RU2472594C1 - Method of control over sorter plant with placing cargo pieces in container - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: process engineering.SUBSTANCE: invention relates to processing of piece goods shaped to, approximately, parallelepiped of equal height, for example, parcels, and may be used in automatic sorting systems for reloading from sorter collector into containers. Sorter comprises conveyor, address stockers, reference stockers, means to reload goods from conveyor into address and reference stockers, and means to transfer goods from address stockers into containers. Overall dimensions, weight and address data of the next parcel are defined. Said dimensions and weight are analysed to construct computer model for laying piece goods into container, reloading said goods from container into address stocker and therefrom into container to be loaded. In case said analysis indicates fully filled container in construction of computer model that rules out placing parcel in container, means reloading parcel from conveyor into address stocker is not switched on.EFFECT: higher efficiency resulted from ruled out manual handling.2 cl, 11 dwg, 1 tbl

Description

The invention relates to the field of warehousing, postal services and can be used in installations for sorting piece goods, in a shape close to a parallelepiped, of approximately the same height, for example parcels in which goods from drives are automatically loaded into containers, pallets or trolleys.

The following methods are known for controlling the amount of piece goods in storage units of sorting plants:

1) using the sensors of cargo arrival and filling the drive installed at the entrance to the drive and restricting the filling of the drive by the volume of goods received into it (Landa V.I., Bulanov E.A., Izrailit L.A. Settings for sorting mail. - M .: Communication, 1977. - 176 p .; Gil G.K., Gorokhov V.V., Matsnev V.N. et al. Postal communication: Handbook. - M .: Communication, 1978. - 440 p .; Barsuk I.V., Gil G.K., Voskresensky A.L. et al. Organization of automated processing of mail in large communication centers. - M .: Radio and communications, 1985. - 208 p.);

2) a software method in which objects after reading the address at the input of the sorting plant are sent to their drive until the number of items sent to the drive exceeds the value of the given constant (Barsuk I.V., Gil G.K., Demin AM and other automation of the processing of written correspondence. - M.: Radio and communications, 1987. - 360 p.);

3) with the help of a cargo weighing device located at the inlet of the sorting plant, restricting, by means of a control device, the flow of goods to the address storage unit by the limit value of the mass of goods stored in it (SU 1769983, 1992).

The closest functional feature (the prototype of the present invention) is a method of stacking piece goods in a container (Patent RU 2377174, 2009), according to which, when automatically or manually stacking goods in containers, goods are preliminarily placed in a loading device, the capacity of which is equal to or slightly exceeding the capacity of the container. When the goods arrive at the loading device, the sequence of the goods entering the loading device is recorded, the length, width, height and weight of the cargo are measured. Information about the location of each cargo with its parameters in the loading device is stored in the control system of the stacking device. In the control system of the stacking device, information is also recorded about the overall dimensions and carrying capacity of the container. At the end of the accumulation process (filling the loading device or stopping the supply of goods to it), the stacking device control system uses the entered information about the cargo parameters and the stored information about the container parameters to build a computer model for the storage of accumulated goods in the container, after which the goods are automatically extracted from the calculated sequence boot device and in accordance with the computer model of placement are placed in a container.

The disadvantage of the prototype is that in the process of sorting goods by address storage drives of the sorting plant, the computer model for placing goods in the container does not participate in determining the filling factor of the address drive. As a result, when using this method for transferring piece goods from address storage devices of the sorting installation into containers during the process of sorting goods by address storage devices, the restrictions on the capacity and load capacity of the container are not taken into account, therefore, in the address storage device of the sorting installation, as well as in the loading device of the device for stacking piece goods in containers after filling the container may be cargo that did not fit in the container due to restrictions on capacity and / or load capacity spacs of the container. After filling the container, the goods that do not fit in the container will need to be unloaded from the address storage device of the sorting unit and / or loading device for packing goods into containers manually, and then again for sorting or packing in another container, which may cause unproductive downtime of the device for packing piece goods in the container , reduce the performance of the sorting plant, increase the complexity of processing sorted cargo. In addition, for example, when setting a certain limit number of goods in the address storage of the sorting plant, the application of this method can lead to underloading of the container.

The problem to which the invention is directed is to increase the productivity of an automatic device for packing piece goods in containers and a sorting installation by eliminating losses from manual manipulations with goods that did not fit into the container and remained in the storage of the sorting installation and / or loading device of the stacking device, and also maximizing the use of the usable volume of the container, subject to restrictions on its capacity and carrying capacity.

The solution to this problem is achieved due to the fact that for each address storage device of the sorting plant, the moment of filling the container with the help of a computer model is determined each time the next load arrives at the sorting plant.

The essence of the invention lies in the fact that a method for controlling a sorting installation with the laying of piece goods, similar in shape to a parallelepiped, having the same height, in containers, including a conveyor for the movement of goods, address storage devices, reference drives, means of transshipment of goods from the conveyor for moving goods to address and reference drives and means of transshipment of goods from address drives into containers, containing a sequence of steps: determination of overall dimensions, mass and address x details of the next piece cargo delivered to the sorting unit to direct the conveyance of goods to the means of transshipment of goods from the conveyor to the address storage device, analysis of the overall dimensions and mass of the next piece cargo determined above, with the creation of a computer model for packing piece goods in a container, reloading the specified piece cargo from the conveyor of the movement of goods to the address storage device in accordance with the address details of the cargo and the address storage device and transshipment of goods from the address to opitelya in the charging container. In addition (the distinguishing features of the invention follow), if at the stage of analyzing the overall dimensions and mass of the next piece cargo having the given address details, it is found that the piece piece cannot be placed in a loadable container due to completion of filling the container when building a computer model, then at the stage of transshipment of piece goods from the conveyor of movement of goods to the address accumulator, means for reloading goods from the conveyor of movement of goods to the address accumulator are not included.

In addition, in the proposed method for controlling a sorting installation with packing piece goods in containers, a computer model for packing piece goods in a container is constructed each time the next piece goods addressed to the drive are taken into the sorting machine, taking into account the goods already in this drive, starting from the first to this cargo drive.

The present invention is implemented in a sorting installation with the laying of piece goods in containers, the device of which is illustrated by drawings, where

figure 1 shows a block diagram of a line for sorting piece goods with automatic stacking of goods in containers with a control system,

figure 2 presents the structural diagram of the calculation unit,

figure 3-11 shows an example of determining a plan for the placement of goods in a container when deciding on the direction received in the sorting installation of cargo in the address drive.

In these drawings, the following notation.

Figure 1 (double lines in the diagram show the direction of movement of goods, single - control signals):

1 - boot device sorting installation

2 - conveyor movement of goods,

3 - reloading devices (dumpers) for transshipment of goods into addressable drives,

4 - addressable drives,

5 - reloading devices (dumpers) for transshipment of goods in reference drives,

6 - reference drives,

7 - device for automatic packing of piece goods in containers,

8 - containers

9 - control system (SU),

10 - measuring complex (IR),

11 - identification device (OS),

12 - program unit (PB),

13 - calculation unit (RB),

14 - control unit (CU).

In figure 2:

10 - measuring complex (IR),

12 - program unit (PB),

13 - calculation unit (RB),

14 - control unit (BU),

15-1, 15-2, ..., 15-N - a set of blocks for calculating plans for placing goods in a container for each address storage of the sorting plant (BRP-1, BRP-2 ... BRP-N, where N is the number of address storage drives of the sorting plant) ,

16 - storage device (memory),

17 - unit for measuring the area of cargo (BIP),

18 is a block calculating the coefficient of the form of cargo (BRF),

19 - block ranking cargo (BR),

20 is a block simulation of the packing of goods in a container (BM).

Figure 3-11 (dashed lines indicate the calculated lines that limit the unfilled areas for cargo at the next iteration): No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 - stacked loads of three different sizes.

A sorting installation with automatic packing of piece goods in containers (Fig. 1), which implements the proposed control method, contains a loading device 1, by which goods are loaded into a sorting installation, a conveyor for moving goods 2, by which goods are transported to drives, reloading devices (dumpers) 3 and 5 for cargo transshipment, respectively, to address 4 or reference 6 storage units, devices for automatically stacking piece goods in containers 7, by means of which goods are overloaded tsya of drives 4 in the container 8; sorting plant is controlled by a control system (SU) 9, which includes a measuring complex (IR) 10, where the overall dimensions of the cargo are measured (length l _g , width m _g , height h _g ) and mass (g _g ), the sequence of numbers of goods received is fixed to the sorting unit, the identification device (OS) 11, where the address details of the cargo are read and recognized, the program unit (BOP) 12, in which information about the read and recognized address details of the goods (for example, postal codes of the destination of the parcels) is grouped in accordance with a predefined sorting program according to the numbers / addresses of sorting unit drives (address storage units), a calculation unit (RB) 13, in which, based on current information about the dimensions, weight and serial number of the cargo entering the sorting unit, and the constants overall dimensions of the container (length L, width M, height FT) and its carrying capacity (G), plans are calculated for the placement of 4 goods already in the address storage and the cargo entering this storage in the container for the purpose of If there are 4 loads that cannot subsequently be packed into the container, or if the accumulated cargo exceeds the mass of the container’s carrying capacity, the control unit (BU) 14, in which the executive mechanisms are issued to turn on and off the loading device 1 and the conveyor for moving goods 2 s the operator’s console, clocked loading of goods from the loading device 1 into the conveyor of the movement of goods 2, inclusion of reloading devices (dumpers) 3 and 5 at the appropriate time, automatic loading and accumulating cargoes in drives 4 and 6, locking completely filled or unloaded drives, automatically transferring goods from address storage 4 to the device for automatic packing of piece goods in containers 7, alarms and stopping of moving line elements, in turn, the calculation unit ( RB) 13 (figure 2) consists of a set of blocks for calculating plans for placing goods in a container for each address storage of the sorting plant (BRP-1, BRP-2, ..., BRP-N) 15-1, 15-2, ..., 15 -N, where N is the number of sorting plant, and the inputs of the PDU are the inputs of the RB, and the outputs of the PDU are the outputs of the RB, in addition, each PDU contains (Fig. 2) a storage device (memory) 16, a unit for measuring the area of the load (BIP) 17, a unit for calculating the coefficient of the shape of the load (BRF) 18, a block of cargo ranking (BR) 19, a block of modeling the packing of goods in a container (BM) 20.

The method is as follows.

If the address details of the cargo OU 11 received by the sorting plant are not recognized, then from one output of the OS 11 a signal is sent to the control unit 14 about the direction of this cargo to the reference drive 6, if the address details of the cargo are recognized by the OS 11, then the signal from the second output 12 to determine the number / address of the drive 4, to which the cargo is directed, after which the signal from the PB 12 from the output corresponding to the number / address of this drive is fed to the input RB 13 (memory 16 PDU) with the same number.

At the same time from IR 10 to the same input come measuring signals about the overall dimensions, weight and serial number of this cargo (figure 2).

The measuring signals of the first and second outputs of the storage device 16 about the load length l _g and cargo width m _g are transmitted to BIP 17 and BRF 18, about the measured mass of the cargo g _g and the serial number of the load entering the installation - from the third exit to the third input of BR 19, BIP 17 determines the cargo area S _g = l _g · m _g , and in BRF 18 - the shape coefficient of the cargo K _fg = l _g / m _g , the values of the generated signals about the parameters S _g and K _fg come from BIP 17 and BRF 18, respectively to the first and second inputs of the BR 19, while the information about the parameters previously received in this drive loads in B P 19 is maintained.

In BR 19, loads are assigned serial numbers 1, 2, ... in a decreasing sequence of S _g values, and if two loads have the same S _g value, a smaller number is assigned to a cargo with a higher value of K _fg , if the goods have the same values of S _g and K _fg , then a smaller number is assigned to the load with a larger mass, if the loads have the same values of S _g , K _fg and mass, then to resolve the collision, a smaller number is assigned to the load previously received in the drive. Formed in this way the sequence of supply of goods to the stacking ensures, with the correct location of the load on the plane, the maximum stacking density and the minimum height of the center of gravity of the loaded container. The generated sequence of serial numbers of cargo with dimensions l _g , m _g and mass g _g from the output of the BR 19 is fed to the input of the BM 20, in which the location of the cargo on the plane of formation of the layer is made and compliance with restrictions on the carrying capacity of the container and the number of stacked layers are checked.

BM 20 stores measurement information on the internal dimensions of the container body: length L> l _g , width M> m _g , height H greater than the height of the goods to be loaded h _g , as well as on the permissible total mass of goods G placed in the container, On the basis of the available measurement information and signals received from the BR 19 in the BM 20, an optimal plan for the placement of goods in the container is formed. The modeling of the packing of goods, represented by parallelepipeds of the same height h _g with dimensions in terms of l _g · m _g and mass g _g , is carried out sequentially in layers, starting from the bottom, each layer in the container is filled sequentially, starting from one of the farthest, for example, the right relative to the side doors of the corners of the container in two mutually perpendicular directions, and a prerequisite for modeling the stacking of goods inside the layer is the fit of two adjacent sides of the stacked cargo or to the inside to the walls of the container body, or to the wall and side of the adjacent cargo, or to the sides of the neighboring cargo from the side of the angle from which the filling of the container begins.

The criterion for determining the position of the cargo on the plane of formation of the layer at each step of laying the goods is the minimum shape factor of the space that remains free after placing on the plane of the cargo K _fs , the formula for calculating which has the form

where i = 1, 2, ..., n is the number of the rectangle in the free space remaining after placing the laid cargo when the latter is divided into rectangles by lines passing from the ribs of the cargo that are not in contact with the walls of the body or adjacent loads, parallel to the sides of the container; l _i - the length of the i-th rectangle; n is the number of rectangles in the remaining free space of the container; S _to = L · M is the cross-sectional area of the container body; S _z - the area of the plane of formation of the layer occupied by the laid loads; S _n - the area of the plane of formation of the layer, inconvenient for loading, equal to the area of the rectangle adjacent to the protrusion of the placed cargo from the side opposite to the direction of loading, and the rectangles formed when dividing the free space by lines along the longitudinal side of the container may differ from the rectangles formed when dividing the free space of the container with lines running along the transverse side of the container, therefore, K _fs values may turn out to be different.

As a result of this, for each possible variant of cargo placement on the plane of layer formation in the container, two values of K _{fs are} determined.

Finally, such a variant of cargo placement is selected that ensures a minimum of K _fs .

After the first iteration of the placement of goods on the layer formation plane, inside the layer there may remain unfilled sections that need to be checked in turn, starting from the section with a larger area, according to the considered method, for the possibility of packing goods from the ranked sequence stored in BR 19, with the exception of stacked goods. Thus, a maximum or close to maximum density stacking of goods on the surface of the formation of each layer is achieved. When it is determined that none of the remaining ranked goods can be placed on the remaining empty section, the filling of the next higher layer begins.

If in the process of modeling the loading of goods into a container in BM 20, the number of layers exceeds the permissible value of H / h _g or the total mass of the loaded goods exceeds the specified capacity of the container G, then in BM 20 a signal is generated about the direction of the cargo received in the sorting unit in the information storage device 6, Otherwise, in BM 20 a signal is generated about the direction of the cargo to the corresponding address storage 4, the signal from the output of BM 20 (corresponding to the output of RB 13) is supplied to the corresponding input of BU 14.

When the signal about the direction of the cargo arrives at the input of the BU 14 to the address accumulator 4 in the BU 14, commands are generated to turn on the actuators (electric motors, electromagnets) of the reloading device 3 and the accumulator 4 with a given number / address for receiving the received cargo (Fig. one).

Upon receipt of a signal about the direction of the load to the input BU 14 in the information storage device 6 in the control unit 14, commands are issued to turn on the actuators (electric motors, electromagnets) of the reloading device 5 and the information storage device 6, and the actuation mechanism of the reloading device 3 of the storage device 4 to which the address cargo, the inclusion of actuators of this address drive 4 and the device for automatic stacking of piece goods in containers 7 for the implementation of cargo transshipment from akopiteli 4 in the container 8 (figure 1).

Figure 3-11 as an example depicts options for placing goods in a container when making a decision in BM 20 on the direction received in the sorting installation of cargo in the address or reference drive. It is assumed that the container is filled with one row of goods, and there is no restriction on the capacity of the container.

Sorted loads come in three sizes in terms of (l × m): No. 1 (19 × 19), No. 2 (23 × 19), No. 3 (31 × 23). The dimensions of the container in the plan (L × M) are 80 × 50. Cargoes are delivered to one of the address storage units of the sorting plant in the following sequence: 1 - No. 2, 2 - No. 1, 3 - No. 1, 4 - No. 3, 5 - No. 2, 6 - No. 3, 7 - No. 2.

Possible placement options on the plane of layer formation in the container of the first cargo entering the drive are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

To select the position in which the goods should be laid, the values of the coefficients K _{fs are} calculated

and the position of the load is selected at which the value of K _fs has a minimum value. The coefficient K _fs11 = 1.18 has a minimum value, therefore, when laying in a container, the cargo should occupy the position shown in Fig. 3.

Possible options for placing the next cargo entering the drive are shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The values of the coefficients K _fs for these options for placing cargo in the container are

The coefficient K _fs11 = 1.33 has a minimum value, therefore, in the container, the cargo should occupy the position shown in Fig. 5.

The determination of the position of all goods sent to this drive when laying in the container and the type of drive to which the next load should be sent is shown in the table.

11 shows that the placement in the container of the next (seventh) cargo with a size of 23 × 19 in the sorting unit at the address of this drive does not allow placing the load (third) already in the drive with dimensions in the 19 × 19 plan, therefore the last (seventh) load must be sent to the reference drive, and this address drive must be blocked to receive incoming goods and start transshipment of goods 1-6 in the container into the container.

Obviously, the functions of the software unit (PB 12), calculation unit (RB 13) and control unit (BU 14) can be performed by a computer connected by appropriate communication lines to sensors and actuator control devices.

Thus, the task of the invention has been solved - to increase the productivity of the device for packing piece cargo in a container and sorting plant by eliminating losses due to the need for manual labor when removing the sorting plant and / or loading device / device for packing piece cargo from a container from an address storage device the cargo remaining in it / them after filling the container, and maximizing the use of the usable volume of the container, subject to restrictions on its capacity and uzopodemnost.

Claims (2)

1. A method for controlling a sorting installation with stacking piece goods, similar in shape to a parallelepiped, having the same height, from drives to containers, including a conveyor for moving goods, address accumulators, reference drives, means of reloading goods from the conveyor for moving goods to address and reference drives and means of transshipment of cargo from address storage devices into containers, containing a sequence of determining the overall dimensions, mass and address details of the next piece cargo, post who drank into the sorting unit to direct the conveyance of goods to the means of reloading the goods from the conveyor to the address storage device, analyze the above-defined overall dimensions and mass of the next piece cargo, build a computer model for packing piece goods into the container, transfer the specified piece cargo from the conveyor to the address drive when the address details of the cargo and the address drive are consistent, and the goods are reloaded from the address drive into a loadable container, distinguishing The fact is that if, when analyzing the overall dimensions and mass of the next piece cargo having the specified address details, it is found that the specified piece cargo cannot be placed in the loadable container due to the completion of filling the container when building a computer model, then when the piece load approaches the conveyor the movement of goods to the address accumulator means of transshipment of goods from the conveyor of the movement of goods in the address accumulator are not included. 2. A method for controlling a sorting installation with packing piece goods in containers according to claim 1, characterized in that the construction of a computer model for packing piece goods in a container is performed each time the next piece cargo addressed to the specified address storage is received in the sorting plant, taking into account this storage of goods, starting with the first received in the specified storage of goods.

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