JP2018131329A - Automatic warehouse - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automated warehouse capable of automatically performing work required for accommodating an entire accommodating rack in a storage shelf without manpower. SOLUTION: An automated warehouse including a plurality of storage shelves arranged along a path of a stacker crane, each of the storage shelves on which a storage rack capable of loading a plurality of trays containing eggs is placed. In the state where the storage rack is housed in at least one storage shelf, the work of loading the tray into the storage rack or the work of unloading the tray from the storage rack is performed. [Selection diagram] Fig. 2

Description

The present invention relates to an automatic warehouse that temporarily stocks eggs stored in trays, for example.

Known as an automated warehouse for storing eggs temporarily, a stacker crane is used to automatically store eggs in a predetermined position on a storage shelf in a state where a plurality of trays containing eggs are stacked. Yes.

In automatic warehouses used in fields other than eggs, a plurality of storage items are put together in a car (an example of a storage rack), and each car is stored on a storage shelf in the automatic warehouse with a stacker crane. Yes (see, for example, Patent Document 1 below). By using the car, the workability is improved as compared with the case where the stored items are individually stored in the storage shelves.

In recent years, the handling amount of eggs required for automatic warehouses has increased, and it is considered to apply the technique as described in Patent Document 1 to eggs. Specifically, after the selected eggs are packed into the tray from the distribution conveyor, they are loaded into the car cart automatically or manually on the downstream side thereof. Carry this car to the automatic warehouse storage station and store it. When the car is taken out from the automatic warehouse, the car is brought out to the delivery station, and then the car is manually moved from the automatic warehouse to a place where eggs are packed.

Japanese Patent No. 4256718

In the series of operations described above, manpower required for moving the car and its labor cost, equipment necessary for moving the car, and its cost have become problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic warehouse that can automatically carry out the work required for accommodating the entire storage rack in a storage shelf without human intervention.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention takes the following measures. That is, the automatic warehouse according to claim 1 is an automatic warehouse including a plurality of storage shelves arranged along the path of the stacker crane, and each of the storage shelves can be loaded with a plurality of trays containing eggs. A storage rack is placed, and the tray is loaded into the storage rack while the storage rack is stored in at least one storage shelf, or the tray is unloaded from the storage rack. It is characterized by performing work.

The automatic warehouse according to claim 2 is the automatic warehouse according to claim 1, wherein the storage rack is used only in an internal space partitioned by the plurality of storage shelves.

The automatic warehouse according to claim 3 is the automatic warehouse according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a transfer device on the warehousing side for loading the tray loaded into the warehousing station into the receiving rack, and the warehousing station and the warehousing The transfer device on the side is provided on the storage shelf.

The automatic warehouse according to claim 4 is the automatic warehouse according to claim 1, 2, or 3, further comprising an unloading-side transfer device for unloading the tray that is unloaded from the unloading station from the receiving rack, The station and the transfer device on the exit side are provided on the storage shelf.

The automatic warehouse according to claim 5 is the automatic warehouse according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the accommodation rack is surrounded by a rack side wall except for an open surface for taking in and out the tray from a side. The stacker crane includes side walls on both sides in a direction of movement along the storage shelf, and the side walls close the open surface of the storage rack when the storage rack is moved. A receiving rack is arranged.

The automatic warehouse according to claim 6 is a stacker crane type automatic warehouse having a plurality of storage shelves arranged along a path of the stacker crane, and stores the items in the storage warehouse when the goods are stored in the storage shelf. An inspection in which at least one storage shelf is inspected for an empty storage rack, wherein the article is placed on or stored in a storage rack having a multilayer structure used only in a space and stored in the storage shelf. A station.

Here, the “article” may be anything as long as it can be accommodated in a multi-layered accommodation rack, and is not limited to eggs.

The automatic warehouse according to claim 7 is the automatic warehouse according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of the inspection stations are provided, and the stacker crane on which the storage rack is placed on one inspection station is The inspected storage rack stored in another inspection station located in the vicinity of the inspection station is taken out from the other inspection station.

The automatic warehouse according to claim 8 is the automatic warehouse according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the storage rack is washed at the inspection station.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the automatic warehouse which can implement automatically the operation | work required when accommodating the whole storage rack in a storage shelf can be provided irrespective of a hand.

The top view which shows typically the automatic warehouse concerning 1st embodiment of this invention. The top view which shows typically the principal part of the automatic warehouse of the embodiment. The perspective view which shows typically the principal part of the transfer equipment by the side of warehousing of the embodiment. The side view which shows typically the principal part of the transfer equipment by the side of warehousing of the embodiment. The perspective view which shows typically the principal part of the transfer apparatus by the side of the delivery of the embodiment. The front view which shows typically the principal part of the transfer apparatus by the side of the delivery of the embodiment. The perspective view which shows the storage rack for automatic warehouses of the embodiment. The figure explaining operation | movement of the automatic warehouse of the embodiment. The figure explaining operation | movement of the automatic warehouse of the embodiment. The figure explaining operation | movement of the automatic warehouse of the embodiment. The top view which shows typically the automatic warehouse concerning 2nd embodiment of this invention. The figure explaining operation | movement of the automatic warehouse of the embodiment. The figure explaining operation | movement of the automatic warehouse of the embodiment. The perspective view which shows the accommodation rack of the modification of this invention. The top view which shows typically the automatic warehouse of the modification of this invention.

Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The automatic warehouse 1 according to this embodiment is for temporarily storing the eggs E that have passed through the sorting and collecting apparatus 4.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the sorting and collecting apparatus 4 includes a supply conveyor (not shown) that conveys the eggs E in the X direction, and a distribution conveyor 41 that conveys the eggs E in the Y direction perpendicular to the supply conveyor. With. The eggs E transported by the distribution conveyor 41 are sorted and gathered at predetermined sorting and gathering locations 42 for each equal class and filled in the tray T. The distribution conveyor 41 is, for example, a single-row conveyor, and separates and discharges the eggs E toward a bucket (not shown) at a predetermined position on the transport path of the distribution conveyor 41, and the eggs E are Here, it is accommodated in the tray T.

The trays T containing the eggs E are stacked in a plurality of stages using the well-known stacking apparatus 5. A stack of stacked trays (hereinafter referred to as “stacked tray S” or “tray S” in the present specification. It is conveyed to the automatic warehouse 1 by the warehousing conveyor 6 which conveys from the place 42 to the next process. The warehousing conveyors 6 are provided corresponding to the respective collecting sections, and the conveyance path of each warehousing conveyor 6 and the conveyance direction (Y direction) of the distribution conveyor 41 are orthogonal to each other.

The automatic warehouse 1 receives the tray S containing the eggs E from the warehousing conveyor 6 and temporarily stores the tray S. This automatic warehouse 1 has a structure partitioned by a wall 11, and includes a plurality of storage shelves 16 arranged in the internal space 12 along the path 14 of the stacker crane 13. In the automatic warehouse 1, a pair of fixed racks 1 </ b> A and 1 </ b> B provided with a large number of storage shelves 16 in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction are arranged on both sides of the travel path 14 of the stacker crane 13.

The storage racks 16 of the fixed racks 1A and 1B are placed with the storage racks 9 on which a plurality of trays S storing the eggs E can be loaded.

The storage rack 16 of the fixed rack 1 </ b> A has a storage station 17 that receives the trays S transported from the storage conveyors 6, and a transfer on the storage side that loads the trays S loaded into the storage station 17 into the storage rack 9. A device 2 is provided. As shown in FIG. 1, the warehousing station 17 is formed across two adjacent storage shelves 16, and the storage rack 9 for loading the trays S and the warehousing side transfer in this one space. A mounting device 2 is arranged. The tray S is loaded into the storage rack 9 in a state where the storage rack 9 is stored in the storage station 17 which is also the storage rack 16 of the fixed rack 1A. In FIG. 1, the warehousing station is colored.

The transfer device 2 on the warehousing side is a device (rack-in) that automatically stuffs the tray S into the storage rack 9. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the transfer device 2 on the warehousing side of the present embodiment includes a loading table 22 into which trays S stacked from the loading conveyor 21 connected to the warehousing conveyor 6 are sent, The elevator 23 that moves up and down to a height corresponding to each stage of the storage rack 9 together with the loading table 22 and the loading that pushes the stacked trays S stacked on the loading table 22 toward the storage rack 9 side. The arm 24 is mainly configured. In FIG. 2 and FIGS. 8 to 10, the placement location of the transfer device 2 on the warehousing side is indicated by hatching.

The storage rack 16 of the fixed rack 1 </ b> B has a delivery station 18 that waits for a tray S that contains eggs E to be sent to the next process, and a delivery side that unloads the tray S that is delivered from the delivery station 18 from the accommodation rack 9. A transfer device 3 is provided. As shown in FIG. 1, the delivery station 18 is formed over three adjacent storage shelves 16, and in this one space, an accommodation rack 9 for unloading the tray S, and this The unloading-side transfer device 3 is arranged so as to sandwich the accommodation rack 9 therebetween. An operation of unloading the tray S from the storage rack 9 is performed in a state where the storage rack 9 is stored in the delivery station 18 which is also the storage rack 16 of the fixed rack 1B. In FIG. 1, the delivery station is shown with a color.

The unloading-side transfer device 3 is a device (rack out) that automatically pushes out the tray S from the storage rack 9 as disclosed in, for example, JP-A-2002-104661. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the transfer device 3 on the unloading side of the present embodiment includes a receiving table 31 that receives the trays S stacked from the receiving rack 9, and a receiving rack toward the receiving table 31. 9 corresponds to each stage of the receiving rack 9 together with the receiving table 31 and the extrusion side elevator 33 that moves up and down to the height corresponding to each stage of the receiving rack 9 together with the pushing arm 32. A receiving elevator 34 that moves up and down to a height, a discharge arm 35 that transfers a plurality of trays S placed on the receiving table 31 to the carry-out conveyor 36 side, and receives the tray S from the receiving table 31 and transfers it to the next process. The carry-out conveyor 36 is mainly used. In FIG. 2 and FIGS. 8 to 10, the arrangement location of the transfer device 3 on the unloading side is indicated by hatching.

The automatic warehouse 1 of the present embodiment includes a plurality of warehousing stations 17 and a plurality of warehousing stations 18, and the equal class of eggs E handled by the warehousing / unloading stations 17 and 18 can be individually set.

As shown in FIG. 7, the storage rack 9 has a multilayer structure in which a plurality of stacked trays S can be placed. The storage rack 9 of the present embodiment is used only in the internal space 12 partitioned by the plurality of storage shelves 16. The storage rack 9 is configured by a rack side wall 92 except for an open surface 91 for taking in and out the stacked trays S from the side, and a fork (not shown) of the stacker crane 13 is provided on the lower surface side. An insertion port 93 that can be inserted is formed.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 8 to 10, the stacker crane 13 is used to transfer the storage rack 9 from one storage shelf 16 of the fixed racks 1 </ b> A and 1 </ b> B to another storage shelf 16. Is. The stacker crane 13 can move along the traveling path 14 arranged so as to be parallel to the transport path of the distribution conveyor 41, and can also move up and down. The stacker crane 13 includes side walls 15 on both sides in the direction of movement along the storage shelf 16, so that the open surface 91 of the storage rack 9 is blocked by the side walls 15 when the storage rack 9 is moved. The accommodation rack 9 is arranged.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the automatic warehouse 1 described above is connected to a delivery conveyor 7 (partially including a carry-out conveyor 36) for conveying the delivered tray S. An equal class egg E can be taken out from the automatic warehouse 1. In the present embodiment, a transfer device 8 for refilling is provided on the downstream side of the delivery conveyor 7 to load the trays S stacked in the transporting rack 9. Since the transfer device 8 for refilling has the same configuration as the transfer device 2 on the warehousing side described above, detailed description thereof is omitted.

In addition, you may provide the packaging means which transfers the egg E accommodated in the tray T to a predetermined packaging container in the downstream of the delivery conveyor 7. FIG. As the packaging means, various types well known in this field called so-called repackers can be applied.

The automatic warehouse 1 is controlled by a control device (not shown). The control device is a microcomputer system having a processor, a memory, an input interface, an output interface, and the like.

Hereinafter, an example of the operation of the automatic warehouse 1 controlled by the control device will be described with reference to FIGS.

First, an empty storage rack stored in one storage shelf (not shown) is transferred to the storage station 17 using the stacker crane 13 as shown in FIG. When the storage rack 9 is moved by the stacker crane 13, the storage rack 9 is arranged so that the side wall 15 of the stacker crane 13 closes the open surface 91 of the storage rack 9. When the storage rack 9 enters the warehousing station 17, the open surface 91 of the storage rack 9 faces the loading table 22 of the transfer device 2 on the warehousing side, and the rack side wall 92 is placed on the inner side (front side) of the automatic warehouse 1. One faces.

After this operation, or in parallel with this operation, for example, the tray T containing 30 M-sized eggs E is stacked in six stages by the stacking device 5 from the storage conveyor 6 to the automatic warehouse. It is received into 1. At that time, the stacked trays S are stacked one by one on the loading table 22 of the transfer device 2 on the warehousing side provided in the warehousing station 17. When four stacks of stacked trays S are assembled, the elevator 23 moves to a height corresponding to the stage of the storage rack 9 to be loaded this time. Then, the loading arm 24 pushes the tray S toward the storage rack 9, whereby the loading of the tray S into the storage rack 9 is completed. Then, as shown in FIG. 9, this operation is repeated until each stage of the storage rack 9 is filled with the tray S.

Next, as shown in FIG. 10, using the stacker crane 13, the storage rack 9 loaded with the tray S in the storage station 17 is transferred to another storage shelf (not shown). When the storage rack 9 is moved by the stacker crane 13, the storage rack 9 is arranged so that the side wall 15 of the stacker crane 13 closes the open surface 91 of the storage rack 9. When the storage rack 9 enters another storage shelf, the open surface 91 of the storage rack 9 faces the side frame of the storage shelf 16, and one of the rack side walls 92 faces the inside (front side) of the automatic warehouse 1.

The above is an example of the movement when warehousing. Next, an example of the movement when leaving the store will be described.

First, the storage rack in a state where the trays stored in other storage shelves are loaded is transferred to the delivery station 18 using the stacker crane 13 and is in a state as shown in FIG. In addition, the arrangement | positioning method of the accommodation rack 9 on the stacker crane 13 is the same as that of what was described previously. When the storage rack 9 enters the unloading station 18, the open surface 91 of the storage rack 9 faces the receiving table 31 of the transfer device 3 on the unloading side, and the rack side wall 92 is placed on the inner side (front side) of the automatic warehouse 1. One faces.

After this operation, the push-out arm 32 and the receiving table 31 are moved to a height corresponding to the stage of the receiving rack 9 to be unloaded at this time by the push-out side elevator 33 and the receiving side elevator 34, respectively. Then, the push-out arm 32 pushes the tray S four by four toward the receiving table 31 side, whereby the unloading of the tray S from the accommodation rack 9 is completed. Then, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, this operation is repeated until the trays S at each stage of the storage rack 9 are exhausted. In addition, what is necessary is just to move the storage rack 9 which became empty from the delivery station 18 to another storage shelf using the stacker crane 13. FIG.

The four trays S placed on the receiving table 31 are pushed out to the carry-out conveyor 36 (ship conveyor 7) side by the pay-out arm 35, and discharged from the automatic warehouse 1 in a state of being stacked in six stages.

As described above, the automatic warehouse 1 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of storage shelves 16 arranged along the path 14 of the stacker crane 13, and each of the storage shelves 16 accommodates eggs E. The storage rack 9 on which the plurality of trays S can be loaded is placed, and the storage rack 9 is stored in at least one storage shelf 16 (the storage station 17 / the storage station 18). The operation of loading S into the storage rack 9 and the operation of unloading the tray S from the storage rack 9 are performed.

As a result, the empty storage rack 9 to be loaded is supplied to the receiving station 17 (storage shelf 16) and the storage rack 9 to be unloaded is supplied to the delivery station 18 (storage shelf 16). The work can be performed using a stacker crane 13 provided in the automatic warehouse 1. In addition, the operation of storing the storage rack 9 that has finished the loading operation into the predetermined storage shelf 16 and the operation of storing the empty storage rack 9 that has finished the unloading operation into the predetermined storage shelf 16 are also performed on the stacker crane 13. Can be used.

That is, by effectively utilizing the stacker crane 13 in the automatic warehouse 1, work that has conventionally been performed manually (for example, a transfer device on the warehousing side (rack-in) or a transfer device on the unloading side (rack-out)). ), A work of supplying a predetermined car (accommodating rack), a work of transporting a car with a tray loaded thereon into an automatic warehouse, and a work of taking it out from the automatic warehouse and carrying it). As a result, it is possible to reduce the manpower required to move the car and its labor costs, as well as the equipment and costs required to move the car.

The storage rack 9 is used only in the internal space 12 partitioned by the plurality of storage shelves 16. Therefore, the inside of the automatic warehouse 1 can be kept hygienic, which is particularly preferable when handling foods called eggs E. Further, it is possible to save the trouble of replenishment from the outside of the storage rack 9 for entering the warehousing station 17 and collecting the storage rack 9 discharged from the warehousing station 18.

A warehousing transfer device 2 for loading the tray S loaded into the warehousing station 17 into the storage rack 9 is provided, and the warehousing station 17 and the warehousing transfer device 2 are provided on the storage shelf 16. . Therefore, the tray S can be loaded on the storage rack 9 that opens laterally with respect to the storage shelf 16. In addition, by storing the main part of the transfer device 2 on the warehousing side inside the wall 11 of the automatic warehouse 1, it is possible to effectively arrange the equipment in the GP center and reduce the total occupied area. It helps.

The unloading side transfer device 3 for unloading the tray S discharged from the unloading station 18 from the storage rack 9 is provided, and the unloading station 18 and the unloading side transfer device 3 are provided on the storage shelf 16. Yes. Therefore, similarly to the warehousing side, the tray S can be lowered from the storage rack 9 that opens laterally with respect to the storage shelf 16. Moreover, by storing the main part of the transfer-side transfer device 3 on the inner side of the wall 11 of the automatic warehouse 1, it is possible to effectively arrange the equipment in the GP center and reduce the total occupied area. It helps.

The storage rack 9 is configured by a rack side wall 92 except for an open surface 91 for taking in and out the tray S from the side, and the stacker crane 13 is arranged to move along the storage shelf 16. Side walls 15 are provided on both sides, and the storage rack 9 is disposed so that the side walls 15 close the open surfaces 91 of the storage rack 9 when the storage rack 9 is moved.

This accommodation rack 9 accommodates articles that are not highly stable such as stacked trays S, and handles a large amount of eggs E that are easily broken by a plurality of shelves. For this reason, when an unusual movement occurs, the tray T may fall from the open surface 91. However, according to the arrangement of the storage rack 9 as in the present embodiment, even if the moving speed of the stacker crane 13 is increased or the movement suddenly stops in the event of an emergency such as a power failure, the trays are opened from the open surface 91. T can be prevented from falling.

Furthermore, since the automatic warehouse 1 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of the warehousing stations 17 and the warehousing stations 18, the processing amount of the eggs E that are admitted into and out of the automatic warehouse 1 can be dramatically increased. Needless to say, the stacker crane 13 can perform operations on the other storage shelves 16 during the loading operation to the storage rack 9 or the unloading operation from the storage rack 9.

In addition, due to the nature of the eggs E, there is a limit to the number of trays T that can be stacked, but since the storage rack 9 has a multi-layer structure, more space is available on the storage rack 9 for more eggs E. Can be loaded.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The automatic warehouse 1 according to this embodiment has the same basic configuration as the automatic warehouse 1 of the first embodiment described above, except that some storage shelves 16 are used as inspection stations 19a and 19b. In the present embodiment, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

The automatic warehouse 1 according to the present embodiment is of a stacker crane type including a plurality of storage shelves 16 arranged along the path 14 of the stacker crane 13, and when the eggs E are stored in the storage shelves 16, The egg E is placed on or stored in the multi-layered storage rack 9 used only in the internal space 12 of the automatic warehouse 1 and stored in the storage shelf 16, and at least one storage shelf 16 is Inspection stations 19a and 19b for inspecting the empty storage rack 9 are used. Specifically, the two storage shelves 16 at the end of one fixed rack 1B are used as first and second inspection stations 19a and 19b, respectively. That is, a plurality of inspection stations 19a and 19b are provided adjacent to each other on the left and right.

Each inspection station 19a, 19b is in a state in which a plurality of trays S containing eggs E are unloaded, that is, in an empty state, and visually, the storage rack 9 is attached with dirt, damaged, deformed, etc. This is a place for inspection using an inspection device (not shown).

As an example of visual inspection, a function that informs the worker that the storage rack 9 has been carried into the inspection stations 19a and 19b with a buzzer, a chime lamp, and the like, and the worker accommodates the inspection stations 19a and 19b. With the rack 9 mounted or with the storage rack 9 carried out from the inspection stations 19a and 19b, the storage rack 9 is inspected for dirt, damage, deformation, etc., and cleaned and disinfected. What is necessary is just to add the function to notify that the accommodation rack 9 which was inspected after being carried is placed on the inspection stations 19a and 19b.

Next, an example of operation | movement of the automatic warehouse 1 of this embodiment is demonstrated, referring FIG.12 and FIG.13. In the present embodiment, the stacker crane 13 moves the receiving rack 9 into the inspection stations 19a and 19b, or moves the receiving rack 9 from the inspection stations 19a and 19b. The movement to take out is added.

Whether or not the storage rack 9 that has finished unloading all the trays S from the delivery station 18 is moved from the delivery station 18 to the inspection stations 19a and 19b using the stacker crane 13 is determined. Specifically, the control device of the automatic warehouse 1 records the usage frequency of the storage rack 9, and the number of times the tray S is loaded and unloaded on the storage rack 9 is a predetermined number (for example, 5 times or 10 times). Etc.), the storage rack 9 is controlled to move to the inspection stations 19a and 19b. On the other hand, the storage rack 9 is moved to a normal storage shelf 16 (other than the inspection stations 19a and 19b) if the number is less than a predetermined number. To control. Of course, the usage frequency of the storage rack 9 may be recorded by attaching a barcode, RFID, or the like to the storage rack 9.

Then, the stacker crane 13 on which the storage rack 9 is placed on one inspection station 19b has the storage rack 9 that has been inspected stored in another inspection station 19a located in the vicinity of the one inspection station 19b. It is controlled to take out from the other inspection station 19a. Specifically, first, the first inspection station 19a stores the storage rack 9 that can be used after the inspection and the like, and the second inspection station 19b located next to the storage rack 9 is empty. From that state, the stacker crane 13 carries the storage rack 9 that has to be inspected (the tray S has been loaded and unloaded a predetermined number of times) and is placed on the second inspection station 19b as shown in FIG. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 13, the stacker crane 13 moves to take out the storage rack 9 in the first inspection station 19 a, and then is moved to another storage shelf 16.

The storage rack 9 placed on the second inspection station 19b waits at the second inspection station 19b as it is after a predetermined inspection or the like is performed. Then, after the accommodation rack 9 that needs to be inspected is placed on the first inspection station 19 a, it is taken out from the second inspection station 19 b and moved to another storage shelf 16.

If it is determined that continuous use is difficult even after cleaning due to damage or severe contamination as a result of a predetermined inspection at the inspection stations 19a and 19b, the stacker crane 13 removes the inspection station from the inspection stations 19a and 19b. , Once controlled to go out of the automatic warehouse 1. In this case, if a spare storage rack is inserted instead of the storage rack 9 placed outside the automatic warehouse 1, the total number of storage racks 9 used only in the internal space 12 of the automatic warehouse 1 is not changed. Can continue the normal use circulation.

As described above, the automatic warehouse 1 according to the present embodiment is similar to the first embodiment in that the storage rack 9 is used as a unit for entering the automatic warehouse 1, leaving the automatic warehouse 1, and Since the storage on the storage shelf 16 of the automatic warehouse 1 is performed, the processing capacity of the stacker crane type automatic warehouse 1 can be improved, and the following effects can also be obtained.

Of the stacker crane type automatic warehouse 1 provided with a plurality of storage shelves 16 arranged along the path 14 of the stacker crane 13, only the internal space 12 of the automatic warehouse 1 is stored when the eggs E are stored in the storage shelf 16. The egg E is placed or accommodated in the multi-layered storage rack 9 used in the above and stored in the storage shelf 16, and at least one of the storage racks 16 is placed in the empty storage rack 9. Since the inspection stations 19a and 19b to be inspected are used, the operation of transporting the storage rack 9 to be inspected to the inspection stations 19a and 19b can be performed using the stacker crane 13 provided in the automatic warehouse 1. Along with this, it is possible to reduce facilities and costs required for managing the timing of taking out and inspecting the dirt of the storage rack 9 outside the automatic warehouse 1.

More specifically, the storage rack 9 that is used only in the internal space 12 of the automatic warehouse 1 as in the present embodiment will become dirty, damaged, deformed, etc. unless an opportunity to take it out of the automatic warehouse 1 is actively provided. Is hard to find. In particular, when the object stored in the storage rack 9 is an egg E as in this embodiment, the contents of the cracked egg E may leak and the storage rack 9 may be contaminated. If the inspection stations 19a and 19b that inspect at predetermined timings as in the present embodiment are provided, it is preferable because the accommodation rack 9 used only in the internal space 12 can be always kept in an appropriate state.

A plurality of the inspection stations 19a and 19b are provided, and the stacker crane 13 in which the storage rack 9 is placed on one inspection station 19b is another inspection station located in the vicinity of the one inspection station 19b. Control is performed so that the inspected storage rack 9 stored in 19a is taken out from the other inspection station 19a. Therefore, wasteful movement of the stacker crane 13 can be eliminated, and the operating rate is not reduced.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above.

As another example of the accommodation rack, the one shown in FIG. 14 can be considered. That is, a caster may be attached to the lower portion, and various changes such as the number of trays that can be accommodated and the number of shelves can be made. Further, the storage rack may not be provided with a fixed shelf, and may be formed in a multilayer structure via a divider or the like that can be arranged at a desired position. In FIG. 14, the same reference numerals are given to portions corresponding to the storage rack of the present embodiment. The rack side wall may be anything as long as it partitions the inside and outside of the rack, and includes a frame-shaped one as illustrated. Further, the storage rack is not limited to a dedicated one in the automatic warehouse. Further, when the storage rack is stored in the storage shelf, the open surface may be directed to the wall side of the automatic warehouse (the back side of the storage shelf when viewed from the stacker crane).

In the above-described embodiment, both the storage shelf on the warehousing side for loading the tray into the storage rack and the storage shelf on the warehousing side for unloading the tray from the storage rack are provided, but only one of them is provided. It may be. When only the storage shelf on the warehousing side is provided, the goods can be delivered from a delivery station other than the storage shelf, and when only the storage shelf on the delivery side is provided, the goods can be received from an entry station other than the storage shelf. .

The storage shelf on the warehousing side and the storage shelf on the warehousing side may be provided at an end of a fixed rack.

The number and arrangement of the fixed racks in the automatic warehouse that form the storage shelves are not limited to those illustrated.

The transfer device on the warehousing side may be any device as long as the operation of loading the tray onto the storage rack can be performed, and is not limited to the illustrated one. Similarly, the unloading side transfer device may be any device as long as the operation of unloading the tray from the rack can be performed, and is not limited to the illustrated one. Part or all of the loading / unloading side transfer device may be arranged outside a storage shelf or an automatic warehouse.

Eggs stored in an automatic warehouse may be eggs (raw eggs before being sorted) filled by a filling device called a so-called farm packer in addition to eggs sorted by a sorting and collecting device called a so-called grader. Good.

The warehousing station may include a conveyor for moving the storage rack in the depth direction of the storage shelf. If it is such, the position of the accommodation rack for receiving a tray from the loading-side transfer equipment can be adjusted. Similarly, if the delivery station includes a conveyor for moving the storage rack in the depth direction of the storage shelf, the position of the storage rack for delivering the tray to the transfer device on the delivery side can be adjusted. .

The inspection station may perform only a part of the above-described inspection or the like, and the arrangement method thereof can be variously changed. That is, it may be provided in a place other than the end of the rack of the automatic warehouse, or only one may be provided. Even when a plurality of inspection stations are provided, the inspection stations do not need to be provided adjacent to each other.

For example, it is conceivable to place inspection stations on storage shelves facing each other across a stacker crane. That is, if one inspection station is provided in the storage shelf of one rack and another inspection station is provided in the storage shelf of the other rack located in the vicinity of this storage shelf, the containing rack is provided in one inspection station. There is no need to run the stacker crane between the loading operation and the operation of taking out the inspected storage rack from another inspection station, and a more efficient movement can be achieved.

As another example, as shown in FIG. 15, three inspection stations 19 a, 19 b, 19 c may be arranged side by side, and one of the three is a cleaning device ( A specialized inspection station (not shown) may be provided. If this is the case, the stacker crane 13 is used only for the storage rack that needs to be cleaned based on the inspection results at the first and second inspection stations 19a and 19b for inspection. What is necessary is just to move to the 3rd inspection station 19c, and after washing | cleaning, it is moved again from the 3rd inspection station 19c to the 1st or 2nd inspection station 19a, 19b using the stacker crane 13. That's fine. That is, since the storage rack is cleaned in the inspection station 19c which is also such a storage shelf 16, the storage rack can be taken in and out using the existing stacker crane 13.

As the cleaning apparatus, for example, in the cleaning chamber surrounding the entire storage rack, cleaning liquid is sprayed from the cleaning liquid nozzle to clean the storage rack, and then air is sprayed from the air nozzle to perform drying. Various things known in the field can be applied.

Furthermore, the inspection station is provided regardless of the arrangement and number of the warehousing stations and the evacuation stations other than those shown in the figure. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, the warehousing station 17 and the warehousing station 18 are fixed racks 1A and 1B. The automatic warehouse 1 provided at the end of each may be provided with inspection stations 19a, 19b, 19c.

The embodiment disclosed this time is an example, and the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the scope described above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

The present invention can be used in an automatic warehouse that temporarily stocks eggs stored in a tray.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Automatic warehouse 12 ... Internal space 16 ... Storage shelf 17 ... Warehouse station 18 ... Shipping station 19a, 19b ... Inspection station 13 ... Stacker crane 14 ... (stacker crane) path 15 ... (stacker crane) side wall 2 ... Warehouse side Transfer device 3 ... transfer device 9 on the delivery side ... storage rack 91 ... open surface 92 ... rack side wall E ... egg T ... tray

Claims (8)

An automatic warehouse comprising a plurality of storage shelves arranged along a path of a stacker crane,
Each of the storage shelves is placed with a storage rack on which a plurality of trays storing eggs can be loaded, and the storage rack is stored in at least one of the storage shelves. An automatic warehouse characterized in that an operation of loading a tray or an operation of unloading the tray from the storage rack is performed. The automatic storage according to claim 1, wherein the storage rack is used only in an internal space partitioned by the plurality of storage shelves. The warehousing side transfer device which loads the tray carried in the warehousing station into the storage rack is provided, and the warehousing station and the warehousing side transfer device are provided on the storage shelf. Automatic warehouse. A loading device for unloading the tray that is unloaded from the unloading station from the storage rack is provided, and the unloading station and the unloading device are provided on the storage shelf. 3 automatic warehouse. The accommodation rack is a side wall surrounded by a rack side wall except for an open surface for taking in and out the tray from the side.
The stacker crane has side walls on both sides in a direction of moving along the storage shelf, and the storage rack is arranged so that the side wall closes an open surface of the storage rack when the storage rack is moved. The automatic warehouse according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4. Among stacker crane type automatic warehouses having a plurality of storage shelves arranged along the path of the stacker crane, housing a multilayer structure that is used only in the internal space of the automatic warehouse when storing articles on the storage shelf The article is placed or accommodated in a rack and stored in the storage shelf,
An automatic warehouse in which at least one of the storage shelves is used as an inspection station for inspecting an empty storage rack. A plurality of the inspection stations are provided,
The stacker crane having the storage rack placed on one inspection station takes out the inspection rack stored in another inspection station located in the vicinity of the one inspection station from the other inspection station. Item 6. The automatic warehouse according to item 6. The automatic warehouse according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the storage rack is cleaned in the inspection station.

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