JP2005247432A - Goods gathering method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a goods gathering method capable of decreasing the number of persons operating to a great extent and enhancing the accuracy of the goods gathering works. <P>SOLUTION: The goods gathering method includes a step to accommodate a plurality of fed items of goods on a tray individually to be handled by operator(s) and relate the item information of each item of goods with the ID information attached to each tray, a step to store the tray by the unit of order automatically on the basis of the ID information, a step to discharge the stored tray by the unit of order automatically on the basis of the ID information, and a step to ship the objects from the discharged tray upon accommodating in a shipping box to be handled by the operator(s) by the unit of order. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a collection method for shipping, for each order, articles received in, for example, a distribution center that handles a large number of articles.

Conventionally, in this type of distribution center or the like, a large number of received goods are stored in a storage shelf or the like for each item.
Then, each stored article is picked by an operator according to order information, packed in a shipping box and shipped in order units.

  However, in such a conventional method, a large number of workers are required for picking stored articles, and there is a problem that mistakes occur during manual picking.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and an object thereof is to provide a collection method capable of greatly reducing the number of workers and improving the accuracy of collection work. And

In the present invention made to achieve the above object, one or more of the same items among a plurality of received items are stored in a tray by an operator, and item information of each item and ID information of each tray A step of automatically storing the article storage tray in units of orders based on the ID information, and automatically issuing the stored article storage trays in units of orders based on the ID information. And a step in which an operator stores each article in the article storage tray that has been delivered in a shipping box in units of orders.
Further, according to the present invention, an operator stores one or more of the same items among a plurality of received articles in a tray, and associates item information of each article with ID information of each tray; The step of automatically storing the article storage tray in units of items based on the ID information, the step of automatically issuing the stored article storage trays in order of units based on the ID information, And a step in which an operator stores each item in the item storage tray in a shipping box in units of orders and ships the product.
Further, according to the present invention, an operator sorts a plurality of received articles into an automatic sorting product and a manual sorting product, and automatically reads the item information while conveying the automatic sorting product. A step of automatically sorting the automatic sorting product based on the above, a step in which an operator boxes the sorted automatic sorting product in units of items, and assigns item information to the automatic sorting product storage box, and the manual sorting product The operator picks and packs the items by item, and assigns the item information to the manual sorting item storage box, and automatically stores the manual sorting item storage box by the item based on the item information. The automatic sorting container storage box and the manual sorting container storage box are automatically opened based on the respective item information. A step of transporting and merging in units, and a step in which an operator accommodates and ships each of the articles in the merged automatic sorting item storage box and the manual sorting item storage box in order units. It is a collection method characterized by this.

In the case of the present invention, the work performed by the operator is a work of storing one or more of the same items in a plurality of received articles in a tray and associating the item information of each article with the ID information of each tray. And only the operation | work which accommodates each article | item in the delivered article | item storage tray in a shipping box per order, Comprising: The operation | work which an operator picks according to order information is unnecessary.
As a result, according to the present invention, the number of workers can be greatly reduced, and since there are no mistakes in picking as in the prior art, the accuracy of collection work can be improved.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to greatly reduce the number of workers and improve the accuracy of collection work.

Hereinafter, the best embodiment of the collection method according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a collection system for carrying out the method of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an embodiment of the method of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the collection system 1 of this example includes an item subdivision unit 2 for subdividing a received article 50, a storage unit 3 for storing the subdivided article 50, and a delivery from the storage unit 3. And an assortment unit 4 for shipping the finished article 50.

  Here, the item subdivision unit 2 and the storage unit 3 are connected by a conveyor 5, and the storage unit 3 and the assortment unit 4 are connected by a conveyor 6.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the item subdivision unit in the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 3, the item subdivision unit 2 of this example has a conveyor 20 for conveying the tray 10, and an area where the worker 7 performs work is provided in the vicinity of the conveyor 20.

  Each tray 10 is provided with a barcode 11 to which the ID information is assigned. When each tray 10 passes the work position, the barcode 11 is read by a barcode reader 21 provided on the conveyor 20 and data is transmitted to a host computer (not shown).

  A display 22 and a barcode reader 23 connected to the host computer are provided at the work position, and a foot switch 24 for turning the conveyor on and off is provided on the floor surface at the work position. .

  On the other hand, in the case of this example, the received articles 50 are arranged for each item in a boxed state in the vicinity of the work position.

  Under such a configuration, in this embodiment, after the article 50 is received (step S1 in FIG. 2), the empty tray 10 is transported to the working position, and the operator 7 receives the article 50 to be loaded by the barcode. The information is scanned and registered in the host computer by scanning with the reader 23.

  Then, after the operator 7 confirms that the item display content on the display 22 matches the item of the article 50, the article 50 is put into the tray 10 one by one (step S2 in FIG. 2).

  After completion of the loading, the operator 7 drives the conveyor 20 by pressing the foot switch 24, conveys the tray 12 containing the articles 50 (hereinafter referred to as “article containing tray 12”), and the barcode 11 is replaced with the barcode. Read by the reader 21.

Thereby, the item information of each article 50 is associated with the ID information of the article storage tray 12.
Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 1, each article storage tray 12 is conveyed to the storage unit 3 by the conveyor 4.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the storage unit in the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 4, the storage unit 3 of this example is assembled in a multistage manner with a large number of storage shelves 30 arranged in parallel.

  Here, the storage shelf 30 of this example is provided corresponding to the number of orders per day, for example, and position information corresponding to each order is given.

  A lifter 31 for lifting each article storage tray 12 conveyed from the item subdivision unit 2 is provided, and an article 50 delivered from the lifter 31 is predetermined by a traveling carriage 32 based on predetermined order information. It is configured to be loaded into a storage shelf.

  In addition, a conveyor 33 is provided at the cutout portion of each storage shelf 30 to carry the article storage tray 12 toward the assembling and gathering unit 4 described later.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the operation in the storage unit of the present embodiment.
In the case of the present embodiment, according to predetermined order information, each article storage tray 12 is loaded into a predetermined storage shelf 30 and stored, and stored in order units (steps S3 and S4 in FIG. 2).

In the example shown in FIG. 5, a first storage shelves 30 ₁ 1 item A and one order are assigned consisting of one item C, out of the article storage tray 12 which has been conveyed through the lifter 31, Items containing item A and item C are put into the _first storage shelf 301 by the traveling carriage 32 in this order.

Similarly, a second storage shelf 30 in the ₂ to 1 order of two items B and a single item C is allocated sequentially, item B, item B, the article storage tray 12 accommodating the item C is turned To do.

  Thereafter, the article storage trays 12 stored in the respective storage shelves 30 are sequentially cut out and delivered to the conveyor (step S5 in FIG. 2).

  In this case, the order of delivery is synchronized with the order of shipment in accordance with the instructions from the assortment / working unit 4.

In the example shown in FIG. 5, for example, the item A and the item C stored in the _first storage shelf 301 are cut out in this order on the conveyor 33, packed, and conveyed toward the gathering work unit 4.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the assembling and shifting work unit in the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 6, the assembling and assembling operation unit 4 of this example is a foldable type for supplying the shipping box 13 and the conveyor 40 for transporting the tray 10 (article accommodating tray 12) and the shipping box 13. A container supply conveyor 41 is provided.

  Here, the folding container supply conveyor 41 is configured to supply the shipping box 13 to the conveyor 40 in synchronization with the article storage tray 12 for each order delivered from the storage shelf 30.

  The conveyor 40 is provided with a barcode reader 42, and when the tray 10 and the shipping box 13 pass, the barcodes 11 and 14 of each tray 10 and the shipping box 13 are read and data is transmitted to the host computer. Has been.

  An indicator 42 connected to the host computer is provided in the vicinity of the work position of the conveyor 40, and a foot switch 43 for turning the conveyor 40 on and off is provided on the floor surface of the work position. Yes.

  Under such a configuration, in the present embodiment, first, an empty shipping box 13 and an article storage tray 12 for each order are transported as a set to the working position.

  Then, according to the order display on the display 42, after the operator 7 confirms that the order content matches the article 50 in each article storage tray 12, the article 50 (for example, item A) in each article storage tray 12 is confirmed. , B, C) are put into the shipping box 13 (step S6 in FIG. 2).

  In this case, if necessary, a plurality of items may be put together in the same bag and put into the shipping box 13.

  Then, after the operator 7 reconfirms the order contents, the conveyor 40 is driven by pressing the foot switch 43 to convey the shipping box 13 containing the ordered items 51 and the empty tray 10.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 1, the shipping box 13 containing the ordered articles 51 is conveyed to the shipping standby area 9 via the stacking device 8 (step S7 in FIG. 2).

  On the other hand, the emptied tray 10 is conveyed to, for example, the item subdivision unit 2 and used for the next item subdivision.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, a plurality of received articles 50 are individually stored in the tray 10 in association with the item information associated with the ID information of the tray 10, and the article storage tray 12 is placed in order units. Since the articles 50 stored in the goods storage tray 12 are stored and shipped in the shipping box 13 in order units, the worker picks them according to the order information. Is not necessary.
As a result, according to the present embodiment, the number of workers can be greatly reduced, and since there is no mistake in picking as in the prior art, the accuracy of the collection work can be improved. .

In the above embodiment, a plurality of received articles 50 are accommodated in the tray 10 one by one. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and there are a plurality of identical items in one order. It is also possible to accommodate a plurality of articles 50 of the same item in the tray 10.
If such an operation is performed, there is an advantage that the storage space for the article 50 can be reduced.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing another embodiment of the method of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the operation in the storage unit of the present embodiment. Hereinafter, portions corresponding to the above embodiment will be described. Are given the same reference numerals and their detailed description is omitted.

Also in the present embodiment, the collection system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is used as in the above embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 7, also in the case of the present embodiment, after the article 50 is received (step S1 in FIG. 7), the item information and the article of each article 50 are obtained by performing the same operation as the above embodiment. While associating the ID information of the storage tray 12, each article 50 is put into the tray 10 one by one (step S2 in FIG. 7).

  On the other hand, in the case of the present embodiment, each article storage tray 12 is loaded into a predetermined storage shelf 30 and stored, and stored in item units (steps S3 and S4 in FIG. 7).

In this case, as shown in FIG. 8, for example, information on one item A, B, C is assigned to each of the first to third storage shelves 30 ₁ , 30 ₂ , 30 ₃ via the lifter 31. of the conveyance article holding tray 12, item a, item B, and those containing the item C, and charged to the first to third storage shelves 30 _1, 30 _2, 30 _3, respectively, by the traveling carriage 32 storage To do.

  Thereafter, the article storage trays 12 stored in the respective storage shelves 30 are sequentially cut out and delivered to the conveyor (step S5 in FIG. 7).

  In this case, the order of delivery is synchronized with the order of shipment in accordance with the instructions from the assortment / working unit 4.

In the example shown in FIG. 8, for example, the item C stored in the _third storage shelf 30 ₃ and the item A stored in the _first storage shelf 301 are cut out in this order on the conveyor 33. Assemble and transport toward the working unit 4.

  Further, by performing the same operation as in the above embodiment, each article 50 is accommodated in the shipping box in units of orders while maintaining the shipping order (step S6 in FIG. 7).

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 1, the shipping box 13 containing the ordered articles 50 is transported to the shipping standby area 9 via the nesting area 8 (step S7 in FIG. 7).

  On the other hand, the emptied tray 10 is conveyed to, for example, the item subdivision unit 2 and used for the next item subdivision.

  Also according to the present embodiment having such a configuration, the number of workers can be significantly reduced and the accuracy of the collection work can be improved, as in the above-described embodiment.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the work can be started in a short time from the arrival of the article 50, and the articles 50 can be always stored in each storage shelf 30, so that the work is performed efficiently. There is an advantage that you can. Since other configurations and operational effects are the same as those of the above-described embodiment, detailed description thereof is omitted.

In the above embodiment, a plurality of received articles 50 are accommodated in the tray 10 one by one. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and there are a plurality of identical items in one order. It is also possible to accommodate a plurality of articles 50 of the same item in the tray 10.
If such an operation is performed, there is an advantage that the storage space for the article 50 can be reduced.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing still another embodiment of the method of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 9, in the present embodiment, first, the operator 7 inspects a plurality of received articles, and as a primary sort, an automatic sort product that can be automatically sorted by the sorter and a sorter by the sorter Sorting into unmanageable manual sorting (steps S1, S2).

  Then, as for secondary sorting, the item information (barcode) is automatically read by the barcode scanner during conveyance, and the automatic sorting product is automatically sorted based on the read information (step S3). .

  Further, the operator 7 packs the sorted automatic sorted items in item units and assigns item information to the automatic sorted item storage boxes (step S4), and then performs tertiary sorting in order units (step S5).

  On the other hand, for manually sorted products, the operator picks and packs them continuously in item units, and gives item information to the manually sorted product storage boxes (step S6).

  Then, based on the item information, the manually sorted item storage box is automatically stored in item units (step S7).

  Thereafter, the automatic sorting item storage box and the manual sorting item storage box are automatically transported and joined in units of orders based on the respective item information (step S8).

  Finally, the operator stores each item in the automatic sorting item storage box and the manual sorting item storage box in the shipping box in units of orders and ships (step S9, step S10).

  Also according to the present embodiment having such a configuration, the number of workers can be significantly reduced and the accuracy of the collection work can be improved, as in the above-described embodiment.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various changes can be made.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, one order or one item is allocated to one storage shelf front, but the present invention is not limited to this, and one order or one item is assigned to a plurality of storage shelf fronts. It can also be assigned.

  It is also possible to use both a method of storing the article storage tray in order units and a method of storing in item units.

  Furthermore, it is possible to improve the use efficiency of the storage shelf by performing batch processing in a plurality of times without processing a large number of received articles at once.

It is a schematic configuration plan view showing an example of a collection system for carrying out the method of the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows embodiment of the method of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the item subdivision part in this Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the storage part in this Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement in the storage part of this Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the packing assembling in this Embodiment, and a working part. It is a flowchart which shows other embodiment of the method of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement in the storage part of this Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows other embodiment of the method of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Collection system 2 ... Item subdivision part 3 ... Storage part 4 ... Assortment and gathering part 7 ... Worker 10 ... Tray 12 ... Goods accommodation tray 50 ... Goods

Claims (3)

The operator stores one or more of the same items among a plurality of received items in a tray and associates the item information of each item with the ID information of each tray;
Automatically storing the article storage tray in units of orders based on the ID information;
Automatically issuing the stored article storage trays in units of orders based on the ID information;
And a step for an operator to store and ship each article in the article storage tray that has been delivered in a shipping box in order units. The operator stores one or more of the same items among a plurality of received items in a tray and associates the item information of each item with the ID information of each tray;
Automatically storing the article storage tray in item units based on the ID information;
Automatically issuing the stored article storage trays in units of orders based on the ID information;
And a step for an operator to store and ship each article in the article storage tray that has been delivered in a shipping box in order units. A step for an operator to sort a plurality of received articles into an automatically sorted product and a manually sorted product;
Automatically reading the item information while transporting the automatic sorting product, and automatically sorting the automatic sorting product based on the read information;
A step of boxing the sorted automatic sorting items by item, and giving item information to the automatic sorting item storage box;
For the hand-sorted items, the operator picks and packs the items in units, and gives item information to the hand-sorted item storage box;
Automatically storing the manual assortment storage box on an item basis based on the item information;
The automatic sorting item storage box and the manual sorting item storage box are automatically transported and united in units of orders based on the respective item information, and
A collection method comprising: a step in which an operator stores the articles in the automatic sorting item storage box and the manual sorting item storage box that are joined together in a shipping box in units of orders.

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