JPH04361918A - Sorting device and picking method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:A sorting device capable of easily sorting and classifying articles and furthermore taking out a desired article selectively from the sorted and classified articles, and picking method. CONSTITUTION:This sorting device is provided with a carrier line 3 capable of circulating carriage of articles, a carry-in area to input the articles in this carrier line 3, a storage area 15 with a plural number of rows of stock zones free to store the articles carried by the carrier line 3 arranged in parallel, a recarry-in line 2 to recarry the articles in the storage area 15 in the aforementioned carrier line 3, a take-out zone 7 with a plural number of chutes to take out the articles from the carrier line 3 arranged in parallel and a control device 9 to control carriage of the articles. This is a sorting device to supply all the articles in the stock zones to the carrier line at the time when the aforementioned articles in the storage area are taken out, to take out only a desired article from all the articles and discharge it to the take-out zone and to return the rest of the articles to the storage area. Additionally, this is a picking method to take out a specified article by selecting a handling symbol by way of corresponding the corresponding handling symbol to an alignment position of the articles in the storage zone.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a sorting device and a picking method while transporting articles, and in particular, to automatically classify articles that have been categorized and displayed according to specific items, and to select a desired item from among these categories. The present invention relates to a sorting device and a picking method that can take out articles.

0002

[Background Art] Conventionally, in a wide range of fields such as warehouses, distribution centers, manufacturing plants, etc., in many cases, goods are sorted in order to distinguish the types and classifications of goods and improve the efficiency of their delivery and manufacturing. Work is being done. Naturally, this sorting work becomes more complex, complicated, and difficult as the number of items used as sorting elements increases.

[0003] One of the fields in which there are many sorting factors is the laundry industry. In this cleaning business, for example, there are many types of clothing that customers request (generally, the requested items are not limited to clothing, but for convenience, in this specification, clothing is used), and depending on the fabric, Not only do the washing methods differ, but it is also necessary to change the washing method and washing tank depending on the degree of dirt. In addition, in order to carry out the process from a customer's request to the return of goods (laundry) to the customer without any delay, it is necessary to distinguish between the customers who have made the request and to perform customer service promptly.

On the other hand, in conventional cleaning factories, the types of clothes requested to be washed are given an identification number, and after cleaning, the clothes are placed on a hanger trolley or on a cleaning line for each washing tank, for example. It is also carried out by hanging it on other holding means and transporting it to a sorting place by a transport system such as a ceiling conveyor. In conventional sorting work, workers often identify the clothes being transported, manually remove them, and then transfer them to other rails, store them, or group them by destination. . In addition, in order to improve work efficiency, manual sorting can be replaced with automatic sorting to some extent, but most of the work currently relies on manual labor.

[0005] In the above-mentioned cleaning industry, in a cleaning factory, for example, in a specific washing tank, clothes of a certain category are grouped together in a random state, regardless of the customer unit, that is, by item and handling counter. In addition, since cleaning is performed regardless of the customer, it not only takes a lot of manpower and effort to return it to the state it was in when requested, but it also requires a lot of manual intervention, so cleaning is difficult. There was also a problem.

[0006]

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] As described above, since the sorting work in the above-mentioned series of cleaning processes currently relies largely on manual labor, it is an object of the invention to further improve work efficiency and work accuracy. That was what was hoped for. In addition, this sorting is generally done by rearranging the identification numbers in the order of their numbers, but as the number of handling points and customer range expands, the operating equipment of the cleaning factory becomes larger, and this equipment becomes larger. Along with the
The number of identification numbers has become extremely large, and much of the sorting process has been done manually, which has become a more serious problem as the scale of operation increases.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to be able to easily sort articles to which consecutive identification numbers have been attached, for example, without relying on human labor for complicated sorting work, and to further sort desired articles from among the sorted and classified articles. A sorting device that can selectively take out items and a picking method using the device.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The above-mentioned problems related to the present invention have been solved by: a conveyance line capable of circulating and conveying articles while suspending them via a hanging member; a carry-in area into which the articles are thrown into the conveyance line; a storage area having a plurality of rows of stock zones arranged in parallel that can arbitrarily store the articles conveyed on the conveyance line; and a re-carrying line for conveying the articles in the storage area to the conveyance line again; A take-out zone in which a plurality of chutes for taking out the articles from the conveyance line are arranged in parallel, and a control device for controlling conveyance of the articles, and when taking out the articles in the storage area, the stock zone The present invention is solved by a sorting device that supplies all the articles to the transport line, discharges only the desired articles out of all the articles to the take-out zone, and returns the other articles to the storage area. Moreover, the usefulness of the sorting device is further increased by providing a plurality of branch stock sections in the stock zone in the storage area.

[0009] A similar problem of the present invention is the sorting device characterized in that a handling symbol is associated with the arrangement position of the articles in the storage area, and a specific article is taken out by selecting the handling symbol. This can be solved by a picking method using

0010

[Function] A plurality of stock zones where articles can be stocked in parallel are provided on the main conveyance line, and articles can be freely transferred between the conveyance line and the stock zones. With this configuration, each desired group of articles can be divided into stock zones by identifying the article's identification number. Then, by storing each identification number of each item in the control device and managing the arrangement position in a matrix by making this storage information correspond to the storage area, it is easy to take out items for each group. Not only become;
By associating the arrangement position of the articles with a handling symbol used between the customer and the counter, it is possible to take out a specific article (customer's article) from the group by selecting the handling symbol.

Furthermore, by configuring each stock zone to further include a plurality of branch stock sections, the number of articles to be sorted and sorted can be significantly increased. Furthermore, when the stock zones are arranged horizontally, for example, by arranging the branch stock sections of each stock zone in the vertical direction, the storage space for goods can be used efficiently and the amount of storage can be dramatically increased. can be increased.

0012

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The sorting apparatus and picking method of the present invention will be explained below based on one embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to this example.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic plan view of the sorting device of this embodiment. Note that FIG. 2 shows identification numbers attached to articles to be sorted by the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and shows a state in which the identification numbers are randomly arranged. Also, Figure 3
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a process in which articles are arranged in the stock zone in order of identification number.

First, the overall structure of the sorting device 1 of this embodiment will be explained with reference to FIG. 1, and then details will be explained. The sorting device 1 is provided with a main conveyance line 3 capable of circulating and conveying articles 10 while suspending them via hangers 11 shown in FIG. A carry-in area 8 into which articles 10 are introduced into this conveyance line 3
and a plurality of parallel rows of stock zones (A
, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J), a re-carrying line 2 for transporting articles in the storage area 15 again to the transport line 3, A plurality of chutes (7a, 7
b, 7c), and a control device 9 equipped with a host computer and the like that appropriately controls the conveyance of the articles 10.

The above-mentioned retransport line 2 is capable of transporting the articles suspended from the hanger 11 in a fixed direction, and has an endless rope. This reconveying line 2 is constituted by a rope conveyor as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2-138006.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the structure of the re-conveyance line 2 includes a support frame 22 provided to form a conveyance path, and guide rollers 23 and 24 provided above and below this support frame 22. , a transport roller 25 is provided below the lower guide roller 23, and an endless rope 21 guided and supported by these rollers is spanned.

The hanger 11 is suspended from the rope 21 at a position below the support frame 22. The rope 21 is rotationally driven by a drive means such as a motor (not shown), and can transport the article 10 in the direction of arrow A. Further, the retransport line 2 is configured to transport the article 10 between the delivery section 5 on the rear side and the delivery section 4 on the front side of the stock zone.

The article 10 transported by this retransport line 2 is delivered to the transport line 3 at the delivery section 4. A structure that enables this transfer can be configured as shown in FIG. 6, for example.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 6, the hanger 11 conveyed by the rope 21 of the reconveying line 2 is scooped up by a scooping bar 41, and the scooped up hanger 11 is delivered to a hook 32 of the conveying line 3, which will be described later.

The scooping bar 41 has a suitably curved tip, and its base is fixed to one end of a fitting 42 having an L-shaped cross section. The attachment fitting 42 is configured to be rotatable in the vertical direction about the fulcrum 43, but may be configured to be rotatable in the left-right direction. Furthermore, the shape of the mounting fitting 42 is not limited to an L-shape, but may be a U-shaped material having a depth that does not allow the cut-out hanger 11 to be locked, or a vertical plate material. Can be done.

A plunger solenoid 44 operates the fitting 42, and one end of a rod 45 is attached to one end of the fitting 42. Therefore, in the configuration of this embodiment, by driving the plunger solenoid 44, the fitting 42 rotates about the fulcrum 43 so as to move the tip of the scooping bar 41 up and down. When the attachment fitting 42 is urged downward, the tip of the skimming bar 41 is pressed against the side surface of the rope 21 at a slightly oblique position, as clearly shown in FIG.

When the rope 21 continues to be conveyed in the direction of arrow A in this state, the tip enters the inside of the hanger 11 and the hanger 11 passes over the top of the inside of the tip, detaching from the rope 21 and scooping it out. The hanger 11 can be transferred to the bar 41. In some cases, after the tip enters the hanger, the scooping bar 4
1 may be operated so as to rotate slightly upward. Further, the operating structure of the scooping bar 41 is not limited to the illustrated configuration, and may be, for example, a configuration in which the scooping bar moves in the horizontal direction.

The hanger 11 that has been moved onto the scooping bar 41 is lowered toward the base due to the slope of the scooping bar 41. Then, it moves from the scooping bar 41 onto the stock rod 46 and is transferred to the hook 32 of the conveyance line 3.

[0024] The delivery portion 4 may have a structure in which a plurality of devices having the above-mentioned scooping bars 41 are arranged in parallel. The conveyance line 3 is, for example, according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-98
It is composed of a hanger conveyor as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 515 and the like.

The structure of the transport line 3 is such that a rail 31 forms an endless transport path between the rotating parts 3a and 3b at both ends shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, a movable roller 35 is movably provided within the rail 31, and a suspension portion 37 is attached to the rotating shaft of the movable roller 35. A hook 32 is rotatably provided at the lower end of this suspension part 37. A large number of units each having this hook 32 are provided so as to be movable along the rail 31. Note that each unit is conveyed at regular intervals by an endless drive wire 38 fixed to the middle stage of the suspension section 37.

The hook 32 has, for example, an arm 50 above the hook portion of the hanger 11 that protrudes forward of the spindle 51 in the line traveling direction and toward the channel 55. A roller 52 is attached to.

A plate 53 is provided on the lower side of the channel 55 in correspondence with the sorting position, and is rotated about a fulcrum 56 by an air cylinder 54. By rotating upward, this plate 53 pushes up the roller 52 passing therethrough, and as shown in FIG. 9, the hanger 11 hooked on the hook 32 is removed or made easy to remove.

Immediately before the hook 32 is tilted in this manner, a scooping bar 41 having a structure similar to the scooping structure shown in FIG. It can be sorted into

The sorting area of the conveyance line 3 has a plurality of stock zones as described above in which hangers 11 can be stocked in parallel. Carrying the hanger 11 into each stock zone is carried out by a skimming bar 41, and the stock zone can be constructed of a rod member such as a pipe similar to the stock rod 46 shown in FIG. 6, for example. .

Hanger 11 in this stock zone
Although there are no particular limitations on the storage format of the hanger 11, for example, as shown in FIG. Can be positioned. By positioning and holding the hanger 11 in this way, for example, when sending out the hanger 11 again from the stock zone to the reconveying line 2, by rotating the drive roller 62 of the belt 61, the hanger 11 can be moved to a predetermined interval. can be transferred to rope 21.

Furthermore, if the stock rod 46 is configured to be horizontally rotatable in the direction of arrow B, it becomes easy to take out the finally sorted items all at once from the stock zone.

A suitable sensor 6 is provided in the transport line 3 before the stock zone for detecting identification numbers attached to appropriate positions on the articles. Based on the signal detected by this sensor 6, the air cylinder 54 described above
By operating at appropriate timing, the hanger 11 can be sent to a predetermined stock zone.

In this example, the structure shown in FIG. 6 is adopted for the transfer parts 4 and 5 so that automatic transfer is performed, but of course, this transfer can also be performed manually.

Next, a sorting method using the sorting device 1 having the above configuration will be explained. The articles 10 to be sorted are those that have already been washed, and for example, as shown in FIG. Supplied. Note that the identification number in this embodiment is a decimal number, and is 35 numbers with the maximum number being 55 and the minimum number being 01 for convenience.

For convenience of explanation, sorting of 35 items will be explained here. At the transfer section 4, the articles 10 transported by the retransport line 2 are successively moved to the transport line 3 as shown in FIG. The identification number of the moved article 10 is detected by a sensor. This detection performs primary sorting. This primary sorting will be explained with reference to the case where the articles 10 are supplied to the retransport line 2 in the order indicated by the arrows such that the identification numbers (numbers) shown in FIG. 3 start with 35 and end with 12.

[0036] The primary sorting is to identify the ones digit of the identification number. For example, when the article with the identification number 35 is detected by the sensor 6, the scooping mechanism at the stock zone F is activated, and the article 10 with the identification number 35 is carried into the top of the stock zone F. Next, when the article 10 with the identification number 22 is detected by the sensor 6,
The scooping mechanism at stock zone C operates,
The article 10 with the identification number 22 is carried to the top of the stock zone C.

By repeating such sorting 35 times, in stock zone A, numbers with a 0 in the ones digit begin with the identification number 30, and in stock zone B, numbers with a 1 in the ones digit begin with the identification number 01. However, in stock zone C, numbers with identification number 22 at the beginning and the ones digit are 2, in stock zone D, numbers with identification number 13 at the beginning and number 3 in the ones digit, and in stock zone E, numbers with identification number 24 at the beginning. Numbers with a ones digit of 4 are lined up, and in stock zone F, numbers with a ones digit of 5 are all lined up starting with the identification number 35.

[0038] Following the primary sorting, secondary sorting is performed. This secondary sorting provides identification of the tens digit. In this secondary sorting, A
, B, C, D, E, and F are supplied to the retransport line 2 in this order. That is, the articles 10 are supplied in order of decreasing ones digit.

When the articles 10 are thus supplied to the retransport line 2, first, when the article 10 with the identification number 30 is detected by the sensor 6, the scooping mechanism in the stock zone D is activated. , carry in the article 10 with identification number 30 to the top of stock zone D. Next, when the article 10 with the identification number 20 is detected by the sensor 6,
The scooping mechanism at stock zone C operates,
The article 10 with identification number 20 is carried into the stock zone C at the very beginning.

By repeating this sorting 35 times,
The stock zones A, B, C, D, E, and F are arranged in the order of increasing numbers, and the numbers in each stock zone can also be arranged in order of decreasing numbers from the beginning.

[0041] In the final sorting, if the articles 10 hung on the hangers in each stock zone are assigned a two-digit identification number consisting of consecutive numbers for each customer, then they are Work such as returning the product to the customer can be done easily as a single package.

In this embodiment, approximately 35 items 10 were sorted for convenience, but the present invention can be used to classify extremely many types of items, such as those with identification numbers of 3 digits, 4 digits,...n digits. It is possible to carry out sorting. In this case, desired sorting can be achieved by repeating sorting a number of times according to the number of digits.

[0043] To further generalize and explain this concept,
When sorting multiple items with identification numbers,
First, the identification number is sorted to pick out the same number in the lowest digit among the n digits, and then the sorting is repeated n times to pick out the same number in the higher digit. Every time after the sorting is completed, the order of sending out the articles for the next sorting is such that they are sent out to the conveyance line in ascending order within the digits of the identification numbers arranged so far. By performing this step, no matter how many identification numbers there are, it is possible to reliably sort the items into groups arranged in ascending order of identification numbers.

[0044] Also, in this embodiment, the decimal system was used for the identification number, but the present invention is not limited to the decimal system, and any system may be used.
For example, it can be set as appropriate depending on the sorting format based on the number of sorting groups, the number of articles in a group, etc. Further, the identification number is not limited to numbers; for example, alphabets, Greek letters, Greek numerals, bar codes, etc. can be used alone or in combination, and various symbols can be set in different sizes or in an arrangement order.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, there are actually ten stock zones in the storage area 15. Therefore, the arrangement position X of the articles in FIG.
For example, the Japanese syllabary Y representing the handling symbol can be made to correspond to this. A case will be described in which, for example, items ordered as "re", "i", and "ko" are taken out using this handling symbol. Note that all positions of the articles are stored in the host computer of the control device 9.

First, the management number of the article corresponding to "re" is 84, its arrangement is in stock zone I, and its order in the column is β. When a signal to take out this number is input, all the articles (81, 82, 83, 84, 85) in the stock zone I storing articles with this number are fed to the conveyance line 3. Then, the β-th article, number 84, is supplied to the chute 7a and taken out, and the other articles are returned to the stock zone I again.

Next, the article numbered 02 corresponding to "i" and the article numbered 15 corresponding to "ko" are taken out in the same manner as in the case of "re". Note that the article numbered 02 corresponding to "i" is supplied to the chute 7b, and the article numbered 15 corresponding to "ko" is supplied to the chute 7c.

[0048] In this way, by associating the control symbol in the sorting device with the order control number in a generally simple expression such as the alphabetical notation, it is possible to improve the ease of handling goods such as order management. , the versatility of the sorting device 1 can be increased.

In this embodiment, the articles are divided into desired groups and stored in the stock zone, but even if each article is stored randomly, if the address is managed and stored, the above-mentioned method can be applied. Desired items can be taken out without such sorting operations.

In the embodiment described above, each stock zone has one stock rod 46 as shown in FIGS. 7 and 10.
Although the storage rod is configured to store articles, the storage rod may be structured in multiple stages as shown in FIG. 12. In addition, in FIG. 12, the same components as in the previous embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and the explanation thereof will be omitted.

In the configuration of the stock zone shown in FIG. 12, three stock rods 46a, 46b, and 46c are arranged in the vertical direction. This structure differs from the previous embodiment in that a dispensing device 70 that distributes articles to each stock rod and a retracting pawl 80 that transfers articles from this distribution device to each stock rod are provided. do.

The distribution device 70 includes a pair of upper and lower rotary drive units 7.
A suitably flexible member such as a chain 73, which is stretched over the chain 73, is provided, and a hook 75 is provided on an arm member 74 attached to the chain 73 at intervals. Although the chain 73 moves counterclockwise in the figure, it may also move clockwise as needed, as will be described later.

The aforementioned retracting pawl 80 is provided at the entrance of each stock rod 46a, 46b, 46c. The retracting pawl 80 is rotatable around a rotating shaft 81 at the left end of each stock rod in the figure, and is configured to be inclined downward to the left by a stopper 82.

[0054] Therefore, from the conveyance line 3 to the hook 75
The hanger 11 supplied to the stock rod is moved to the stock rod side. And the stock rod 4 that supplies this hanger 11
6b Rotate the chain 73 so that it moves slightly upward. At this time, the tip of the retracting pawl 80 hits the hook portion of the hanger 11 and rotates slightly clockwise, then returns to rotation under its own weight and is held by the stopper 82 . By reversing the chain 73 from this state, the hanger 11 is hooked on the retracting pawl 80 and supplied to the stock rod 46b.

When supplying the articles stored in each stock rod to the rope 21, the drive rollers 62a, 62b, 62c are rotated in the same way as in the previous embodiment, and the belt 61 is moved so that the respective introduction chutes 91, 92 and 93. In addition, each introduction chute 91, 92, 9
3 corresponds to a position slightly shifted in the front-back direction with respect to the rope 21.

By configuring each stock zone to include a plurality of branch stock sections in this manner, the number of articles to be sorted and classified can be significantly increased. In addition, when the stock zones are arranged horizontally, for example, by arranging the branch stock parts of each stock zone in the vertical direction (including cases in which they are arranged in a vertical direction and an inclined direction), it is possible to The storage space can be used efficiently and the amount of storage can be dramatically increased.

In each of the embodiments described above, the storage area 15 is arranged only on one side of the transport line 3, but this storage area can be divided into a plurality of locations and arranged on either the left or right side of the transport line 3. You can also do it. The number of stock zones may also be further increased.

[0058] In the embodiment described above, the article was transferred from one conveyance line to another by an automatic device, but this transfer may be carried out manually.

[0059] In the above embodiments, a device using a hanger conveyor in the apparel industry is described.As stated at the beginning, the present invention is suitable for sorting and finishing semi-finished products in the order of assembly in warehouses, distribution centers, or various manufacturing plants. It can also be widely applied to sorting when packaging products.

[0060]Although the above embodiments have been described regarding sorting in the cleaning industry, the present invention is not limited to this, but can be widely applied to sorting in various other fields. Therefore, it is not limited to the structure of the conveyor line.
It goes without saying that various changes can be made in the configuration of the delivery section, etc.

[0061]

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, the present invention provides a plurality of stock zones in which articles can be stocked in parallel on a conveyance line, and allows articles to be freely delivered between the conveyance line and the stock zones. , it is possible to not only divide the desired group of items into stock zones by identifying the item's identification number, but also store each item's identification number in the control device and use this stored information to correspond to the storage area. By managing the arrangement position in a matrix, it becomes easier to take out the items for each group, and it is also possible to use simple handling symbols for the arrangement position of the items, for example, to be used between customers and counters. By making this compatible, it is possible to improve the ease of handling items such as order management, and increase the versatility of the sorting device.

Furthermore, by configuring each stock zone to further include a plurality of branch stock sections, the number of items to be organized and classified can be significantly increased, thereby increasing the variety of storage formats and their usefulness. Can be done. Further, since the stock zones can be arranged three-dimensionally, the amount of articles stored in the sorting device can be dramatically increased.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a sorting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing identification numbers assigned to articles to be sorted by the sorting device of the present invention, and showing a random arrangement of the identification numbers.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a storage area showing the state of primary sorting using the sorting device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a storage area showing a state of secondary sorting using the sorting device of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of the conveyor.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a main part showing an outline of a transfer portion for moving the hanger from the rope to the conveyance line.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a portion of the transport line and stock zone.

8 is a cross-sectional view of a portion taken along line XX in FIG. 7. FIG.

FIG. 9 is a schematic side view showing a hook part delivery structure during hanger movement from the conveyance line to the stock zone.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a main part showing the hanger holding structure of the stock zone.

FIG. 11 is a correspondence diagram showing the correspondence between the article arrangement of the stock zone and the Japanese alphabet table.

FIG. 12 is a schematic side view showing another embodiment of the stock zone in the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Sorting device 2　Reconveyance line 3 Conveyance line 4, 5 Delivery part 6 Sensor 7 Retrieval area 8 Loading area 9 Control device 10 Articles 11 Hanger 15 Storage area 21 Rope 22 Support frame 23, 24 Guide roller 25 Conveyance roller 31 Rail 32, 75 hook 37 Suspension part 38 Wire 41 Scooping bar 42 Mounting hardware 43 Fulcrum 44 Plunger solenoid 45 Rod 46 Stock rod 50 Arm 51 Support shaft 52 Roller 53 Plate 54 Air cylinder 55 channels 61 Belt 62 Drive roller 70 Distributing device 71, 72 Drive rotating member 73 Chain 74 Arm member 80 Retractable claw 81 Rotation axis 82 Stopper 91, 92, 93 Shoot A~J Stock Zone

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A conveyance line capable of circulating and conveying articles while suspending them via a hanging member; a carry-in area for introducing the articles into the conveyance line; a storage area having a plurality of rows of stock zones arranged in parallel that can be stored in the storage area; a re-loading line for loading the articles in the storage area into the conveyance line again; and a plurality of chutes for taking out the articles from the conveyance line. The apparatus includes retrieval zones arranged in parallel and a control device for controlling the transport of the articles, and when retrieving the articles in the storage area, supplies all the articles in the stock zone to the conveyance line, and A sorting device that discharges only desired articles out of all articles to the take-out zone and returns other articles to the storage area. 2. The sorting device according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of branch stock sections provided in the stock zone in the storage area. 3. Claim 1, wherein a handling symbol is associated with the arrangement position of the articles in the storage area, and a specific article is taken out by selecting the handling symbol.
A picking method using the sorting device described in .