JP7572816B2 - TRANSPORT SYSTEM, CONTROL DEVICE FOR TRANSPORT SYSTEM, TRANSPORT METHOD, AND PROGRAM - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a conveying system, a conveying system control device, a conveying method, and a program.

Conventionally, locker systems equipped with multiple types of lockers of different sizes are known. For example, the following Patent Document 1 discloses this type of locker system, which measures the size of luggage and selects a locker that is optimal for that size. Also, for example, the following Patent Document 2 discloses a configuration in which the size of luggage is measured and a locker large enough to accommodate the luggage is selected.

JP 2007-219742 A JP 2016-028981 A

In a locker system that selects the locker most suitable for the size of luggage, as in the configuration of Patent Document 1 mentioned above, if the number of different types of lockers of different sizes is fixed, the problem arises that it is not possible to improve the utilization rate of the lockers. For example, if the timing at which the number of lockers in use increases differs for each locker size, there will always be lockers of a certain size that are not used, making it difficult to constantly improve the utilization rate of all lockers of different sizes.

In a locker system that selects a locker large enough to store luggage, as in the configuration of Patent Document 2 described above, the correspondence between the locker and the luggage changes depending on the order in which multiple luggage of different sizes are used. This creates a problem in that it is not possible to improve the luggage storage efficiency of each locker. For example, if the number of relatively small luggage used increases followed by the number of relatively large luggage used, the small luggage will first be stored in the excessively large locker, resulting in wasted locker storage space and a decrease in the number of available lockers that can store large luggage.

The present invention aims to provide a transport system, a control device for the transport system, a transport method, and a program that can improve the utilization efficiency of multiple loading sections with different maximum loading capacities.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention employs the following aspects.
A transport system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a storage rack in which a plurality of mounting sections set to different maximum loading capacities are stored, a transport mechanism that transports any of the plurality of mounting sections between the storage rack and an loading/unloading position where a user can access any of the mounting sections, and a control unit that controls the transport mechanism, and the control unit determines, based on usage prediction information including the required number of mounting sections having a first maximum loading capacity and the required number of mounting sections having a second maximum loading capacity that is greater than the first loading capacity, from the plurality of mounting sections, a first loading setting unit that sets the allowable loading capacity to the first loading capacity and a second loading setting unit that sets the allowable loading capacity to the second loading capacity.
A control device for a conveying system according to one embodiment of the present invention is a control device for a conveying system including a storage rack in which a plurality of mounting sections set to different maximum loading capacities are stored, and a conveying mechanism that conveys any of the plurality of mounting sections between the storage rack and an loading/unloading position where a user can access any of the mounting sections, and includes an acquisition unit that acquires usage prediction information including the required number of mounting sections having a first maximum loading capacity and the required number of mounting sections having a second maximum loading capacity greater than the first loading capacity, and a determination unit that determines, based on the acquired usage prediction information, from the plurality of mounting sections, a first loading setting unit that sets an allowable loading capacity to the first loading capacity and a second loading setting unit that sets the allowable loading capacity to the second loading capacity.
A transport method according to one embodiment of the present invention is a transport method for transporting a storage rack in which a plurality of mounting sections set to different maximum loading capacities are stored, and any one of the plurality of mounting sections between the storage rack and an input/output position at which a user can access any one of the mounting sections, the method comprising: acquiring usage prediction information including a required number of the mounting sections having a first maximum loading capacity and a required number of the mounting sections having a second maximum loading capacity greater than the first loading capacity; and determining, based on the acquired usage prediction information, from the plurality of mounting sections, a first loading setting section that sets an allowable loading capacity to the first loading capacity and a second loading setting section that sets the allowable loading capacity to the second loading capacity.
A program according to one embodiment of the present invention is a program for controlling a transport system including a storage rack in which multiple mounting sections set to different maximum loading capacities are stored, and a transport mechanism that transports any of the multiple mounting sections between the storage rack and an loading/unloading position where a user can access any of the mounting sections, and causes a computer to function as an acquisition unit that acquires usage prediction information including the required number of mounting sections having a first maximum loading capacity and the required number of mounting sections having a second maximum loading capacity that is greater than the first loading capacity, and a determination unit that determines, based on the acquired usage prediction information, from the multiple mounting sections, a first loading setting unit that sets the allowable loading capacity to the first loading capacity, and a second loading setting unit that sets the allowable loading capacity to the second loading capacity.

According to this aspect, the use efficiency of the multiple mounting units can be improved by providing a control unit that predetermines the first mounting setting unit and the second mounting setting unit with different allowable loads based on the usage prediction information. That is, by predetermining the first mounting setting unit and the second mounting setting unit so as to satisfy the required number of mounting units for the first load and the required number of mounting units for the second load, the desired load (size and weight) of the user can be satisfied without the need to increase the total number of mounting units. Therefore, when the number of usable small mounting units is zero, it is possible to prevent a user who requires a load equivalent to a small mounting unit from being forced to use a large mounting unit. For example, when the usage fee is set according to the load, the fee paid by the user can be kept low by using a mounting unit set to the first load.

In the conveying system of the above aspect, the loading section includes a plurality of first loading sections capable of loading items up to the first loading capacity and a plurality of second loading sections capable of loading items up to the second loading capacity, and it is preferable that the control section determines at least one of the second loading sections to be the first loading setting section when the required number of the loading sections for the first loading capacity is greater than the required number of the loading sections for the second loading capacity based on the usage prediction information.
According to the present aspect, by providing a control unit that determines in advance at least one of the second mounting parts as the first mounting setting unit based on the required number of first mounting parts and second mounting parts, it is possible to prevent a shortage of mounting parts with the first mounting amount desired by the user.

In the conveying system of the above aspect, the loading section includes a plurality of first loading sections capable of loading items up to the first loading capacity and a plurality of second loading sections capable of loading items up to the second loading capacity, and the control section compares, based on the usage prediction information, a first difference which is the difference between the usable number of the first loading sections and the required number of the loading sections for the first loading capacity, with a second difference which is the difference between the usable number of the second loading sections and the required number of the loading sections for the second loading capacity, and if the first difference is smaller than the second difference, it is preferable that the control section determines at least one of the second loading sections to be the first loading setting section.
According to the present aspect, by providing a control unit that determines in advance at least one of the second mounting units as the first mounting setting unit based on the difference between the usable number and the required number of the first mounting units and the second mounting units, it is possible to prevent a shortage of the first mounting amount of mounting units desired by the user.

In the above-mentioned aspect of the conveying system, the system is provided with an opening/closing door that opens and closes an opening that allows access to the mounting unit at the loading/unloading position, and the opening/closing door is configured to be switchable between a first open position that opens the first mounting unit when the first mounting unit is transported to the loading/unloading position, and a second open position that opens the second mounting unit by making the opening amount larger than the first open position when the second mounting unit is transported to the loading/unloading position, and it is preferable that the control unit determines at least one of the second mounting units to be the first mounting setting unit, and sets the opening/closing door to the first open position when at least one of the second mounting units is transported to the loading/unloading position.
According to this aspect, by providing a control unit that sets the opening/closing door to the first open position for the second loading unit determined by the first loading setting unit, it is possible to set an appropriate opening amount corresponding to the first loading amount. By ensuring an appropriate opening amount of the opening/closing door, it is possible to prevent a loading unit with an allowable loading amount that deviates excessively from the user's request from being provided, and to prevent an inappropriate state from occurring, such as, for example, causing a misunderstanding by the user or loading an excessive amount of goods that is not anticipated by the system.

In the transport system of the above aspect, it is preferable that the second mounting portion further includes a partition member capable of partitioning the second mounting portion into the first mounting amount and dividing the second mounting portion into two portions.
According to this aspect, by providing a partition member that partitions the allowable loading capacity in the second mounting section into the first loading capacity, a mounting section with an appropriate allowable loading capacity can be provided to the user. For example, in the case of a partition member that can partition a plurality of first loading capacity portions in the second mounting section, one second mounting section can be used as a plurality of first mounting sections. This allows the number of mounting sections to be increased without increasing the total number of mounting sections.

In the transport system of the above aspect, it is preferable that the storage rack is configured so that the number of the first mounting portions and the number of the second mounting portions are changeable.
According to the present aspect, by providing a storage rack in which the number of first mounting sections and second mounting sections can be changed in advance, it is possible to easily promote improvement in utilization efficiency based on utilization prediction information, compared to, for example, a case in which the number of each mounting section cannot be changed.

The present invention can improve the utilization efficiency of multiple mounting sections with different maximum capacities.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a transport system according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a configuration of a transport system according to an embodiment, as viewed obliquely from the front. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a transport mechanism of the transport system according to the embodiment. 1A and 1B are front views showing the configuration of the removal section provided on the front of the conveying system of the embodiment, where (a) is a diagram showing a closed state, (b) is a diagram showing an open state for a large moving car, and (c) is a diagram showing an open state for a small moving car. 1A and 1B are side cross-sectional views showing the open and closed states of a door of a large moving car in a conveying system according to an embodiment, in which FIG. 1A and 1B are side cross-sectional views showing the open and closed states of a door of a small moving car in a conveying system according to an embodiment, in which FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the transport system according to the embodiment. 1A and 1B are side cross-sectional views showing the open and closed states of the doors of a large movable car that has been repurposed in a conveying system according to an embodiment, where FIG. 1A shows the closed state and FIG. 1A and 1B are side cross-sectional views showing the open and closed states of the doors of a large mobile car that has been repurposed in a conveying system relating to a first modified embodiment, where (a) is a diagram showing a closed state, (b) is a diagram showing a first open state, and (c) is a diagram showing a second open state. 1A is a schematic front view of a conveying system for another configuration of an embodiment, in which (a) shows a closed state of the upper door and the lower door, (b) shows a closed state of the upper door and the lower door, and (c) shows a state in which only the lower door is open. 1A is a schematic front view of a conveying system according to another embodiment, in which (a) shows an open state of only the lower door, (b) shows an open state of only the lower door, and (c) shows an open state of only the upper door.

Hereinafter, a transport system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
<Transportation system 10>
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a transport system 10 according to an embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, the transport system 10 includes a baggage storage device 100a and a control device 100b. The baggage storage device 100a includes a plurality of movable cages capable of storing baggage. When an operation is performed to deposit baggage in the baggage storage device 100a, the control device 100b assigns one of the plurality of movable cages to a user. The control device 100b issues reception information. The reception information includes a PIN number that the user must enter when retrieving baggage stored in the assigned movable cage. The control device 100b outputs the issued reception information to the baggage storage device 100a. The baggage storage device 100a displays the reception information issued by the control device 100b. The baggage storage device 100a stores the baggage to be stored in the movable cage assigned by the control device 100b.

<Luggage storage device 100a>
An example of the luggage storage device 100a is a device that stores and keeps luggage N (stored items) such as suitcases in public facilities such as train stations and airports, or exhibition facilities, etc. The luggage storage device 100a functions as a locker that temporarily stores the luggage N.
The luggage storage device 100a includes a communication unit 110a, an operation unit 115a, a transport unit 135a, and a processing unit 160a.

The communication unit 110a is realized by a communication module. The communication unit 110a is connected to the control device 100b via a cable CA. The communication unit 110a communicates with devices such as the control device 100b using a communication method such as a wired LAN. The communication unit 110a may communicate with the control device 100b via a network NW using a wireless communication method such as a wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), or LTE (registered trademark). The communication unit 110a acquires instruction information output by the processing unit 160a and transmits the acquired instruction information to the control device 100b. The communication unit 110a receives reception information transmitted by the control device 100b. The communication unit 110a receives control information transmitted by the control device 100b. The communication unit 110a acquires notification information output by the processing unit 160a and transmits the acquired notification information to the control device 100b.

The operation unit 115a includes an input device and receives operations from a user. The input device includes a device for inputting character information such as a keyboard, a pointing device such as a touch panel, buttons, etc. The operation unit 115a also includes a display device and displays messages to the user.
When a user deposits luggage, the user operates the operation unit 115a to input information instructing the user to start storing the luggage. The operation unit 115a also acquires the reception information output by the processing unit 160a and displays the acquired reception information.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the configuration of the luggage storage device 100a according to the embodiment, seen from an oblique front side. Fig. 2 mainly shows the hardware configuration of the luggage storage device 100a.
As shown in Fig. 2, the luggage storage device 100a includes an outer shell 11 having an access port 4, a plurality of movable cages (mounting units) 2, a storage rack 3, an unloading unit 4A, a transport mechanism 5, and a door device 6. Each of the plurality of movable cages 2 is provided within the outer shell 11 so that it can load luggage N thereon. The storage rack 3 stores the plurality of movable cages 2 in a predetermined storage position. The access port 4 is a handover port through which a user deposits or removes luggage N. The transport mechanism 5 moves the movable cage 2 between the storage rack 3 and the access port 4. The door device 6 opens and closes the access port 4 according to the size of the movable cage 2.

In the following, the vertical direction is referred to as the up-down direction X1, the horizontal direction toward the loading/unloading entrance 4 is referred to as the left-right direction X2, and the direction perpendicular to the left-right direction X2 in a plan view seen from above is referred to as the front-to-back direction X3. In the front-to-back direction X3, when a user is facing the loading/unloading entrance 4, the user side is referred to as the front or front side, and the luggage storage device 100a side is referred to as the rear or rear side.

The outer shell body 11 is formed, for example, in a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is longer in the left-right direction X2 than in the up-down direction X1 and the front-rear direction X3. Specifically, the outer shell body 11 includes a base plate 13, side walls (only the front wall 11A is shown in FIG. 1) that extend upward from the outer periphery of the base plate 13, and an upper wall (not shown) that covers from above the space surrounded by the four side walls on the front-rear and left-right sides. The side walls separate the inside and outside of the outer shell body 11.

An operation panel 12 is provided around the loading/unloading opening 4 on the front wall 11A. The operation panel 12 accepts input operations from users who load and unload luggage N. The operation panel 12 includes, for example, an input device (not shown) that outputs control information according to the user's input operations, a display (not shown) that displays various information, and a fee adjustment machine (not shown). By operating the operation panel 12, users of the luggage storage device 100a can deposit luggage N in the storage rack 3 and remove the deposited luggage N through the loading/unloading opening 4 when necessary.

The storage rack 3 is arranged, for example, in the internal space of the outer shell 11 along the inner surface of the outer shell 11. The storage rack 3 includes a front storage rack 3A and a rear storage rack 3B arranged at a distance in the front-rear direction X3. In the outer shell 11, a moving passage T in which the transport mechanism 5 is arranged is formed between the front storage rack 3A and the rear storage rack 3B.

The storage rack 3 is formed with a plurality of storage spaces 31 in which a plurality of movable cages 2 can be stored so that they can be taken in and out. For example, the plurality of storage spaces 31 are formed in three tiers along the vertical direction X1 and in a plurality of rows in the horizontal direction X2. For example, the top two tiers in the vertical direction X1 are formed to be able to store large movable cages 2A, and the bottom tier is formed to be able to store small movable cages 2B. The movable cages 2 are taken in and out by the transport mechanism 5 from the moving passage T side of each storage rack 3A, 3B. The movable cages 2 stored in each storage rack 3A, 3B are stored in a position in which, for example, the inner door 21 described later faces forward (the loading/unloading opening 4 side). The type and number of movable cages 2 stored in the storage rack 3 can be changed as appropriate.

The removal section 4A is provided in the center of the front storage rack 3A in the left-right direction X2. The removal section 4A provides communication between the storage rack 3 and the loading/unloading opening 4. In other words, the removal section 4A is configured to be accessible to users through the loading/unloading opening 4, and is also configured to be accessible to the storage rack 3 via the transport mechanism 5. The removal section 4A has an outer door 40 that constitutes part of the door device 6.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the transport mechanism 5 of the luggage storage device 100a in the embodiment.
3, the transport mechanism 5 is controlled by the transport unit 135a. The transport mechanism 5 transports the mobile cage 2 between a loading/unloading position P1 where the mobile cage 2 is disposed in the take-out section 4A and a storage position P2 where the mobile cage 2 is stored in the storage rack 3. Specifically, the transport mechanism 5 includes a transport lift 51 that transports the mobile cage 2 between a predetermined storage space 31 of the storage rack 3 and the take-out section 4A, a lateral movement guide 52 that guides the movement of the transport lift 51 in the left-right direction X2, and a lifting guide 53 that lifts and lowers the lateral movement guide 52 in the up-down direction X1.

The lateral movement guide 52 and the lifting guide 53 are supported by a support frame 54 provided on the base plate 13. The lifting guide 53 includes a pair of upper and lower rails 55 provided on the inner surface of the support frame 54 along the up-down direction X1.
The lateral movement guide 52 includes a pair of left and right sliding parts 56 slidably supported on upper and lower rails 55 at both ends in the left and right direction X2, and two left and right rails 57 arranged along the left and right direction X2 so as to bridge the pair of left and right sliding parts 56. The sliding parts 56 move in the up and down direction X1 along the up and down rails 55 by a driving source such as a motor. As a result, the lateral movement guide 52 is raised and lowered in the up and down direction X1 while maintaining the horizontality.
The transport lift 51 includes a drive source such as a motor. The transport lift 51 holds the moving car 2 from below and moves it to an appropriate position along the lateral movement guide 52 and the lift guide 53. In this way, the transport lift 51 transports the moving car 2 between the loading/unloading position P1 and the storage position P2.

The transport mechanism 5 includes a transfer device (not shown) that transfers the mobile cage 2 between the lateral movement guide 52 and each storage space 31 (storage position P2), and between the lateral movement guide 52 and the removal section 4A (loading/unloading position P1). The transfer device moves the transport lift 51 along the front-rear direction X3 (advance/retract direction F) by the driving force of a drive source such as a motor via a transmission member such as a timing belt. For example, when the transport lift 51 is located in the removal section 4A, the transfer device moves the transport lift 51 forward and backward in the front-rear direction X3 to push or pull the mobile cage 2 in the front-rear direction X3 between the lateral movement guide 52 and the removal section 4A.

Figure 4 is a front view showing the configuration of the removal section 4A provided on the front of the luggage storage device 100a of the embodiment, where (a) is a diagram showing the closed state, (b) is a diagram showing the open state of the large mobile cage 2A, and (c) is a diagram showing the open state of the small mobile cage 2B.
As shown in Fig. 4, among the side walls of the outer shell body 11, the front wall 11A constituting the front surface has the above-mentioned loading/unloading opening 4 formed in the center in the left-right direction X1. The loading/unloading opening 4 connects the inside and outside of the outer shell body 11. Note that, although the present embodiment describes a configuration in which baggage N is deposited and removed through one opening (loading/unloading opening 4), a configuration having multiple loading/unloading openings 4 may also be used. Also, a configuration having an opening for depositing and an opening for removing may also be used.

Fig. 5 is a side cross-sectional view showing the open and closed states of the door of the large moving car 2A in the baggage storage device 100a of the embodiment, (a) is a view showing the closed state, (b) is a view showing the open state. Fig. 6 is a side cross-sectional view showing the open and closed states of the door of the small moving car 2B, (a) is a view showing the closed state, and (b) is a view showing the open state.
As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the moving car 2 is a box type having an opening 2a that opens forward. The moving car 2 is provided with an inner door 21 that opens and closes the opening 2a. The inner door 21 is provided so as to be movable in a sliding direction E parallel to the vertical direction X1. The inner door 21 constitutes a part of the door device 6. In this embodiment, the moving car 2 is provided with a plurality of moving cars 2 having different length dimensions in the vertical direction X1. Specifically, the moving car 2 includes a large moving car (second mounting part) 2A and a small moving car (first mounting part) 2B. The large moving car 2A and the small moving car 2B have different maximum loading amounts (volumes) of the insides in which the goods are accommodated. For example, the maximum loading amount of the large moving car 2A is twice the maximum loading amount of the small moving car 2B. In addition, the size of the opening 2a of the large moving car 2A is equivalent to the size of the loading/unloading opening 4 when viewed from the front-rear direction X3.

As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the door device 6 includes, for example, an inner door 21 provided on the movable car 2, an outer door 40 provided on the removal section 4A, and a driving source (not shown) such as a motor that slides the outer door 40. When loading or unloading luggage N, the door device 6 slides the inner door 21 and the outer door 40 in conjunction with each other to open and close the loading/unloading opening 4 according to the size of the movable car 2, etc.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the inner door 21 opens and closes the opening 2a formed in the moving car 2 by sliding in a predetermined sliding direction E (for example, the vertical direction X1). The inner door 21 is, for example, a large inner door 21A (see Figure 4) of the large moving car 2A and a small inner door 21B (see Figure 5) of the small moving car 2B. The length dimensions in the vertical direction X1 of the large inner door 21A and the small inner door 21B are formed to be different from each other according to the openings 2a of the moving cars 2A and 2B having different length dimensions in the vertical direction X1.
The inner door 21 has a protrusion 22 protruding forward at a tip (e.g., upper end 21b) in the up-down direction X1. The protrusion 22 is, for example, a first protrusion 22A provided at the upper end 21b of the large inner door 21A and a second protrusion 22B provided at the upper end 21b of the small inner door 21B. In other words, the height position of the first protrusion 22A from the bottom surface of the large moving car 2A and the height position of the second protrusion 22B from the bottom surface of the small moving car 2B are different.

The outer door 40 opens and closes the loading/unloading opening 4 by sliding in a predetermined sliding direction E (e.g., the vertical direction X1) using the driving force of the driving source. For example, the length dimension of the outer door 40 in the vertical direction X1 is formed to be equal to the length dimension of the large inner door 21A of the large movable car 2A in the vertical direction X1.

The outer door 40 has recesses 41 in which the protrusions 22 of the inner door 21 are attached. The recesses 41 are arranged at intervals in the up-down direction X1 in correspondence with the positions of the first protrusion 22A of the large inner door 21A and the second protrusion 22B of the small inner door 21B. Specifically, the recesses 41 are a first recess 41A and a second recess 41B.
The first recess 41A is provided at the tip end (e.g., upper end) of the outer door 40 in the vertical direction X1. When the large moving car 2A is stopped at the loading/unloading position P1, the first protrusion 22A of the large inner door 21A is attached to the first recess 41A. The second recess 41B is provided at the center (e.g., center in the vertical direction X1) of the outer door 40 in the vertical direction X1. When the small moving car 2B is stopped at the loading/unloading position P1, the second protrusion 22B of the small inner door 21B is attached to the second recess 41B. Note that the method of connecting the inner door 21 and the outer door 40 is not limited to recesses and protrusions, and can be changed as appropriate, such as by engagement with a claw or suction.

The outer door 40 transmits the driving force of a driving source (not shown) to the inner door 21 via the recess 41 and the protrusion 22, thereby linking the inner door 21 to the outer door 40 between the fully closed position Q1 and the fully open position Q2 of the inner door 21 in the sliding direction E. The fully closed position Q1 of the inner door 21 is a position where the inner door 21 closes the opening 2a of the moving car 2. The fully open position Q2 of the inner door 21 is a position where the inner door 21 opens the entire opening 2a of the moving car 2.

A sensor (not shown) is provided in the removal section 4A. The sensor is, for example, a photoelectric sensor. The sensor detects that the convex portion 22 of the inner door 21 is attached to the concave portion 41 of the outer door 40 when the inner door 21 and the outer door 40 of the moving car 2 stopped at the loading/unloading position P1 are in a closed state. The detection information output from the sensor 14 is used, for example, to identify the size of the moving car 2 and to control the sliding amount of the outer door 40 according to the size of the moving car 2.

The transport unit 135 a controls the transport mechanism 5 to move the moving car 2 between the storage rack 3 and the loading/unloading opening 4 .
When a user deposits luggage, the processing unit 160a acquires information input by the user to the operation unit 115a instructing the user to start storage, and creates instruction information including the acquired information instructing the user to start storage. The processing unit 160a transmits the created instruction information from the communication unit 110a to the control device 100b. The processing unit 160a acquires the reception information received by the communication unit 110a, and outputs the acquired received information to the operation unit 115a.
The processing unit 160a acquires the control information received by the communication unit 110a. The processing unit 160a acquires the loading unit ID of the moving car 2 to be assigned to the user, which is included in the acquired control information. The processing unit 160a outputs a transport command to the transport unit 135a, which is a command to transport the moving car 2 corresponding to the acquired loading unit ID from the storage rack 3 to the loading/unloading opening 4, and transport the moving car 2 transported to the loading/unloading opening 4 to the storage rack 3. After outputting the transport command to the transport unit 135a, the processing unit 160a performs a process of requesting the user to pay a fee. For example, the processing unit 160a determines a fee based on the size and weight of the luggage.
The processing unit 160a acquires the reception information input by the user to the operation unit 115a, creates instruction information including the acquired reception information, and transmits the created instruction information from the communication unit 110a to the control device 100b.
The processing unit 160a acquires the control information received by the communication unit 110a. The processing unit 160a acquires the mounting unit ID of the mounting unit 2 included in the acquired control information. The processing unit 160a outputs a transport command to the transport unit 135a, which is a command to transport the movable car 2 corresponding to the acquired mounting unit ID from the storage rack 3 to the loading/unloading opening 4, and to transport the movable car 2 transported to the loading/unloading opening 4 to the storage rack 3.

The transport unit 135a and the processing unit 160a described above are realized, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a computer program (software) stored in a storage unit (not shown). In addition, some or all of these functional units may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. The computer program may be stored in advance in a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or a CD-ROM, and installed by inserting the storage medium into a drive device.

<Control device 100b>
The control device 100b sets the allowable loading capacity of the multiple moving cars 2 stored in the storage rack 3 based on the usage prediction information including the required number of multiple types of moving cars 2 with different maximum loading capacities. For example, the control device 100b determines a moving car (second loading capacity setting unit) 2 whose allowable loading capacity is set equal to the maximum loading capacity of the large moving car 2A and a moving car (first loading capacity setting unit) 2 whose allowable loading capacity is set equal to the maximum loading capacity of the small moving car 2B from the multiple large moving cars 2A and small moving cars 2B stored in the storage rack 3. The control device 100b is realized by a device such as a personal computer, a server, a smartphone, a tablet computer, or an industrial computer. The control device 100b includes a communication unit 110b, an allocation unit 130b, an acquisition unit 150b, a processing unit 160b, a reception unit 170b, a determination unit 180b, and a storage unit 190b.

The communication unit 110b is realized by a communication module. The communication unit 110b is connected to the luggage storage device 100a via a cable CA. The communication unit 110b communicates with devices such as the luggage storage device 100a by a communication method such as a wired LAN. The communication unit 110b may communicate with the luggage storage device 100a by a wireless communication method such as a wireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), or LTE (registered trademark) via a network NW.
The communication unit 110b receives instruction information transmitted by the luggage storage device 100a. The communication unit 110b acquires reception information output by the processing unit 160b, and transmits the acquired reception information to the luggage storage device 100a. The communication unit 110b acquires control information output by the processing unit 160b, and transmits the acquired control information to the luggage storage device 100a. The communication unit 110b receives notification information transmitted by the luggage storage device 100a. The communication unit 110b acquires storage information output by the processing unit 160b, and transmits the acquired storage information to the luggage storage device 100a.

The allocation unit 130b acquires the instruction information received by the communication unit 110b, and allocates an available car 2 based on the information instructing the start of storage contained in the acquired instruction information. The allocation unit 130b outputs the loading unit ID of the car 2 to be allocated to the processing unit 160b.

The storage unit 190b is realized by a hard disk drive (HDD), a flash memory, a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), etc. The storage unit 190b stores one or more pieces of storage information.
The allocation unit 130b, the acquisition unit 150b, the processing unit 160b, the reception unit 170b, and the determination unit 180b are realized, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a computer program (software) stored in the storage unit 190b. In addition, some or all of these functional units may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI, an ASIC, an FPGA, or a GPU, or may be realized by cooperation between software and hardware. The computer program may be stored in a storage device such as an HDD or a flash memory in advance, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or a CD-ROM, and may be installed by mounting the storage medium in a drive device.

<Action>
The operation of the transport system 10 according to the embodiment will be described below.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the transport system 10 according to the embodiment.

First, the determination unit 180b determines the required number of each of the multiple different moving cages 2 from the usage prediction information stored in the memory unit 190b at an appropriate timing (step S01). The appropriate timing is, for example, when updating the date, when switching the operation control, or when performing regular maintenance work. The usage prediction information is, for example, information on the predicted number of uses for each of the multiple types of moving cages 2 stored in the storage rack 3 in a predetermined future period. The usage prediction information is set based on a table or the like in which the relationship between the variable information and the predicted required number of large moving cages 2A and small moving cages 2B is associated. The variable information is, for example, default information generated in advance based on the past usage history of each of the multiple different moving cages 2 according to various conditions such as date and time (day of the week and time), event schedule, and installation location, or information updated by occasional learning, etc. For example, regarding the correspondence between the variable information regarding the date and time and the expected number of required cars, on weekdays the required number of small mobile cars 2B, which have a relatively small maximum loading capacity, tends to be greater than the required number of large mobile cars 2A, which have a relatively large maximum loading capacity, and on holidays the required number of small mobile cars 2B tends to be less than the required number of large mobile cars 2A. This is because there is more use by short-term travelers and business travelers on weekdays and more use by long-term travelers on holidays.

The determination unit 180b determines the required number of each type of mobile cage 2, for example, as a combination of the number of each type of mobile cage 2 relative to the total number of mobile cages 2 stored in the storage rack 3. For example, the determination unit 180b determines the combination of the required number of large mobile cages 2A and the required number of small mobile cages 2B, which make up the total number of mobile cages 2 stored in the storage rack 3, from the usage prediction information.

Next, the acquisition unit 150b acquires the usable number of each of the multiple types of movable cages 2 stored in the storage rack 3 (step S02). For example, the acquisition unit 150b acquires the usable number of each of the large movable cages 2A and the small movable cages 2B stored in the storage rack 3.
Next, the determination unit 180b calculates the difference between the usable number and the required number (usable number - required number) for each of the multiple types of moving cars 2 (step S03). For example, the determination unit 180b calculates a first difference (small) which is the difference between the usable number and the required number of small moving cars 2B, and a second difference (large) which is the difference between the usable number and the required number of large moving cars 2A.

Next, the determination unit 180b compares the magnitude of the difference between the multiple types of moving cars 2. For example, the determination unit 180b determines whether the first difference (small) is equal to or smaller than the second difference (large) (step S04).
If the result of this determination is "NO" (step S04: NO), the determining unit 180b determines that the first difference is greater than the second difference, and proceeds to step S06.
On the other hand, if the result of this determination is "YES" (step S04: YES), the determining unit 180b determines that the first difference is equal to or smaller than the second difference, and proceeds to step S05.

Next, the determination unit 180b sets the conversion of the car 2 according to the result of comparing the differences between the multiple types of car 2. For example, the determination unit 180b sets some of the large car 2A that can be used (empty large car 2A) stored in the storage rack 3 to be converted as small car 2B (step S05). For example, the determination unit 180b sets the allowable load capacity of the large car 2A that is set to be converted as a small car 2B to be equal to the maximum load capacity of the small car 2B. Note that the allowable load capacity of the large car 2A that is not set for conversion is set to be equal to the maximum load capacity of the large car 2A. Also, the number of large car 2A to be converted can be changed appropriately according to the first difference.

Next, the communication unit 110b of the control device 100b receives instruction information output from the communication unit 110a of the baggage storage device 100a in response to an input operation by the user. The reception unit 170b determines whether or not there is a request to use a specific moving car 2 based on the instruction information received by the communication unit 110b (step S06). For example, the reception unit 170b determines whether or not there is a request to use the small moving car 2B.
If the result of this determination is "YES" (step S06: YES), the reception unit 170b determines that there has been a request to use the small movable car 2B, and proceeds to step S10.
On the other hand, if the result of this determination is "NO" (step S06: NO), the reception unit 170b determines that there has been a request to use the large car 2A (determines that there has been no request to use the small car 2B), and proceeds to step S07. In addition, in the transport system 10 of this embodiment, the usage fee is set according to the allowable load. That is, the usage fee for the car 2 whose allowable load corresponds to the small car 2B is set lower than the usage fee for the car 2 whose allowable load corresponds to the large car 2A.

Next, the allocation unit 130b determines whether the available number of the specific moving car 2 for which there is a usage request is zero (step S07). For example, the allocation unit 130b determines whether the available number of the large moving car 2A stored in the storage rack 3 is zero.
If the result of this determination is "YES" (step S07: YES), the allocation unit 130b determines that the number of available large movable cars 2A is zero (all large movable cars 2A are in use), and proceeds to step S09.
On the other hand, if the result of this determination is "NO" (step S07: NO), the allocation unit 130b determines that the large movable car 2A is available for use, and proceeds to step S08.

Next, the allocation unit 130b allocates one of the large movable cages 2A stored in the storage rack 3 that is not set for diversion as the cage to be used. The communication unit 110b outputs instruction information including the cage information to be used output by the processing unit 160b to the luggage storage device 100a. Then, based on the instruction information received by the communication unit 110a, the transport lift 51 transports the cage to be used from the storage rack 3 (storage position P2) to the loading/unloading position P1 under the control of the transport unit 135a (step S08). The processing unit 160a then executes the storage operation (described later) of the luggage N by the large movable cage 2A, and proceeds to the end of the process.
On the other hand, the processing unit 160a notifies the user, for example through the operation panel 12, that the large car 2A stored in the storage rack 3 cannot be used (step S09), and then the process proceeds to the end.

Next, the allocation unit 130b determines whether the available number of the specific moving car 2 for which there is a usage request is zero (step S10). For example, the allocation unit 130b determines whether the available number of the small moving car 2B stored in the storage rack 3 is zero.
If the result of this determination is "YES" (step S10: YES), the allocation unit 130b determines that the number of available small moving cars 2B is zero (all small moving cars 2B are in use) and proceeds to step S12.
On the other hand, if the result of this determination is "NO" (step S10: NO), the allocation unit 130b determines that the small car 2B is available for use, and proceeds to step S11.

Next, the allocation unit 130b of the control device 100b allocates one of the small mobile cages 2B stored in the storage rack 3 that is available as the cage to be used. The communication unit 110b outputs instruction information including the cage information to be used output by the processing unit 160b to the luggage storage device 100a. Then, based on the instruction information received by the communication unit 110a, the transport lift 51 transports the cage to be used from the storage rack 3 to a predetermined loading/unloading position P1 under the control of the transport unit 135a (step S11). Then, the storage operation of the luggage N by the small mobile cage 2B is performed, and the process proceeds to the end.

Next, the allocation unit 130b determines whether the number of usable large cars 2A that have been repurposed is zero (step S12).
If the result of this determination is "YES" (step S12: YES), it is determined that the number of cars 2 that can be used as the maximum load of the small car 2B is zero, and the process proceeds to step S14.
If the result of this determination is "NO" (step S12: NO), it is determined that there is a surplus of movable cages 2 that can be used as the maximum load capacity of the small movable cage 2B, and the process proceeds to step S13.

Next, the allocation unit 130b allocates one of the repurposed large mobile cages 2A stored in the storage rack 3 as the used cage. After that, the used cage is transported from the storage rack 3 to a predetermined loading/unloading position P1 in the same manner as in step S11 described above (step S13). Then, the storage operation of the luggage N is performed by the large mobile cage 2A, and the process proceeds to the end. In this embodiment, a case is described in which the repurposed large mobile cage 2A is used when the number of available small mobile cages 2B is zero, but even if the small mobile cage 2B is available, the repurposed large mobile cage 2A may be used.
The control device 100b notifies the user that the small car 2B is unavailable (step S14), and then the process proceeds to the end.

<Normal storage operation>
The storage operation of the baggage N by each movable car 2 (large movable car 2A or small movable car 2B) in step S08 or step S11 described above will be described below.
The transport mechanism 5 transports the transport lift 51 to a position directly facing the storage space 31 of the used car assigned by the allocation unit 130b of the control device 100b. After the transport lift 51 reaches a position directly facing the storage space 31, the transport mechanism 5 pushes the transport lift 51 in the forward/backward direction F (for example, the front-rear direction X, etc.) by the transfer device. As a result, the transport lift 51 advances below the mobile car 2 stored in the storage space 31, and the mobile car 2 is supported from below by the transport lift 51. After that, with the mobile car 2 supported from below by the transport lift 51, the transfer device pulls the transport lift 51 onto the horizontal movement guide 52. As a result, the mobile car 2 at the storage position P2 moves up to the horizontal movement guide 52. Next, the transport lift 51 moves appropriately in the left-right direction X2 and the up-down direction X1 along the horizontal movement guide 52 and the lift guide 53, and moves the mobile car 2 to the rear of the outer door 40.

When the transport lift 51 reaches the rear of the outer door 40, the transfer device pushes the transport lift 51 forward. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5(a) or FIG. 6(a), the transport lift 51 reaches the removal section 4A (loading/unloading position P1) together with the movable cage 2. When the transport lift 51 reaches the loading/unloading position P1, the convex portion 22 of the inner door 21 is attached to the concave portion 41 of the outer door 40 according to the type of movable cage 2. Note that although luggage N is present in the storage interior 2c of the movable cage 2 at the loading/unloading position P1 shown in FIG. 5(a) or FIG. 6(a), the storage interior 2c is empty at this point.

When the sensor detects that the convex portion 22 of the inner door 21 is attached to the concave portion 41 of the outer door 40, the outer door 40 slides upward together with the inner door 21 by an amount corresponding to the size of the moving car 2, as shown in Figures 4(a), (b), (c), 5(b), and 6(b). The outer door 40 slides upward from the fully closed position Q1 of the inner door 21 to the fully open position Q2, thereby opening the opening 2a of the moving car 2. This allows the storage interior 2c of the moving car 2 to communicate with the front area of the transport system 10 where the user is present through the loading/unloading opening 4.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5(b) or FIG. 6(b), after the luggage N is stored in the storage interior 2c of the movable car 2 at the loading/unloading opening 4, control information corresponding to the instruction information for storage completion is output from the operation panel 12 by the user's input operation. Then, as shown in FIG. 4(a), FIG. 5(a) and FIG. 6(a), the outer door 40 slides downward together with the inner door 21. As a result, the inner door 21 moves from the fully open position Q2 to the fully closed position Q1, and the outer door 40 closes the loading/unloading opening 4.

Next, the transport lift 51 carrying the movable cage 2 is pulled back from the loading/unloading position P1 by a delivery device (not shown) and moves onto the lateral movement guide 52. Thereafter, the transport lift 51 is moved appropriately in the left-right direction X2 and the up-down direction X1 by the lateral movement guide 52 and the lifting/lowering guide 53 to a position facing a predetermined storage space 31 of the storage rack 3.
Next, the transport lift 51 is moved into the specified storage space 31 by a delivery device (not shown), thereby moving the mobile cage 2 to the storage position P2. After that, only the transport lift 51 is withdrawn from the storage space 31 by the delivery device, and is pulled back to the lateral movement guide 52. As a result, the mobile cage 2 containing the baggage N is stored in the specified storage space 31.

When a user removes a package N from the mobile cage 2 stored in the storage rack 3, the operation is basically the same as when storing the package N described above. That is, when the control information corresponding to the instruction information to start removal is output from the operation panel 12 by the user's input operation, the transport lift 51 moves the mobile cage 2 containing the package N to be removed from the storage space 31 to the loading/unloading position P1. After that, the inner door 21 becomes the fully open position Q2 and the mobile cage 2 is opened, so that the package N loaded in the mobile cage 2 can be removed. After the package N is removed, when the control information corresponding to the instruction information to complete removal is output from the operation panel 12 by the user's input operation, the transport lift 51 returns the mobile cage 2 from which the package N has been removed to the specified storage space 31.

<Storage operation by repurposed large mobile cage 2A>
The storage operation of the baggage N by the large movable car 2A that has been repurposed in step S13 will be described below.
Figure 8 is a side cross-sectional view showing the open and closed states of the large inner door 21A of a large mobile car 2A that has been repurposed in the conveying system 10 of the embodiment, where (a) shows the closed state and (b) shows the state when the door is open.
As shown in Figures 5(a) and 5(b) and Figures 8(a) and 8(b), the difference between the storage operations of the large moving car 2A that is not set for conversion and the large moving car 2A that is set for conversion is the operation of the door device 6 at the loading/unloading position P1. Note that, in the following, the same operations as the storage operations of the baggage N by each moving car 2 (large moving car 2A or small moving car 2B) in the above-mentioned step S08 or step S11 will be omitted or simplified.
As shown in Fig. 8(a), when the transport lift 51 carrying the repurposed large movable car 2A reaches the loading/unloading position P1, the first convex portion 22A of the large inner door 21A is attached to the first concave portion 41A of the outer door 40. Although the baggage N is contained in the storage interior 2c of the large movable car 2A at the loading/unloading position P1 shown in Fig. 8(a), the storage interior 2c is empty at this point.

When the sensor 14 detects that the first convex portion 22A of the large inner door 21A has been attached to the first concave portion 41A of the outer door 40, the outer door 40 slides upward together with the inner door 21 by an amount corresponding to the size of the allowable load capacity set for the large mobile car 2A, as shown in Figures 4(a), (c) and 8(b). For example, the allowable load capacity of the large mobile car 2A that is not set for conversion is set to be equal to the maximum load capacity of the large mobile car 2A, while the allowable load capacity of the large mobile car 2A that is set for conversion is set to be equal to the maximum load capacity of the small mobile car 2B. As a result, the outer door 40 and the large inner door 21A slide by an amount corresponding to the maximum load capacity of the small mobile car 2B.

The outer door 40 slides from the fully closed position Q1 of the large inner door 21A to a half-open position Q3, which corresponds to the fully open position Q2 of the small inner door 21B. The outer door 40 opens a portion of the opening 2a of the large mobile car 2A (i.e., the area corresponding to the opening 2a of the small mobile car 2B). This allows a portion of the storage interior 2c of the large mobile car 2A to communicate with the front area of the transport system 10 where the user is present through the loading/unloading opening 4.

The transport system 10 of the embodiment can improve the utilization efficiency of the multiple cages 2 by providing a control device 100b that predetermines cages 2 with different allowable loads based on utilization prediction information of multiple cages 2 with different maximum loads. By predetermining cages 2 with different allowable loads to meet the required number of large cages 2A and small cages 2B with different maximum capacities based on utilization prediction information, the desired load (size and weight) of the user can be satisfied without the need to increase the total number of cages 2. Therefore, for example, when the number of available small cages 2B is zero, it is possible to prevent a user who requires a load equivalent to a small cage 2B from being forced to use the large cage 2A. When the usage fee is set according to the load, the fee paid by the user can be kept low by using the large cage 2A that has been repurposed.

In this embodiment, a control device 100b is provided that converts at least one of the large moving cars 2A into a small moving car 2B in accordance with the required number of moving cars 2 with different allowable loads in advance. This makes it possible to prevent a shortage of moving cars 2 with the same allowable load as the small moving car 2B desired by the user.
In this embodiment, a control device 100b is provided that converts at least one of the large moving cars 2A into a small moving car 2B in accordance with the difference between the available number and the required number of moving cars 2 having different allowable load capacities in advance. This makes it possible to prevent a shortage of moving cars 2 having the same allowable load capacity as the small moving car 2B desired by the user.

In this embodiment, a control device 100b is provided that sets the outer door 40 and the large inner door 21A of the repurposed large mobile car 2A to a half-open position Q3, which corresponds to the fully open position Q2 of the small inner door 21B of the small mobile car 2B. This makes it possible to set an appropriate opening amount corresponding to the allowable load of the repurposed large mobile car 2A. By ensuring the appropriate opening amount of the outer door 40 and the large inner door 21A, it is possible to prevent the provision of a mobile car 2 with an allowable load amount that deviates excessively from the user's request. As a result, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of inappropriate situations, such as misunderstandings by users or the loading of an excessive amount of goods that is not anticipated by the system.

In this embodiment, regarding the correspondence relationship between the date and time in the usage prediction information, on weekdays the required number of small mobile cars 2B, which have a relatively small maximum loading capacity, is greater than the required number of large mobile cars 2A, which have a relatively large maximum loading capacity, and on holidays the required number of small mobile cars 2B is less than the required number of large mobile cars 2A. For example, by adjusting the required number of mobile cars 2 with different maximum loading capacities according to the date and time (day of the week), it is possible to prevent a shortage of mobile cars 2 with the loading capacity desired by users.

(Modification)
Modifications of the embodiment will be described below. Note that the same parts and operations as those in the above-described embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted or simplified.

(First Modification)
In the above-described embodiment, the repurposed moving car 2 may include a partition member that divides the maximum load capacity into an allowable load capacity. For example, in the transport system 10 according to the first modified example of the embodiment, the large moving car 2A that has been repurposed to the small moving car 2B includes a partition member 61.
Figure 9 is a side cross-sectional view showing the open and closed states of a large inner door 21A of a large mobile car 2A that has been repurposed in a conveying system 10 according to a first modified example of the embodiment, where (a) is a view showing the closed state, (b) is a view showing the first open state, and (c) is a view showing the second open state.

The partitioning member 61 allows the large mobile car 2A to be used with an allowable load equivalent to, for example, the maximum load of the small mobile car 2B. The partitioning member 61 divides the storage interior 2c of the large mobile car 2A into upper and lower parts. The partitioning member 61 is, for example, plate-shaped. The partitioning member 61 is, for example, detachably attached to a support member 62 provided in the center of the inner surface of the large mobile car 2A in the up-down direction X1. The support member 62 may be configured to clamp and fix the partitioning member 61, or may be configured to fix the partitioning member 61 by fastening or locking, etc.

The partition member 61, for example, divides the storage interior 2c of the large movable cage 2A into two areas with allowable load capacities corresponding to the maximum load capacity of the small movable cage 2B, making it possible to store different cargo N independently in the two areas.
The partitioning member 61 may include, for example, an opening/closing member 61a that opens and closes a part of the storage interior 2c of the large movable car 2A, that is, at least the lower area 61B of the upper area 61A and the lower area 61B of the storage interior 2c partitioned by the partitioning member 61. The opening/closing member 61a is, for example, a shutter or the like that is opened and closed manually by a user or automatically by a driving source such as a motor and that includes a locking mechanism (not shown) that holds each of the open and closed states.

As shown in Figures 8(a), (b) and Figures 9(a), (b), (c), the difference between the storage operations of the large mobile car 2A that has been repurposed between the above-mentioned embodiment and the first modified example is the operation of the door device 6 at the loading/unloading position P1.
As shown in Fig. 9(a), when the transport lift 51 carrying the repurposed large movable car 2A reaches the loading/unloading position P1, the first convex portion 22A of the large inner door 21A is attached to the first concave portion 41A of the outer door 40. Although the baggage N is present in the storage interior 2c of the large movable car 2A at the loading/unloading position P1 shown in Fig. 9(a), the storage interior 2c is empty at this point.

When the sensor 14 detects that the first protrusion 22A of the large inner door 21A has been attached to the first recess 41A of the outer door 40, the outer door 40 moves upward together with the inner door 21 by a predetermined sliding amount, as shown in Figures 9(b) and (c). The predetermined sliding amount is a sliding amount that corresponds to one of the upper area 61A and the lower area 61B of the storage interior 2c partitioned by the partition member 61 that is selected by the control device 100b for storing luggage N.

For example, when the lower area 61B of the storage interior 2c is selected for storing luggage N, the outer door 40 moves from the fully closed position Q1 of the large inner door 21A to a half-open position Q3, which corresponds to the fully open position Q2 of the small inner door 21B of the small mobile car 2B, as shown in FIG. 9(b). This opens a portion of the front opening 2a of the large mobile car 2A (i.e., the lower area 61B corresponding to the opening 2a of the small mobile car 2B). The lower area 61B, which is part of the storage interior 2c of the large mobile car 2A, is then connected to the front area of the conveying system 10 through the loading/unloading opening 4.

When the upper area 61A of the storage interior 2c is selected for storing luggage N, the outer door 40 slides from the fully closed position Q1 to the fully open position Q2 of the large inner door 21A as shown in FIG. 9(c). The outer door 40 opens all of the openings 2a of the large mobile cage 2A (i.e., the upper area 61A and the lower area 61B). In this case, for example, the opening/closing member 61a of the partition member 61 sets the lower area 61B to a closed state. This allows the upper area 61A, which is part of the storage interior 2c of the large mobile cage 2A, to communicate with the front area of the conveying system 10 through the loading/unloading opening 4.

In the first modified example, a partition member 61 is provided that divides the interior of the repurposed large mobile car 2A into allowable loads. This allows users to be provided with a mobile car 2 with an appropriate allowable load. For example, in the case of a partition member 61 that can divide the interior of the large mobile car 2A into multiple allowable load areas (upper area 61A, lower area 61B, etc.), one large mobile car 2A can be used as multiple small mobile cars 2B. This allows the number of mobile cars 2 in use to be increased without increasing the total number of mobile cars 2. In the first modified example, the large mobile car 2A is divided into two parts, upper and lower, but it may be divided into three or more parts, and depending on the sliding direction E of the door device 6, the large mobile car 2A may be divided in the left-right direction X2.

(Second Modification)
In the above embodiment, as shown in step S04, the control device 100b compares the magnitude of the difference (usable number - required number) between the usable number and the required number of each of the multiple different moving cars 2, but this is not limited to this. For example, the control device 100b may compare the magnitude of the required number of each of the multiple different moving cars 2.
For example, instead of step S04 described above, the control device 100b determines whether the required number of small moving cars 2B is greater than the required number of large moving cars 2A.
If the result of this determination is "NO", the control device 100b advances the process to step S06.
On the other hand, if the result of this determination is "YES", the control device 100b advances the process to step S05.

(Third Modification)
In the above-described embodiment, the outer door 40 is provided with multiple recesses 41 corresponding to each of the multiple moving cars 2 of different sizes, but this is not limited to this, and for example, the outer door 40 may be provided with a single recess 41 that is common to each of the multiple moving cars 2 of different sizes.
For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the outer door 40 has a first recess 41A to which the first protrusion 22A of the large inner door 21A of the large moving car 2A is attached, and a second recess 41B to which the second protrusion 22B of the small inner door 21B of the small moving car 2B is attached. In contrast, in the second modified embodiment, the outer door 40 has a single recess 41 to which the first protrusion 22A of the large inner door 21A of the large moving car 2A is attached and the second protrusion 22B of the small inner door 21B of the small moving car 2B is attached. In this case, the large inner door 21A of the large moving car 2A only needs to have the first protrusion 22A provided in the center in the vertical direction X1. In this case, the height position of the first protrusion 22A from the bottom surface of the large moving car 2A and the height position of the second protrusion 22B from the bottom surface of the small moving car 2B are the same.

(Other Modifications)
In the above-described embodiment, the storage rack 3 may be configured to be able to change the number of each of the multiple types of moving cages 2 stored. For example, the number of each of the multiple types of moving cages 2 stored in the storage rack 3 may be changed based on the usage prediction information at an appropriate timing such as during maintenance work. That is, when the required number of large moving cages 2A is relatively large, the unused small moving cages 2B stored in the storage rack 3 may be replaced with the large moving cages 2A, and when the required number of small moving cages 2B is relatively large, the unused large moving cages 2A stored in the storage rack 3 may be replaced with the small moving cages 2B. In this case, it is possible to easily promote improvement of the utilization efficiency based on the utilization prediction information, compared to, for example, a case in which the storage number of each of the multiple types of moving cages 2 cannot be changed.

In the above embodiment, the outer door 40 has the recess 41, and the inner door 21 has the protrusion 22 attached to the recess 41 of the outer door 40, but this is not limited thereto, and the inner door 21 may have a recess, and the outer door 40 may have a protrusion attached to the recess of the inner door. Also, the interlocking mechanism between the inner door 21 and the outer door 40 can be changed as appropriate. On the other hand, the inner door 21 and the outer door 40 may be configured to operate independently.
In the above embodiment, the loading section is configured to be box-shaped, but is not limited to this. For example, the loading section may be configured without the inner door 21, and may be a plate-like (tray-like) loading surface on which the luggage N is loaded.

In the above embodiment, the inner door 21 and the outer door 40 of the door device 6 slide in the vertical direction X1, but this is not limited thereto, and they may slide in other directions, such as the left-right direction X2. For example, the outer door 200 shown in FIG. 10 includes an upper door 200a and a lower door 200b that can move in the left-right direction X2. The upper door 200a is disposed at the upper part of the loading/unloading opening 4 and overlaps with the upper part of the opening 2a of the large moving car 2A that has been transported to the loading/unloading position P1. On the other hand, the lower door 200b is disposed at the lower part of the loading/unloading opening 4 and overlaps with the lower part of the opening 2a of the large moving car 2A that has been transported to the loading/unloading position P1, or the opening 2a of the small moving car 2B.
In the above-mentioned outer door 200, during normal storage operation, at least one of the upper door 200a and the lower door 200b is opened and closed depending on the type of the moving car 2 transported to the loading/unloading position P1. That is, as shown in Fig. 10(b), when the large moving car 2A is transported to the loading/unloading position P1, both the upper door 200a and the lower door 200b are opened. This causes the entire opening 2a of the large moving car 2A to be opened.
On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 10(c), when the small moving car 2B is transported to the loading/unloading position P1, only the lower door 200b is opened. This causes the entire opening 2a of the small moving car 2B to be opened. At this time, the upper part of the loading/unloading opening 4 remains blocked by the upper door 200a.

Next, the operation of the outer door 200 when the allowable load capacity of the large moving car 2A is set to the maximum load capacity of the small moving car 2B will be described.
As shown in Fig. 11(a), only the lower door 200b of the outer door 200 is in an open state. As a result, only the lower part of the opening 2a of the large moving car 2A transported to the loading/unloading position P1 is opened through the loading/unloading opening 4. As a result, the user can use the large moving car 2A as the maximum loading capacity of the small moving car 2B.
In addition, when the large-sized moving car 2A is equipped with the above-mentioned partition member 61, when the lower area 61B of the large-sized moving car 2A is used, only the lower door 200b is opened as shown in Fig. 11(b). On the other hand, when the upper area 61A of the large-sized moving car 2A is used, only the upper door 200a is opened as shown in Fig. 11(c).

In the above-described embodiment, the type of the moving car 2 is changed according to the maximum loading capacity, but the present invention is not limited to this. The type of the moving car 2 may be changed according to the maximum loading size, the maximum loading weight, or the like.
In the above-described embodiment, the first loading section and the second loading section are described as being two types of movable cages 2 with different maximum loading capacities, but this is not limited to this and may be, for example, three or more types of movable cages with different maximum loading capacities.
In the above embodiment, the large moving car 2A is converted to the small moving car 2B by setting the allowable load capacity of the large moving car 2A to the maximum load capacity of the small moving car 2B, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, if the maximum load capacity of the small moving car 2B is set to be sufficiently larger than the allowable load capacity, the allowable load capacity of the small moving car 2B may be set to the allowable load capacity of the large moving car 2A. Also, the allowable load capacity of the small moving car 2B may be set to an even smaller allowable load capacity.
In addition, if a configuration is adopted in which the maximum load capacity of the mobile cage 2 can be varied depending on the opening size of the loading/unloading entrance 4 or the utilization area of the mobile cage 2 (partition member 61, etc.), the mobile cages 2 stored in the storage rack 3 may be of one type (with the same maximum load capacity).

The above-mentioned luggage storage device 100a and control device 100b may be realized by a computer. In this case, a program for realizing the functions of each functional block is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The program recorded on the recording medium may be read into a computer system and executed by a CPU to realize the functions. The "computer system" here includes hardware such as an OS (Operating System) and peripheral devices.
In addition, "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, optical magnetic disks, ROMs, CD-ROMs, etc. In addition, "computer-readable recording medium" includes storage devices such as hard disks built into computer systems.

Furthermore, the term "computer-readable recording medium" may include a medium that dynamically stores a program for a short period of time, such as a communication line for transmitting a program via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line.
Furthermore, the "computer-readable recording medium" may also include a storage medium that holds a program for a certain period of time, such as a volatile memory inside a computer system that is a server or a client. The program may be for implementing part of the functions described above. The program may be capable of implementing the functions described above in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system. The program may be implemented using a programmable logic device. An example of a programmable logic device is an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

The luggage storage device 100a and the control device 100b each have a built-in computer. The processes of the luggage storage device 100a and the control device 100b are stored in a computer-readable recording medium in the form of a program, and the above processes are performed by the computer reading and executing the program.
Here, computer-readable recording media refers to magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, semiconductor memories, etc. In addition, the computer program may be distributed to a computer via a communication line, and the computer that receives the program may execute the program.
The program may be for realizing part of the functions described above.
Furthermore, the above-mentioned functions may be realized in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system, that is, a so-called differential file (differential program).

The embodiments of the present invention are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are within the scope of the invention and its equivalents as set forth in the claims, as well as the scope and spirit of the invention.

2. Mobile cage (mounting section)
2a Opening 2A Large moving car (second mounting section, first mounting setting section, second mounting setting section)
2B Small moving car (first mounting unit, first mounting setting unit)
3 Storage rack 4 Loading/unloading entrance (opening)
10 Transport system 15 Control unit 21 Inner door (opening/closing door)
21A Large inner door (opening and closing door)
21B Small inner door (openable door)
40 Outer door (opening and closing door)
61 Partition member P1 Loading/unloading position Q1 Fully closed position Q2 Fully open position (first open position, second open position)
Q3 Half open position (1st open position)
100b Control device (control unit)
150b acquisition unit 180b determination unit

Claims (9)

a storage rack in which a plurality of loading units each having a different maximum loading capacity is stored;
a transport mechanism that transports any one of the plurality of mounting units between the storage rack and a carry-in/out position where a user can access any one of the mounting units;
A control unit that controls the transport mechanism,
The control unit sets the allowable loading capacity of a mounting unit among the multiple mounting units, the maximum loading capacity of which is the second loading capacity, to the first loading capacity or the second loading capacity based on utilization prediction information including the required number of mounting units having a first maximum loading capacity and the required number of mounting units having a second maximum loading capacity greater than the first loading capacity . The mounting unit includes:
a plurality of first mounting sections capable of mounting articles up to the first mounting amount; and a plurality of second mounting sections capable of mounting articles up to the second mounting amount,
The transport system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines the allowable loading capacity of at least one of the second loading units to be the first loading capacity when the required number of the loading units of the first loading capacity is greater than the required number of the loading units of the second loading capacity based on the usage prediction information. The mounting unit includes:
a plurality of first mounting sections capable of mounting articles up to the first mounting amount; and a plurality of second mounting sections capable of mounting articles up to the second mounting amount,
2. The transport system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit compares a first difference, which is a difference between the usable number of the first mounting units and the required number of the first mounting units , with a second difference, which is a difference between the usable number of the second mounting units and the required number of the second mounting units , based on the usage prediction information, and if the first difference is smaller than the second difference, determines the allowable loading capacity of at least one of the second mounting units to be the first loading capacity . an opening/closing door that opens and closes an opening through which the loading unit at the loading/unloading position can be accessed;
the opening/closing door is configured to be switchable between a first open position for opening the first mounting unit when the first mounting unit is transported to the loading/unloading position, and a second open position for opening the second mounting unit by making the opening amount of the opening larger than that of the first open position when the second mounting unit is transported to the loading/unloading position,
The conveying system according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the control unit sets the opening/closing door to the first open position when at least one of the second mounting parts, whose allowable loading capacity is set to the first loading capacity , is conveyed to the loading/unloading position. 5. The transport system according to claim 3, further comprising a partition member capable of partitioning the inside of the second mounting section so that an allowable loading amount in the second mounting section is equal to the first loading amount. The transport system according to claim 3 , wherein the number of the first mounting parts and the number of the second mounting parts stored in the storage rack are changeable based on the usage prediction information . A control device for a transport system including: a storage rack in which a plurality of mounting parts, each set to a different maximum loading capacity, is stored; and a transport mechanism that transports any one of the plurality of mounting parts between the storage rack and a loading/unloading position where a user can access any one of the mounting parts,
A control device for a conveying system comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires utilization prediction information including a required number of mounting units having a first maximum loading capacity and a required number of mounting units having a second maximum loading capacity greater than the first loading capacity; and a determination unit that sets an allowable loading capacity of a mounting unit among the plurality of mounting units having a maximum loading capacity of the second loading capacity to the first loading capacity or the second loading capacity based on the acquired utilization prediction information. A transport method for transporting a storage rack in which a plurality of mounting parts, each set to a different maximum loading capacity, is stored, and any one of the plurality of mounting parts is transported between the storage rack and a carry-in/out position where a user can access any one of the mounting parts, the transport method comprising the steps of:
acquiring utilization forecast information including a required number of the loading units having a first maximum loading capacity and a required number of the loading units having a second maximum loading capacity that is greater than the first maximum loading capacity;
A transportation method in which the allowable loading capacity of a loading unit among the plurality of loading units, the maximum loading capacity of which is the second loading capacity, is set to the first loading capacity or the second loading capacity based on the acquired usage prediction information. A program for controlling a transport system including a storage rack in which a plurality of mounting units, each set to a different maximum loading capacity, is stored, and a transport mechanism for transporting any one of the plurality of mounting units between the storage rack and a loading/unloading position where a user can access any one of the mounting units, the program comprising:
Computer,
an acquisition unit that acquires utilization prediction information including a required number of the mounting units having a first maximum payload and a required number of the mounting units having a second maximum payload that is larger than the first maximum payload;
A program for functioning as a determination unit that sets the allowable loading capacity of a loading unit among the multiple loading units, whose maximum loading capacity is the second loading capacity, to the first loading capacity or the second loading capacity based on the acquired usage prediction information.

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