JPH01303208A - Goods classification facility - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve a work efficiency by parallelly providing a goods transfer vehicle, first classification part for a large quantity shipment arranged along the travel route of the vehicle, goods housing vessel carrying line, and second classification part for a small quantity shipment arranged along the carrying line. CONSTITUTION:The first goods classification part A1 classifying the goods of the kind of a large quantity shipment and the second goods classification part A2 classifying the goods of the kind of a small quantity shipment are parallelly provided. And the classification part Aa is composed of transfer vehicles B moving with goods housing vessels in a box state loaded and gods storage parts 1 arranged along a transfer vehicle travel route in the part A1. And the space to a goods receiving station 4 is connected with an unmanned vehicle 3 and an induction line 5. And the part A2 is composed of the roller conveyer 32 carrying goods housing vessel Z and the shelf 31 arranged along the conveyer 32, and goods are sent to the station 4 with a piling device C and a hand dolly 44. Thus a parallel treatment can be possible with a large and small quantity classified.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to article sorting equipment used to sort a plurality of types of articles according to shipping destinations.

[Conventional technology]

There are two methods described below as means for sorting articles according to shipping destinations.

One means includes a transport line that transports containers for storing items corresponding to each shipping destination, and a line that stores containers of multiple types of items, and
The conveyor line is equipped with shelves arranged along the longitudinal direction of the conveyor line, and a plurality of workers are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the conveyor line, and each worker takes out articles from the shelf part in charge. This is a means for storing the removed articles in containers that are sequentially conveyed.

(For example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-55005.) Another method involves a moving vehicle loaded with articles and traveling, and article storage sections corresponding to each shipping destination that are arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction of the traveling path of the moving vehicle. Then, one worker assigned to each moving vehicle goes to the desired article storage section with the moving vehicle in charge and stores the retrieved articles in the article storage section. It is a means. (For example, see Japanese Patent Application No. 61-261034, which was previously proposed by the present applicant.) [Problem to be solved by the invention] Although the amount of each of multiple types of articles shipped varies depending on the shipping destination, overall From a perspective, there are types of goods that are shipped in large quantities and types of goods that are shipped only in small quantities.

Although items that are shipped in large quantities are often ordered by different shipping destinations, items that are shipped in small quantities are not ordered by each shipping destination.

However, in the past, the entire article was sorted using only one of the means of sorting using a conveyor line or the means of sorting using a moving vehicle, which caused the following disadvantages. was there.

In other words, if articles are sorted using only means for sorting using a conveyance line, there will be a coexistence of shelf portions with a large amount of articles to be taken out and shelf portions with a small number of article takeout pots.

As a result, containers are transported based on the shelves where a large amount of articles are taken out, even though the work on the currently located container has been completed on the shelves where a small amount of articles are taken out.
There is a tendency for work to be delayed due to the fact that the next container is not transported, and as a result, there is a risk that work efficiency as a whole may decrease.

On the other hand, if articles are sorted using only a means of sorting using a moving vehicle, sorting a small number of articles becomes a complicated task, and there is a risk that work efficiency may easily decrease.

To explain, the items that are sorted in small quantities to each shipping destination are those that have many shipping destinations that do not need to be sorted.In other words, the items that need to be sorted are scattered over a wide area. Moreover, the amount of sorting to each storage section is small, and therefore, even though the vehicle is moved over a wide area, the amount of sorting as a whole is small. It was difficult to improve work efficiency.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide article sorting equipment that can perform article sorting operations efficiently.

[Means to solve the problem]

The article sorting equipment according to the present invention is characterized by a first article sorting section comprising a moving vehicle loaded with articles and traveling, and article storage sections arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction of the traveling path of the moving vehicle. , a second article sorting section comprising a conveyance line for conveying containers for an article storage section, and shelves for storing a plurality of types of articles and arranged along the longitudinal direction of the conveyance line; The functions and effects are as follows.

[For production]

In other words, the first sorting of goods using mobile vehicles is carried out by the department to sort goods that are shipped in large quantities and have a high probability of being ordered by each shipping destination; In addition, the second sorting of articles using the conveyance line can be performed by the department to sort the types of articles that are unlikely to be ordered by each shipping destination.

In this way, the first sorting of goods is carried out by the department, which is disadvantageous when the department also sorts goods that are shipped in small quantities and which have a low probability of being ordered by each shipping destination. In other words, it is possible to suppress the disadvantage that work efficiency is reduced due to the small amount of goods being sorted when the mobile vehicle is moved over a wide range, and the second goods sorting is carried out at the department and shipped in large quantities. , the disadvantage of having to sort items that are likely to be ordered by each shipping destination is that the waiting time for sorting items that will be shipped in small quantities is longer than the sorting of items that will be shipped in large quantities. It is possible to suppress the disadvantages that occur and reduce work efficiency.

By the way, in the case of both article sorting, it is also possible to ship the articles sorted by each department separately to the shipping destination, but in the second article sorting, the articles sorted by the department are sent again, and in the first article sorting, the articles are sorted by the department again. If the items are sorted, the requested items can be shipped all at once to each shipping destination.

〔Effect of the invention〕

Therefore, while using the first article sorting section and the second article sorting section depending on the type of article and the shipping amount,
It is now possible to efficiently sort articles, and it has also become possible to efficiently sort many types of articles shipped in different amounts.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

As shown in Figure 1, the goods sorting equipment is divided into two parts: the first goods sorting section (A), which is used to sort goods that are shipped in large quantities to each shipping destination; The second article sorter used for sorting articles of the same type includes a section (A2).

First, the first article sorting section (A1) will be explained as follows.
The first article sorting section (A1) has a plurality of sorting sections (Aa> arranged side by side, and each sorting section (Aa) has articles (Aa) stored in a box-shaped container such as a packet. A moving vehicle (B) loaded with X) is provided, and a plurality of article storage sections (1) are arranged in a plurality of rows along the longitudinal direction of the traveling path of the moving vehicle (B). ing.

However, (2) in the figure is a free roller that temporarily stores the articles (X) to be sorted by the moving vehicle (B), and each sorting is carried out in multiple rows in each section (Aa). It is provided. In addition, (3) is the article (X) received from the article receiving station (4) as the article receiving section.
An unmanned vehicle is used as a transport means to distribute and supply each sort to the parts (Aa), and the guide line (5
) and the function of automatically traveling along the
) is equipped with an automatic stop function.

Adding an explanation to the arrangement of the article storage section (1), each sorting section (Aa) has a plurality of moving vehicle running paths arranged in parallel, and the article storage section (1) is arranged in parallel on each sorting section (Aa). placed on both sides.

In addition, for the distribution of goods to be described later, each running route is given a number to identify each running route, and each running route has one end close to the free roller (2) facing forward and , the rear end side is defined as the rear.

In addition, each of the above-mentioned article racks 1) corresponds to each shipping destination, and a number is written on the back to identify the shipping destination, as shown in Figure 3. (6)
) is placed.

As shown in FIGS. 4(A) and 4(0), the moving vehicle (B) has a pair of left and right free wheels (7) arranged at each of the front and rear ends.
It is constructed in a so-called hand-cart style, having a pair of left and right handles (8) for operation.
), the sorter is equipped with a course setting box (9), a work completion switch (10), and an information display (11) for the sorter.

As shown in Figure 5, the course setting box (9) is divided into multiple setting switches (12) for setting which of the respective driving routes you are planning to travel on, and from the front of the driving path. Forward entry setting switch (1
3A), and a rear entry setting switch (13B) for setting entry from the rear side of the travel road.

As shown in FIG. 6, the distribution information display (11) includes a shipping destination display section (IIA) that displays the shipping destination number, and the goods to be distributed to the goods storage section (1) corresponding to the shipping destination. （×）
It is provided with a pair of upper and lower quantity display sections (11B) for displaying the quantity. The reason why two quantity display sections (11B) are provided is that two types of articles may be distributed at one time, as will be explained later.

Next, an explanation will be given while describing the control configuration.

As shown in Figure 2, there is a host controller (HC) that manages the operation of the entire facility, a department (A) that manages the operation of each item, a controller (14) that manages the operation of each item, and a controller (14) that manages the operation of each item, and an unmanned vehicle (3). Work controller (1) to manage operation
5), the unmanned vehicle (3) is provided with an unmanned vehicle controller (16), and the mobile vehicle (B) is provided with a mobile vehicle controller (17).

The host controller (HC) is manually inputted with order data (18) issued by customers, etc., and warehousing data (19) of goods to be stocked according to the contents of the order data (18). Information on the arrangement of the article storage sections (1) provided in each of the sorting departments (Aa) is also input.

Then, the host controller (HC) uses the unmanned vehicle (3) to sort the received goods (x) into parts (Aa).
Create work data for an unmanned vehicle to distribute goods to each part (Aa) and work data for a mobile vehicle to distribute goods using a mobile vehicle (B) for each sorting part (Aa). The work data for the vehicle is output to the work controller (15), and the work data for the mobile vehicle is output to the work data storage means (20).
Output to.

Incidentally, in the equipment of this embodiment, each time one type of article (X) is received, the unmanned vehicle (3) distributes the article (X) into parts (Aa), and each sort is divided into parts (Aa). The articles (X) distributed to the portions (Aa) are transferred to each article storage section (1) by the moving vehicle (B).
), and while the work data for unmanned vehicles is created as goods (X) are put into storage, the work data for mobile vehicles is created in one day. It will be created using the amount of work etc. as a unit. Therefore,
The work data for unmanned vehicles is created so that the sorting portion (Aa) in which the article (X) should be distributed and the amount of distribution thereof are made clear, and the work data for the mobile vehicle is created so that the sorting portion (Aa) in which the article (X) should be distributed and the amount to be distributed are made clear. 1)
It has been created to clarify the types and quantities of goods to be distributed.

Each item (X) is attached with a bar code to identify the type of item (X), and the work data for the mobile vehicle is provided with a bar code to identify the type of item (X). It is created in a state that corresponds to the code.

The work controller (15) is a communication device such as Kouni (
21A) and an ID communicator (22), giving destination information using a communication device (21B) connected to the controller (16) on the unmanned vehicle side;
It is configured to provide article distribution information to an ID card (23) attached to an unmanned vehicle (3).

Incidentally, the ID card (23) is equipped with an antenna section for communication, a memory, and a controller for control, and communicates with the work controller (15) using the above-mentioned ID communicator (22). .

The work data storage means (20) stores each sort as a portion (A
A process is performed in which the moving vehicle work data corresponding to each of a) is stored in a storage medium (FD) such as a floppy disk.

The sorting of each part (Aa) is carried out by the controller (14).
) includes a work data reading means (24) for reading information stored in the storage medium (FD) by the work data storage means (20), and an ID card communicator (2).
5), a display panel (26) such as a CRT, a barcode reader (27), and a card writer (29) for an IC card (28).

Here, to roughly explain the distribution of goods by the unmanned vehicle (3), the unmanned vehicle (3)
), the destination information and article distribution information will be transmitted to the unmanned vehicle side when receiving the article (X). Then, as the unmanned vehicle (3) travels to the desired sorting area (Aa) and stops, the amount of goods to be distributed stored in the ID card (23) passes through the ID communicator (25) to the controller ( 14), and the read information is displayed on the display board (26).

Therefore, the worker transfers the displayed quantity to the free roller (2
), and when the unmanned vehicle (3) is completed, the unmanned vehicle (3) is restarted.

The relaunched unmanned vehicle (3) will be sorted into the next category (Aa).
When all the work is completed, the vehicle returns to the article supply station (4).

Below, an explanation will be added regarding the sorting part (8a).

The task of sorting goods is to load one or two types of goods (X) onto a moving vehicle (B), and move the goods (X) to each goods storage section (1).
), the goods (X)
Each time an item (X) is loaded, the distribution information for that item (X) is sorted from the controller (14) to the moving vehicle controller (
17), the transmitted distribution information is displayed on the mobile vehicle side, and the worker distributes the goods based on the displayed information.

That is, by setting the storage medium (FD) created by the work data storage means (20) into the work data reading means (24), sorting is carried out by the controller (14).
receives the work data for the mobile vehicle created by the host controller (HC) functioning as the work data creation means (100).

Then, when the worker loads the article (X) onto the moving vehicle (B), when the barcode of one article (X) is read by the barcode reader (27), that article (X) is loaded onto the moving vehicle (B). (8) is displayed on the display panel (26), and the article distribution information for the article (X) is displayed on the IC card (28) using the card writer (29).
) will be stored.

The IC card (28) includes a controller (a) for read/write control, a ROM (b), and a RAM (c).

When loading only one type of article (X) onto the moving vehicle (B), the above operation is performed only once, and two types of articles (X) are loaded onto the moving vehicle (B). In such a case, the above-mentioned operation may of course be performed twice.

When loading goods (X) is completed, the IC card (2
8) on the moving vehicle side, and insert the card reader (30).
The goods distribution information read by the mobile side controller (1
7) will be done manually.

The mobile vehicle controller (17) selects one of the travel routes to be entered based on the article distribution information inputted as described above, the travel route number information manually inputted by the worker at the appropriate time, and the approach start position information of the travel route. , which requires distribution of goods, and
The distribution information display (11
), and each time the completion switch (10) is operated as the work for one display is completed, the article storage section (1) closest to the previously displayed article storage section (1) is displayed.
1) will be displayed in the same way as described above. Of course, once the distribution for one running route is completed, the display for another running route will be performed in the same manner as described above.

The control operation of the mobile vehicle controller (17) will be described based on the flowchart shown in FIG.
Add an explanation about the operation of B).

That is, it checks whether or not the IC card (28) is set, and if it is set, the work data reading process is executed.

Thereafter, the sorter reads the operating state of the course setting box (9) and executes a process of operating the distribution information display (11) based on the read data and work data.

Next, the operation state of the completion switch (10) is checked repeatedly and the process waits until the distribution work for one article storage section (1) is completed.

When the work is completed, it is checked whether there is any remaining work on the current travel route, and if there is any remaining work, each process from the operation process of the distribution information display (17) is executed.

If there is no remaining work, check whether there is any remaining work on another route, and if there is remaining work, sorting begins with the process of reading the operation status of the course setting box (9). Execute each process.

Next, the second article sorting section (A2) will be explained.

As shown in FIG. 8, the second article sorting section (A2) is
A roller conveyor (32) serving as a conveyance line for conveying containers (Z) for storing articles, and a roller conveyor (32) for storing a plurality of types of articles (Xa) in a boxed state.
Each of the shelves (31) is arranged along the longitudinal direction of the shelf (31).

The shelf (31) is divided into a plurality of sections along the longitudinal direction of the roller conveyor (32).
) is provided with two upper and lower loading sections (T), and each loading section (T) is provided with two types of articles (Xa) in the horizontal direction.
) are stored. In addition, each loading section (T) is inclined so that the front end side is located at the bottom, so that the articles (X) to be supplied to the back side can be moved to the front side of the shelf by their own weight. It has become.

Therefore, each shelf portion (31) is placed on the front side of W1 (31).
A) A plurality of article retrieval workers are assigned to each of the above, and the retrieval workers take out the articles based on instructions from the article retrieval information described later, and the retrieved articles are sequentially transported. By performing the work of storing items in the container (2), it is possible to store a plurality of types of items in the container (2) for the same shipping destination.

However, an auxiliary worker is located at the transport start end of the conveyor (32) and performs the work of supplying empty containers (Z) to the conveyor (32).

However, on the front side of each shelf part (IA), there is a lift-type stopper (37) that receives and supports the transported container (2).
) is provided, and the container (2) to be worked on is stopped by this stopper (37) at a position in front of each shelf portion (IA). Incidentally, this stopper (37) descends as the work on the corresponding shelf section (IA) is completed, and sends the container (2) to the next shelf section (IA). As the passage of (Z) is completed, it will rise to receive the next container (2).

To explain the instructions for item retrieval information, each shelf section (
31A), one main indicator light (33) is arranged at the top of each shelf part (31A), and auxiliary indicator lights (34) are provided corresponding to each of the upper and lower two stages of loading parts (T) of each shelf part (31A). , an indicator (H) is provided for each of the different types of articles (Xa) stored in each shelf part (31A), and the indicator (
As shown in FIG. 9, H) is equipped with a numerical display section (35) for indicating the amount of articles taken out, and a reset switch (36) for notifying completion of article taking out.

Therefore, by lighting the main indicator light (33), the shelf part (
31A) indicates that there is an article to be taken out, and the auxiliary indicator light (34) is lit to indicate that there is an article to be taken out on either side of the upper or lower loading areas (T). Furthermore, the display (H) indicates the article to be taken out and the amount to be taken out.

However, the main and auxiliary indicator lights (33), (34),
Further, the display device (H) is operated by a picking controller (PC) which will be described later.

In other words, as shown in Fig. 2, the picking controller (PC) manages the positions of the containers (Z) that are sequentially transported, and controls the main points provided on the shelves (31^) where each container (Z) is located. The auxiliary indicator lights (33), (34), and indicator (H) are operated based on the work data. The numerical display unit (35) provided in each display (H) is turned off when the reset switch (36) of that display (H) is operated, and the auxiliary indicator light (34) is turned off when the reset switch (36) of the display (H) is operated. ) will be turned off when all the articles have been taken out from the corresponding loading section (T), and the main indicator light (33) will be turned off when the corresponding shelf section (31A)
The light will be turned off when all the items have been taken out. Incidentally, when the main indicator light (33) goes out, the elevating stopper (37) is lowered.

In addition, the display (H) shows the belt conveyor (
32) is used to make an emergency stop.
39) and a return switch (40).

In addition, (41) in Figure 2 is an automatic label issuing and pasting machine that creates a label to be pasted on each container (Z) and pastes it on the container (2), and each container (Z) is marked with a shipping destination. becomes clear.

Hereinafter, each part will be explained while describing the control configuration.

The host controller ()Ic) stores the warehousing data (1
9), while managing the inventory of the shelves (31), the second sorter creates work data for the department based on the contents of the order data (18), and stores the work data in the work data storage means ( 20).

The work data storage means (20), like the mobile vehicle work data, stores a storage medium (F) such as a floppy disk.
D>.

The picking controller (PC) has a storage medium (F
D) work data reading means (4) for reading information stored in
2), and various processes are performed based on the read work data.

Incidentally, the work data for the second article sorting department is formed in such a way that the type and quantity of articles for each shipping destination can be determined, and the identification number indicated by the label and the article for each shipping destination can be determined. It is designed to connect with data. Furthermore, a plurality of containers (2) may be required for each shipping destination. For this reason, the work data for the second article sorting department is formed so that the number of containers required for each shipping destination can also be determined.

Then, a worker located at the front of each shelf portion (31A) places another container (Z) on it as the container (Z) becomes full.

Furthermore, - the empty container (Z) placed on top of the cupped container (Z)
a) is stored in the upper part of each shelf part (31A>).

Next, while describing the control operation of the picking controller (PC), the operation of the second article sorting section (A2) will be explained.

As shown in Figure 10, the picking controller (PC
) reads the work data and then executes the label issuing process, container position management process, article removal information output process, and emergency stop process until the work is completed.

The container position management process determines which shelf part (31A) of the plurality of shelf parts (318) each container (Z) is located in front of, based on the information in the display (H). do.

As mentioned above, the article retrieval information output process operates the main and auxiliary lamps (33), (34) and the display ()I) to display the containers (2) located in front of each shelf section (IA).
It outputs information on the removal of articles to be stored in the container position management process, based on the information determined in the container position management process, work data, and information on the articles stored in each shelf section (IA). Then, the worker is instructed to take out the article while determining whether or not to output the removal information and, if so, the content of the output.

In the emergency stop process, when a stop switch (39) provided on the display (H) is operated, the roller conveyor (32) is stopped, and a return switch provided on the display (H) is operated. When (40) is operated, the drive of the roller conveyor (32) is restarted, and the container (2) before the article storage operation is completed is moved to the next shelf section (31).
8) This was established as a safety measure in the event of a problem such as being transported to

As shown in Figure 8, in the second article sorting, containers (2) sorted in section (A2) are basically arranged into a predetermined number of stages (5 stages in the example diagram) by a stacking device (C). After that, it is supplied to a hand truck (44).

The stacking device (C) has a traveling frame body (
45), a pair of left and right carriages (46) attached to the traveling frame (45) so that they can be raised and lowered;
) is attached to the carriage (46) to support the upper end of the stacked containers (2) when loading the container (Z). The main part is a container transporter consisting of a container holding device (48) attached to a conveyor (31A).
While detecting the number of stacks of containers (Z) transported to the terminal end using a photoelectric height detector (49), the stacking table (50)
Containers (Z) are stacked one after another on top. Then, the stacked containers (X) are transported to a push cart (44
) is designed to be supplied above. However, when stacking, if containers destined for the same destination are separated into (Z), the containers will not be stacked to a predetermined number of stages, but will be stacked as separate piles.

In addition, (51) and (52) in the figure are the traveling frame (45)
These are the upper and lower guide rails.

By the way, in this example, the stacked containers (Z) are
By supplying the containers (2) corresponding to each shipping destination to the article supply station (4) of the unmanned vehicle, the first article sorting section (A1) supplies containers (2) corresponding to each shipping destination to the article storage section (1) corresponding to each shipping destination.
).

For this reason, a setting section is provided near the article supply station (4) for manually inputting destination information of the unmanned vehicle (3). By the way, this destination setting will be based on the contents of the label affixed to the container (2), and
Sorting by the moving vehicle (B) will also be done based on the contents of the labels.

[Another example]

The mobile vehicle (B) of the first article sorting section (A1) may be a self-propelled vehicle equipped with a drive device for propulsion.

The specific configuration of the article storage section (1) can be changed in various ways depending on the purpose of use, such as providing shelves and using each shelf part of the article storage section (1). .

Note that although reference numerals are written in the claims section for convenient comparison with the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the structures and methods shown in the accompanying drawings.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show an embodiment of the article sorting equipment according to the present invention, FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of the article sorting equipment, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the control configuration, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the article storage section. , Figures 4(a) and (0) are side and front views of the moving vehicle, Figure 5 is a plan view of the course setting box for sorting, Figure 6 is a plan view of the distribution information display, and Figure 7 is a plan view of the distribution information display. Flowchart showing the control operation, FIG. 8 is a schematic side view of the shelves and stacking device, FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the display, FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the control operation, and FIGS. 11 and 12 are the stacking devices. FIG. 2 is a front view and a plan view of the main parts of the device. (1)... Article storage section, (3)... Conveying means, (4)... Article receiving section, (31)...
...shelf, (32), old...conveyance line, (A,)...
...First article sorting is part, (A2)... Second article sorting is part, (Aa)... Group/sorting is part, (B)
...Moving vehicle, (X), (Xa), old article, (2)...container.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A moving vehicle (B) loaded with articles (X) and traveling, and article storage sections (1) arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction of the traveling path of the moving vehicle (B). a first article sorting section (A_1) comprising;
Conveyance line (32) that conveys containers (Z) for the article storage section
), and a second article sorting section (A_2) that stores a plurality of types of articles (Xa) and includes a shelf (31) arranged along the longitudinal direction of the conveyance line (32). Article sorting equipment installed. 2. The first article sorting section (A_1) includes a plurality of sorting sections (Aa), and a conveying means ( 3) The article sorting equipment according to claim 1, further comprising: 3).