JP2022035540A - Automatic warehouse system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an automatic warehouse system that can be efficiently operated.SOLUTION: An automatic warehouse system 10 is equipped with a stacker crane 100, a rack 50 that extends in a depth direction crossing an extending direction of a passage 30 of the stacker crane 100, a shuttle 70 that is disposed on the rack 50 by the stacker crane 100, and carries and transports a cargo 20 in the rack 50, and a controller 300 that controls the stacker crane 100 and the shuttle 70. The rack 50 has a multi-stage placing shelves 51 in which the shuttle 70 can move in the depth direction. The controller 300, when the shuttle 70 is shut down, controls the stacker crane 100 and the shuttle 70 to move the shuttle 70 to a lower stage shelf that is the lowest or a second placing shelf 51 of the multi-stage placing shelves 51.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

The present invention relates to an automated warehouse system including a rack and a stacker crane.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an automated warehouse system including a rack having a large number of article storage shelves on the top, bottom, left, and right, and a stacker crane. In this automated warehouse system, the goods storage rack of the rack has a pair of left and right goods storage rails and a guide rail for a self-propelled vehicle below the rails. The self-propelled vehicle can move from the lift of the stacker crane to the guide rail of the article storage shelf and travel along the guide rail. The self-propelled vehicle has an elevating table, and by raising and lowering the elevating table, the article can be placed on the pair of left and right article mounting rails and the article can be received.

Jikkenhei 1-176606 Gazette

In the conventional automated warehouse system, for example, by providing a self-propelled vehicle for transporting articles in a rack, it is possible to efficiently store and retrieve articles in a short time. Such a self-propelled vehicle (shuttle) is equipped with a battery for traveling and driving an elevating table. Therefore, for example, when the operation of the automated warehouse system is stopped for a relatively long period of time during a long vacation, all the power supply from the battery (all power sources) is used to suppress the exhaustion of the stored amount or the deterioration of the battery. It is preferable to shut down the shuttle by turning off. However, in order to turn off all power, it is generally necessary to manually operate the main power switch of the shuttle. Therefore, when the shuttle is placed on the upper shelf of the rack, the worker needs to use a ladder to go up to the upper shelf. Similarly, when the automated warehouse system resumes operation, a worker needs to use a ladder to go up to the upper shelf in order to operate the main power switch of the shuttle. In addition, by leaving the shuttle for a long time without shutting it down, the amount of electricity stored is reduced to the limit, so that when the shuttle is shut down, the shuttle can be charged first when the automated warehouse system resumes operation. Need to move to. As described above, in the automated warehouse system including the shuttle running in the rack, there is a problem that time-consuming work is required when the operation of the automated warehouse system is stopped or restarted.

An object of the present invention is to provide an automated warehouse system that can be operated efficiently in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional problems.

The automatic warehouse system according to one aspect of the present invention is an automatic warehouse system including a stacker crane and a rack extending in a depth direction intersecting the extending direction of the passage of the stacker crane, and is said by the stacker crane. The rack is provided with a shuttle arranged in the rack and for transporting and transferring luggage in the rack, a stacker crane, and a controller for controlling the shuttle, and the rack has a plurality of stages arranged in the vertical direction. It is a mounting shelf, each of which has a plurality of loading shelves on which a plurality of loads can be placed side by side in the depth direction and the shuttle can move in the depth direction. A transfer device for transferring the luggage at a predetermined position in the depth direction according to an instruction from the controller in the storage shelf in which the shuttle is arranged among the multiple-stage storage shelves. When the shuttle is shut down, the controller controls the stacker crane and the shuttle so that the shuttle can be placed on the lowest or second rack of the plurality of racks. Move to the lower shelf.

According to this configuration, since it is possible to load a plurality of luggage in each of the plurality of storage shelves of the rack using the depth direction, it is possible to efficiently execute the loading / unloading processing of a large number of luggage. Also, if it is necessary to shut down the shuttle that transports and transfers luggage on the shelves, the shuttle will be moved to a relatively low lower shelf, for example, by manual operation by a worker. It is easy to turn off the power (that is, shut down). Further, when activating the shut down shuttle, it is easy to turn on the power manually by the worker. As described above, according to the automated warehouse system according to this aspect, it can be operated efficiently.

Further, in the automated warehouse system according to one aspect of the present invention, when the controller shuts down the shuttle, the shuttle is further controlled to the shuttle after the shuttle has moved to the lower shelf. The power off, which is a process of shutting down by turning off all the power of the shuttle, may be executed.

According to this configuration, the shuttle can be shut down by the shuttle itself, so that no manual operation by a worker is required to turn off the entire power of the shuttle. This will further improve the efficiency of the operation of the automated warehouse system.

Further, in the automated warehouse system according to one aspect of the present invention, when the shuttle is to be turned off, the controller positions the shuttle at a predetermined position near the aisle on the lower shelf, and then the shuttle. May be forced to turn off the power.

According to this configuration, when shutting down the shuttle, the shuttle is turned off near the passage of the stacker crane where workers can enter. Therefore, when activating the shuttle, the worker can manually turn on the power of the shuttle while, for example, in the aisle (without entering the inside of the mounting shelf).

Further, in the automated warehouse system according to one aspect of the present invention, when the plurality of shelves are used as one shelves, the racks are arranged along the extending direction of the passage. When the shuttle is shut down, the controller has one of the plurality of storage shelves near the entrance where a worker enters the passage. May be preferentially selected and the shuttle may be moved to the lower shelf in the selected series of mounting shelves.

According to this configuration, the shuttle is shut down near the entrance, so when activating the shut down shuttle, the worker can easily turn on the power manually without moving to the back of the aisle. It can be carried out.

Further, in the automated warehouse system according to one aspect of the present invention, when the load is transferred to the rack, the controller gives priority to the loading shelves other than the lower shelf among the plurality of loading shelves. By selecting and controlling the stacker crane, the stacker crane may be used to transfer the load to the selected storage rack.

According to this configuration, the storage position (mounting position) of the luggage to be stored in the rack is determined so as to avoid the lower shelf as much as possible. Therefore, when the shuttle should be shut down, the lower shelf to which the shuttle is moved is determined. The possibility of being vacant increases. This contributes to the efficiency of the operation of the automated warehouse system.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an automated warehouse system that can be operated efficiently.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an outline of the configuration of the automated warehouse system according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a part of the rack of the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the structural relationship between the mounting shelf and the shuttle according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an outline of the configuration of the stacker crane according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the automated warehouse system according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a first diagram showing an example of a movement process at the time of shutdown of the shuttle according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a second diagram showing an example of the movement process at the time of shutdown of the shuttle according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a third diagram showing an example of a movement process at the time of shutdown of the shuttle according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a front view showing an example of a destination area of the shuttle according to the embodiment.

Hereinafter, the automated warehouse system according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below show a specific example of the present invention. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement positions and connection forms of the components, contents and order of information processing, etc. shown in the following embodiments are examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. ..

In addition, each figure is a schematic diagram in which emphasis, omission, or ratio is adjusted as appropriate to show the present invention, and may differ from the actual shape, positional relationship, and ratio. Further, in each figure, the same reference numerals may be given to substantially the same configurations, and duplicate explanations may be omitted or simplified. Further, in the following description, for example, the X-axis plus direction indicates the arrow direction of the X-axis, and the X-axis minus direction indicates the direction opposite to the X-axis plus direction. The same applies to the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction. Further, in the following description, expressions indicating relative directions or postures such as parallel and orthogonal may be used, but these expressions also include cases where they are not strictly the directions or postures. For example, the fact that two directions are parallel not only means that the two directions are completely parallel, but also that they are substantially parallel, that is, that they include a difference of, for example, about several percent. Also means.

(Embodiment)
[1. Overview of automated warehouse system configuration]
First, the configuration outline of the automated warehouse system 10 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an outline of the configuration of the automated warehouse system 10 according to the embodiment.

The automated warehouse system 10 according to the present embodiment includes a stacker crane 100 and a rack 50. The rack 50 extends in the depth direction intersecting the extending direction of the passage 30 of the stacker crane 100. In the present embodiment, the passage 30 extends parallel to the X-axis direction, and the stacker crane 100 travels in the X-axis direction along the track 31 laid in the passage 30. The stacker crane 100 can deliver the cargo 20 to the rack 50 and the shuttle 70 to the rack 50. The stacker crane 100 has an elevating platform 120 and a transfer device 130 for carrying out these delivery. The shuttle 70 can transport and transfer the cargo 20 in the rack 50. The luggage 20 is, for example, a pallet on which a plurality of cardboard boxes are loaded.

The rack 50 has a mounting shelf 51 on which a plurality of luggage 20 can be placed in the depth direction (Y-axis direction in the present embodiment). The shuttle 70 can move the mounting shelf 51 in the depth direction thereof. The mounting shelf 51 has a position (loading point) on which seven luggage 20s can be loaded, as shown by numbers (1) to (7) in FIG. 1, for example. Each of the plurality of mounting points is, in substance, a spatial area in the mounting shelf 51 that is separated from each other in the depth direction. The shuttle 70 can detect, for example, which mounting point it is currently at by optically or magnetically detecting marks distributed in the longitudinal direction of the rail member 54, and the detection result thereof. Can be notified to the controller 300.

Of these plurality of mounting points, the two points near the aisle 30 are the home point 52 and the standby point 53. The home point 52 is a placement position of the shuttle 70 and the cargo 20 when the stacker crane 100 transfers the shuttle 70 and the cargo 20 to and from the rack 50. The standby point 53 is a position where the shuttle 70 waits in order to avoid interference between the stacker crane 100 on which the luggage 20 is placed on the home point 52 and the shuttle 70. For example, when the stacker crane 100 picks up the shuttle 70, the shuttle 70 moves from the standby point 53 to the home point 52 and stops. The stacker crane 100 can pick up the shuttle 70 stopped at the home point 52 by the transfer device 130.

In the present embodiment, a plurality of mounting shelves 51 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) in the rack 50. In the plan view shown in FIG. 1, for example, the layout of the lowermost mounting shelf 51 is shown, and in the rack 50, 1 is placed above each of the mounting shelves 51 laid out in this way (on the front side of the paper surface). The above mounting shelves 51 are arranged side by side. When the set of a plurality of mounting shelves 51 arranged in the vertical direction is a single mounting shelf 51, as can be seen from FIG. 1, the plurality of mounting shelves 51 extend the passage 30 of the stacker crane 100. They are arranged in the X-axis direction, which is the current direction. Further, a plurality of mounting shelves 51 arranged in the X-axis direction are arranged on both sides of the aisle 30. In the present embodiment, the symbols A to T are attached to the plurality of mounting shelves 51, and the mounting shelves 51 of each series are identified by this symbol. In the following, for example, a series of mounting shelves 51 with the symbol A will be referred to as a series of mounting shelves 51A.

In the present embodiment, such a set of a plurality of mounting shelves 51 is referred to as a "rack 50", but for example, a single mounting shelf 51 may be referred to as a "rack". In this case, it can be expressed that the automated warehouse system 10 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of racks.

Each of the stacker crane 100 and the plurality of shuttles 70 is controlled by a controller 300 located above them in the chain of command. The controller 300, the stacker crane 100, and the shuttle 70 are connected to each other by, for example, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) defined in the IEEE 802.11. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of access points 83 are arranged so as to surround the rack 50, and each of the plurality of shuttles 70 communicates wirelessly with any one of the plurality of access points 83. By doing so, information can be exchanged with the controller 300. The stacker crane 100 can also exchange information with the controller 300 by performing wireless communication or wired communication with the controller 300.

Various information processing executed by the controller 300 is realized by executing a predetermined program, for example, by a computer equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a storage device such as a memory, an interface for inputting / outputting information, and the like. Will be done.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a safety fence 170 is arranged so as to surround the rack 50 so that no one can enter the area where the stacker crane 100 and the shuttle 70 operate. The safety fence 170 is provided with an entrance 171a so that a worker can enter the inside of the safety fence 170 for maintenance or the like. The entrance 171a is normally closed by the door 171. When the worker performs maintenance on the rack 50 or the shuttle 70, the door 171 is unlocked by a predetermined operation, and the safety fence 170 is opened from the entrance 171a. You can go inside. The automated warehouse system 10 further includes an entry / exit port for entry / exit of the luggage 20 and the shuttle 70, an entry / exit conveyor, and the like, but the illustration and description thereof are omitted.

The shuttle 70 is provided with an elevating table 71, and the luggage 20 can be lifted by moving to the space below the luggage 20 and raising the elevating table 71. The shuttle 70 travels with the luggage 20 lifted, and lowers the elevating table 71 at a position instructed by the controller 300. As a result, the luggage 20 is placed on the loading shelf 51. The shuttle 70 transports and transfers the cargo 20 in the rack 50 by such an operation. The elevating table 71 is an example of a transfer device included in the shuttle 70.

The shuttle 70 has a built-in battery that supplies electric power for transporting and transferring the cargo 20. When the amount of electricity stored in the battery becomes less than or equal to a predetermined value, the shuttle 70 requests the controller 300 to be charged, and then, under the control of the controller 300, the charging point 200 provided on the entrance 171a side of the rack 50. Move to. A charging device (not shown) is connected to the shuttle 70 that has moved to the charging point 200, whereby the battery is charged.

Next, the respective configurations of the rack 50, the shuttle 70, and the stacker crane 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4.

[2. Rack and shuttle configuration]
FIG. 2 is a front view showing a part of the rack 50 of the embodiment. FIG. 2 shows a case where the A-series mounting shelves 51A and the B-series mounting shelves 51B in the rack 50 are viewed from the passage 30 side, and the third and fourth stages from the bottom. The illustration of the mounting shelf 51 is omitted. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the structural relationship between the mounting shelf 51 and the shuttle 70 according to the embodiment. In FIG. 3, only one mounting shelf 51 is shown, and the rack pillar 55 supporting the mounting shelf 51 and the other mounting shelves 51 are not shown.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in the rack 50, the mounting shelf 51 has a pair of left and right rail members 54. In the present embodiment, the pair of rail members 54 support the left and right ends of the luggage 20 and the shuttle 70 (the left and right when viewed from the traveling direction (Y-axis direction), the same applies hereinafter) from below. It has been adopted. Each of the pair of rail members 54 is fixed to the rack column 55 corresponding to the rail member 54 by the fixing member 56.

The rail member 54 has a mounting surface portion 54b forming a mounting surface on which the luggage 20 is mounted, and a traveling surface portion 54a forming a traveling surface of the shuttle 70. The mounting surface portion 54b and the traveling surface portion 54a extend along the longitudinal direction of the rail member 54, and the mounting surface portion 54b is above and outside the traveling surface portion 54a (on the rack pillar 55 side to which the rail member 54 is fixed). Is located in.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the shuttle 70 includes a flat plate-shaped shuttle main body 70a, an elevating table 71 provided at the center of the shuttle main body 70a, and a plurality of rollers rolling on the traveling surface portion 54a. It is equipped with 72. In the present embodiment, a total of four rollers 72 are provided on the left and right sides of the shuttle main body 70a, and these four rollers 72 are rotationally driven by a traveling motor (not shown). As a result, the shuttle 70 travels along the pair of rail members 54.

When the shuttle body 70a is supported by the pair of rail members 54, the position of the upper surface of the shuttle body 70a in the height direction (Z-axis direction) is lower than the mounting surface portion 54b of the pair of rail members 54. Located in. Therefore, the shuttle 70 can slip under the luggage 20 placed on the mounting surface portion 54b, and can lift the luggage 20 from the loading surface portion 54b by raising the elevating table 71 directly under the luggage 20. can. Further, the luggage 20 lifted by the elevating table 71 can be placed on the mounting surface portion 54b by lowering the elevating table 71. That is, the shuttle 70 receives the luggage 20 from the mounting shelf 51 by raising and lowering the elevating table 71 on the mounting shelf 51 (a pair of rail members 54), and hands the luggage 20 to the mounting shelf 51. That is, the luggage 20 can be transferred to and from the mounting shelf 51.

Inside the shuttle main body 70a, various devices such as a shuttle control unit 75 composed of a CPU and the like, a battery 76, and a communication device 81 are housed. Various electric devices such as a traveling motor, an elevating motor (not shown) for driving the elevating of the elevating table 71, a shuttle control unit 75, and a communication device 81 are operated by electric power supplied from the battery 76. A main power switch 73 for turning on and off the power supply from the battery 76 is provided on the side surface of the shuttle main body 70a in the moving direction (Y-axis direction). When the main power switch 73 is turned off, all power of the shuttle 70 is turned off, that is, the shuttle 70 is shut down. Although not shown in FIG. 3, the main power switch 73 is also arranged on the side surface of the shuttle 70 in the plus direction of the Y axis.

The communication device 81 is a device that wirelessly communicates with any one of the plurality of access points 83 (see FIG. 1). The communication device 81 can communicate with the controller 300 and the stacker crane 100 via the access point 83. For example, the communication device 81 of the shuttle 70 gives an instruction (transport instruction) from the controller 300 to place the cargo 20 placed at the home point 52 at the loading point (4) (see FIG. 1) at the access point 83. Receive via. The shuttle control unit 75 controls the rotation of the four rollers 72 and the elevating control of the elevating table 71 according to the transfer instruction. As a result, the shuttle 70 can carry the luggage 20 placed at the home point 52 to the loading point (4) and transfer it to the loading point (4). When the series of operations in accordance with the transport instruction is completed, the shuttle 70 notifies the controller 300 of the completion of the transport instruction via the access point 83.

Further, the communication device 81 of the shuttle 70 can communicate with the stacker crane 100 via the access point 83. As a result, the shuttle 70 can execute control (interlock control) for preventing interference at the home point 52. For example, when the transfer device 130 of the stacker crane 100 advances the slide fork (described later with reference to FIG. 4) to the home point 52 for exchanging the luggage 20, the shuttle 70 moves to the standby point 53 or behind it. Must be located. Therefore, the shuttle 70 and the stacker crane 100 communicate with each other via the access point 83 to coordinately perform the above interlock control.

In the present embodiment, the mounting shelves 51 composed of the pair of rail members 54 are arranged in a plurality of stages (five stages in the present embodiment) in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) as shown in FIG. In order to identify each of the rails, a symbol for identifying the series and a code including the number of stages are assigned. For example, the lowermost (first stage) mounting shelf 51 in the A-series mounting shelf 51A is the mounting shelf 51A1, and the second-stage mounting shelf 51 in the A-series mounting shelf 51A is mounted. It is a shelf 51A2. Similarly, the uppermost (fifth) mounting shelf 51 in the A-series mounting shelf 51A is the mounting shelf 51A5. As for the B-series mounting shelves 51B, as shown in FIG. 2, the mounting shelves 51 are coded from the bottom, such as the mounting shelves 51B1, the mounting shelves 51B2, ..., The mounting shelves 51B5. Is given.

[3. Stacker crane configuration]
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an outline of the configuration of the stacker crane 100 according to the embodiment. Note that FIG. 4 simply illustrates the basic configuration of the stacker crane 100, and illustrates a wire and a motor for raising and lowering the elevating table 120, a control device for controlling the operation of the elevating table 120, and the like. Is omitted.

The stacker crane 100 according to the present embodiment includes an upper bogie 101, a pair of masts 110 extending downward from the upper bogie 101, a lower bogie 107 connected to the lower ends of the pair of masts 110, and a pair of masts. It is provided with an elevating platform 120 that moves up and down along the 110.

The lower bogie 107 is a bogie that drives the movement of the stacker crane 100. Specifically, the lower bogie 107 has one or more rollers (not shown) that abut on the track 31 laid on the floor surface, and the one or more rollers are rotationally driven to the track 31. Move (run) along. The upper trolley 101 is connected to the lower trolley 107 via a pair of masts 110, and moves with the movement of the lower trolley 107. Specifically, the upper bogie 101 moves while being guided by the upper rail 35 arranged above the track 31. The elevating table 120 is arranged in a state of being suspended from the upper bogie 101 by, for example, a plurality of wires (not shown), and the elevating table 120 moves up and down along the pair of masts 110 by winding and feeding these wires.

The lift 120 has a transfer device 130 for transferring the luggage 20 and the shuttle 70. In the present embodiment, the transfer device 130 has a slide fork 131 that moves forward and backward in both the left and right directions when the stacker crane 100 is moved forward. The transfer device 130 extends the slide fork 131 at a position facing the mounting shelf 51 according to an instruction from the controller 300, and the lift 120 is raised in that state, so that the luggage placed at the home point 52 is loaded. You can scoop up 20. The transfer device 130 can further pull the scooped up luggage 20 into the lift 120 by retracting the slide fork 131. Further, the transfer device 130 extends the slide fork 131 at a position facing the mounting shelf 51, and the elevating table 120 descends in that state to remove the luggage 20 held on the slide fork 131. It can be placed on the home point 52 of the mounting shelf 51.

[4. Operation example of automated warehouse system]
Next, an example of the operation of the automated warehouse system 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the automated warehouse system 10 according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 shows the operation of the automated warehouse system 10 when the cargo 20 carried by the stacker crane 100 to the rack 50 is placed on the loading point (4) of the loading shelf 51B1. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5A, the stacker crane 100 moves to the front of the mounting shelf 51B1 with the luggage 20 mounted on the slide fork 131. At this time, the shuttle 70 is stopped at the waiting point 53 of the mounting shelf 51B1. The stacker crane 100 stops in front of the loading shelf 51B1 and transfers the luggage 20 on the slide fork 131 to the home point 52 of the loading shelf 51B1. After that, as shown in FIG. 5B, the shuttle 70 moves below the luggage 20 placed at the home point 52, raises the lifting table 71, and lifts the luggage 20 from the home point 52. Next, as shown in FIG. 5 (c), the shuttle 70 travels toward the loading point (4) with the luggage 20 lifted, and stops at the loading point (4). Further, the shuttle 70 transfers the luggage 20 on the elevating table 71 to the loading point (4) by lowering the elevating table 71. In this way, when the transfer of the luggage 20 to the loading point (4) is completed, the shuttle 70 returns to the waiting point 53 and stops as shown in FIG. 5 (d).

The series of operations of the shuttle 70 is executed by a transfer instruction from the controller 300. Specifically, the controller 300 periodically communicates with, for example, the plurality of shuttles 70, and by communicating for some instruction or response, the respective states and current positions of the plurality of shuttles 70. Can be detected. As described above, the controller 300 specifies the shuttle 70 arranged on the mounting shelf 51B1 when the luggage 20 is transferred to the mounting point (4) of the mounting shelf 51B1. Alternatively, if there is no shuttle 70 arranged on the mounting shelf 51B1, the controller 300 identifies the shuttle 70 to which work is not assigned at that time, and controls the stacker crane 100 to control the identified shuttle 70. , Placed on the mounting shelf 51B1. The controller 300 transmits an instruction (transport instruction) for placing the cargo 20 placed at the home point 52 at the loading point (4) to the shuttle 70 arranged at the loading shelf 51B1. This transport instruction includes an instruction to return to the standby point 53 after the luggage 20 is placed on the loading point (4). The shuttle 70 stopped at the standby point 53 of the mounting shelf 51B1 receives the transport instruction via the access point 83 and executes the transfer instruction. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the shuttle 70 transports the cargo 20 placed at the home point 52 of the loading shelf 51B1 to the loading point (4) and places it at the loading point (4). The transport instruction transmitted by the controller 300 to the shuttle 70 may not include an instruction to return to the standby point 53. For example, the shuttle 70 may be preset so as to always return to the waiting point 53 when the transportation and transfer of the cargo 20 are completed according to the transportation instruction.

[5. Operation example when the shuttle shuts down]
In the automated warehouse system 10 configured as described above, the shuttle 70 traveling in the rack 50 performs various operations by the electric power of the built-in battery 76. Therefore, when the operation of the automated warehouse system 10 is stopped for a long period of time, for example, during a long vacation, the shuttle 70 is shut down by turning off all the power supply from the battery 76 (turning off all the power supplies). As a result, the consumption of the stored amount of the battery 76 is suppressed, and the shuttle 70 can be quickly operated when the automated warehouse system 10 is restarted. Further, there is no problem of deterioration or damage of the battery 76 due to over-discharging. Therefore, when the automated warehouse system 10 is restarted, the possibility of an inefficient situation such as moving the non-self-propelled shuttle 70 to the charging point 200 to charge the battery 76 is reduced.

However, in order to shut down the shuttle 70, for example, it is necessary to manually operate the main power switch 73 (see FIG. 3) of the shuttle 70. Therefore, when the shuttle 70 is arranged on the mounting shelf 51 in the upper stage (for example, the 4th and 5th stages) of the rack 50, a ladder or the like is used to manually operate the main power switch 73 of the shuttle 70. It will be necessary for the worker to climb up to the mounting shelf 51 in the upper stage. Further, by providing the shuttle 70 with a circuit for turning off all the power of the shuttle 70 by remote control, it is possible to make the shuttle 70 itself turn off all the power according to the instruction from the controller 300. However, even in this case, the entire power of the shuttle 70 cannot be turned on by remote control. Therefore, when the automated warehouse system 10 is restarted, a worker needs to climb up to the mounting shelf 51 in the upper stage in order to manually operate the main power switch 73 of the shuttle 70.

Therefore, in the automated warehouse system 10 according to the present embodiment, when the shuttle 70 is shut down, a process of moving the shuttle 70 to the lower shelf (for example, the first and second loading shelves 51) is executed. The movement process when the shuttle 70 is shut down will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8.

6 to 8 are the first to third views showing an example of the movement process when the shuttle 70 is shut down. In FIGS. 6 to 8, only the A-series mounting shelves 51A and the E-series mounting shelves 51E of the rack 50 are shown in order to clearly show the movements of the stacker crane 100 and the shuttle 70. The illustration of the mounting shelf 51 is omitted. Further, the illustration of the upper ends of the A-series mounting shelves 51A, the E-series mounting shelves 51E, and the stacker crane 100 is also omitted.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when the shuttle 70 is arranged on the fourth-stage mounting shelf 51E4 of the E-series mounting shelf 51E, the controller 300 is instructed to shut down the shuttle 70 (instruction for shutting down the shuttle 70). It is assumed that a shutdown instruction) is input. In this case, the controller 300 instructs the shuttle 70 arranged on the mounting shelf 51E4 to move to the home point 52 of the mounting shelf 51E4. As a result, the shuttle 70 moves to the home point 52 of the mounting shelf 51E4 and stops. The controller 300 further instructs the stacker crane 100 to take the shuttle 70 located at the home point 52 of the mounting shelf 51E4 and transfer it to the lower part of the rack 50. For example, the controller 300 designates the home point 52 of the lowermost mounting shelf 51A1 of the A-series mounting shelf 51A as the lower portion of the rack 50 to be moved. Upon receiving this instruction, the stacker crane 100 first travels toward the E-series mounting shelf 51E and stops at a position facing the E-series mounting shelf 51E. Further, the stacker crane 100 changes the position of the elevating table 120 so that the height position of the elevating table 120 corresponds to the mounting shelf 51E4 after the stacker crane 100 is stopped or running. As a result, the elevating table 120 is moved to a position facing the mounting shelf 51E4. After that, as shown in FIG. 7, the shuttle 70 stopped at the home point 52 of the mounting shelf 51E4 is pulled up to the upper part of the elevating table 120 by the operation accompanied by the moving of the slide fork 131 and the raising and lowering of the elevating table 120.

The stacker crane 100 that has taken over the shuttle 70 in this way moves toward the mounting shelf 51A of the A series and lowers the lifting table 120 so that the lifting table 120 is moved to a position facing the mounting shelf 51A1. Move it. After that, as shown in FIG. 8, the shuttle 70 mounted on the slide fork 131 is mounted on the home point 52 of the mounting shelf 51A1 by the operation of moving the slide fork 131 in and out and raising and lowering the lift table 120.

By the above series of operations, the shuttle 70 arranged in the upper part of the rack 50 is moved to the lower shelf of the rack 50. Thereby, for example, the worker can easily manually operate the main power switch 73 of the shuttle 70. That is, the shuttle 70 can be shut down and the shut down shuttle 70 can be started easily.

As described above, the automated warehouse system 10 according to the present embodiment includes a stacker crane 100 and a rack 50 extending in the depth direction intersecting the extending direction of the passage 30 of the stacker crane 100. The automated warehouse system 10 further includes a shuttle 70 that is arranged in the rack 50 by the stacker crane 100 and that transports and transfers the cargo 20 in the rack 50, and a controller 300 that controls the stacker crane 100 and the shuttle 70. .. The rack 50 is a plurality of storage shelves 51 arranged in the vertical direction, each of which can place a plurality of luggage 20 side by side in the depth direction, and the shuttle 70 can be moved in the depth direction. It has a plurality of mounting shelves 51. The shuttle 70 is an elevating table that transfers the luggage 20 at a predetermined position in the depth direction according to an instruction from the controller 300 on the mounting shelf 51 in which the shuttle 70 is arranged among the mounting shelves 51 having a plurality of stages. Has 71. When the shuttle 70 is shut down, the controller 300 controls the stacker crane 100 and the shuttle 70 so that the shuttle 70 can be moved to the lowest or second rack 51 of the plurality of racks 51. Move to a lower shelf.

As described above, in the present embodiment, since a plurality of luggage 20 can be loaded in each of the plurality of loading shelves 51 of the rack 50 using the depth direction, a large number of luggage 20 can be loaded and unloaded. Can be executed efficiently. Further, when it is necessary to shut down the shuttle 70 for transporting and transferring the luggage 20 on the mounting shelf 51, the shuttle 70 is moved to the lower shelf at a relatively low position, so that, for example, a worker's It is easy to turn off (that is, shut down) all power by manual operation. Further, when activating the shut down shuttle 70, it is easy to turn on the power manually by the worker. Therefore, according to the automated warehouse system 10 according to the present embodiment, it can be operated efficiently.

In the present embodiment, the lower shelves to which the shuttle 70 is moved when shutting down are the first (bottom) and second shelves 51. However, for example, when the shuttle 70 is placed on the second stage mounting shelf 51, the height position of the main power switch 73 of the shuttle 70 from the floor surface exceeds a predetermined height (for example, 2 m). Only the lowermost shelf 51 may be designated as the lower shelf to which the shuttle 70 is moved when shutting down. Further, for example, when the position of the lowermost mounting shelf 51 is too low and it is difficult to manually operate the main power switch 73 of the shuttle 70 placed on the lowermost mounting shelf 51, the second stage mounting is performed. Only the shelf 51 may be designated as the lower shelf to which the shuttle 70 is moved when shutting down.

When shutting down the shuttle 70, the controller 300 may further control the shuttle 70 so that the shuttle 70 shuts down by itself after the shuttle 70 moves to the lower shelf. That is, the controller 300 may control the shuttle 70 to cause the shuttle 70 itself to perform a power-off process, which is a process of shutting down by turning off all the power of the shuttle 70.

Specifically, when the shuttle 70 has a circuit for remotely turning off all the power of the shuttle 70, the controller 300 causes the shuttle 70 itself to turn off all the power by instructing the shuttle 70 to shut down. That is, it can be shut down. The timing at which the controller 300 issues a shutdown instruction to the shuttle 70 may be after the shuttle 70 has moved to the lower shelf or before the shuttle 70 has moved to the lower shelf. For example, after confirming that the shuttle 70 has moved to the lower shelf, the controller 300 gives a shutdown instruction to the shuttle 70, whereby the shuttle 70 turns off all power. Alternatively, when instructing the shuttle 70 to move to the lower shelf, the controller 300 instructs the shuttle 70 to make a shutdown reservation. As a result, the shuttle 70 turns off all power after confirming the completion of the movement to the lower shelf. In either case, no manual operation by the operator is required to turn off all the power of the shuttle 70. As a result, the operation of the automated warehouse system 10 is further streamlined.

Further, in the automated warehouse system 10 according to the present embodiment, when the shuttle 70 is shut down, the controller 300 positions the shuttle 70 at a predetermined position near the aisle 30 on the lower shelf.

For example, as described with reference to FIG. 8, the controller 300 controls the stacker crane 100 to mount the shuttle 70 on the home point 52 on the lower shelf. Alternatively, when shutting down the shuttle 70 arranged on the lower shelf, the controller 300 controls the shuttle 70 to move the shuttle 70 to the home point 52 on the lower shelf. The shuttle 70 located at the home point 52 is shut down manually by the operator or according to the shutdown instruction by the controller 300.

According to this configuration, when shutting down the shuttle 70, the shuttle 70 is shut down in the passage 30 of the stacker crane 100 at a position close to the passage 30 in which the worker can enter. Therefore, when activating the shut down shuttle 70, the worker can easily manually turn on the power of the shuttle 70 while in the aisle 30, for example (without entering the inside of the mounting shelf 51).

The predetermined position of the mounting shelf 51 near the aisle 30, which is the destination when the shuttle 70 is shut down, is not limited to the home point 52. For example, if a worker standing in the aisle 30 can manually operate the main power switch 73 of the shuttle 70 stopped at the standby point 53, the standby point 53 is selected as the destination when the shuttle 70 is shut down. May be good.

In addition, there may be a plurality of shuttles 70 that should be moved to the lower shelf at the time of shutdown. Therefore, in the automated warehouse system 10, from the viewpoint of facilitating turning on or off of all the power of the shuttle 70 by manual operation, the lower shelf of the series of mounting shelves 51 near the entrance 171a (see FIG. 1) to the aisle 30. Is selected as the destination of the shuttle 70.

FIG. 9 is a front view showing an example of the destination of the shuttle 70 according to the embodiment. The controller 300 stores, for example, priority information indicating the priority given to the plurality of mounting shelves 51 in the order of proximity to the entrance 171a. Specifically, the A-series mounting shelf 51A has the highest priority, and the B-series mounting shelf 51B and the C-series mounting shelf 51C have the lowest priority. Further, the priority information may also include, for example, a priority based on the height position of each mounting shelf 51. For example, the mounting shelf 51A1 has the highest priority, and the mounting shelf 51A2, the mounting shelf 51B1, the mounting shelf 51B2, the mounting shelf 51C1, and the mounting shelf 51C2 have the lowest priority. As described above, in the present embodiment, the lower region (destination region 58) that is a candidate for the destination of the shuttle 70 is predetermined.

By referring to this priority information, the controller 300 determines the destination of the shuttle 70 to be shut down from the destination area 58. For example, if the home point 52 (see FIG. 1) of the mounting shelf 51A1 is vacant, the mounting shelf 51A1 is determined as the destination of the shuttle 70. If the home point 52 of the mounting shelf 51A1 is not vacant, the controller 300 confirms whether or not the home point 52 of each of the mounting shelves 51 is vacant in descending order of priority, and the loading is first confirmed to be vacant. The home point 52 of the shelf 51 is determined as the destination. That is, when there are a plurality of shuttles 70 to be shut down, the storage shelves 51 as the movement destinations are sequentially determined in the order of the priority shown in the priority information.

That is, in the automated warehouse system 10 according to the present embodiment, when the rack 50 has a plurality of mounting shelves 51 as a single mounting shelf 51, the rack 50 has a passage 30 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. It has a plurality of storage shelves 51 arranged along the extending direction. When shutting down the shuttle 70, the controller 300 preferentially selects and selects one of the plurality of storage shelves 51, which is close to the entrance 171a where the worker enters the aisle 30. The shuttle 70 is moved to the lower shelf in the series of mounting shelves 51.

According to this configuration, the shuttle 70 is shut down at a position close to the entrance 171a. Therefore, for example, when activating the shut-down shuttle 70, the worker can easily turn on the power (turn on the main power switch 73) by manual operation without moving to the back of the passage 30.

In FIG. 9, as the mounting shelves 51 included in the destination area 58 that is a candidate for the destination of the shuttle 70, the first and second stages of the A-series mounting shelves 51A to the C-series mounting shelves 51C are used. The storage shelf 51 for the eyes is exemplified, but the storage shelf 51 included in the destination area 58 is not limited to this. For example, at least one of the first and second-stage mounting shelves 51 of the K-series mounting shelf 51K (see FIG. 1) closest to the entrance 171a in the X-axis direction as in the A-series mounting shelf 51A. May be included in the destination area 58.

Further, in the automated warehouse system 10 according to the present embodiment, when the luggage 20 is transferred to the rack 50, the controller 300 gives priority to the loading shelves 51 other than the lower shelf among the plurality of loading shelves 51. The luggage 20 may be transferred to the stacker crane 100 on the selected storage rack 51.

According to this configuration, the storage position (mounting position) of the luggage 20 to be stored in the rack 50 is determined so as to avoid the lower shelf as much as possible. Therefore, when the shuttle 70 should be shut down, it is highly possible that the lower shelf to which the shuttle 70 is moved is vacant. This contributes to the efficiency of operation of the automated warehouse system 10. Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, when the destination area 58 in the rack 50 is determined, the controller 300 sets the loading shelf 51, which is not included in the destination area 58 in the rack 50, to the luggage 20. It can be decided as the transfer destination. Specifically, the controller 300 is placed as a transfer destination (mounting position) of the luggage 20 on a mounting shelf 51 other than the lower shelf in the rack 50, that is, a mounting shelf 51 vacant on the third or higher loading shelf 51. The point is determined as the mounting position. The controller 300 further controls the stacker crane 100 and the shuttle 70 to transfer the cargo 20 to the determined transfer position. As a result, when shutting down a plurality of shuttles 70, there is a high possibility that the home point 52 of the mounting shelf 51 included in the destination area 58 is vacant. As a result, the plurality of shuttles 70 can be quickly moved to a position suitable as a position for shutting down.

Since the controller 300 has acquired the current positions of the plurality of shuttles 70, when shutting down the plurality of shuttles 70, the mounting shelves that are not included in the destination area 58 of the plurality of shuttles 70. The shuttle 70 located at 51 can be identified. The controller 300 can further control the specified shuttle 70 and the stacker crane 100 to move the specified shuttle 70 to the loading rack 51 included in the destination area 58. Further, it is assumed that the shuttle 70 arranged on the mounting shelf 51 included in the movement destination area 58 exists at the time when the controller 300 executes the process for moving the plurality of shuttle 70s. In this case, the shuttle 70 moves to the home point 52 of the mounting shelf 51 and stops under the control of the controller 300.

(Other embodiments)
The automated warehouse system 10 according to the present invention has been described above based on the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. As long as it does not deviate from the gist of the present invention, a form obtained by applying various modifications conceived by those skilled in the art to the present embodiment, or a form constructed by combining a plurality of the above-described components is also within the scope of the present invention. include.

For example, the shuttle 70 is in a power saving mode in which power is supplied only to some functions such as a communication function and a battery control function, in addition to the normal mode in which all power is on when the shuttle 70 is not shut down. It may work. As a result, the number of times of charging per unit period in one shuttle 70 can be reduced, which contributes to the efficiency of operation of the automated warehouse system 10. Further, the shuttle 70 may be programmed so as not to determine an event that is determined to be abnormal in the normal mode while operating in the power saving mode. For example, even if the shuttle control unit 75 does not receive the output signal from the servo amplifier, which is a signal to be received in the normal mode, if it is operating in the power saving mode at that time, the shuttle control unit 75 issues an abnormality. do not do. Thereby, for example, the shuttle 70 can prevent the execution of the process for notifying the controller 300 of the abnormality, which is not originally necessary to be executed. Further, the controller 300 does not generate an originally unnecessary process for ignoring or discarding the abnormality notification from the shuttle 70.

Further, when the shuttle 70 returns from the power saving mode to the normal mode, it takes a certain amount of time (for example, about 1 minute) to complete processing such as activation of various electrical components included in the shuttle 70. Therefore, for example, when the shuttle 70 returns to the normal mode by receiving the transport instruction transmitted from the controller 300, the operation such as movement cannot be started immediately. Therefore, for example, the controller 300 may transmit a dedicated instruction (return start instruction) for starting the process of returning to the normal mode to the shuttle 70 in advance before transmitting the transport instruction to the shuttle 70. For example, assume that the shuttle 70 receives the cargo 20 transported to the vicinity of the rack 50 by a belt conveyor (not shown) via the stacker crane 100. In this case, the controller 300 transmits, for example, a return start instruction to the shuttle 70 when the cargo 20 is on the conveyor. As a result, the shuttle 70 can start processing such as starting various electrical components in order to return to the normal mode, and immediately receives the luggage 20 carried by the stacker crane 100 according to the transport instruction received thereafter. Can be picked up and transported to a predetermined loading point. In this way, even when the shuttle 70 can operate in the power saving mode, the automated warehouse system 10 is operated efficiently.

Further, for example, the cargo 20 to be stored and transported in the automated warehouse system 10 does not have to be a pallet on which a plurality of cardboard boxes are loaded. The luggage 20 may be, for example, one box body (wooden box, cardboard box, folding container, etc.) containing a plurality of products. That is, if each of the stacker crane 100 and the shuttle 70 can be transported and the object has a size, size, and packaging that can be accommodated in the rack 50, the cargo to be stored and transported in the automated warehouse system 10 It can be treated as 20.

Further, the transfer device 130 included in the stacker crane 100 is said to transfer the luggage 20 and the shuttle 70 by moving the slide fork 131 in and out. However, the method for transferring the luggage 20 or the like by the transfer device 130 is not limited to this, and for example, the luggage 20 or the like may be transferred using an arm for pushing out and pulling in the luggage 20 or the like.

Further, the transfer device included in the shuttle 70 is not limited to the elevating table 71. For example, a fork projecting from the shuttle main body in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the shuttle is provided, and by raising and lowering the fork, the luggage 20 is placed between the fork and the cantilever support provided on the rack. Etc. may be reprinted.

The layout of the automated warehouse system 10 shown in FIG. 1 is an example. For example, the number, size, shape, and layout of the mounting shelves 51 in the rack 50, the number of shuttles 70, and the like are required for the area and shape of the area where the automated warehouse system 10 is installed, or the automated warehouse system 10. It may be appropriately determined according to the processing capacity and the like. Further, for example, two tracks 31 may be arranged side by side in the Y-axis direction (see FIG. 1) in the passage 30 so that two stacker cranes 100 can work in parallel. As a result, the warehousing / delivery work for the plurality of loading shelves 51 on the Y-axis plus direction side of the aisle 30 and the warehousing / delivery work for the plurality of loading shelves 51 on the Y-axis minus direction side of the aisle 30 are performed in parallel. And it can be done asynchronously.

Further, it is not essential that the rack 50 includes a plurality of mounting shelves 51. For example, it is assumed that the rack 50 has only the A-series mounting shelves 51A. Even in this case, when shutting down the shuttle 70, by moving the shuttle 70 to the lower shelf (mounting shelf 51A1 or 51A2), for example, a manual operation for turning on the power of the shuttle 70 after shutdown can be performed. It can be done easily.

Further, it is not essential that the controller 300 is realized by a computer located at a position away from the rack 50. For example, the controller 300 may be realized by a computer arranged in the stacker crane 100. That is, the stacker crane 100 includes the controller 300, and the controller 300 may move with the movement of the stacker crane 100.

Further, the trigger for the controller 300 to shut down the shuttle 70 may be other than the shutdown instruction input to the controller 300 from the outside. For example, assume that the controller 300 has a date management function. In this case, the controller 300 may grasp a period during which the operation of the automated warehouse system 10 is stopped for a long period of time, such as a long vacation, and automatically shut down the shuttle 70 according to the period. ..

Further, the mounting shelf 51 to which the shuttle 70 is moved when shutting down the shuttle 70 does not need to be determined on the basis of being close to the entrance 171a. For example, the mounting shelf 51 below the mounting shelf 51 in which the shuttle 70 to be shut down is arranged may be determined as the destination. As a result, the movement of the shuttle 70 between the two mounting shelves 51 does not involve the movement of the stacker crane 100 along the orbit 31. Therefore, the movement time of the stacker crane 100 for the movement of the shuttle 70 at the time of shutdown is shortened. Will be done.

According to the automated warehouse system of the present invention, it can be operated efficiently. Therefore, it is useful as an automated warehouse system or the like for storing and transporting cargo in a distribution warehouse, a factory, or the like.

10 Automated warehouse system 20 Luggage 30 Passage 31 Track 35 Upper rail 50 Rack 51, 51A1, 51A2, 51A5, 51B1, 51B2, 51B5, 51C1, 51C2, 51E4 Storage shelves 51A A-series mounting shelves 51B B-series mounting Shelf 51C C-series mounting shelf 51E E-series mounting shelf 51K K-series mounting shelf 52 Home point 53 Standby point 54 Rail member 54a Running surface part 54b Mounting surface part 55 Rack pillar 56 Fixed member 58 Destination area 70 Shuttle 70a Shuttle body 71 Lifting table 72 Roller 73 Main power switch 75 Shuttle control 76 Battery 81 Communication device 83 Access point 100 Stacker crane 101 Upper trolley 107 Lower trolley 110 Mast 120 Lifting pedestal 130 Transfer device 131 Slide fork 170 Safety fence 171 Door 171a Entrance 200 Charging point 300 Controller

Claims (5)

An automated warehouse system including a stacker crane and a rack extending in the depth direction intersecting the extending direction of the passage of the stacker crane.
A shuttle that is placed in the rack by the stacker crane and that transports and transfers cargo in the rack.
The stacker crane and the controller for controlling the shuttle are provided.
The rack is a plurality of storage shelves arranged in the vertical direction, each of which can place a plurality of luggage side by side in the depth direction, and the shuttle can move in the depth direction. It has multiple shelves and has multiple shelves.
When the shuttle is shut down, the controller controls the stacker crane and the shuttle so that the shuttle is the lowest or second rack among the plurality of racks. Move to the lower shelf,
Automated warehouse system. When shutting down the shuttle, the controller further controls the shuttle after the shuttle has moved to the lower shelf, thereby shutting down the shuttle by turning off all the power of the shuttle. Is to execute the power off,
The automated warehouse system according to claim 1. When shutting down the shuttle, the controller positions the shuttle at a predetermined position near the aisle on the lower shelf.
The automated warehouse system according to claim 1 or 2. The rack has a plurality of mounting shelves arranged along the extending direction of the aisle when the plurality of mounting shelves are used as a single mounting shelf.
When shutting down the shuttle, the controller preferentially selects and selects one of the plurality of storage shelves near the entrance where the worker enters the aisle. The shuttle is moved to the lower shelf in the series of mounting shelves.
The automated warehouse system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. When the load is transferred to the rack, the controller preferentially selects a mounting shelf other than the lower shelf among the plurality of loading shelves, and controls the stacker crane to control the stacker crane. Transfer the luggage to the stacker crane on the selected rack.
The automated warehouse system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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