JP7459838B2 - Goods storage equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an article storage facility that includes a conveyance device that conveys articles and a weighing device that measures the weight of the articles.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as article storage facilities for transporting and accommodating (storing) articles, facilities that meet various needs are well known. Some of these facilities, such as the facility disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 5431720 (Patent Document 1), manage inventory using article weight information as one of the indicators. In the equipment disclosed in Patent Document 1, weight information of the article is acquired by measuring the weight of the article while the article is being transported. Paragraph 0047 of the same document states that the transport device (4) is provided with a weighing section, and the weighing section measures the weight of the article (W).

Patent No. 5431720

In the technical field related to the above-mentioned article storage equipment, strictness is often required in measuring the weight of articles, so inspections and maintenance of the weighing section are performed regularly. However, when the weighing section is provided integrally with the conveyance device as in the equipment of Patent Document 1, it becomes difficult to inspect the weighing section alone. If the weighing section alone cannot be inspected, the conveying device may also be subject to inspection along with the weighing section. For example, even if only the specifications of the transport device are changed while the specifications of the weighing section remain the same, if the weighing section needs to be inspected again, this is not preferable because the burden of inspection will increase. In addition, in the above-mentioned equipment that involves transporting goods, the goods are transported automatically, so in order to avoid interference between goods, a presence sensor that detects the presence or absence of goods should be installed at the place to be transported. There is. When such an inventory sensor is provided integrally with the weighing section, the inventory sensor may also be subject to inspection, as described above, and the burden of inspection and maintenance may increase.

In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, it is desired to realize an article storage facility that allows easy inspection and maintenance of the weighing device alone.

The article storage facility according to the present disclosure is
A storage shelf including a plurality of storage sections for storing articles;
a warehousing section in which the article is stored in the storage shelf;
an unloading section where the article is unloaded from the storage shelf;
a conveyance device that conveys the article between the storage shelf, the storage section, and the storage section;
A control unit that controls the conveyance device,
A weighing device and an inventory sensor are installed in an installation part arranged in an area where the article can be transported by the transport device,
The weighing device includes a mounting table on which the article is placed, and a measuring section that is integrally connected to the loading table and measures the weight of the article placed on the loading table. Prepare,
The inventory sensor is provided to detect whether or not the article is placed on the placement table, and is supported by a support member independent of the weighing device,
The scale is installed so as to be separable from the installation part ,
The control unit is capable of performing a shipping control that controls the conveyance device and the shipping unit so as to ship the shipping item, which is the article to be shipped,
The delivery control includes first transport control that controls the transport device to transport the delivery item from the storage unit in which the delivery item is stored to the installation unit, and a After the weight of the outgoing article is measured, the second conveyance control controls the conveyance device so as to convey the outgoing article from the installation section to the outgoing section .

According to this configuration, by transporting an item to the installation section by the transport device, the weight of the item can be measured by a weighing device installed in the installation section. This weighing device is installed in the installation section separately from the transport device, and is separable from the installation section. Therefore, according to this configuration, inspection and maintenance of the weighing device can be easily performed on its own. Furthermore, according to this configuration, a load sensor for detecting whether an item is placed on the weighing device's loading platform is supported by a support member independent of the weighing device, so that inspection and maintenance of the weighing device can be easily performed on its own, independent of the load sensor.
Furthermore, according to the present configuration, the weight of the outgoing item can be appropriately measured in the process of retrieving the outgoing item by executing the first conveyance control and the second conveyance control.

Other article storage facilities according to the present disclosure include:
A storage shelf including a plurality of storage sections for storing articles;
an entry section in which the items are stored in the storage shelves;
an unloading section where the article is unloaded from the storage shelf;
a conveyance device that conveys the article between the storage shelf, the storage section, and the storage section;
A control unit that controls the conveyance device,
A weighing device and an inventory sensor are installed in an installation part arranged in an area where the article can be transported by the transport device,
the weighing device includes a platform on which the object is placed, and a measuring unit that is integrally connected to the platform and measures the weight of the object placed on the platform,
The inventory sensor is provided to detect whether or not the article is placed on the placement table, and is supported by a support member independent of the weighing device,
The weighing device is installed so as to be separable from the installation part,
The control unit includes:
When the presence sensor detects that the article is placed on the placement table, prohibiting the conveyance device from conveying other articles to the installation section;
The weighing scale is caused to perform a zero point correction during a period in which the presence of the article on the platform is not detected by the load sensor.

According to this configuration, the weight of the article can be measured by the weighing device installed in the installation section by conveying the article to the installation section using the conveyance device. This weighing device is installed in the installation section separately from the conveyance device, and can be separated from the installation section. Therefore, according to this configuration, it is easy to inspect and maintain the weighing device alone. Furthermore, according to this configuration, the presence sensor for detecting whether or not an article is placed on the placing table of the weighing device is supported by a support member independent of the weighing device. It is also easy to inspect and maintain the weigher alone, independent of the sensor.
Furthermore, according to this configuration, the weighing device can perform zero point correction by utilizing the period when no object is placed on the platform of the weighing device, so that the weight of the object can be appropriately measured.

Further features and advantages of the technology disclosed herein will become more apparent from the following description of exemplary, non-limiting embodiments, which are described with reference to the drawings.

Plan of the item storage facility A side view showing a portion of the storage shelf Side view of the conveying device Side view of installation area Control block diagram A flowchart showing the control process performed in the article storage facility.

Below, an embodiment of the item storage facility will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the article storage facility 100 includes a storage shelf 1 including a plurality of storage sections 10 for storing articles W (see FIG. 2), and a storage section 2 in which the articles W are stored in the storage shelf 1. , an unloading section 3 in which articles W are unloaded from the storage shelf 1 , and a conveying device 4 that conveys the articles W between the storage shelf 1 and the warehousing section 2 and the unloading section 3 .

At the time of storage, the article W is transported from the outside of the storage shelf 1 to the storage shelf 1 by the storage unit 2, and is transported to any one of the plurality of storage units 10 by the transport device 4. Furthermore, when the article W is taken out of the warehouse, the article W is transported from one of the plurality of storage units 10 to the unloading unit 3 by the transport device 4, and is transported to the outside of the storage shelf 1 by the unloading unit 3. In this embodiment, the warehousing section 2 and the warehousing section 3 are independent from each other.

The receiving section 2 is equipped with a delivery section 20 arranged in a transportable area of the transport device 4. The receiving section 2 transports the item W from outside the storage shelf 1 to the delivery section 20, where the item W is delivered to the transport device 4. For example, the receiving section 2 is configured to include a well-known conveyor such as a chain conveyor, a belt conveyor, or a roller conveyor. However, the receiving section 2 may include other transport means such as an unmanned transport vehicle instead of or in addition to such a conveyor.

The unloading section 3 is equipped with a receiving section 30 arranged in a transportable area of the transport device 4. The unloading section 3 receives the item W from the transport device 4 at the receiving section 30, and transports the item W from this receiving section 30 to the outside of the storage shelf 1. For example, the unloading section 3 is configured to include a well-known conveyor such as a chain conveyor, a belt conveyor, or a roller conveyor. However, the unloading section 3 may include other transport means, such as an unmanned transport vehicle, instead of or in addition to such a conveyor.

The storage shelf 1 is arranged in a transportable area of the transport device 4. In this example, a pair of storage shelves 1 are provided adjacent to the running rail 40 of the transport device 4 with the running rail 40 interposed therebetween.

Note that the above-mentioned "transportable area" is an area where the article W can be transported by the transport device 4. This transportable area differs depending on the structure of the transport device 4. As described later, in this embodiment, the transport device 4 includes a running rail 40, a mast 42, and a transfer section 44 (see FIG. 3). The transportable area includes the range of the traveling rail 40 extending along the horizontal direction, the range of the mast 42 extending along the vertical direction, and the range of the traveling rail 40 extending in the vertical direction. It is determined based on the movement range of the transfer unit 44 that moves in and out in orthogonal directions.

As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, multiple storage sections 10 are arranged side by side along the extension direction of the traveling rail 40 (see FIG. 1) and in the vertical direction. In other words, the storage shelf 1 has a multi-tiered configuration. In this example, the storage shelf 1 has multiple pillars 11 arranged at intervals. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the multiple pillars 11 are connected to each other by connecting members such as beam members or diagonal members forming a truss structure.

The storage shelf 1 also has a loading plate 12 on which the items W to be stored in the storage section 10 are placed. The loading plate 12 is connected to each of a pair of adjacent supports 11, and a pair of loading plates 12 is provided in one storage section 10. The spacing between the pair of loading plates 12 provided in one storage section 10 is set to a spacing that allows the transfer section 44 of the conveying device 4, which will be described later, to pass through in the vertical direction.

In this embodiment, the item W includes a real support Pa, which is a support P supporting a load 90, and an empty support Pb, which is a support P not supporting a load 90. The load 90 includes a volatile substance 92 and a container 91 that contains the volatile substance 92. That is, in this embodiment, the item W includes the volatile substance 92 and container 91 that constitute the load 90, and a support P (real support Pa or empty support Pb). As shown in FIG. 2, each storage section 10 can store a real support Pa or an empty support Pb. The entrance section 2, the exit section 3, and the transport device 4 can transport the real support Pa or the empty support Pb.

The volatile substance 92 is a substance whose amount decreases over time, and includes, for example, dry ice, ice, organic solvents, and the like. In this example, volatile material 92 is dry ice. In the illustrated example, a plurality of block-shaped volatile substances 92 (dry ice) are stored in a container 91.

The support P is a member that supports the load 90, and includes, for example, a plate-shaped member such as a pallet or a tray on which the load 90 is placed, and a container such as a container or carton case in which the load 90 is stored.
In this example, the support P is a pallet. In this embodiment, the support P is configured to be held from below by the transfer section 44 (see FIG. 3). However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the pallet serving as the support P may have an insertion hole into which a fork is inserted, and may be held by the fork inserted into the insertion hole.

As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, the conveying device 4 includes a running rail 40, a running section 41 that runs along the running rail 40, a mast 42 (a pair of masts 42 in this example) that extends upward from the running section 41, a lifting body 43 that is connected to the pair of masts 42 so as to be able to rise and fall freely, and a transfer section 44 that is provided on the lifting body 43 and can hold an item W. That is, in this example, the conveying device 4 is configured as a so-called stacker crane.

The traveling section 41 is driven by a traveling drive section 41m and travels along the traveling rail 40. The elevating body 43 is driven by an elevating drive unit 43m and moves up and down along the pair of masts 42. The transfer unit 44 is driven by a transfer drive unit 44m, and moves in and out along a direction perpendicular to the traveling rail 40 when viewed from the top and bottom. In this example, the transfer section 44 includes a fork 44a that holds the article W from below.

The conveying device 4 is configured to transfer the item W to the storage section 10 by the advancement and retreat of the fork 44a and the elevation of the lifting body 43. As described above, the storage section 10 is provided with a pair of loading plates 12 arranged at a distance from each other (see FIG. 2), and the fork 44a passes from top to bottom between the pair of loading plates 12 while holding the item W from below, so that the item W is loaded onto the pair of loading plates 12. This allows the item W to be transferred to the storage section 10. Conversely, when the item W is stored in the storage section 10, i.e., when the item W is loaded onto the pair of loading plates 12, the fork 44a passes from bottom to top between the pair of loading plates 12, so that the item W is held from below by the fork 44a. This allows the item W to be transferred from the storage section 10. The conveying device 4 is capable of transferring the item W to all of the storage sections 10 provided in the storage shelf 1 by the movement of the traveling section 41 and the raising and lowering of the lifting body 43. In this example, the conveying device 4 can also perform the same transfer operation as described above for the receiving section 2 and the discharging section 3. Therefore, the conveying device 4 is capable of transferring the item W to the receiving section 2 and the discharging section 3.

Here, in such an item storage facility 100, the weight of the item W may be measured when the item W is stored or removed to obtain weight information, and the weight information may be used to manage the item W. As described above, in this embodiment, since the item W contains a volatile substance 92, the volatile substance 92 may volatilize while the item W is stored in the storage section 10, causing the weight of the item W to become lighter. Therefore, in the item storage facility 100 according to this embodiment, the weight of the item W is measured at least when the item W is removed from the storage. This will be explained in detail below.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the article storage facility 100 is provided with an installation section 5. As shown in FIGS. The installation section 5 is arranged in a transportable area of the transport device 4. A weighing device 7 is installed in the installation section 5 (see FIG. 2). In this embodiment, the installation section 5 is provided in some of the plurality of accommodation sections 10 .

As shown in FIG. 4, the weighing device 7 has a mounting table 71 on which the article W is placed, and is integrally connected to the mounting table 71 and measures the weight of the article W placed on the loading table 71. A measurement section 72 that performs measurement is provided. The conveyance device 4 is configured to convey the article W to a mounting table 71 of the weighing device 7, and the weighing device 7 is configured to measure the weight of the article W placed on the loading table 71 using a measuring section 72. It is configured. In this way, the weighing device 7 is installed in the installation section 5 separately from the transport device 4. Conventionally, since the weighing device and the conveying device are provided integrally, it has sometimes been difficult to inspect or maintain the weighing device alone. However, according to the article storage facility 100 according to the present disclosure, since the transport device 4 and the weighing device 7 are provided separately, it is easy to inspect and maintain the weighing device 7 alone.

Further, the weighing device 7 is installed so as to be separable from the installation section 5. Therefore, the weighing device 7 can be easily separated from the installation section 5 and carried outside the facility for, for example, inspection or maintenance. Therefore, it is easy to inspect and maintain the weighing device 7 alone. In this embodiment, the weighing device 7 is installed directly on the floor of the facility, or indirectly installed via a member such as a stand. The weighing device 7 may simply be placed on a floor surface, a stand, etc., or may be removably fixed to a floor surface, a stand, etc. with a fixing member such as a bolt.

In this embodiment, the measurement unit 72 has a measurement surface 72F facing upward, and measures the weight of the object supported by the measurement surface 72F. In this example, the mounting table 71 is connected to the measurement surface 72F, and the measuring unit 72 measures the weight of the object placed on the mounting table 71, that is, the article W. Therefore, in this example, the measurement unit 72 detects the difference in the measured value between the state where no article W is placed on the mounting table 71 and the state where the article W is placed on the mounting table 71 as the weight of the article W.

In this embodiment, the mounting table 71 includes a plurality of legs 711 and a mounting section 712 on which the article W is mounted. Each of the plurality of legs 711 is provided to extend upward from the measurement surface 72F of the measurement section 72. For example, the leg portions 711 may be erected at each of the four corners of the rectangular measurement surface 72F. In this case, the mounting table 71 includes four legs 711. The mounting section 712 is provided at the upper end of each of the plurality of legs 711. That is, the article W transported to the installation section 5 by the transport device 4 is placed on the mounting section 712 provided at the upper end of each of the plurality of legs 711. It is preferable that the placing portion 712 has a shape suitable for placing the article W thereon. In this embodiment, each of the plurality of legs 711 is provided with a plate-like member having an upwardly facing surface, and the mounting part 712 is configured by these plate-like members. As in the illustrated example, the plate-like member constituting the placing portion 712 may have a guide surface for guiding the side surface of the article W in addition to the surface facing upward.

4, the vertical length from the measurement surface 72F to the placement section 712 is set to a specified length L. In this embodiment, the specified length L is set to be equal to or greater than the total length of the vertical thickness of the fork 44a (transfer section 44), the range of movement of the fork 44a that moves up and down when the conveying device 4 transfers the item W, and a certain margin. In other words, the specified length L is set to a length that allows the fork 44a (transfer section 44), which is configured to hold the item W from below, to appropriately transfer the item W to the placement table 71 without interfering with the measurement section 72. This specified length L can be easily adjusted by changing the vertical length of the multiple legs 711. Although detailed illustration is omitted, for example, the placement table 71 may be provided with an adjustment section that adjusts the vertical length of the multiple legs 711 by extending and retracting them. The horizontal distance between adjacent legs 711 is set to be greater than the horizontal width of the fork 44a (transfer section 44) so that the fork 44a (transfer section 44) can enter the distance.

In the article storage facility 100 according to the present disclosure, in addition to the weighing device 7, a load sensor 8 is installed in the installation section 5. The load sensor 8 is provided to detect whether an item W is placed on the loading platform 71, and is supported by a support member S independent of the weighing device 7. By providing the load sensor 8, it is possible to prevent another item W from being transferred to the loading platform 71 when an item W is placed on the loading platform 71. As described above, the load sensor 8 is supported by a support member S independent of the weighing device 7. In other words, the weighing device 7 is independent not only from the conveying device 4, but also from the load sensor 8. This allows the weighing device 7 to be easily inspected and maintained on its own, independent of the load sensor 8.

In this embodiment, the support member S is one of the constituent members of the storage shelf 1. Specifically, the support member S is a support column 11. In the illustrated example, support members S are struts 11 arranged around the installation section 5. That is, the presence sensor 8 is supported by one or more pillars 11 arranged around the installation section 5 .

In this embodiment, the load sensor 8 is configured as an optical sensor that detects the presence of an object based on whether or not the optical axis is blocked, and includes a light-projecting unit 81 that projects detection light and a light-receiving unit 82 that receives the detection light projected by the light-projecting unit 81. In this example, the light-projecting unit 81 and the light-receiving unit 82 are arranged opposite each other. In the illustrated example, the light-projecting unit 81 is supported on one of a pair of posts 11 arranged around the installation unit 5, and the light-receiving unit 82 is supported on the other post 11. The load sensor 8 detects that an item W is present on the placement platform 71 when the detection light projected from the light-projecting unit 81 is not received by the light-receiving unit 82. The detection result by the load sensor 8 is transmitted to the control unit C (see FIG. 5), as described below.

As described above, in this embodiment, since the item W contains the volatile substance 92, the weight of the item W may become lighter while it is stored in the storage section 10. For this reason, the item storage facility 100 according to this embodiment is provided with a supply section 6 that supplies the volatile substance 92 to the container 91, as shown in FIG. 1. The supply section 6 is disposed in a transportable area of the conveying device 4. As a result, if the weight of the item W does not satisfy the specified weight when it is taken out of the warehouse, the item W can be transported to the supply section 6 by the conveying device 4, and the volatile substance 92 can be replenished in the supply section 6. In the supply section 6, the required amount of volatile substance 92 is supplied to the container 91 by a machine, a person, or both.

In this embodiment, the supply section 6 is provided in a location closer to the unloading section 3 than the receiving section 2. This allows the volatile substance 92 to be efficiently replenished when the item W is unloaded. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the supply section 6 is provided adjacent to the installation section 5. This allows the item W to be efficiently transported to the supply section 6 for replenishment of the volatile substance 92 when the weight of the item W is measured in the installation section 5 and the measurement result determines that the amount of volatile substance 92 is insufficient. Therefore, with this configuration, efficient replenishment of the volatile substance 92 and efficient transport of the item W can be achieved.

Next, the control configuration of the item storage facility 100 will be described with primary reference to Figures 5 and 6.

As shown in FIG. 5, the article storage facility 100 includes a control section C that controls the conveyance device 4. As shown in FIG. In this example, the control section C is configured to manage the entire facility, and controls the storage section 2, the storage section 3, the weighing device 7, and the supply section 6 in addition to the transport device 4. Further, the control unit C is configured to be able to communicate with the inventory sensor 8 by wire or wirelessly. Thereby, the control unit C can acquire the detection result of the article W by the inventory sensor 8. The control unit C includes, for example, a processor such as a microcomputer, peripheral circuits such as a memory, and the like. Each function is realized through cooperation between these hardware and a program executed on a processor such as a computer.

The conveyance device 4, the weighing device 7, and the inventory sensor 8 are independent from each other as a control structure. In other words, the conveyance device 4, the weighing device 7, and the inventory sensor 8 are configured not to communicate with each other. Each of the conveyance device 4, the weighing device 7, and the inventory sensor 8 is configured to communicate with the control section C. Although detailed illustrations are omitted, each of the weighing device 7 and the inventory sensor 8 has an operation section that can be operated by an operator, a detection result by the inventory sensor 8, a measurement result by the weighing device 7, etc. The control unit C may be configured to communicate with the control unit C via a user interface device including a display unit or the like.

In this embodiment, when the load sensor 8 detects that no item W is placed on the loading platform 71, the control unit C permits the transport device 4 to transport the item W to the installation section 5. When the load sensor 8 detects that an item W is placed on the loading platform 71, the control unit C prohibits the transport device 4 from transporting other items W to the installation section 5.
This makes it possible to prevent the items W from interfering with each other in the placement section 5.

In the present embodiment, the control unit C causes the scale 7 to perform zero point correction during a period when the presence sensor 8 does not detect that the article W is placed on the mounting table 71. Thereby, it is possible to cause the weighing device 7 to perform zero point correction by utilizing the period in which the article W is not placed on the mounting table 71 of the weighing device 7. Therefore, according to this configuration, the weight of the article W can be appropriately measured. Note that "zero point correction" refers to correcting the measured value of the measurement unit 72 to zero when no article W is placed on the mounting table 71 of the weighing device 7. Thereby, it is possible to correct errors caused by aging of the weighing device 7 or external factors.

Next, transport control by the control unit C when the article W is taken out of the warehouse will be explained in detail. In addition, below, the goods W to be shipped will be referred to as "articles to be shipped." Since this article to be shipped is substantially the same as article W, the same reference numeral (ie, "W") as article W will be used.

In the present embodiment, the control unit C is capable of executing warehouse delivery control that controls the transport device 4 and the warehouse unit 3 so as to leave the warehoused articles W. In this example, the delivery control includes first transport control that controls the transport device 4 to transport the delivery item W from the storage unit 10 in which the delivery item W is stored to the installation unit 5, and a weighing control in the installation unit 5. After the weight of the outgoing article W is measured by the weighing device 7, the second conveyance control controls the conveyance device 4 so as to convey the outgoing article W from the installation section 5 to the outgoing section 3. Further, the delivery control includes direct transport control that controls the transport device 4 to transport the delivery item W from the storage unit 10 in which the delivery item W is stored to the delivery unit 3. When the control unit C performs direct conveyance control, the conveyance device 4 directly conveys the outgoing article W from the storage unit 10 in which the outgoing article W is stored to the outgoing unit 3 without going through the installation unit 5. do.

The control unit C executes the first conveyance control and the second conveyance control when the delivered article W is the actual support Pa (see FIG. 2). To explain, as described above, the actual support Pa is the support P supporting the load 90, and the load 90 contains the volatile substance 92. Therefore, when the outgoing article W is the actual support Pa, taking into account the possibility that the volatile substance 92 has volatilized during the period in which it is stored in the storage section 10, the outgoing article W is The weight of the article W is measured. In this case, the control unit C causes the conveyance device 4 to convey the delivered article W, which is the actual support Pa, to the installation unit 5 by executing the first conveyance control. In the installation section 5, the weighing device 7 measures the weight of the delivered article W. When the weighing device 7 completes measuring the weight of the outgoing article W, the weighing device 7 notifies the control unit C to that effect. The control unit C, which has received the notification from the weighing device 7, causes the conveyance device 4 to convey the outgoing article W, which is the actual support Pa, to the outgoing unit 3 by executing the second conveyance control.

Here, as a result of measuring the weight of the outgoing article W with the weighing device 7, the weight of the outgoing article W may not satisfy the specified weight. This occurs because the article W containing the volatile substance 92 evaporates while being stored in the storage section 10 and its weight becomes lighter. Note that the "specified weight" is appropriately determined based on the use of the equipment, the type of article W, customer order information, and the like.

In this embodiment, the delivery control includes a third transport control that controls the transport device 4 to transport the delivered goods W from the installation unit 5 to the supply unit 6, and a third transport control that controls the transport device 4 to transport the delivered goods W from the supply unit 6 to the delivery unit 3. 4th conveyance control which controls the conveyance device 4 so that it conveys. Then, after the weight of the outgoing article W is measured by the weighing device 7 in the installation section 5, if the weight of the outgoing article W is less than the specified weight, the control section C performs the second conveyance control. Then, third transport control and fourth transport control are executed. That is, when the weight of the outgoing article W is less than the specified weight, the control section C causes the conveying device 4 to convey the outgoing article W from the installation section 5 to the supply section 6. Thereby, the necessary amount of volatile substance 92 can be replenished in the supply section 6. When replenishment of the volatile substance 92 is completed, the supply unit 6 notifies the control unit C of this fact. This notification is performed automatically by a machine or in response to a human operation. The control unit C, which has received the notification from the supply unit 6 , executes the fourth transport control to cause the transport device 4 to transport the outgoing goods W for which the replenishment of the volatile substance 92 has been completed to the outgoing unit 3 .

On the other hand, when the outgoing article W is an empty support Pb (see FIG. 2), the control unit C directly performs conveyance control. To explain further, as described above, the empty support Pb is the support P in a state where the load 90 is not supported. Therefore, when the outgoing article W is the empty support Pb, there is no need to measure the weight of the outgoing article W before leaving the warehouse. In this case, the control unit C causes the conveyance device 4 to directly convey the outgoing article W, which is the empty support body Pb, to the outgoing unit 3 without going through the installation unit 5 by executing direct conveyance control.

Next, the control process performed by the item storage facility 100 will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG. 6.

As shown in FIG. 6, when there is a shipping request (step #1: Yes), the control unit C (see FIG. 5) determines whether the shipping article W related to the shipping request is the actual support Pa. (Step #2). For example, it is preferable that information regarding whether the delivered article W related to the delivery request is a real support Pa or an empty support Pb is included in the information of the delivery request. Note that the delivery request is generated based on information input by a human operation, or automatically generated based on order information received via a network, for example.

When the control unit C determines that the outgoing item W related to the outgoing request is a real support Pa (step #2: Yes), it executes the first transport control (step #3). As a result, the transport device 4 transports the outgoing item W related to the outgoing request from the storage unit 10 in which the outgoing item W is stored to the installation unit 5. In the installation unit 5, the weight of the outgoing item W is measured by the weighing device 7 (step #4). The control unit C then determines whether the weight of the outgoing item W meets the specified weight (step #5). This determination is made based on the measurement result notified by the weighing device 7.

When the control unit C determines that the weight of the delivered article W satisfies the specified weight (Step #5: Yes), it executes the second conveyance control (Step #6). Thereby, the transport device 4 transports the outgoing article W whose weight has been measured from the installation section 5 to the outgoing section 3.

When the control unit C determines that the weight of the outgoing item W does not meet the specified weight (step #5: No), it executes the third transport control (step #7). As a result, the transport device 4 transports the outgoing item W that requires replenishment of volatile substance 92 from the installation unit 5 to the supply unit 6. In the supply unit 6, the required amount of volatile substance 92 is replenished to the outgoing item W. When the control unit C receives a notification from the supply unit 6 that replenishment of volatile substance 92 has been completed, it executes the fourth transport control (step #8). As a result, the transport device 4 transports the outgoing item W, for which replenishment of volatile substance 92 has been completed, from the supply unit 6 to the outgoing unit 3.

If the control unit C determines in step #2 above that the outgoing article W related to the outgoing request is the empty support Pb (step #2: No), it executes direct conveyance control (step #9 ). Thereby, the conveyance device 4 directly conveys the outgoing article W, which is the empty support body Pb, from the storage section 10 in which the outgoing article W is stored to the outgoing section 3.

Other embodiments
Next, other embodiments of the article storage facility will be described.

(1) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the installation section 5 is provided in some of the multiple storage sections 10. However, without being limited to such an example, the installation section 5 may be provided inside the item storage equipment 100, and may be provided, for example, in a location other than the storage section 10. Furthermore, multiple installation sections 5 may be provided. In this case, all of the multiple installation sections 5 may be provided in each storage section 10, all of the multiple installation sections 5 may be provided in a location other than the storage section 10, or some of the multiple installation sections 5 may be provided in the storage section 10 and the remaining some may be provided in a location other than the storage section 10.

(2) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the support member S for supporting the presence sensor 8 is the support column 11. However, without being limited to such an example, if the support member S is any component of the storage shelf 1, the support member S may be the mounting plate 12, or There may also be a connecting member such as a beam member or a diagonal member forming a truss structure. Furthermore, the support member S does not need to be a component of the storage shelf 1, and may be a dedicated member for supporting the inventory sensor 8.

(3) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the inventory sensor 8 is configured as an optical sensor that detects the presence of an object based on whether or not the optical axis is blocked. However, without being limited to such an example, the presence sensor 8 may be, for example, a contact type sensor that detects the presence of an object through contact with the object, or a sensor that detects the presence of an object based on reflected waves of ultrasonic waves. Various known sensors can be used, such as an ultrasonic sensor that detects a target object.

(4) In the above embodiment, the article W includes an actual support Pa, which is the support P that supports the load 90, and an empty support Pb, which is the support P that does not support the load 90. An example that includes the following was explained. However, the concept is not limited to such an example, and the article W may not include the support P. In other words, only the cargo 90 may be the article W.

(5) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the load 90 includes a container 91 and a volatile substance 92 stored in the container 91. However, the example is not limited to this example, and the load 90 may include various products such as food and daily necessities, or parts and work in progress used in a factory production line, etc.

(6) In the above embodiment, the supply section 6 that supplies the volatile substance 92 to the container 91 is provided, and the supply section 6 is arranged in the transportable area of the transport device 4. . However, the supply section 6 is not limited to such an example, and the supply section 6 may be provided at a location other than the transportable area in the article storage facility 100, or may not be provided in the article storage facility 100. It's okay.

(7) In the above embodiment, the control unit C performs zero point correction on the scale 7 during a period when the presence sensor 8 does not detect that the article W is placed on the placement table 71. An example of how to do this was explained. However, without being limited to such an example, the zero point correction of the weighing device 7 may be performed at an appropriate timing by human operation.

(8) In the above embodiment, an example in which the transport device 4 is configured as a so-called stacker crane has been described. However, the transport device 4 is not limited to such an example, and may be a well-known transport device such as a tracked or trackless automatic guided vehicle, or an overhead transport vehicle that travels near the ceiling.

(9) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the transfer unit 44 is configured to include a fork 44a that holds the item W from below. However, without being limited to this example, the transfer unit 44 may, for example, include a conveyor instead of the fork 44a, or may include a gripping mechanism such as a chuck that grips the item W from the side or above.

(10) In the above embodiment, an example in which the storage shelf 1 has a multi-stage configuration has been described.
However, the storage shelf 1 may have a one-stage configuration without being limited to such an example.

(11) In the above embodiment, the example in which the warehousing section 2 and the warehousing section 3 are independent from each other has been described. However, the warehousing section 2 and the warehousing section 3 may be integrated without being limited to such an example. For example, the warehousing section 2 and the warehousing section 3 may be constituted by one device such as a conveyor, and both the warehousing and the warehousing of the articles W may be performed by this device.

(12) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the weight of the article W is measured when the article W is taken out of the warehouse. However, without being limited to such an example, the weight of the article W may be measured only when the article W enters the warehouse, or the weight of the article W may be measured both when the article W enters the warehouse and when it leaves the warehouse. It's okay.

(13) Note that the configuration disclosed in the above-described embodiment can also be applied in combination with the configuration disclosed in other embodiments as long as there is no contradiction. Regarding other configurations, the embodiments disclosed herein are merely illustrative in all respects. Therefore, various modifications can be made as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[Summary of the above embodiment]
The above-described article storage facility will now be described.

The article storage facility according to the present disclosure is
A storage shelf including a plurality of storage sections for storing articles;
a warehousing section in which the article is stored in the storage shelf;
an unloading section where the article is unloaded from the storage shelf;
a conveyance device that conveys the article between the storage shelf, the storage section, and the storage section;
A weighing device and an inventory sensor are installed in an installation part arranged in an area where the article can be transported by the transport device,
The weighing device includes a mounting table on which the article is placed, and a measuring section that is integrally connected to the loading table and measures the weight of the article placed on the loading table. Prepare,
The inventory sensor is provided to detect whether or not the article is placed on the placement table, and is supported by a support member independent of the weighing device,
The weighing device is installed so as to be separable from the installation section.

According to this configuration, by transporting an item to the installation section using the transport device, the weight of the item can be measured using a weighing scale installed in the installation section. This weighing scale is installed in the installation section separately from the transport device, and is separable from the installation section. Therefore, according to this configuration, inspection and maintenance of the weighing scale can be easily performed on its own. Furthermore, according to this configuration, the load sensor for detecting whether an item is placed on the weighing scale's platform is supported by a support member independent of the weighing scale, so that inspection and maintenance of the weighing scale can be easily performed on its own, independent of the load sensor.

here,
It is preferable that the installation section is provided in some of the plurality of storage sections.

With this configuration, there is no need to secure space for the installation section in addition to the storage shelf, making it easier to miniaturize the equipment.

Also,
A control unit for controlling the conveying device is provided,
The control unit is capable of executing retrieval control for controlling the conveying device and the retrieval unit to retrieve an retrieval item that is an item to be retrieved,
Preferably, the outgoing control includes a first conveying control for controlling the conveying device to convey the outgoing item from the storage section in which the outgoing item is stored to the installation section, and a second conveying control for controlling the conveying device to convey the outgoing item from the installation section to the outgoing section after the weight of the outgoing item is measured by the weighing scale in the installation section.

According to this configuration, by executing the first conveyance control and the second conveyance control, it is possible to appropriately measure the weight of the outgoing article in the process of unloading the outgoing article.

In the above configuration,
The article includes a real support, which is a support in a state where a load is supported, and a null support, which is the support in a state where the load is not supported;
The outgoing control includes a direct transport control for controlling the transport device so as to transport the outgoing item from the storage section in which the outgoing item is stored to the outgoing section;
The control unit is
When the outgoing item is the real support, the first transport control and the second transport control are executed;
When the outgoing item is the empty support, it is preferable to execute the direct transport control.

According to this configuration, for outgoing articles (empty supports) whose weight does not need to be measured, the outgoing articles can be directly conveyed from the storage section to the outgoing section by executing direct conveyance control. Therefore, the cycle time of conveyance can be shortened for the entire equipment.

In the above configuration,
The article includes a volatile substance and a container containing the volatile substance;
a supply unit that supplies the volatile substance to the container is provided in the transportable area;
The outgoing control includes a third transport control for controlling the transport device to transport the outgoing item from the installation section to the supply section, and a fourth transport control for controlling the transport device to transport the outgoing item from the supply section to the outgoing section,
It is preferable that, after the weight of the outgoing item is measured by the weighing scale at the installation section, if the weight of the outgoing item is less than a specified weight, the control unit executes the third conveying control and the fourth conveying control instead of the second conveying control.

When an item contains a volatile substance, its weight may become lighter while it is stored in the storage section, and the specified weight may not be met when the item is released from the warehouse. With this configuration, even in such a case, the third transport control is executed to transport the released item to the supply section, so that the volatile substance can be replenished in the supply section. Then, the fourth transport control is executed to appropriately transport the released item, with the volatile substance replenished, to the release section.

Also,
A control unit for controlling the conveying device is provided,
The control unit is
When the presence sensor detects that the item is placed on the placement platform, the conveying device is prohibited from conveying other items to the installation section;
It is preferable that the weighing machine is caused to perform a zero point correction during a period in which the load sensor does not detect that the article is placed on the loading platform.

With this configuration, the weighing device can perform zero point correction by utilizing the period when no object is placed on the platform of the weighing device. Therefore, with this configuration, the weight of the object can be measured appropriately.

The technology disclosed herein can be used in an item storage facility that includes a transport device for transporting items and a weighing device for measuring the weight of the items.

100: Item storage equipment 1: Storage shelf 10: Storage section 2: Storage section 3: Delivery section 4: Transport device 5: Installation section 6: Supply section 7: Weighing device 71: Placement table 72: Measurement section 8: Load sensor S: Support member C: Control section W: Item W: Delivery item 90: Load 91: Container 92: Volatile substance P: Support Pa: Actual support Pb: Empty support

Claims (5)

A storage shelf having a plurality of storage sections for storing items;
an entry section in which the items are stored in the storage shelves;
a delivery section in which the article is delivered from the storage shelf;
A conveying device that conveys the item between the storage shelf and the loading section and between the storage shelf and the unloading section;
A control unit that controls the conveying device,
a weighing device and a load sensor are installed in an installation section that is arranged in an area where the item can be transported by the transport device;
the weighing device includes a platform on which the object is placed, and a measuring unit that is integrally connected to the platform and measures the weight of the object placed on the platform,
the presence sensor is provided to detect whether the article is placed on the placement table and is supported by a support member independent of the weighing device;
The weighing device is installed so as to be separable from the installation part ,
The control unit is capable of executing retrieval control for controlling the conveying device and the retrieval unit to retrieve an retrieval item that is an item to be retrieved,
The outgoing control includes a first conveying control that controls the conveying device to convey the outgoing item from the storage section in which the outgoing item is stored to the installation section, and a second conveying control that controls the conveying device to convey the outgoing item from the installation section to the outgoing section after the weight of the outgoing item is measured by the weighing scale in the installation section, the item storage facility. The article includes a real support that is a support that supports a load, and an empty support that is a support that does not support the load,
The delivery control includes direct transport control that controls the transport device to transport the delivery item from the storage unit in which the delivery item is stored to the delivery unit,
The control unit includes:
When the outgoing article is the actual support, executing the first conveyance control and the second conveyance control,
The article storage facility according to claim 1 , wherein when the outgoing article is the empty support, the direct conveyance control is executed. The article includes a volatile substance and a container containing the volatile substance,
A supply unit for supplying the volatile substance to the container is provided in the transportable area,
The delivery control includes a third transport control that controls the transport device to transport the delivery item from the installation unit to the supply unit, and a third transport control to transport the delivery item from the supply unit to the delivery unit. a fourth conveyance control that controls the conveyance device,
After the weight of the outgoing article is measured by the weighing device in the installation section, if the weight of the outgoing article is less than a specified weight, the control section performs control in place of the second conveyance control. , the article storage facility according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the third conveyance control and the fourth conveyance control are executed. A storage shelf including a plurality of storage sections for storing articles;
a warehousing section in which the article is stored in the storage shelf;
an unloading section where the article is unloaded from the storage shelf;
a conveyance device that conveys the article between the storage shelf, the storage section, and the storage section;
A control unit that controls the conveyance device,
A weighing device and an inventory sensor are installed in an installation part arranged in an area where the article can be transported by the transport device,
The weighing device includes a mounting table on which the article is placed, and a measuring section that is integrally connected to the loading table and measures the weight of the article placed on the loading table. Prepare,
The inventory sensor is provided to detect whether or not the article is placed on the placement table, and is supported by a support member independent of the weighing device,
The scale is installed so as to be separable from the installation part ,
The control unit includes:
When the presence sensor detects that the article is placed on the placement table, prohibiting the conveyance device from conveying other articles to the installation section;
The article storage facility causes the scale to perform zero point correction during a period when the presence sensor does not detect that the article is placed on the placement table . The article storage facility according to claim 1 , wherein the installation section is provided in some of the plurality of storage sections.

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