation 2 above. Calculate cargo waiting time (Ts). If the first cargo gap (D1) between the leading cargo (Fa) and the following cargo (Fb) is relatively small, the cargo waiting time (Ts) relatively increases. Additionally, if the cargo transfer speed (V) of the conveyor device 110 is relatively small, the cargo waiting time (Ts) relatively increases.

Thereafter, in the next step (S50), the control unit 160 determines whether the cargo waiting time (Ts) has elapsed after the conveyor stops. And if the cargo waiting time (Ts) has elapsed, the step (S60) of restarting the conveyor is performed.

For example, as shown in (b) of FIG. 8, if the first conveyor 112 is stopped while the second conveyor 114 is operating, the gap between the leading cargo (Fa) and the following cargo (Fb) is It increases. And when the first conveyor 112 stops for the calculated cargo waiting time (Ts) and the interval between the preceding cargo (Fa) and the following cargo (Fb) reaches the reference interval (Dr), in (c) of Figure 8 As shown, the first conveyor 112 is restarted and the trailing cargo Fb is retransferred.

This method of adjusting the distance between the cargoes (Fa) (Fb) can be performed several times while the cargoes (Fa) (Fb) are transported along the cargo transfer path (P). That is, the gap between the cargoes (Fa) (Fb) is checked at each installation point of the sensors 130, 140, and 150, and the process of adjusting the gap between the cargoes (Fa) (Fb) can be performed accordingly. Specifically, when the preceding cargo (Fa) reaches the third conveyor 116 and the following cargo (Fb) enters the second gap (G2), the conveyor device 110 according to the detection signal of the second sensor 140 is controlled so that the gap between the two cargoes (Fa) (Fb) can be adjusted. In this case, the control unit 160 calculates the second inter-cargo spacing (D2) between the leading cargo (Fa) and the following cargo (Fb) from the detection signal of the second sensor 140, and the second inter-cargo spacing (D2) If it is smaller than this reference interval (Dr), the second conveyor 114 is temporarily stopped while the third conveyor 116 is operating and then restarted to determine the interval between the preceding cargo (Fa) and the following cargo (Fb). It can be adjusted to the interval (Dr). When the second conveyor 114 is temporarily stopped and then restarted, the first conveyor 112 may also be paused and restarted like the second conveyor 114. Even when the leading cargo (Fa) reaches the fourth conveyor 118 and the following cargo (Fb) enters the third gap (G3), the above cargo (Fa) according to the detection signal of the third sensor 150 (Fb) An interval adjustment step may be performed. When the third conveyor 116 is paused and then restarted, the first conveyor 112 and the second conveyor 114 may also be paused and restarted like the third conveyor 116.

The transport speed of cargo transported by the conveyor device 110 may change due to various reasons. For example, relatively light cargo may move faster, while relatively heavy cargo may slow down during transport. Therefore, by repeating the process of adjusting the gap between cargoes several times while the cargo is being transported along the cargo transfer path (P), the cargo can reach the final destination while maintaining the standard spacing (Dr).

Meanwhile, the cargo transfer system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can variably adjust the spacing between cargoes depending on the length of the cargo. For example, for cargo that is relatively long in length, the time required for sorting or discharging may be longer than for cargo that is relatively short in length. Taking this into account, the cargo transfer system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention further increases the gap between the preceding cargo and the following cargo when the length of the preceding cargo is longer than the preset reference length (Lr). Sorting and discharging of transported cargo can be carried out smoothly.

To this end, the cargo transfer system 100 controls the conveyor device 110 to maintain the spacing between cargoes at the standard spacing (Dr) if the length (L) of the cargo is less than or equal to the preset standard length (Lr), and When the length (L) exceeds the standard length (Lr), the conveyor device 110 can be controlled so that the gap between cargoes is extended and maintained at the standard distance (De). Here, the length (L) of the cargo can be calculated by multiplying the time at which the cargo is detected by the sensor and the cargo transfer speed (V) of the conveyor device 110. The extended reference interval (De) is larger than the reference interval (Dr), but may increase in proportion to the difference between the length (L) of the preceding cargo and the reference length (Lr). Specifically, the extended reference interval (De) can be calculated using Equation 4 below.

Formula 4. De = Dr * (L - Lr) * W

Here, W is the weight. The weight (W) may be set to various values depending on the characteristics of the cargo transfer system 100, such as the cargo transfer speed (V) of the conveyor device 110 or the cargo classification speed by the sorter 120.

For example, as shown in (a) of FIG. 9, when the length (L) of the preceding cargo (Fa) that has passed the first sensor 130 exceeds the reference interval (Dr), the control unit 160 The expansion standard interval (De) is calculated according to the length (L) of the cargo (Fa), and the conveyor device 110 is installed so that the gap between the preceding cargo (Fa) and the following cargo (Fb) maintains the expansion standard spacing (De). You can control it. That is, the control unit 160 calculates the first cargo spacing (D1) between the leading cargo (Fa) and the following cargo (Fb) from the detection signal of the first sensor 130, and calculates the first cargo spacing (D1) Compare with the extended reference interval (De). And if the spacing (D1) between the first cargoes is smaller than the expansion reference spacing (De), the first conveyor (112) is temporarily stopped while the second conveyor (114) is operating, as shown in (b) of FIG. The gap between the two cargoes (Fa) (Fb) can be adjusted to match the expansion standard gap (De) by reactivating the. In this case, the cargo waiting time (Ts) of the first conveyor 112 can be calculated by applying Equation 2 above.

The size of the extended reference interval (De) can be determined in various ways other than using Equation 4 above. As another exemplary embodiment, the difference value between the length (L) of the preceding cargo and the reference length (Lr) is divided into several range sections, and different extended reference intervals (De) are set according to each range section. It is also possible.

As described above, the cargo transfer system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention detects the transfer interval between the transported cargoes (Fa) (Fb) and transfers the preceding cargo (F) and the following cargo (F). By temporarily stopping and retransferring the trailing cargo (F) according to the interval, the transfer interval between cargoes (Fa) (Fb) can be adjusted to be constant. Therefore, the transport interval between cargoes (Fa) (Fb) is narrow, which reduces the problem of cargo misclassification and allows cargo sorting and cargo discharge tasks to be carried out smoothly.

Although the present invention has been described above with preferred examples, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the form described and shown above.

For example, the drawing shows the sensor installed in the gap between two conveyors, but the sensor could be installed in a variety of other locations to detect cargo being transported one after the other along the transport path. Additionally, the sensor can operate in a variety of other ways to detect cargo other than using light.

Additionally, the number of conveyors provided in the conveyor device can be changed in various ways.

Although the present invention has been shown and described in connection with preferred embodiments for illustrating the principles of the invention, the invention is not limited to the construction and operation as shown and described. Rather, those skilled in the art will understand that numerous changes and modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

100: cargo transfer system 110: conveyor device
112: first conveyor 114: second conveyor
116: 3rd conveyor 118: 4th conveyor
120: Sorter 122, 124: Branch conveyor
130: first sensor 131: light emitting unit
132: light receiving unit 140: second sensor
150: third sensor 160: control unit

Claims (7)

It includes a first conveyor for transporting cargo, and a second conveyor disposed adjacent to the first conveyor so as to transport cargo transported by the first conveyor and forming a cargo transfer path together with the first conveyor. conveyor device;
A first sensor for detecting cargo transported along the cargo transfer path; and
It includes; a control unit that controls the conveyor device according to the detection signal of the first sensor,
The control unit calculates the first cargo spacing (D1) between two cargoes sequentially transported along the cargo transfer path from the detection signal of the first sensor, and the first cargo spacing (D1) is preset If it is smaller than the reference distance (Dr), the conveyor device is controlled to widen the gap between two cargoes on the cargo transfer path by temporarily stopping and restarting the first conveyor while the second conveyor is operating. However,
A cargo transport system, characterized in that the spacing (D1) between the first cargoes is calculated by the following equation 1.
Formula 1. D1 = Tn * V
(Tn: The time when the first sensor did not detect the cargo from the time the first sensor stopped detecting the leading cargo among the two cargoes to the time it started detecting the lagging cargo, V: The speed at which the conveyor device transfers the cargo )
According to claim 1,
The control unit, when the spacing (D1) between the first cargoes is smaller than the reference spacing (Dr), the leading cargo of the two cargoes is located on the second conveyor and the succeeding cargo is positioned on the first conveyor. A cargo transport system, wherein the first conveyor is stopped for a calculated cargo waiting time (Ts) in the positioned state and then restarted, wherein the cargo waiting time (Ts) is calculated using the following equation 2.
Formula 2. Ts = (Dr - D1) / V
According to claim 2,
A first gap is provided between the first conveyor and the second conveyor,
The first sensor is a cargo transfer system characterized in that it detects cargo that has reached the first gap.
According to claim 3,
The conveyor device is arranged adjacent to the second conveyor with a second gap so as to transport the cargo transported by the second conveyor, and forms the cargo transfer path together with the first conveyor and the second conveyor. comprising a third conveyor,
It includes a second sensor that detects cargo that has reached the second gap and transmits a detection signal to the control unit,
The control unit calculates the second cargo gap D2 between two cargoes that sequentially reach the second gap from the detection signal of the second sensor, and the second cargo spacing D2 is the reference interval. If it is less than (Dr), the conveyor device is operated to widen the gap between the two cargoes that sequentially pass through the second gap by temporarily stopping and restarting the second conveyor while the third conveyor is operating. Control,
The cargo transport system is characterized in that the spacing (D2) between the second cargoes is calculated by the following equation 3.
Formula 3. D2 = T2 * V
(T2: Time when no cargo is detected from the time the second sensor stops detecting the leading cargo among the two cargoes to the time it starts detecting the lagging cargo)
According to claim 1,
The control unit calculates the length (L) of the preceding cargo among the two cargoes from the detection signal of the first sensor, and if the length (L) of the preceding cargo is greater than the preset reference length (Lr), the first cargo The spacing between cargoes (D1) is compared with an extended standard spacing (De) that is larger than the standard spacing (Dr), and if the spacing between first cargoes (D1) is smaller than the expanded standard spacing (De), the second conveyor A cargo transport system, characterized in that the conveyor device is controlled to widen the gap between two cargoes on the cargo transport path by temporarily stopping and restarting the first conveyor during operation.
According to claim 5,
A cargo transport system, characterized in that the extended reference interval (De) is calculated by the following equation 4.
Formula 4. De = Dr * (L - Lr) * W
(W: weight)
A control method for a cargo transport system comprising a conveyor device in which a plurality of conveyors forming a cargo transport path are sequentially arranged, and a first sensor for detecting cargo transported along the cargo transport path,
(a) calculating the first cargo gap (D1) between two cargoes sequentially transported along the cargo transfer path from the detection signal of the first sensor using the following equation 1;
Formula 1. D1 = Tn * V
(Tn: The time when the first sensor did not detect the cargo from the time the first sensor stopped detecting the leading cargo among the two cargoes to the time it started detecting the lagging cargo, V: The speed at which the conveyor device transfers the cargo )
(b) comparing the calculated first cargo spacing (D1) with a preset reference spacing (Dr);
(c) If the spacing (D1) between the first cargoes is smaller than the reference spacing (Dr), while operating a conveyor disposed relatively downstream based on the cargo transfer direction among the conveyors of the conveyor device, the conveyor moves to a relatively upstream position. A method of controlling a cargo transport system comprising: controlling the conveyor device to widen the gap between two cargoes on the cargo transport path by temporarily stopping and then restarting the deployed conveyor.

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