JP6231168B2 - 3D automatic warehouse - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a storage unit in which a plurality of storage racks partitioned in a grid pattern in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction are arranged through a passage having a predetermined interval, a storage unit, and a transport that travels in a passage between the storage racks. It relates to a three-dimensional automatic warehouse composed of mechanisms. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a three-dimensional automatic warehouse equipped with a transport system capable of efficiently processing articles or article storage containers (hereinafter referred to as “articles”) delivered from the three-dimensional automatic warehouse.

  In response to the needs of the market where goods in warehouses, which have been increasing in type and quantity, have to be delivered in a short time, three-dimensional automatic warehouses are difficult to achieve both storage efficiency and logistics efficiency. Therefore, various three-dimensional automatic warehouses have been proposed.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, the storage rack is not only divided into a grid pattern in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, but is also divided into a plurality of sections in the depth direction (perpendicular to the horizontal direction of the storage rack). By arranging a plurality of through-spaced passages, the storage efficiency of the three-dimensional automatic warehouse is improved, while the stacker cranes that can be positioned in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction are arranged in the passages, and the storage shelves are independent of the stacker cranes. It is possible to increase the logistics efficiency of a three-dimensional automatic warehouse by installing a traversing cart that can move articles between two-sided storage racks and stacker cranes facing the passageway or between stacker cranes in the depth direction. Have been described. Certainly, since goods and the like can be transferred between storage racks, improvement in logistics efficiency is expected. However, the combined use of the transfer of articles, etc. by the stacker crane itself and the transfer of articles, etc. by a traversing cart that is mounted on the stacker crane and independent of the stacker crane complicates the transport mechanism including the stacker crane and traversing cart. There is a problem that it becomes an expensive three-dimensional automatic warehouse. In particular, making all the storage racks have a structure in which a traversing cart can travel is considered to make a storage in which a plurality of storage shelves are arranged via a passage having a predetermined interval extremely complicated and expensive.

  Moreover, in Patent Document 2, a pair of storage racks that are partitioned in a grid pattern in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction are formed adjacent to each other on the back surface, and a plurality of the pair of storage racks are arranged through a passage having a predetermined interval. In a three-dimensional automatic warehouse equipped with stacker cranes that can be positioned in the horizontal and vertical directions in the passage, devise a storage shelf that can store articles etc. across two rows of storage racks adjacent on the back In addition, it is described that the storage efficiency of a three-dimensional automatic warehouse can be improved by devising a slide arm for transferring articles and the like between a storage rack and a stacker crane. Specifically, the storage rack for two large-sized article storage containers can store three small-sized article storage containers, and a three-stage slide arm is mounted on the stacker crane. Is. However, in this case, no device other than the three-stage slide arm mounted on the stacker crane is recognized, and the article storage container that does not face the passage when there is an article in the article storage container that faces the passage. Since handling of articles and article movement between article storage containers are not mentioned, it is difficult to improve physical distribution efficiency.

  For such a problem, Patent Document 3 proposes the following solution. Storage racks that are not only horizontally and vertically partitioned in a grid pattern but also multiple in the depth direction are arranged via passages with predetermined intervals, and can be positioned in the horizontal and vertical directions. In a three-dimensional automatic warehouse in which a stacker crane is installed in a passage, a transfer device such as an article provided in the stacker crane transfers a part or the like located on one passage side from the passage side (front side). Operates by control means that can freely switch between the loading state and the entire transfer state in which articles etc. located on the depth side of the passage are transferred from the passage side, and can transfer articles etc. from both sides of the storage rack Further, it is described that an article or the like located in the depth direction from the passage side can be easily transferred. However, in this case as well, there is no mention of handling of articles etc. that do not face the passage when there are articles etc. at positions facing both sides of the passage, and movement of goods between article storage containers. It is difficult to increase.

  On the other hand, as shown in Patent Document 4, a plurality of storage racks arranged in a grid pattern in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction and a storage rack adjacent on the back of the storage rack form a pair and pass through a passage having a predetermined interval. A plurality of rows are provided, and a traveling carriage provided as a transport mechanism at each stage in the vertical direction transfers articles and the like of a double-sided storage rack facing the passage, and by a lift mechanism provided in the passage, A three-dimensional automatic warehouse that reciprocates articles in the vertical direction has been developed. Certainly, in this three-dimensional automatic warehouse, especially with the traveling cart provided as a transport mechanism in each vertical stage, it was possible to improve storage efficiency and logistics efficiency, but storage facing the passage where the traveling cart moves While it is possible to transfer articles and the like between racks, it is not possible to move articles and the like between storage racks adjacent to each other on the back side, and the distribution efficiency of the entire storage rack has not been improved. That is, there is a problem that the distribution efficiency in the transverse direction of the storage rack (the direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction) is poor.

  In particular, since the distribution efficiency in the transverse direction of the storage rack is poor, it is not possible to sort articles in a three-dimensional automatic warehouse, and time adjustment is required to make the ordering function to deliver goods in a preset order. A large number of conveyors for sorting and sorting have been required, and a large space has been required around the delivery area.

  In addition, in a three-dimensional automatic warehouse in which the conventional loading and unloading work is automated, processing of articles etc. in the unloading work, for example, classification by type of goods, by destination, by customer, articles in the warehouse, etc. There is no technology that focuses on a transport method that can efficiently perform sorting operations such as rearrangement, organization / tidy-up, and disposal. In particular, when the distribution efficiency in the transverse direction of the storage racks is improved, it becomes possible to sort articles in a three-dimensional automatic warehouse by moving articles between adjacent storage racks on the back, and the goods are delivered in a preset order. Since the ordering function to be performed is improved, a conveyor for adjusting the time and sorting is not necessary, and the unloading processing capability can be greatly improved. Therefore, the conventional method needs to solve these problems.

JP-A-8-324712 JP 2000-318812 A JP 2005-112565 A JP 2011-178549 A

  In the present invention, in consideration of the above-described background art, a plurality of storage racks arranged in a grid pattern in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction are provided in a plurality of rows via a passage having a predetermined interval, and are transported to each stage in the vertical direction. In a three-dimensional automatic warehouse where a traveling carriage provided as a mechanism transfers articles etc. on both sides of storage shelves facing the passage, and a reciprocating movement of articles etc. in the vertical direction by a lift mechanism provided in the passage, Smooth movement of articles, etc. in the 3D automatic warehouse, especially movement in the transverse direction of the storage shelf, can be performed efficiently, and at the same time reducing the loss of the entire operation system of the 3D automatic warehouse, The purpose is to provide a three-dimensional automatic warehouse with high storage efficiency and physical distribution efficiency that can improve the space occupancy rate of goods and the like and obtain a comprehensive economic effect. Here, “reducing loss” includes continuing operation by bypassing the transport route without forcibly stopping the apparatus when performing maintenance of the lift, the transport mechanism, or the like.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a three-dimensional automatic warehouse equipped with a transport system capable of efficiently processing goods delivered in the three-dimensional automatic warehouse. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a three-dimensional automatic warehouse that can solve the problem of insufficient delivery processing capacity that occurs in the three-dimensional automatic warehouse that enables sorting of articles and the like in the three-dimensional automatic warehouse.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a specific movement area in a three-dimensional automatic warehouse and moves articles etc. between the storage / removal unit and the storage rack, as well as moving articles etc. in the storage rack, In order to enable movement between storage racks adjacent to each other without passing through a passage, in the storage racks adjacent to each other on the same floor in the height direction in the three-dimensional automatic warehouse, gaps located in the same row in the depth direction The structure is such that the article can be moved by the transport mechanism in a state in which the article can be freely moved between spaces.

  That is, according to the present invention, there are multiple stages of shelves for storing articles and the like, and an outer storage rack in which storage surfaces for articles and the like are provided on one side of the shelf, and shelves for storing articles and the like are multistage. A single storage rack that can store one or a plurality of articles, etc., provided on both sides of the shelf with storage surfaces of the articles, and the like, adjacent to the outer storage rack and the outer storage rack. And a conveyance mechanism that travels in a path provided between two separate storage racks adjacent to each other and a single storage rack that is adjacent to each other, and pulls articles over substantially the entire length in the positive depth direction of the storage surface of articles, etc. A retractable mechanism mounted on a transport mechanism capable of moving the drawn article or the like over substantially the entire length of the storage surface of the storage side of the article, and a shelf constituting a single storage rack. Goods are positive in depth A specific storage shelf that provides a space that can be traversed in two directions, and a means for operating only one transport mechanism for the specified article to be transported at the same time in the specific storage shelf. It is a three-dimensional automatic warehouse characterized by comprising.

  According to the present invention, the transport mechanism can store or take out all articles and the like that can be stored in the storage rack and the single storage rack, and the articles and the like can freely move between the single storage racks. More specifically, the expansion / contraction mechanism mounted on the transport mechanism that can be moved in the single storage rack by either pushing or pulling an article or the like is a single storage rack section sandwiched between adjacent transport mechanisms. Since articles etc. can be moved to a length corresponding to the width, when two transport mechanisms are located on both sides of a single storage rack, only the telescopic mechanism mounted on one of the transport mechanisms can be operated. Any one that travels on both sides of a single storage rack located in the middle part of the three-dimensional automatic warehouse can handle the conveyance and movement of articles and the like. In other words, the transport mechanism equipped with the telescopic mechanism has a maximum width in the depth direction of the single storage rack that is perpendicular to the direction in which the transport mechanism travels in a single storage rack located in the middle of the same floor in the height direction. Can move in both directions. As is clear from the relationship between the length in the depth direction of the following articles and the length in the depth direction of the single storage rack, at least two rows of moving areas are secured in the depth direction, and the articles between the single storage racks, etc. Can be moved efficiently.

  In the conventional storage rack, when the length in the depth direction is L ′ and the maximum dimension in the depth direction of the article to be transported is D, the relationship is D <L ′ <2D. On the other hand, when the length in the depth direction in the single storage rack of the present invention is L, the relationship is D <L <n × D with respect to the maximum dimension D in the depth direction of an article or the like. That is, the single storage rack is an integrated structure having a region where a plurality of articles and the like can be stored in the depth direction, and it is possible to reduce overlapping mechanism members.

  In addition, the present invention is a shelf that constitutes such a single storage rack, and is provided with a specific storage shelf that provides a gap space so that articles and the like can be traversed in two directions of depth. Thus, the degree of freedom of movement of the article can be increased such that the article can be moved through the plurality of gap spaces. Here, the gap space indicates an area in which articles and the like conveyed within the structure of the single storage rack move.

  Further, the specific storage shelf has only one transport mechanism for the only article to be transported that is instructed at the same time, so that the transport mechanism at different locations or the telescopic mechanism that the transport mechanism has is provided. Stable running and operation are possible without contact or collision.

  In addition, it is more preferable to provide a plurality of such specific storage shelves in a single storage rack facing the passage where the transport mechanism travels in order to increase the freedom of movement of articles in the entire three-dimensional automatic warehouse. The position can be set at any position in the single storage rack, and is determined by the goods that have been instructed to move. Optimal specific storage based on information such as the goods stored in the warehouse A shelf is set.

  On the other hand, the transport mechanism of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is a stacker crane system that can move in the horizontal and vertical directions in the passage, or a traveling cart system that can move only in the horizontal direction in the passage. It is preferable.

  In the three-dimensional automatic warehouse of the present invention, the bottom of the single storage rack in which a specific storage shelf that provides a gap space is set so that the articles can traverse in the two directions of the depth is in the moving direction of the flat plate or the articles The flat plate or the shaft member is arranged as a single member in the region constituting the single storage rack, and the flat plate or the shaft member arranged respectively. It is characterized in that the shaft members are connected via a connecting member, and the positions of the surface heights of the connected flat plates or the shaft members are substantially the same as long as they do not hinder movement. . Due to this feature, the strength of the single storage rack constituting the three-dimensional automatic warehouse of the present invention is maintained, and the movement in the specific storage shelf set in the single storage rack becomes smoother movement, and the expansion and contraction provided in the transport mechanism The mechanism can be simplified and the load is reduced.

  Accordingly, such a three-dimensional automatic warehouse according to the present invention is used in all areas of the storage warehouse to transfer to another specific storage location using one or a plurality of transport mechanisms for articles and the like stored in the specific storage location and receiving a movement instruction. It is movable via a specific storage shelf. Incidentally, the specific storage shelf described here is a single storage rack, which means a shelf provided with a space for transferring articles, etc., and the specific storage location is a storage rack that has received a movement instruction. It means a specific storage location within or within a single storage rack.

  On the other hand, the transport mechanism of the present invention is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to use at least one of a multistage arm, a ball screw, a rack-and-pinion, or a multi-node link as an expansion / contraction mechanism. Furthermore, not only such an expansion / contraction mechanism but also having a low friction guide mechanism including a rotating body in contact with the shelf surface of the storage rack at least at one end of the bottom end of the expansion / contraction mechanism places a load on the structure of the expansion / contraction mechanism. It is preferable in terms of reduction. Of course, it is even more preferable to provide such a low friction guide mechanism in a multistage arm, ball screw, rack and pinion or multi-node link. By having this low friction guide mechanism, deformation due to the weight of the mechanism that expands and contracts to a sufficient length corresponding to the width of the storage rack part is eliminated, so it is possible to reduce the weight and configure an expansion mechanism part that can transmit stable axial force It becomes possible to do.

  As described above, by providing a specific storage shelf, the storage efficiency in the three-dimensional automatic warehouse system is enhanced, and at the same time, a series of operations are performed while appropriately selecting the optimal route for movement in real time, so that loss can be reduced. Become. This loss is not only reduced during operation, but, for example, if the lift is to be inspected, the conventional technology has been forced to stop the transportation within the range covered by the lift. In the three-dimensional automatic warehouse of the invention, since it is possible to overlap two lifts in different control ranges, it operates as a whole transport system by controlling the control range of non-operating lifts with the active lift. The transport work can be continued without stopping.

  In order to increase the overall operation rate of the three-dimensional automatic warehouse system of the present invention, it is more preferable to provide a floating conveyor on the lower surface of the passage where the transport mechanism travels across the specific storage shelf.

  Furthermore, the present invention is a three-dimensional automatic warehouse capable of efficiently moving an article or the like in the transverse direction of the storage rack, and the collection container presenting unit is provided near the storage unit and / or the storage unit of the storage unit. It is a three-dimensional automatic warehouse characterized by providing. And it is more preferable that the goods presentation part to which goods etc. are supplied is installed in the storage part and / or the delivery part of the storage part, and the collection container presentation part is provided in the vicinity. Furthermore, it is more preferable that an article presentation unit is installed in the storage / exit unit via an extended conveying means.

  This loading / unloading section refers to the entire equipment related to the loading and unloading of articles, etc., especially the loading section is the processing of articles, for example, sorting the articles by type, destination, customer, etc., in the warehouse There is no limitation as long as it is a transfer device to which articles are supplied in order to rearrange, arrange, dispose, etc. It can also be combined. In particular, as such a transfer device, it is preferable to provide an article presentation unit for presenting articles and the like in the warehousing unit and / or the delivery unit. In this case, a collection container presentation unit is provided near the article presentation unit. By providing this article presentation section, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom of the sorting operation of articles and the like in the delivery operation of articles and the like in a three-dimensional automatic warehouse and the sorting work of articles and the like in a warehouse. Therefore, the transfer device to which the article etc. is supplied and the transfer device constituting the article presentation unit are provided with a temporary storage mechanism (accumulation conveyor), a speed control mechanism, a forward / reverse transfer mechanism, and a branch transfer mechanism as necessary. And a conveyor having at least one of a merging and conveying mechanism and a stopping mechanism.

  Here, “near” indicating the positional relationship between the transfer device constituting the loading / unloading unit or the article presentation unit and the collection container presentation unit is an operator or a robot (hereinafter referred to as “worker”). Means that it is possible to take out articles etc. that have been supplied to the loading / unloading section or the article presentation section and put them in the collection container without substantially moving.

  The collection container presenting part provided near the transfer device constituting the entry / exit part or the article presentation part is supplied to the entry / exit part or the article presentation part without the operator moving substantially. There is no particular limitation as long as it is a means for processing incoming articles and the like and is a conveyor zone that sequentially supplies and unloads collection containers such as cardboard boxes and oricons and non-box containers such as bags and hangers. . From the viewpoint of distribution efficiency, the collection container presenting section is preferably connected to a supply section and a discharge section for various collection containers.

  Furthermore, the article etc. presenting unit need not perform processing of articles etc. by the worker in the vicinity of the storage rack according to various purposes such as space saving of the warehouse and proper layout and construction of flow lines, When it is preferable to perform the operation away from the storage rack, that is, when it is preferable to install the collection container presenting unit at a position away from the storage rack, it can be provided via the extended conveying means. Similarly, it is not necessary for the operator to process the article etc. on the same floor as the storage rack, and when it is preferable to perform the processing on the lower or upper floor of the storage rack, that is, store the collection container presenting section. In the case where it is preferable to install on the downstairs or upstairs of the rack, the article presentation section can be installed on the downstairs or upstairs. That is, the article presentation unit and the collection container presentation unit can be installed on all floors where storage shelves are provided and on floors where there are no storage shelves. In such a case, it is preferable to use up-and-down conveyance of articles and the like using a transfer conveyance device such as lifting means and a conveyor.

  If a delivery method capable of efficiently performing such a delivery operation is further added to a three-dimensional automatic warehouse capable of efficiently moving the article in the transverse direction of the storage rack, the desired article can be obtained from anywhere in the three-dimensional automatic warehouse. Taking advantage of the above-described feature of the present invention that can be carried in / out, etc., articles etc. in the whole area of the three-dimensional automatic warehouse are transported to the entry / exit section or the article presentation section, so a collection provided near them. By using the container presentation unit, the operator can move the goods efficiently without moving substantially, for example, the classification of goods, etc., the destination, the customer, etc., the goods in the warehouse, etc. Can be rearranged, arranged and disposed of.

  As described above, according to the three-dimensional automatic warehouse of the present invention, it is possible to smoothly move articles, etc. in the entire area of the three-dimensional automatic warehouse, in particular, to move the storage rack in the transverse direction, and to reduce the distribution efficiency in the three-dimensional automatic warehouse. Disappear. As a result, it becomes possible to sort articles in a three-dimensional automatic warehouse, and the ordering function to deliver goods in a preset order is improved, so that there is no need for a conveyor for time adjustment and sorting. It is possible to save space in the warehouse and to greatly improve the delivery processing capacity.

  In addition, according to the three-dimensional automatic warehouse of the present invention, processing of articles, etc. in the shipping operation, for example, classification by type of goods, by destination, by customer, rearrangement of articles in the warehouse, etc. Sorting work such as ordering and disposal can be performed efficiently. In particular, it is possible to perform a delivery process corresponding to the ordering function of a three-dimensional automatic warehouse capable of smoothly moving the article or the like.

It is a conceptual diagram of a storage rack. It is a conceptual diagram of the conventional three-dimensional automatic warehouse. It is a more detailed block diagram of the storage warehouse part of the conventional three-dimensional automatic warehouse. It is a block diagram of the storage warehouse part which concerns on one Embodiment of the three-dimensional automatic warehouse of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the flow of articles etc. in the conventional three-dimensional automatic warehouse shown in FIG. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a single storage rack, a specific storage rack that is a single storage rack and provides a gap space that can be cross-transported of articles, etc., and a transport mechanism that includes a telescopic mechanism that enables cross-transport And a conceptual diagram showing the flow of articles and the like. It is a top view of the storage warehouse part which shows another one Embodiment of the specific storage shelf of this invention. It is the top view and sectional drawing of the bottom face shape of a single storage rack based on one Embodiment of this invention. It is the top view and sectional drawing of the bottom face shape of a single storage rack based on one Embodiment of this invention. It is the top view and sectional drawing of the bottom face shape of a single storage rack based on one Embodiment of this invention. It is the top view and sectional drawing of the bottom face shape of a single storage rack based on one Embodiment of this invention. It is the top view and sectional drawing of the bottom face shape of a single storage rack based on one Embodiment of this invention. It is the top view and sectional drawing of the bottom face shape of a single storage rack based on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the path | route which articles | goods etc. pass through a specific storage shelf from the specific storage location of a storage rack to the specific storage location of another storage rack in one Embodiment of the three-dimensional automatic warehouse of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the path | route which articles | goods etc. move from the specific storage location of a storage rack to the specific storage location of a single storage rack in one Embodiment of the three-dimensional automatic warehouse of this invention. It is a figure which shows the operation area | region of a conveyance mechanism in the 1st specific storage shelf 6 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the operation area | region of a conveyance mechanism in the 2nd specific storage shelf 7 of this invention. It is a figure which shows one Embodiment of the sliding-type expansion-contraction mechanism with which the conveyance mechanism of this invention was equipped. It is a figure which shows one Embodiment of the sliding-type expansion-contraction mechanism which has the rotary body with which the conveyance mechanism of this invention was equipped. It is a figure which shows one Embodiment of the bellows type expansion-contraction mechanism which has the rotary body with which the conveyance mechanism of this invention was equipped. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the flow of the warehousing method which provided the collection container presentation part near the carrying in / out conveyor of the warehousing part which is one embodiment of this invention, and its articles | goods. The conceptual diagram which shows the flow of the three-dimensional automatic warehouse provided with the delivery conveyance system which provided the articles | goods presentation part in the receipt / extraction part, and provided the collection container presentation part near it, and the goods etc. which are one embodiment of this invention It is. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the flow of the goods delivery system which provided the extension conveyor and the articles presentation part in the receipt / extraction part which is one embodiment of this invention, and provided the collection container presentation part near it, and the goods. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the flow of the goods delivery system which provided the goods presentation part in the position away from the storage rack which is one embodiment of this invention, and was provided with the collection container presentation part, and the goods. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the delivery conveyance system provided with the articles | goods presentation part, the collection container presentation part, etc. in the downstairs of the storage rack which is one embodiment of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the delivery conveyance system provided with the articles | goods presentation part, the collection container presentation part, etc. directly under the storage rack which is one embodiment of this invention.

  FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a storage rack. As a specific example, a storage rack 211 having storage locations 22 in three rows and five rows is shown.

  FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a conventional three-dimensional automatic warehouse. As a specific example, the storage rack 211 is adjacent to the back of the storage surface to form a set of storage racks, and a plurality of such storage racks are arranged. On the outside, there is shown a three-dimensional automatic warehouse 1 having a storage warehouse section 2 in which outer storage racks 211 having a storage surface on one side are arranged on both sides, and a loading / unloading section 4 composed of a conveyor and a lift. The storage warehouse unit 2 also includes a passage 23 for a transport mechanism between the storage racks. In addition, in this specification, although the moving direction of the articles | goods etc. 5 is demonstrated using "horizontal direction", "vertical direction", and "depth direction" and "transverse direction", these are respectively The x direction, y direction, and z direction of FIG. 2 are shown.

  FIG. 3 is a more detailed configuration diagram of the storage warehouse section 2 of the conventional three-dimensional automatic warehouse. The storage racks 211 are adjacent to each other on the back side of the storage surface to form a set of storage racks, and a plurality of the storage racks are arranged. Outside the entire warehouse, the outer storage racks 211 with one storage surface are arranged on both sides. ing. In this case, the relationship between the length (L ′) of the storage rack 211 in the depth direction (z direction in FIG. 2) and the maximum dimension (D) of the article 5 in the depth direction is D <L ′ <2D. It is common that

  FIG. 4 is a configuration example of the storage warehouse section 2 of the three-dimensional automatic warehouse according to the present invention. A single storage rack 212 having a length (L) equal to or greater than the length (L ′) of the storage rack 211 in FIG. 3 and having no obstacles to the movement of articles 5 such as columns and partitions in the storage rack. A plurality of outer storage racks 211 having a storage surface on one side are arranged on both sides of the entire warehouse. Here, the length (L) of the single storage rack 212 is shown to be approximately twice that of the storage rack 211, but is not limited to this length. ) It has a stored length. Accordingly, in the single storage rack 212 of the present invention, the length (L) of the single storage rack 212 and the maximum dimension (D) in the depth direction of the article 5 have a relationship of D <L <n × D.

  FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the flow of articles etc. 5 in the conventional three-dimensional automatic warehouse shown in FIG. The storage warehouse section 2 including the passage 23 between the storage racks 211 and the loading / unloading section 4 including the conveyor and the lift are configured. On the same floor, the transport mechanism 3 travels along the passage 23 to move the article 5 or the like from a predetermined position. It is conveyed to the position. For example, arrow A shows an example of the flow of entry to storage. When the storage rack 211 to be stored is on the same floor as the third conveyor 43, the articles 5 etc. sent from the third conveyor 43 are stored. Mounted on the transport mechanism 3 via the second conveyor 42 that has moved to be located on the same floor as the storage rack 211 to be stored, and the first conveyor 41 on the same floor as the storage rack 211 to be stored And stored in a predetermined position. An arrow B indicates an example of a flow from storage to delivery, and the article 5 or the like stored in a predetermined position of the storage rack 211 to be stored is mounted on the transport mechanism 3 in the opposite direction to the arrow A. The second conveyor 42 that has been transferred to the first conveyor 41 and moved to be located on the same floor as the storage rack 211 to be stored, and the third conveyor on the same floor as the storage rack 211 to be stored It moves to the subsequent process via the conveyor 43. On the other hand, the transportation of the articles 5 etc. to different floors is carried by the lift 44 equipped with the second conveyor, and the articles 5 etc. sent from the third conveyor 43 are located on the same floor as the third conveyor 43. The first position of the storage rack 211 is transferred to the upper and lower floors by the lift 44 and transferred to the upper and lower floors via the first conveyor 41 and the transport mechanism 3 provided on each floor. Stored in. The delivery of the articles 5 stored in a predetermined position of the storage rack 211 follows the reverse route.

  As described above, in a conventional three-dimensional automatic warehouse, articles etc. 5 can be freely transported in the horizontal direction (x direction) of the storage rack by the transport mechanism 3, and articles in the vertical direction (y direction) of the storage rack by the lift 44. 5 and free transportation of articles 5 and the like between the storage rack facing the passage 23 and the transport mechanism 3, but between the storage racks adjacent to each other on the back of the storage surface of the storage rack 211. The goods could not be moved.

  6, in addition to the single storage rack provided in the storage warehouse section 2 shown in FIG. 4, a specific storage shelf that is a single storage rack and provides a gap space that can be cross-transported of articles, etc., and cross-transport is possible. It is a block diagram which shows one Embodiment of the three-dimensional automatic warehouse of this invention provided with the conveyance mechanism provided with the expansion-contraction mechanism to perform. In addition, FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram showing the flow of articles 5 etc. in an embodiment of the three-dimensional automatic warehouse of the present invention. Here, in the same floor, a case is shown in which an outer storage rack 211 having a storage surface on one side is provided on both sides of the storage warehouse unit 2 and two single storage racks 212 are provided between them. Then, the transport mechanism 3 travels in the passage 23 between the storage racks.

  The present invention is a specific storage shelf that is a single storage rack and provides a gap space in order to allow articles and the like to traverse in both the forward and reverse z directions in the horizontal direction of the outer storage rack 211 and the single storage rack 212. In addition, the article can be drawn over substantially the entire length in the positive depth direction of the storage surface of the article, etc., and the drawn article etc. can be moved over the substantially entire length of the storage surface in the depth reverse direction. The present invention is characterized in that an expansion / contraction mechanism mounted on the transfer mechanism that can be operated is provided.

  The flow of goods etc. 5 in the three-dimensional automatic warehouse of the present invention will be described using one embodiment of FIG. Here, the 1st specific storage shelf 6 which provides the space | gap space which enables the movement of the articles | goods 5 etc. is shown with the dashed-dotted line. In the first specific storage shelf 6, for example, the first article 51 stored in the second row of single storage racks 212 is drawn by the expansion / contraction mechanism 31 of the second transport mechanism 3 b, and the second The first storage rack 212 in the third row can be moved to the position indicated by the broken line via the transport mechanism 3b. On the other hand, in the first specific storage shelf 6, for example, the second article 52 stored in the third row of single storage racks 212 is pushed out by the expansion / contraction mechanism 31 of the third transport mechanism 3 c, and further, It is possible to move to the single storage rack 212 in the second row and transfer to the position indicated by the broken line via the second transport mechanism 3b. In this way, by providing the first specific storage shelf 6 that is a single storage rack 212 and that provides a gap space in which goods 5 can be transferred, the goods 5 in the z direction on the same floor are transferred. Furthermore, in combination with the free movement of the transport mechanism 3 in the x direction, it is possible to sort the articles 5 on the same floor. Moreover, since the goods etc. 5 of a y direction can be moved by the lift 44 which is not illustrated in FIG. 6, in the three-dimensional automatic warehouse of this invention, the goods etc. 5 of all the areas of the storage warehouse part 2 can be moved and sorted freely. It becomes feasible.

  In FIG. 6, as one embodiment of the present invention, the first specific storage shelf 6 is set in a dashed line area. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the second specific storage shelf 7 is indicated by a dashed line. It can also be set to an enclosed single storage rack. Unlike the first specific storage shelf 6 shown in FIG. 6, the gap space that can be pulled in and pushed out by the telescopic mechanism 31 provided in the transport mechanism 3 is set in the same single storage rack. . Furthermore, as long as the specific storage shelves 6 and 7 as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 are single storage racks, the place to be set is not limited and can be set anywhere. The specific storage rack is set so that a gap space is provided to a single storage rack by a control unit (not shown) of a general three-dimensional automatic warehouse that controls based on a large amount of accumulated data.

  By the way, as shown in FIG. 4, the single storage rack 212 of the present invention stores a larger number of articles 5 in the z-direction than the conventional storage rack, and therefore requires stronger strength than the conventional storage rack. . In addition, since the single storage rack is set as a specific storage shelf that provides a space for transferring an article or the like, the article or the like must be easily transferred in the z direction. 8A to 8F are plan views and cross-sectional views showing various embodiments of the bottom shape of the single storage rack of the present invention.

  In FIG. 8A, the flat plate 71 is disposed in a state of penetrating the single storage rack 212 having a length in the depth direction that is approximately twice the depth length L ′ of the storage rack 211, and forms the bottom surface of the single storage rack. This is an example. When the conventional storage rack 211 is adjacent on the back, the flat plate 71 is divided and each is supported by a pillar. However, in the case of the single storage rack 212 of the present invention, it becomes a specific storage shelf that provides a gap space in which articles and the like are transferred, so that a beam structure that supports the flat plate 71 by the reinforcing portion 75 instead of such a pillar. It is characterized by providing. The reinforcing portion 75 is not limited to the illustrated shape as long as it is a structure that controls the amount of bending of the flat plate 71.

  8B, similarly to FIG. 8A, a flat plate 72 divided into two is arranged in a single storage rack 212 having a length in the depth direction that is approximately twice the length L ′ of the storage rack 211 in the depth direction. This is an embodiment for forming the bottom surface of the storage rack 212, and is characterized in that a beam structure that supports the flat plate 72 by a reinforcing portion 75 having a special shape as illustrated is provided.

  8C, the flat plate 71 is disposed in a state of penetrating the single storage rack 212 having a length in the depth direction that is approximately three times the length L ′ in the depth direction of the storage rack 211, and forms the bottom surface of the single storage rack. This is an example. In this case, the strength of the single storage rack 212 is ensured by providing two reinforcing portions 75 shown in FIG. 8A.

  In FIG. 8D, two shaft members 73 are arranged in a state of penetrating the single storage rack 212 having a length in the depth direction that is approximately twice the length L ′ in the depth direction of the storage rack 211. It is one Example which forms the bottom face of. In this case, a reinforcing structure that supports the reinforcing portion 75 from below the shaft member 73 is suitable. However, the reinforcing portion 75 is not limited to the illustrated shape as long as it is a structure that controls the amount of deflection of the shaft member 73.

  FIG. 8E shows that two shaft members 74 divided into two are arranged in a single storage rack 212 having a length in the depth direction that is approximately twice the length L ′ in the depth direction of the storage rack 211. This is an embodiment for forming the bottom surface of the rack 212, and is characterized in that a beam structure for supporting the shaft member 74 is provided by a reinforcing portion 75 having a special shape as illustrated.

  In FIG. 8F, the shaft member 73 is arranged in a state of penetrating the single storage rack 212 having a length in the depth direction that is approximately three times the width of the depth L ′ of the storage rack 211. This is an example of forming the bottom surface, and as in FIG. 8C, two reinforcing portions 75 are provided to ensure the strength of the single storage rack 212.

  Next, an example in which articles and the like move through the specific storage shelf will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 9 shows an example in which the article 5 moves from the specific storage location in the storage rack that has received the movement instruction to the specific storage location in another storage rack through the specific storage shelf 6. The route in the case of moving the articles etc. 5 stored in the specific storage location of the storage rack 211 to the specific storage location of the storage rack 211 in the fourth row is shown. Articles 5 indicated by broken lines stored in the specific storage locations of the first row storage rack 211 are the second row single storage racks 212 by the first transport mechanism 3a, and a void space is provided. The one-dot chain line that is transferred to the first specific storage shelf 6 in the region of the one-dot chain line and is provided with a gap space in the third row of independent storage racks 212 by the operation of the expansion / contraction mechanism 31 of the second transport mechanism 3b. After passing through the specific storage shelf 6 in this area, the third transport mechanism 3c stores the article 5 in the specific storage location indicated by the broken line of the storage rack 211 in the fourth row.

  FIG. 10 shows an example in which the article 5 moves from the specific storage location in the storage rack that has received the movement instruction, through the specific storage shelf 6 to the specific storage location in another single storage rack. The route in the case where the articles 5 etc. stored in the specific storage location of the storage rack 211 are moved to the specific storage location of the single storage rack 212 in the second row is shown. Articles 5 indicated by broken lines stored in the specific storage locations of the fourth row storage rack 211 are the third row single storage racks 212 by the third transport mechanism 3c, and a void space is provided. It is transferred to the first specific storage shelf 6 in the region of the one-dot chain line, and is operated by the second transport mechanism 3b via the first specific storage shelf 6 by the operation of the expansion / contraction mechanism 31 of the third transport mechanism 3c. Articles 5 etc. are stored in a specific storage location indicated by a broken line in the second row single storage rack 212.

  11, as shown in FIGS. 6, 9, and 10, the first specific storage shelf 6 is provided adjacent to the loading / unloading unit 4, and the two specific storage shelves are bidirectional. It is a figure which shows the operation area | region of the conveyance mechanism 3 when performing this movement.

  FIG. 12 shows the transport mechanism 3 in the case where the second specific storage shelf 7 is positioned substantially at the center of the single storage rack 212 and moves in one direction with one specific storage shelf as shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the operation area | region. The second specific storage shelf is set in the single storage rack 212 in any position of the storage warehouse unit 2, but the operation area of the transport mechanism 3 in the z direction is not changed. This is effective when the frequency of moving between the storage racks 211 or the single storage racks 212 in the z direction in the flow of the entire article 5 is small.

  11 and 12 show an example in which articles etc. pass through a specific storage shelf. However, this is only an example, and the arrangement of articles etc. in the entire three-dimensional automatic warehouse and movement between storage racks or single storage racks in the z direction. It is possible to arbitrarily set the position and number of specific storage shelves in accordance with the frequency of the operation.

  The movement of the articles 5 etc. in the specific storage shelf 6 or 7 provided across the passage 23 is performed by the transport mechanism 3, but the lower surface of the passage 23 in which the transport mechanism 3 located in the specific storage shelf 6 or 7 travels. In addition, a floating conveying conveyor (not shown) may be provided to move articles or the like in the specific storage rack 6 or 7. This floating transfer conveyor enables the articles 5 to be transferred independently of the movement of the transfer mechanism 3 and greatly increases the operating efficiency of the three-dimensional automatic warehouse system.

  13 to 15 show the characteristics of the telescopic mechanism 31 provided in the transport mechanism 3 that plays an important role in the movement of the article of the present invention in the z direction.

  FIG. 13 shows an example of a sliding expansion / contraction mechanism 32 that is attached to the transport mechanism 3 that travels along the guide rail 25 by the rotation of the traveling wheel 34 and that is a combination of a plurality of sliding plate-like structures. .

  FIG. 14 is an arrow view of the CC broken line in FIG. 13 and shows the telescopic mechanism 32 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 shows that a rotating body 35 is provided at the distal end of the expansion / contraction mechanism 32 so that the combined structure does not always deform such as bending in the expansion / contraction direction even when the sliding expansion / contraction mechanism 32 extends sufficiently long. This is an example of solving this problem.

  FIG. 15 shows an expansion / contraction mechanism characterized in that it is a bellows-type expansion / contraction mechanism 33 in which beam-shaped ends holding rigidity are alternately combined according to an embodiment of the present invention. As with the sliding expansion / contraction mechanism, it is preferable to provide a rotating body 35 at the tip for smooth expansion / contraction movement.

  As described above, according to the three-dimensional automatic warehouse of the present invention, it is possible to smoothly move articles, etc. in the entire area of the three-dimensional automatic warehouse, in particular, to move the storage rack in the transverse direction, and to reduce the distribution efficiency in the three-dimensional automatic warehouse. Disappear. As a result, it becomes possible to sort articles in a three-dimensional automatic warehouse, and the ordering function to deliver goods in a preset order is improved, so that there is no need for a conveyor for time adjustment and sorting. It is possible to save space in the warehouse and to greatly improve the delivery processing capacity.

  Therefore, we have devised a warehousing method with the improvement of warehousing capacity. That is, in the three-dimensional automatic warehouse according to the present invention, the collection container is presented near the warehousing part and / or the leaving part of the warehousing part or near the article presentation part provided in the warehousing part and / or the leaving part. This is a three-dimensional automatic warehouse equipped with a delivery / conveyance system characterized by providing a section. Hereinafter, it will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 16 is a conceptual diagram showing the flow of an unloading / transporting method in which the collection container presenting unit 10 is provided near the loading / unloading unit 4 and / or the unloading unit and the flow of the articles 5 and the like according to one embodiment of the present invention FIG. Storage racks 212 are provided on both sides of the passage 23, so that the transport mechanism 3 including the telescopic arm 31 can freely travel in the passage 23. Accordingly, the movement of the articles between all the storage racks 212 on the same floor can be freely performed by the operation of the telescopic arm 31 and the traveling of the transport mechanism 3 as described with reference to FIGS. Further, since the lift 44 can move the articles 5 in the height direction of the storage rack, the articles 5 in the entire area of the three-dimensional automatic warehouse of the present invention can be moved freely. This means that the articles etc. 5 can be sorted in the three-dimensional automatic warehouse of the present invention.

  In particular, the movement of articles between the storage racks 212 on the same floor will be described more specifically. For example, the movement of the article between the position (1) 531 of the third article etc. 53 on the same floor facing the passage 23 and the position (2) 532 of the third article 53 is performed by the telescopic arm 31 provided in the transport mechanism 3. And by the traveling of the transport mechanism 3. Further, the movement of the article between the position (2) 532 of the third article etc. 53 of the storage rack 212 and the position (3) 533 of the third article etc. 53, as described with reference to FIGS. Is done freely. As described above, the articles can be freely moved in the entire area of the storage rack 212 on the same floor by the travel of the transport mechanism 3 on the guide rail 25 installed in the passage 23 and the operation of the telescopic arm 31. Furthermore, by using the lift 44, the goods in the storage rack 212 that are not on the same floor can be moved freely.

  Here, the loading / unloading unit 4 loads and unloads the articles 5 and the like, so that the first conveyor 41, the lift 44, the articles 5 and the like provided at one end of the storage rack for transferring the articles 5 to the transport mechanism 3 are provided. And a second conveyor 42 provided in a lift 44 for mediating article movement between the first conveyor 43 and the first conveyor 43. The third conveyor 43 corresponds to various delivery processes of the articles 5 and the like, and therefore at least one of a temporary storage mechanism (accumulation conveyor), a speed control mechanism, forward / reverse conveyance, branch conveyance, merge conveyance, and stop. It is composed of a conveyor provided with one or more functions.

  And the collection container presentation part 10 is provided so that it may adjoin to the 3rd conveyor 43 which takes in / out goods etc., and the operator 8 is the conveyance mechanism 3, the 1st conveyor 41, the 1st, for example. The articles 5 and the like stored in the storage rack 212 supplied to the third conveyor 43 are handled through the second conveyor 42.

  The positional relationship between the third conveyor 43 and the collection container presenting unit 10 is such that, for example, the article 8 supplied to the third conveyor 43 is taken out without the operator 8 moving substantially, This is the distance or place where the taken article or the like can be put into the collection container 9. The taking-out operation is not only performed by the worker 8, but may be performed using a material handling device such as a robot.

  An area 45 ′ indicated by a broken line of the third conveyor 43 is an area that serves as a so-called article presentation unit, which will be described later, on which an article or the like for the worker 8 to perform collection work is presented. .

  Furthermore, the collection container supply unit 11 including a known conveyor and a branching mechanism for supplying the empty collection container 9 to the collection container presenting unit 10, and the collected collection container 9 to the next process A collection container unloading unit 12 including a known conveyor and a merging mechanism for unloading is provided. However, the devices and methods of the collection container supply unit 11 and the collection container carry-out unit 12 are not particularly limited.

  With reference to FIG. 16, which is an embodiment of the present invention configured as described above, the flow of goods and the like 5 to be loaded and unloaded will be described. For example, the article 53 that has been transported using the third conveyor 43 will be described. The article 53 passes through the second conveyor 42 and the first conveyor 41 and uses the transport mechanism 3 in the passage 23. The storage rack 211 on the same floor as the third conveyor 43 is stored in a designated storage rack, for example, 531 or 532. Furthermore, by using the lift 44, it is possible to enter the storage rack 211 on another floor.

  Next, when collecting a specific article to a certain destination, for example, an article 53, etc., the expansion and contraction provided in the conveyance mechanism 3 and the conveyance mechanism 3 from the storage rack 212 in the whole area of the three-dimensional automatic warehouse of the present invention. Using the arm 31, the first conveyor 41, the second conveyor 42, and the lift 44, a specific article 53 or the like to the destination is specified in the storage rack 212 on the same floor as the collection container presentation unit 10. A storage rack, for example, the specific article 53 in this case is sorted into the position 531. The article 53 moved here is taken out by the transport mechanism 3 and moved to the position 535 of the third conveyor 43 via the first conveyor 41 and the second conveyor 42. Here, since the collection container presenting unit 10 is provided adjacent to the third conveyor 43, the worker 8 can process the articles 53 without substantially moving. When there is something to be collected from the article 53 or the like, according to a display (not shown), the worker 8 supplies the article to the collection container 9 supplied from the collection container supply unit 11 without moving. After a part of 53 is transferred and it is confirmed that it is accommodated in the collection container 9 in the quantity in the specified range, it is sent to the collection container carry-out section 12. Then, the next empty collection container 9 is supplied to the collection container presentation unit 10 from the collection container supply unit 11. Since the articles 53 are stored again in preparation for the next collection work, the articles 53 are moved to the position of 531 via the third conveyor 43, the second conveyor 42, the first conveyor 41, and the transport mechanism 3. Returned. However, depending on the subsequent order status, the sorting destination can be changed anywhere, such as 532, 533, 534, depending on the situation, instead of the original sorting destination 531 of the article 53 or the like. On the other hand, when all of the articles 53 moved to the position 535 of the third conveyor 43 are collected, they are carried out from the three-dimensional automatic warehouse by the third conveyor 43. Therefore, the third conveyor 43 corresponds to various delivery processes of articles 53 and the like, and therefore at least one of a temporary storage mechanism (accumulation conveyor), a speed control mechanism, forward / reverse conveyance, branch conveyance, merge conveyance, and stop. It is composed of a conveyor provided with one or more functions.

  When the storage rack 212 in which the articles to be collected are sorted is on the same floor as the collection container presentation unit 10, the transport mechanism 3 is used to sequentially convey the articles to the destination, and the lift 44 It is conveyed to the 1st conveyor 41 in the edge part of the entering / exiting part 4 without interposing, and is supplied to the 3rd conveyor 43 through the 2nd conveyor 42. FIG. And when the storage rack 212 for articles to be collected is not on the same floor as the collection container presentation unit 10, the storage rack 212 is connected to the end of the loading / unloading unit 4 via the second conveyor 42 provided in the lift 44. It is conveyed to a certain third conveyor 43. However, as described above, in the three-dimensional automatic warehouse according to the present invention, when collecting a specific article or the like to a certain destination, the telescopic arm 31 provided in the transport mechanism 3 starts from an article or the like in the entire three-dimensional automatic warehouse. Using the transport mechanism 3 and the lift 44, control is performed so that a specific article or the like to the destination is sorted into the storage rack 212 on the same floor as the collection container presentation unit 10.

  Such movement of specific articles 7 is controlled by a general three-dimensional automatic warehouse (not shown) that links and controls various conveyors, transport mechanisms, indicators, collection containers, etc. based on the accumulated data. Executed by the department.

  Here, the transportation order of articles and the like in the loading / unloading unit 4 may be arranged so as to be the same destination by the control unit of the three-dimensional automatic warehouse, but of course, it is limited to whether or not they are the same destination. When the delivery order is designated, the articles can be rearranged in such order and transported freely.

  Further, the storage rack 212 and the passage 23 shown in FIG. 16 are a part of an embodiment of the three-dimensional automatic warehouse, and are not limited to the four zones and the three passages, respectively. However, the same mechanism can realize free movement between zones.

  On the other hand, the collection container presentation unit 10, the collection container supply unit 11, and the collection container carry-out unit 12 are based on a roller conveyor or the like. However, a conveyor other than a roller, such as a belt conveyor, a monorail, a lift, or the like, is used. It may be a means.

  Furthermore, the collection container 9 is preferably a container such as a cardboard box or an oricon, but is not limited thereto, and may be a non-box container such as a bag or a hanger, a conveyor zone without a container, or the like.

  In this way, the operator 8 does not have to substantially move the position, and it is only necessary to transfer the article 5 or the like 5 conveyed in front of the user to the collection container 9 for efficient collection. Goods and goods can be shipped.

  In FIG. 17, an article presentation section 45 to which articles etc. 5 are supplied is provided adjacent to the second conveyor 42 at the opposite end of the storage rack 212 of the storage / exit section 4, and a collection container is provided in the vicinity thereof. It is one Embodiment of this invention characterized by having arrange | positioned the collection container presentation part 10 which presents 9 for collection. Also here, the positional relationship between the article presentation unit 45 and the collection container presentation unit 10 is supplied to the article presentation unit 45 that constitutes a part of the loading / unloading unit 4 without the operator 8 moving substantially. That is, a certain article or the like of a certain destination, for example, 53 is taken out, and the taken-out article 5 or the like 5 is at a distance or a place where it can be put into the collection container 9.

  This article presentation unit 45 performs the same function as the broken line region 45 ′ of the third conveyor 43 in FIG. 16. However, by providing the article presentation unit 45 shown in FIG. 17, processing of articles and the like in the three-dimensional automatic warehouse, articles in the warehouse operation, for example, by product type, by destination, by customer, etc. In addition, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom of sorting work such as rearrangement, arrangement / tidy-up, and disposal of articles in the storage. Accordingly, the article presentation unit 45 includes at least one of a temporary storage mechanism (accumulation conveyor), a speed control mechanism, a forward / reverse transport mechanism, a branch transport mechanism, a merging transport mechanism, and a stop mechanism as necessary. Consists of conveyors with The flow of the article etc. is as described above except that the article etc. presentation section 45 is passed and the article etc. is carried in / out by the dedicated device 43.

  Further, FIG. 18 shows an embodiment of the present invention in which an extension conveyor 46 is provided between the second conveyor 42 and the article etc. presenting section 45 of FIG. With this extension conveyor 46, the working environment and space of the worker 8, the collection container supply unit 11, the collection container carry-out unit 12, and the like can be freely arranged. The flow of articles and the like provided with the extension conveyor 46 is also performed without change through the extension conveyor 46.

  In particular, as shown in FIG. 19, when the extension conveyor 46 is lengthened, in the three-dimensional automatic warehouse site, if the storage rack and the delivery work place are the same building, they can be freely arranged in the building, There is no need to be in the same building.

  In addition, as an embodiment in the case where the delivery / conveying system constituted by the article presentation unit 45 and the collection container presentation unit 10 is not on the same floor as the storage rack 212, a configuration as shown in FIG. it can. FIG. 20 is a sectional view in the vicinity of the cutting line I in FIG. 18 in the case where the delivery / conveying system provided with the extension conveyor 46 is arranged below the storage rack 212 in addition to the article presentation unit 45 and the collection container presentation unit 10. It is a conceptual diagram of a cross section. However, here, FIG. 18 shows the case of FIG. 20 in the case where the unloading and conveying system composed of the article presentation unit 45, the extension conveyor 46, and the collection container presentation unit 10 is arranged below the storage rack 212. Description will be made assuming that a plan view is shown.

  In this case, the flow of goods etc. is as follows. For example, when a specific article 53 of a certain destination is stored at the position 531 in FIG. 18, the article 53 is operated by the operation of the telescopic arm 31 provided in the conveyance mechanism 3 and the traveling of the conveyance mechanism 3. Is transferred to the position 536 of the second conveyor 42 provided in the lift 44 via the first conveyor 41. Then, the articles 53 and the like 53 that have been moved downstairs via the lift 44 are transferred to the downstairs extension conveyor 46 shown in FIG. Here, the quantity in the range instructed by the operator 8 is the articles etc. 53 of the article presentation unit 45 in the downstairs, and is accommodated in the collection container presentation unit 10 in the downstairs. The distribution of the goods 53 after the processing is as described above, but passes through the goods presentation section 45, the lift 44, and the extension conveyor 46. Furthermore, this is an example in which a delivery / conveying system comprising an article presentation unit and a collection container presentation unit is placed downstairs of a certain storage rack, but it can also be arranged upstairs. It can be placed on any floor.

  Further, in order to save space in the three-dimensional automatic warehouse, the present invention is provided with a delivery / conveying system comprising an article presentation unit 45, an extension conveyor 46, and a collection container presentation unit 10 immediately below the storage rack. The conceptual diagram of the cross section of one Embodiment is shown in FIG. In this way, by providing the collection container supply unit 11 and the collection container carry-out unit 12 directly below the storage rack 212, in addition to the article presentation unit 45, the collection container presentation unit 10, and the extension conveyor 46, The space of a three-dimensional automatic warehouse can be greatly reduced.

  Since the present invention is a three-dimensional automatic warehouse equipped with a transport system that can be freely and efficiently transferred and stored in the entire warehouse, and processed by an operator, a robot, or the like, that is, a sorting operation, The present invention is not limited to simple articles or article storage containers, but can be applied to all storage management systems for cars, books, parts, finished products, and the like.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Three-dimensional automatic warehouse 2 Storage warehouse part 211 Storage rack 212 Single storage rack 22 Storage place 23 Passage 24 Storage rack floor 25 Guide rail 3 Conveyance mechanism 3a 1st conveyance mechanism 3b 2nd conveyance mechanism 3c 3rd conveyance mechanism 31 Telescopic arm 32 Sliding telescopic mechanism 33 Bellows telescopic mechanism 34 Traveling wheel 35 Rotating body 4 Entry / exit part 41 First conveyor 42 Second conveyor 43 Third conveyor 44 Lift 45 Article etc. presentation part 45 ' Area that fulfills the same function as section 45 46 Extension conveyor 5 Article etc. 51 First article etc. 52 Second article etc. 53 Third article etc. 531 Position of third article etc. (1)
532 Position of third article, etc. (2)
533 Position of third article etc. (3)
534 Position of third article, etc. (4)
535 Position of third article etc. (5)
6 1st specific storage shelf 7 2nd specific storage shelf 71 Flat plate which penetrates several independent storage racks 72 Flat plate located in single independent storage rack 73 Shaft material which penetrates several independent storage racks 74 Single Shaft material located in single storage rack 75 Reinforcement section 8 Worker 9 Collection container 10 Collection container presentation section 11 Collection container supply section 12 Collection container unloading section I Cutting line D Maximum dimension in the depth direction of the article L Single storage Rack depth length L 'Storage rack depth length

Claims (12)

An outer storage rack in which shelves for storing articles or article storage containers are provided in multiple stages, and a storage surface of the articles or article storage containers is provided on one side of the shelves;
A single storage rack in which shelves for storing articles or article storage containers are provided in multiple stages, and storage surfaces of the articles or article storage containers are provided on both sides of the shelves. A single storage rack capable of storing one or more from the storage surface toward the back; and
Between the single storage rack adjacent to the outer storage rack and outer storage rack, as well as a transport mechanism for driving a passage provided between two of the single storage rack adjacent to each other,
The article or article storage container is drawn over substantially the entire length in the positive depth direction of the storage surface of the article or article storage container, and the retracted article or article storage container is reversed in depth to the storage surface of the article or article storage container. A telescopic mechanism mounted on the transport mechanism capable of moving over substantially the entire length of the direction;
First specific storage rack or the same depth direction line on both sides of the passageway, the article or the article storage container a shelf constituting the single storage rack provides a crossable the void space in the depth normal and reverse two directions A specific storage shelf that is at least one of the second specific storage shelves formed including the two first specific storage shelves located in
Of the first and second transport mechanisms that respectively travel the first passage and the second passage that are the passages surrounding the specific storage shelf from both sides in the depth direction, the only one that is instructed at the same time should be transported A three-dimensional automatic warehouse comprising means for operating only one of the conveyance mechanisms with respect to the article or the article storage container. Solid automatic warehouse of claim 1, wherein a plurality of said specific storage rack to the single storage rack alone is provided.   The three-dimensional automatic warehouse according to claim 1, wherein the specific storage shelf is installed at any position of the single storage rack. The three-dimensional automatic warehouse according to claim 1, wherein the transport mechanism is a stacker crane system that can move in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction in the passage. The three-dimensional automatic warehouse according to claim 1, wherein the transport mechanism is a traveling cart system that can move only in a horizontal direction in the passage. The bottom surface of the single storage rack includes a flat plate or a shaft member arranged along the moving direction of the article or the article storage container, and the flat plate or the shaft member is a region constituting the single storage rack. The flat plate or the shaft member as a single member is respectively disposed therein, and the flat plates or the shaft members arranged respectively are connected via a connecting member, and the connected flat plates are connected to each other. Alternatively, the three-dimensional automatic warehouse according to claim 1, wherein the positions of the surface heights of the shaft members are substantially the same as long as the movement is not hindered. The three-dimensional automatic warehouse according to claim 1, wherein at least one of a multistage arm, a ball screw, a rack and pinion, or a multi-node link is used as the expansion and contraction mechanism. The bottom of the telescopic mechanism configured in the transport mechanism has a low friction guide mechanism including a rotating body in contact with the shelf surface of the storage rack at the bottom of the distal end of the telescopic mechanism at least at one place. The three-dimensional automatic warehouse according to claim 1. The specific storage shelf is the second specific storage shelf, and a floating transport conveyor is provided on the lower surface of the passage sandwiched between the two first specific storage shelves constituting the second specific storage shelf The three-dimensional automatic warehouse according to claim 1. 10. The three-dimensional automatic warehouse according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a collection container is provided near a warehousing part and / or a warehousing part of a warehousing part for transferring the article or article storage container. A three-dimensional automatic warehouse characterized by being provided with a collection container presenting section for presenting items for collection. The three-dimensional automatic warehouse according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the article or article storage container for transferring the article or the article storage container is adjacent to a storage section and / or a storage section. An article or article storage container presenting section for supplying the article or article storage container is provided, and a collection container presenting section for presenting a collection container for collection is provided near the article or article storage container presentation section. 3D automatic warehouse characterized by being. The three-dimensional automatic warehouse according to claim 11, further comprising an extended conveying means for conveying the article or article storage container from the loading / unloading unit to the article or article storage container presenting unit.

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