Article storage facility

Abstract

An item storage device includes a storage rack, a receiving section, an internal conveying device for moving items between the receiving section and the storage rack, and a control system. The control system sets the maximum number of items that the receiving section can hold (the maximum holding limit (Nmax)) plus a variable adjustment number (A) to a temporary storage area number (Nmax + A), and moves items to the receiving section within this temporary storage area number (Nmax + A). The control system sets the adjustment number (A) to a smaller value as the load on the internal conveying device increases.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an article holding device. Prior Technology

[0002] For example, in semiconductor factories or flat panel display factories, since multiple processing steps are performed sequentially, the equipment is sometimes configured such that each step has an internal conveying device for holding the items, and an external conveying device is used to move the items between steps. An example of such an item holding device has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-130708 (Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an article holding device (automatic warehouse system 4) comprising: a holding rack (shelf 6) for holding articles (sheet cassette 39); an inbound section (partial station 8) for receiving articles from an external conveying device (rail trolley 24); and an internal conveying device (forklift cranes 12, 14). The inbound section has a plurality of holding positions (support positions 60, 62), which function as a temporary storage area, temporarily holding the next article while the internal conveying device returns after moving the previous article.

[0004] A receiving section that functions as a temporary storage area can, to some extent, improve the overall processing efficiency of a goods handling system equipped with external conveying devices and multiple item holding devices. For example, if an item is still in the receiving section when the internal conveying device has finished its current transfer, the next transfer can begin before the external conveying device delivers the next item, thus improving processing efficiency. Such improvements in processing efficiency will continue to be sought. Previous technical documents Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-130708 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Therefore, the desired outcome is the realization of a material holding device that can further improve the overall processing efficiency of material handling equipment.

[0007] The article-containing device disclosed herein has the following features: A storage rack having multiple storage sections for storing items; The receiving section holds the aforementioned items received from the external conveying device that transports the aforementioned items outside the aforementioned storage rack; An internal conveying device moves along a conveying path set in front of the aforementioned receiving shelf, and conveys the aforementioned items between the aforementioned storage section and the aforementioned receiving shelf; and The control system controls both the aforementioned external conveying device and the aforementioned internal conveying device. Let the maximum number of the aforementioned items that the aforementioned storage department can hold be set as the storage limit Nmax, and let the number of the aforementioned items that are actually held in the aforementioned storage department at each time point be set as the number of held items Nr. The aforementioned control system sets the number of temporary storage areas (Nmax+A) to the number of items being held, plus an adjustment number A that is variablely set to an integer value greater than or equal to 0. It then controls the external conveying device to ensure that the number of items being conveyed towards the receiving section, i.e., the number of items being conveyed, is less than or equal to the number of temporary storage areas minus the number of items being held, Nr. Furthermore, the aforementioned control system sets the aforementioned adjustment number A to a smaller value as the load on the aforementioned internal conveying device increases.

[0008] Based on this configuration, an internal conveyor system, moving along a conveyor path in front of the receiving rack, stores items received from the external conveyor system into the receiving rack, ready for further processing if necessary. The receiving section functions as a temporary storage area, and is utilized at a rate exceeding the maximum number of items that the receiving section can physically hold (Nmax + A; an adjustment number where A is 0 or higher), thereby improving processing efficiency. For example, if the adjustment number A is set to 1 or higher, even if the receiving section is already filled with items equal to the maximum number Nmax, the external conveyor system can still move items up to the adjustment number A towards the receiving rack. If the internal conveyor system finishes its processing during this period, it can move one item currently held in the receiving section, creating an empty space that can then be used to receive items previously moved by the external conveyor system. This further improves processing efficiency. Furthermore, in this configuration, the adjustment number A is set to a smaller value as the load on the internal conveying device increases. Therefore, even if there is a delay in the removal of items from the storage section by the internal conveying device, it is still easy to avoid the situation where the external conveying device becomes blocked in front of the storage section due to this delay. Accordingly, it is easier to avoid a situation where the overall processing efficiency of the item handling equipment decreases due to blockage by the external conveying device. Based on this information, an item holding device can be developed that can further improve the overall processing efficiency of the item handling equipment.

[0009] Further features and advantages of the technology disclosed herein should become clearer through the following illustrative and non-limiting description of embodiments illustrated with reference to the figures. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0010] Figure 1 is an overall layout diagram of the material handling equipment in the implementation form. Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of the item holding device. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the item holding device. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the control system. Figure 5 is a diagram showing the data structure of the transfer instruction. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of inbound material handling. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of an example of handling within the display rack. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of an example of handling within the display rack. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of an example of handling within the display rack. Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a transfer process. Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of warehouse transfer processing. Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the processing sequence controlled by adjusting the number of temporary storage areas. Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the processing order of the highest priority control for inbound goods. Figure 14 is a schematic diagram showing an example of internal conveying load adjustment control. Figure 15 is a flowchart showing the processing sequence of the internal load transfer adjustment control. Implementation

[0011] Forms used to implement inventions The embodiment of the article holding device will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, the article holding device 1 of the article conveying device 100 will be used as an example for description. The article conveying device 100 is an article conveying device installed in, for example, a semiconductor factory or a flat panel display factory, for sequentially performing a plurality of processing steps.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the item conveying equipment 100 includes item holding devices 1, external conveying devices 8, and processing devices 9. In this embodiment, a plurality of item holding devices 1 are provided, the external conveying devices 8 are configured to travel around these plurality of item holding devices 1, and the processing devices 9 are configured to correspond to each item holding device 1. A step is constituted by the item holding devices 1 and their corresponding processing devices 9, and the external conveying devices 8 traveling around the plurality of item holding devices 1 are responsible for the inter-step conveying.

[0013] The external transport device 8 includes a plurality of transport trolleys 82 that travel along a predetermined path (external transport path To). In this embodiment, the external transport device 8 includes a bypass track 81 provided along the external transport path To, and a plurality of transport trolleys 82 that travel on this bypass track 81. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the bypass track 81 is provided on the floor. That is, the external transport device 8 in this embodiment includes a plurality of tracked, floor-mounted transport trolleys 82. The external transport device 8 also includes a fork-type transfer device supported by the transport trolleys 82. The external transport device 8 transports items 10 between the plurality of item holding devices 1 (between steps).

[0014] Article 10 can be, for example, a semiconductor wafer used for manufacturing semiconductor components, or a photomask for processing. In this embodiment, these are transported while already contained in a container (e.g., a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) if the article is a semiconductor wafer, or a photomask cassette if the article is a photomask). Therefore, in the following context, when referring to "article 10," the container containing the article 10 is also included.

[0015] The processing device 9 processes the article 10. In this embodiment, the processing device 9 has a transfer port Pp, which is used to transfer the article 10 to the internal transport device 3. Furthermore, the processing device 9 treats the article 10 received from the internal transport device 3 via the transfer port Pp as an object and performs various processing steps on it. The processing device 9 can also be, for example, a washing device, a film-forming device, an exposure device, and an etching device. The processing device 9 delivers the processed article 10 to the internal transport device 3 via the transfer port Pp. The transfer port Pp is located adjacent to the transport path (internal transport path Ti) of the internal transport device 3.

[0016] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the goods storage device 1 includes a storage rack 2, an internal conveying device 3, an inbound section 4, and an outbound section 5. Furthermore, the goods storage device 1 includes a control system 7 (see Figure 1). In this embodiment, the control system 7 is configured as a whole to individually control a plurality of goods storage devices 1 and to integrate the control of the goods conveying device 100.

[0017] The storage rack 2 has a plurality of storage portions 23 for holding articles 10. In this embodiment, the article holding device 1 has a pair of storage racks 2 (first storage rack 2A and second storage rack 2B) arranged facing each other. The first storage rack 2A and the second storage rack 2B are arranged facing each other with an internal conveying device 3 sandwiched between them. The first storage rack 2A and the second storage rack 2B each have: a plurality of pillars 21 erected at predetermined intervals from the floor surface; and a plurality of support portions 22 fixed at predetermined intervals to the pillars 21. The storage portion 23 for holding articles 10 is formed by the space above a pair of support portions 22 at the same height fixed to adjacent pillars 21. The first storage rack 2A and the second storage rack 2B each have storage portions 23 covering a plurality of layers and a plurality of columns. Each accommodating part 23 is arranged in an adjacent position in an orthogonal direction relative to the conveying path (internal conveying path Ti) of the internal conveying device 3.

[0018] In this embodiment, the first storage rack 2A and the second storage rack 2B are arranged with their ends aligned on one side. Furthermore, an inlet section 4 and an outlet section 5 are provided adjacent to these aligned ends. The inlet section 4 is located adjacent to the first storage rack 2A, and the outlet section 5 is located adjacent to the second storage rack 2B. In this embodiment, the second storage rack 2B has more rows than the first storage rack 2A. Therefore, the second storage rack 2B protrudes further than the first storage rack 2A at the ends opposite to the inlet section 4 and the outlet section 5. A processing device 9 is arranged adjacent to the first storage rack 2A and facing the second storage rack 2B.

[0019] The internal conveying device 3 is installed between a pair of opposing storage racks 2 (first storage rack 2A and second storage rack 2B). The internal conveying device 3 moves along an internal conveying path Ti set along the front of the storage racks 2, and conveys the items 10 between the receiving section 4 and the storage racks 2, within the same storage racks 2, between one storage rack 2 and the other, and between the storage racks 2 and the outgoing section 5. In this embodiment, the internal conveying path Ti is equivalent to a "conveyor path".

[0020] Furthermore, the article-containing device 1 of this embodiment includes a pair of internal conveying devices 3 (first internal conveying device 3A and second internal conveying device 3B) arranged along the internal conveying path Ti. In this embodiment, the first internal conveying device 3A corresponds to the "first conveying unit," and the second internal conveying device 3B corresponds to the "second conveying unit." The first internal conveying device 3A and the second internal conveying device 3B are constructed by a stacker crane and each includes a traveling trolley 32, a mast 33, a lifting platform 34, and a transfer device 35. The traveling trolley 32 travels on a traveling track 31, which is set on the floor along the internal conveying path Ti. The mast 33 is erected from the traveling trolley 32. In this embodiment, the pair of masts 33 are separately arranged on both sides of the internal conveying path Ti in the traveling trolley 32. The upper ends of the masts 33 are guided by guide rails 36 set on the ceiling. The lifting platform 34 rises and falls along the pair of masts 33. The transfer device 35 is fixed to the lifting platform 34 and transfers the item 10.

[0021] In this embodiment, the first internal conveying device 3A and the second internal conveying device 3B are mounted on a common travel track 31. That is, the traveling trolley 32 of the first internal conveying device 3A and the traveling trolley 32 of the second internal conveying device 3B are configured to travel on the common travel track 31. Compared to the second internal conveying device 3B, the first internal conveying device 3A is mounted on the side of the inbound section 4 and the outbound section 5.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2, the first internal conveying device 3A conveys the item 10 within a first conveying range R1, which includes at least a portion of the receiving section 4 and the receiving shelf 2's receiving section 23. The first conveying range R1 is defined as including a portion of the receiving section 4 and the receiving section 2's receiving section 4 side. Furthermore, the first conveying range R1 also includes the outgoing section 5 facing the receiving section 4. The second internal conveying device 3B conveys the item 10 within a second conveying range R2, which includes at least a portion of the receiving shelf 2's receiving section 2 but does not include the receiving section 4. In this embodiment, the second conveying range R2 is defined as including at least a portion of the receiving section 23 of the receiving shelf 2 and the processing device 9 disposed on the opposite side of the receiving section 4 and the outgoing section 5. The second conveying range R2 is defined as the range of the accommodating part 23 and the processing device 9, which includes a part of the processing device 9 side in the accommodating frame 2.

[0023] The first conveying range R1 and the second conveying range R2 are configured such that a portion of the first conveying range R1 and a portion of the second conveying range R2 will overlap. A portion of the processing device 9 side in the first conveying range R1 and a portion of the inbound section 4 and outbound section 5 side in the second conveying range R2 will overlap.

[0024] The receiving unit 4 receives items 10 from the external conveying device 8 and holds the received items 10. In this embodiment, the receiving unit 4 includes a receiving conveyor 41. The receiving conveyor 41 can also be, for example, a roller conveyor, a slat conveyor, or a belt conveyor. In this embodiment, the receiving unit 4 is configured to hold a plurality of items 10 in a stationary state. This example shows the case where the receiving conveyor 41 constituting the receiving unit 4 holds two items 10. In this case, the receiving conveyor 41 has two support positions 43 and 44, and the maximum number of items 10 that the receiving unit 4 can hold, i.e., the holding limit Nmax, is "2" (Nmax = 2).

[0025] The inbound conveyor 41 operates when an item 10 is supported at support position 43 and not supported at support position 44, and can move the item 10 originally located at support position 43 to support position 44. The upstream support position 43 in the conveying direction is the position where the item 10 is received from the external conveying device 8, and is called receiving port Pr. The downstream support position 44 in the conveying direction is the position where the item 10 is delivered to the internal conveying device 3 (first internal conveying device 3A) when the item 10 is inbound, and is called inbound port Pi. Inbound port Pi is located adjacent to the internal conveying path Ti in its orthogonal direction.

[0026] The outbound section 5 holds the items 10 to be delivered to the external conveying device 8. The outbound section 5 holds the items 10 received from the internal conveying device 3 (first internal conveying device 3A) and delivers the items 10 to the external conveying device 8. In this embodiment, the outbound section 5 includes an outbound conveyor 51. The outbound conveyor 51 can also be, for example, a roller conveyor, a slat conveyor, or a belt conveyor. In this embodiment, the outbound section 5 is configured to hold a plurality of items 10 in a stationary state. This example shows the outbound conveyor 51 holding two items 10. In this case, the outbound conveyor 51 has two support positions 53 and 54, and the maximum number of items 10 that the outbound section 5 can hold is "2".

[0027] The outbound conveyor 51 operates when item 10 is supported at support position 53 and not supported at support position 54, and can move item 10 from support position 53 to support position 54. The upstream support position 53 in the transport direction is the position where item 10 is received from the internal transport device 3 (first internal transport device 3A) during outbound transport, and is designated as outbound port Po. Outbound port Po is located adjacent to the internal transport path Ti in its orthogonal direction, and is located on the opposite side of inbound port Pi. The downstream support position 54 in the transport direction is the position where item 10 is delivered to the external transport device 8, and is designated as delivery port Ph.

[0028] The inbound port Pi and the outbound port Po are located at the ends of one side of the first conveying range R1. The inbound port Pi and the outbound port Po are only included in the first conveying range R1 and not in the second conveying range R2. The transfer port Pp of the processing device 9 is located at the end opposite to the inbound port Pi and the outbound port Po in the second conveying range R2. The transfer port Pp is only included in the second conveying range R2 and not in the first conveying range R1. Among the plurality of accommodating portions 23 of the accommodating frame 2, there are accommodating portions that are only included in the first conveying range R1, accommodating portions that are only included in the second conveying range R2, and accommodating portions that are included in the overlapping range L of the first conveying range R1 and the second conveying range R2.

[0029] In an item storage device 1 configured like this, the internal conveying device 3 performs inbound conveying, shelf conveying, processing conveying, and outbound conveying.

[0030] The inbound transport process is the process of transporting the item 10 from the inbound section 4 to a specific receiving section 23 of the receiving rack 2. In the inbound transport process, the item 10 supported by the support position 44 (inbound port Pi) of the inbound section 4 is transported to the specific receiving section 23 of the receiving rack 2 (first receiving rack 2A or second receiving rack 2B) for storage by means of the first internal transport device 3A.

[0031] In-shelf transport is the process of moving an item 10 from a specific storage compartment 23 of a storage shelf 2 to another storage compartment 23 of the same or other storage shelves 2. In in-shelf transport, the item 10, contained in a specific storage compartment 23 at the transport starting point, is transported to a specific storage compartment 23 at the transport destination using either a first internal transport device 3A or a second internal transport device 3B. If the storage compartment 23 at the transport starting point or transport destination is only contained within a first transport range R1, the item 10 can be transported using the first internal transport device 3A. If the storage compartment 23 at the transport starting point or transport destination is only contained within a second transport range R2, the item 10 can be transported using the second internal transport device 3B. If the receiving portion 23 of both the starting point and the destination is included in the overlapping range L of the first conveying range R1 and the second conveying range R2, then the object item 10 can be conveyed by either the first internal conveying device 3A or the second internal conveying device 3B.

[0032] The processing transfer process is the process of moving the item 10 between a specific holding section 23 of the holding rack 2 and the processing device 9. In the processing transfer process, the item 10, which is held in the specific holding section 23 at the transfer starting point, is moved to the transfer port Pp of the processing device 9 by means of the second internal transfer device 3B. Alternatively, in the processing transfer process, the processed item 10 supported by the transfer port Pp of the processing device 9 is moved to the specific holding section 23 at the transfer destination by means of the second internal transfer device 3B.

[0033] Outbound transport processing is the process of moving item 10 from a specific holding section 23 of the holding shelf 2 to the outbound section 5. In outbound transport processing, the item 10 contained in the specific holding section 23 of the holding shelf 2 (first holding shelf 2A or second holding shelf 2B) is moved to the support position 53 (outbound port Po) of the outbound section 5 by means of the first internal transport device 3A for outbound transport.

[0034] As described above, the control system 7 individually controls a plurality of item-containing devices 1 (internal conveying devices 3) and integrates the entire item-carrying equipment 100, including the external conveying device 8. Therefore, as shown in FIG4, the control system 7 includes an internal conveying control unit 71, an external conveying control unit 72, and an integrated control unit 73. In addition, although for simplicity, only the internal conveying control unit 71 corresponding to one item-containing device 1 (internal conveying device 3) is shown in FIG4, it has an internal conveying control unit 71 corresponding to each of the plurality of item-containing devices 1 (internal conveying devices 3).

[0035] The internal transfer control unit 71 controls the internal transfer device 3. In this embodiment, the internal transfer device 3 includes a first internal transfer device 3A and a second internal transfer device 3B, and the internal transfer control unit 71 controls both the first internal transfer device 3A and the second internal transfer device 3B. The internal transfer control unit 71 controls the first internal transfer device 3A and the second internal transfer device 3B according to a transfer command (here, the transfer command within the steps).

[0036] The transfer instructions have a data structure as shown in Figure 5. Each transfer instruction includes information on the transfer start point (transfer start position), transfer destination (transfer completion position), and the internal transfer device 3 used. In Figure 5, "S1" represents the first storage rack 2A, and "S2" represents the second storage rack 2B. Furthermore, "(m,n)" following "S1" and "S2" represents the storage unit 23 in the m-th column from the side of the inbound section 4 and the outbound section 5, and on the n-th layer from the bottom. In addition, "m" and "n" are integers.

[0037] For example, transport instruction A-2 sets the inbound port Pi as the transport starting point and the first column, second layer, storage section 23 of the first storage rack 2A as the transport destination (see Figure 6). Since both of these locations are included in the first transport range R1, the first internal transport device 3A is assigned to handle transport instruction A-2. The transport process based on this transport instruction A-2 is an example of the aforementioned inbound transport process.

[0038] For example, transport instruction A-4 sets the transport starting point as the storage section 23 of the 4th layer of the 1st shelf 2A and the transport destination as the storage section 23 of the 7th layer of the 5th shelf 2B (see Figure 7). Since both of these locations are included in the 1st transport range R1, the 1st internal transport device 3A is assigned to handle transport instruction A-4. The transport process based on this transport instruction A-4 is an example of the aforementioned in-shelf transport process.

[0039] For example, transport instruction B-2 sets the 10th column, 1st layer storage section 23 of the second storage rack 2B as the transport starting point and the 4th column, 1st layer storage section 23 of the second storage rack 2B as the transport destination (see Figure 8). Since both of these locations are included in the second transport range R2, the second internal transport device 3B is assigned to handle transport instruction B-2. The transport process based on this transport instruction B-2 is also an example of the above-mentioned internal rack transport process.

[0040] For example, transport instruction A-1 sets the 4th column, 5th layer storage section 23 of the first storage rack 2A as the transport starting point and the 6th column, 5th layer storage section 23 of the first storage rack 2A as the transport destination (see Figure 9). Since these two locations are both included in the overlapping area L of the first transport range R1 and the second transport range R2, although either the first internal transport device 3A or the second internal transport device 3B can handle transport instruction A-1, in this example, the first internal transport device 3A is assigned. The transport process based on this transport instruction A-1 is also an example of the above-mentioned in-rack transport process.

[0041] For example, transport instruction B-1 sets the 8th column, 3rd layer storage section 23 of the first storage rack 2A as the transport starting point and the transfer port Pp as the transport destination (see the solid arrow in Figure 10). Since both of these locations are included in the second transport range R2, the second internal transport device 3B is assigned to handle transport instruction B-1. Similarly, transport instruction B-3 sets the transfer port Pp as the transport starting point and the 8th column, 5th layer storage section 23 of the second storage rack 2B as the transport destination (see the dashed arrow in Figure 10). Since both of these locations are included in the second transport range R2, the second internal transport device 3B is assigned to handle transport instruction B-3. The transport processing based on these transport instructions B-1 and B-3 is an example of the transport processing described above.

[0042] For example, transport instruction A-3 sets the 7th layer of the 2nd column of the 2nd shelf 2B as the transport starting point and the outbound port Po as the transport destination (see Figure 11). Since both of these locations are included in the 1st transport range R1, the 1st internal transport device 3A is assigned to handle transport instruction A-3. The transport process based on this transport instruction A-3 is an example of the aforementioned outbound transport process.

[0043] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first internal conveying device 3A and the second internal conveying device 3B are executed sequentially according to the conveying instructions shown in FIG. 5. In this example, for the first internal conveying device 3A, the order of conveying instructions A-1, A-2, A-3, A-4, ... is a predetermined conveying order, and for the second internal conveying device 3B, the order of conveying instructions B-1, B-2, B-3, ... is a predetermined conveying order. These can be set as conveying orders that prioritize the processing efficiency of each of the first internal conveying device 3A and the second internal conveying device 3B.

[0044] The external transport control unit 72 controls the external transport device 8. The external transport control unit 72 controls a plurality of transport trolleys 82 that travel on the circular track 81, and the transfer devices suspended and supported thereon. The external transport control unit 72 controls the transport trolleys 82 and the transfer devices according to transport instructions (in this case, inter-step transport instructions). The inter-step transport instructions include information about the transport starting step (the item holding device 1 at the transport starting point), the transport destination step (the item holding device 1 at the transport destination), and the transport trolleys 82 used. According to these inter-step transport instructions, the item 10 supported by the outgoing section 5 of the transport starting step can be transported to the receiving section 4 of the transport destination step by the designated transport trolleys 82. At this time, multiple inter-step transport instructions can be executed simultaneously.

[0045] The integrated control unit 73 integrates the external transfer control unit 72 and the internal transfer control unit 71. For example, when transferring item 10 between steps, the integrated control unit 73 coordinately controls the internal transfer control unit 71 corresponding to the item holding device 1 at the transfer starting point, the external transfer control unit 72, and the internal transfer control unit 71 corresponding to the item holding device 1 at the transfer destination. The integrated control unit 73 controls the internal transfer control unit 71 corresponding to the item holding device 1 to form a state where the item 10 to be transferred is supported in the outgoing section 5 of the item holding device 1 at the transfer starting point. The integrated control unit 73 controls the external transfer control unit 72 to receive the item 10 supported by the outgoing section 5 and transfer it to the item holding device 1 at the transfer destination and move it to its receiving section 4. In addition, the integrated control unit 73 controls the internal transfer control unit 71 corresponding to the item holding device 1 to place the item 10 supported by the receiving section 4 of the item holding device 1 at the transfer destination into the holding rack 2.

[0046] However, in order to improve the overall processing efficiency of the equipment, the item handling equipment 100 of this embodiment treats items 10 with a physical storage area number (i.e., a holding limit number Nmax) or higher as items that can be stored in the receiving section 4, and controls each part accordingly. That is, the number of items using the storage area number B (B=Nmax+A) is set as the holding limit number Nmax plus the adjustment number A (see Figure 2), and the receiving section 4 of the item holding equipment 1 at the destination is configured to accept a number of items 10 that are less than the number of storage areas B. In addition to actually supporting the physically acceptable holding limit number Nmax items 10, the receiving section 4 of the item holding equipment 1 at the destination is also regarded as virtually supporting items 10 with an adjustment number A or less in the system, and performs subsequent handling.

[0047] Here, the adjustment number A is a variable integer value greater than or equal to 0. Ideally, the adjustment number A should be an integer value greater than or equal to 1. Even if the storage section 4 of the item holding device 1 at the destination is completely full, items 10 of this adjustment number A or less can still be moved towards the storage section 4 in advance. The adjustment number A is set based on the number of items 10: the number of items 10 that can be moved from the storage section 4 to the holding shelf 2 by the internal conveying device 3 (first internal conveying device 3A) during the period from when the items 10 moved in advance by the external conveying device 8 arrive at the storage section 4 of the item holding device 1 at the destination. From this point of view, it is practically ideal to set the adjustment number A to, for example, around 1 to 3.

[0048] Figure 2 shows an example: by adding "2" as the adjustment number A to the upper limit number Nmax, which is "2", and using "4" as the number of temporary storage areas B, the storage unit 4 can virtually receive up to 4 items 10. When the item 10 is moved from the storage port Pi of the storage unit 4 to any of the storage sections 23 of the storage rack 2 by the internal conveying device 3 (first internal conveying device 3A), the storage conveyor 41 will be activated to move the next item 10 to the storage port Pi, and a receiving space for the item 10 that was previously moved by the external conveying device 8 will be formed.

[0049] In such a configuration, when the storage section 4 of the item holding device 1 at the transport destination is full due to the items 10 that are actually being held, even if the external conveying device 8 brings in the next item 10, it will still be unable to move that item 10. In this case, it must wait until the storage section 4 becomes empty, which results in the external conveying device 8 becoming blocked and reducing the overall processing efficiency of the equipment. Therefore, in the item transport equipment 100 of this embodiment, the control system 7 is configured to perform the following detailed control: temporary storage area number adjustment control, storage priority control, and internal transport load adjustment control.

[0050] <Using temporary storage area number adjustment control> The use of temporary storage area adjustment control is the control that adjusts the use of temporary storage area B under certain conditions. As described above, the control system 7 sets the use of temporary storage area B (B=Nmax+A) by adding the adjustment number A, which can be set to an integer value of 0 or higher (preferably 1 or higher), to the number of items Nmax that is held. Based on this use of temporary storage area B, the item transport equipment 100 is controlled. Here, the number of items 10 that are actually held in the storage section 4 at each time point is set as the "holding item number Nr", and the number of items 10 being transported to the storage section 4 by the external transport device 8 is set as the "transporting item number Nt". At this time, the control system 7 controls the external transport device 8 to make the transporting item number Nt less than or equal to the use of temporary storage area B minus the holding item number Nr (B-Nr=Nmax+A-Nr).

[0051] Given this configuration, in the temporary storage area adjustment control, the control system 7 sets the adjustment number A to a value that becomes smaller as the load on the internal conveying device 3 increases. In particular, the control system 7 sets the adjustment number A to a value that becomes smaller as the load on the first internal conveying device 3A increases, and the aforementioned first internal conveying device 3A operates within the first conveying range R1 including the storage section 4.

[0052] As described above, the first internal conveying device 3A is responsible for inbound conveying, shelf conveying, and outbound conveying. Therefore, when the load on the first internal conveying device 3A increases (especially when the proportion of shelf conveying or outbound conveying increases), the possibility of delays in the conveying of items 10 from the receiving section 4 to the storage rack 2 (inbound conveying) increases. Therefore, by setting the adjustment value A to a smaller value as the load on the first internal conveying device 3A increases, the number of items 10 that are first conveyed to the receiving section 4 by the external conveying device 8 can be reduced according to the load level of the first internal conveying device 3A. Since fewer items 10 are conveyed first, it is easier to avoid the situation where the receiving section 4 is already full when these items 10 arrive. Accordingly, the reduction in the overall processing efficiency of the equipment can be suppressed.

[0053] In this embodiment, the control system 7 determines the load of the first internal conveying device 3A based on the number of conveying instructions for the items 10 of the first internal conveying device 3A. Furthermore, the control system 7 determines that the load is high as the number of conveying instructions for the items 10 of the first internal conveying device 3A increases.

[0054] Here, since the transport of items 10 whose starting point or destination is located within the first transport range R1 (however, neither of them is located within the overlap L of the first transport range R1 and the second transport range R2) is handled by the first internal transport device 3A, all transport instructions corresponding to this are instructions to the first internal transport device 3A. On the other hand, since the transport of items 10 whose starting point and destination are both located within the overlap L of the first transport range R1 and the second transport range R2 is shared by the first internal transport device 3A and the second internal transport device 3B, only a portion of the transport instructions corresponding to this are instructions to the first internal transport device 3A. In this embodiment, in order to reduce computational processing, the control system 7 considers the transport of the items 10 located in the overlapping range L to be equally shared by the first internal transport device 3A and the second internal transport device 3B, and regards half of the transport instructions corresponding to this as instructions to the first internal transport device 3A.

[0055] That is, the control system 7 determines that the load on the first internal conveying device 3A is increasing as the sum of the number of conveying instructions for items 10 whose starting point or destination is within the first conveying range R1 and the number of half the number of conveying instructions for items 10 whose starting point and destination are within the overlapping range L (hereinafter referred to as the "number of conveying instructions") increases, and sets the adjustment number A to a smaller value as the load on the first internal conveying device 3A increases. For example, in the example of Figure 2, the adjustment number A, which is initially set to "2", will be set to "1" when the number of conveying instructions is above the first reference value, and will be set to "0" when the number of conveying instructions is above the second reference value, which is greater than the first reference value. Along with this, the number of temporary storage areas B is gradually reduced from "4" to "3", and further reduced to "2".

[0056] By setting the adjustment number A to a smaller value, the number of temporary storage areas B (=Nmax+A) will also decrease accordingly, and the difference between this number and the actual number of items 10 held in the receiving section 4 (the number of held items Nr) (=Nmax+A-Nr) will also decrease. This difference corresponds to the number of items 10 that can be moved towards the receiving section 4 by the external conveying device 8 at that time. If this difference decreases, there may be a situation where that number of items 10 are already being moved. In such a case, during the period when the number of items Nt during the moving process is equal to the number of temporary storage areas B minus the number of held items Nr (B-Nr=Nmax+A-Nr), the control system 7 prevents the external conveying device 8 from starting to move new items 10 towards the receiving section 4.

[0057] After this, when the first internal conveying device 3A performs its inbound transport process, the number of items being transported, Nt, will become less than the number of items in the temporary storage area, B, minus the number of items held, Nr (B-Nr=Nmax+A-Nr). In this case, the control system 7 will begin transporting new items 10 towards the inbound section 4 via the external conveying device 8. In this embodiment, when the number of items being transported, Nt, becomes less than the number of items in the temporary storage area, B, minus the number of items held, Nr (Nmax+A-Nr), the control system 7 will immediately begin transporting new items 10 via the external conveying device 8.

[0058] Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the processing sequence of the temporary storage area number adjustment control. The temporary storage area number adjustment control is executed collaboratively by the internal transfer control unit 71, the external transfer control unit 72, and the integrated control unit 73 constituting the control system 7. In the temporary storage area number adjustment control, firstly, the internal transfer control unit 71 determines the load (transfer command number) of the first internal transfer device 3A and generates load information displaying the load (step #01). The generated load information is sent from the internal transfer control unit 71 to the integrated control unit 73.

[0059] Next, the integrated control unit 73, based on the load information received from the internal transfer control unit 71, sets the adjustment number A to a smaller value (#02) as the load of the first internal transfer device 3A increases. Furthermore, the integrated control unit 73 sends an inter-step transfer instruction to the external transfer control unit 72. This inter-step transfer instruction is based on the inter-step transfer instruction for the number of items 10 using the number of temporary storage areas B, where the number of temporary storage areas B (B=Nmax+A) is determined in accordance with the set adjustment number A.

[0060] More specifically, the integrated control unit 73 determines whether the number of items being transported, Nt, at that time point is less than the difference between the number of items in the temporary storage area (B) (=Nmax+A) and the number of items being held, Nr (=Nmax+A-Nr) (#03). If the number of items being transported, Nt, is less than the difference between the number of items in the temporary storage area (B) and the number of items being held, Nr (#03: Yes), then the external transport device 8 is allowed to transport a new item 10 toward the receiving section 4 (#04). In this case, the integrated control unit 73 sends a new inter-step transport instruction to the external transport control unit 72, and the external transport control unit 72, upon receiving the instruction, controls the external transport device 8 according to the inter-step transport instruction.

[0061] On the other hand, if the number of items being transported, Nt, is greater than or equal to the difference between the number of items in the temporary storage area, B, and the number of items held, Nr (which are actually the same number) (#03: No), then the external transport device 8 is temporarily stopped from transporting new items 10 toward the receiving section 4 (#05). For example, the integrated control unit 73 is temporarily suspended from sending new inter-step transport instructions to the external transport control unit 72, or after sending new inter-step transport instructions to the external transport control unit 72, the operation of the external transport device 8 based on those inter-step transport instructions is temporarily suspended. After this, if the number of items being transported, Nt, is less than the difference between the number of items in the temporary storage area, B, and the number of items held, Nr (#03: Yes), then the suspension is lifted, and the external transport device 8 is allowed to transport new items 10 toward the receiving section 4 (#04).

[0062] <Highest priority control for inbound goods> The highest priority control for inbound storage refers to the control of the transfer processes performed by the internal conveying device 3, which prioritizes the inbound transfer processes under certain conditions. In this embodiment, the control system 7 performs inbound priority control based on the sum of the number of items held (Nr) and the number of items being transferred (Nt) (hereinafter referred to as the "potential number of items held (Np)"). Here, the number of items held (Nr) is the number of items 10 that are actually held in the inbound section 4 as described above, and the number of items being transferred (Nt) is the number of items 10 being transferred to the inbound section 4 by the external conveying device 8. In the highest priority control for inbound storage, when the potential number of items held (Np) is greater than the determination threshold (Th), the control system 7 prioritizes the inbound transfer process over the outbound transfer process and the in-shelf transfer process among the various transfer processes performed by the internal conveying device 3.

[0063] In this embodiment, among the first internal conveying device 3A and the second internal conveying device 3B constituting the internal conveying device 3, only the first internal conveying device 3A is responsible for the inbound conveying process. Therefore, the control system 7 performs inbound priority control only on the first internal conveying device 3A among the first internal conveying device 3A and the second internal conveying device 3B.

[0064] The threshold Th, which serves as the basis for determining whether the highest priority control for receiving items is executed, is set to the maximum number of items Nmax in this embodiment. The maximum number of items Nmax is the maximum number of items 10 that the receiving unit 4 can hold. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the number of potentially held items Np is greater than the maximum number of items Nmax, in other words, when at least one item among all the items 10 being transported by the external conveying device 8 has no available space in the receiving unit 4 at that time, the highest priority control for receiving items is executed.

[0065] As described above, in this embodiment, the first internal conveying device 3A is configured to execute conveying orders in a sequence prioritizing processing efficiency. For example, in the example of Figure 5, the order of conveying instructions A-1, A-2, A-3, A-4, ... is a predetermined conveying order. In the inbound priority control, the control system 7 changes this predetermined conveying order to execute inbound priority control. For example, in the example of Figure 5, the order of conveying processing based on conveying instruction A-1 is swapped with that based on conveying instruction A-2, thereby prioritizing the inbound conveying processing based on conveying instruction A-2.

[0066] By prioritizing the inbound transport process, it is easier to create space in the inbound section 4 earlier for receiving items 10 being transported by the external transport device 8. In other words, it is easier to avoid the inbound section 4 becoming overcrowded, thus suppressing a decrease in the overall processing efficiency of the equipment. This is the idea behind prioritizing the suppression of a decrease in the overall processing efficiency of the item transport equipment 100, even if it slightly sacrifices the processing efficiency of the first internal transport device 3A of the specific item holding device 1.

[0067] Furthermore, even when the operating efficiency of the multiple transport trolleys 82 in the external transport device 8 is low, the impact on the overall equipment is usually minimal, even if some of the transport trolleys 82 must remain idle in front of one of the storage sections 4. Therefore, in this embodiment, the control system 7 is configured such that if the operating rate of the multiple transport trolleys 82 in the external transport device 8 is below a predetermined operating rate threshold, storage priority control is not implemented. Thus, when the overall processing efficiency of the goods transport equipment 100 is not a serious problem, the processing efficiency of the first internal transport device 3A can be prioritized according to the original objective.

[0068] Here, the operating rate of the transport trolley 82 is the ratio (percentage) of the number of transport trolleys 82 with inter-step transport instructions to the total number of transport trolleys 82. The operating rate threshold is set to a value near the upper limit, for example, that even if one transport trolley 82 is idle for a certain period of time, subsequent transport trolleys 82 are not likely to be blocked, specifically a value of about 1% to 20%.

[0069] Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the processing sequence of the highest priority control for inbound goods. The highest priority control for inbound goods is executed collaboratively by the internal transport control unit 71, the external transport control unit 72, and the integrated control unit 73, which constitute the control system 7. In the highest priority control for inbound goods, firstly, the integrated control unit 73 determines the relationship between the operating rate of the multiple transport trolleys 82 in the external transport device 8 and the operating rate threshold (#21). If the operating rate of the transport trolley 82 is below the operating rate threshold (#21: No), the highest priority control for inbound goods ends. On the other hand, if the operating rate of the transport trolley 82 is greater than the operating rate threshold (#21: Yes), the integrated control unit 73 obtains the potential number of items to be held, Np (#22). Specifically, the number of items to be held, Nr, is obtained from the internal transport control unit 71, and the number of items being transported, Nt, is obtained from the external transport control unit 72. These quantities are then added together to calculate the potential number of items to be held, Np.

[0070] Next, the integrated control unit 73 determines whether to implement inbound priority control based on the potential number of items Np. Specifically, it determines whether the potential number of items Np is greater than the determination threshold Th (#23). If the potential number of items Np is greater than the determination threshold Th (#23: Yes), the integrated control unit 73 determines that inbound priority control should be implemented. In this case, the integrated control unit 73 sends the instruction indicating this intention to the internal transport control unit 71, thereby changing the originally predetermined order of various transport processes performed by the first internal transport device 3A, and performing the inbound transport process with the highest priority (#24). On the other hand, if the potential number of items Np is less than or equal to the determination threshold Th (#23: Yes), the transport processes performed by the first internal transport device 3A are performed in the originally predetermined order (#25).

[0071] Internal Load Adjustment Control Internal transport load adjustment control is a control that balances the transport loads of the first internal transport device 3A and the second internal transport device 3B constituting the internal transport device 3. In this embodiment, the internal transport load adjustment control adjusts the range of operation of the first internal transport device 3A, i.e., the first transport range R1, based at least on the number of items 10 currently held in the storage section 4, i.e., the number of held items Nr, under certain conditions (range adjustment processing). In this embodiment, the internal transport load adjustment control is performed based on the number of held items Nr plus the number of items 10 being transported to the storage section 4 by the external transport device 8, i.e., the number of transported items Nt (the predetermined number of held items Ne). In the internal transport load adjustment control, the control system 7 performs the process of reducing the first transport range R1 as the predetermined number of held items Ne increases as range adjustment processing, thereby adjusting the balance of the transport loads of the first internal transport device 3A and the second internal transport device 3B.

[0072] Furthermore, in the internal conveying load adjustment control (range adjustment processing), the control system 7 increases the second conveying range R2 in response to the reduction of the first conveying range R1. For example, the control system 7 reassigns a portion of the processing device 9 side in the first conveying range R1 to the second conveying range R2, thereby reducing the first conveying range R1, and increasing the second conveying range R2 by the amount of reduction in the first conveying range R1.

[0073] As shown in Figure 14, in this embodiment, the control system 7 can set the first conveying range R1 to a normal range R1n of normal size and a limiting range R1l smaller than the normal range R1n. Furthermore, the control system 7 can set the second conveying range R2 to a normal range R2n of normal size and an expanding range R2e larger than the normal range R2n. In addition, the difference between the normal range R1n and the limiting range R1l in the first conveying range R1, and the difference between the normal range R2n and the expanding range R2e in the second conveying range R2, are set to be equal to each other.

[0074] In the internal transport load adjustment control (range adjustment processing), when the predetermined number of items Ne is less than the upper limit number Nmax, the control system 7 sets the first transport range R1 of the first internal transport device 3A to the normal range R1n, and sets the second transport range R2 of the second internal transport device 3B to the normal range R2n. Furthermore, this is the range setting itself in normal control.

[0075] Furthermore, in the internal transport load adjustment control (range adjustment processing), when the predetermined number of items Ne is maintained at or above the upper limit Nmax, the control system 7 sets the first transport range R1 of the first internal transport device 3A to a limited range R1l, and sets the second transport range R2 of the second internal transport device 3B to an expanded range R2e. By setting the first transport range R1 to a limited range R1l when the predetermined number of items Ne is maintained at or above the upper limit Nmax, the operating range of the first internal transport device 3A can be reduced to increase the turnover rate when the predetermined number of items Ne is high, thereby facilitating the transport of items 10 from the receiving section 4.

[0076] For example, the in-shelf transport process according to transport instruction A-1 shown in Figure 5 (see Figure 9) will become a transport process that is no longer within the overlapping range L because the first transport range R1 is set as the limited range R1l and the second transport range R2 is set as the expanded range R2e. Consequently, the allocation of in-shelf transport processes according to transport instruction A-1 will change from the first internal transport device 3A to the second internal transport device 3B. In this way, the processing burden of the first internal transport device 3A can be reduced by narrowing the first transport range R1, and the resulting spare capacity can be used to prioritize the storage transport process. This makes it easier to avoid the storage section 4 being full, and can suppress the decrease in the overall processing efficiency of the goods transport equipment 100.

[0077] In this embodiment, when the number of transport instructions assigned to the second internal transport device 3B exceeds the instruction number threshold, the control system 7 will not perform range adjustment processing regardless of the size of the predetermined number of items Ne. The instruction number threshold is set to a value near the upper limit of the assigned transport processing, taking into account factors such as the size of the accommodating shelf 2 or the processing capacity of the second internal transport device 3B, allowing the second internal transport device 3B to perform the transport with a certain degree of margin. By configuring the system to perform range adjustment processing only when the load of the second internal transport device 3B has a certain degree of margin, it is possible to appropriately respond to the increase in the load of the second internal transport device 3B as the second transport range R2 increases.

[0078] Figure 15 is a flowchart showing the processing sequence of the internal transport load adjustment control. The internal transport load adjustment control is executed by the internal transport control unit 71, which constitutes the control system 7. In the internal transport load adjustment control, firstly, the relationship between the number of transport commands assigned to the second internal transport device 3B and the command number threshold is determined (#41). If the number of transport commands of the second internal transport device 3B is greater than or equal to the command number threshold (#41: No), then the internal transport load adjustment control ends.

[0079] On the other hand, if the number of transport commands in the second internal transport device 3B is less than the command number threshold (#41: Yes), then the relationship between the predetermined number of items Ne and the maximum number of items Nmax is determined (#42). If the predetermined number of items Ne is less than the maximum number of items Nmax (#42: Yes), then the first transport range R1 of the first internal transport device 3A is set to the normal range R1n, and the second transport range R2 of the second internal transport device 3B is set to the normal range R2n (#43). On the other hand, if the predetermined number of items Ne is greater than or equal to the maximum number of items Nmax (#42: No), then the first transport range R1 of the first internal transport device 3A is set to the restricted range R1l, and the second transport range R2 of the second internal transport device 3B is set to the expanded range R2e (#44).

[0080] [Other implementation forms] (1) In the above embodiment, the following configuration is used as an example: In the control of adjusting the number of temporary storage areas, when the number of items being transported, Nt, becomes less than the number of items being transported, B minus the number of items being held, Nr (Nmax+A-Nr), the transport of a new item 10 by the external transport device 8 immediately begins. However, it is not limited to that configuration. For example, after the number of items being transported, Nt, becomes less than the number of items being transported, B minus the number of items being held, Nr (Nmax+A-Nr), the transport of a new item 10 by the external transport device 8 may begin after a certain period of time.

[0081] (2) In the above embodiment, the following configuration is used as an example: In the highest priority control of warehousing, the determination threshold Th is set to the maximum number of items 10 that the warehousing unit 4 can hold, i.e., the holding limit number Nmax. However, it is not limited to that configuration, and the determination threshold Th can also be set to a value different from the holding limit number Nmax, such as "holding limit number Nmax ± 1", etc.

[0082] (3) In the above implementation, the following configuration is used as an example: In the highest priority control of warehousing, the number of potentially held items Np is set as the sum of the number of held items Nr and the number of items being transported Nt. However, it is not limited to that configuration. It is also possible to consider, for example, that the number of potentially held items Np also includes items that have generated inter-step transport instructions but are still before being transported. In this case, the number of potentially held items Np can be defined as "the sum of the number of items 10 currently held in the warehousing section 4, i.e., the number of held items Nr, and the number of predetermined items 10 to be transported to the warehousing section 4 by the external transport device 8, i.e., the number of transported items".

[0083] (4) In the above embodiment, the following configuration is used as an example: when the operating rate of the plurality of transport trolleys 82 in the external transport device 8 is below the operating rate threshold, the inbound priority control is not performed. However, it is not limited to such a configuration, and the inbound priority control can be performed regardless of the operating efficiency of the transport trolleys 82.

[0084] (5) In the above embodiment, the following configuration is used as an example: In the internal conveying load adjustment control, in order to reduce the first conveying range R1, the second conveying range R2 is increased by the same degree. However, it is not limited to that configuration, and the degree of reduction of the first conveying range R1 and the degree of increase of the second conveying range R2 may be different. Alternatively, the first conveying range R1 may be reduced without changing the size of the second conveying range R2.

[0085] (6) In the above embodiment, the following configuration is used as an example: In the internal transport load adjustment control, the first transport range R1 and the second transport range R2 are switched in two stages. However, it is not limited to that configuration; for example, the first transport range R1 and the second transport range R2 can be switched in three or more stages. In this case, the number of stages for switching the first transport range R1 and the number of stages for switching the second transport range R2 can also be different from each other.

[0086] (7) In the above embodiment, the following configuration is used as an example: the internal transport load adjustment control is performed based on the number of items held, Ne (the number of items 10 currently held in the storage section 4, i.e., the number of held items, Nr, plus the number of items 10 being transported from the external transport device 8 to the storage section 4, i.e., the number of transported items, Nt). However, it is not limited to that configuration. For example, the internal transport load adjustment control may be performed based solely on the number of held items, Nr, without considering the number of transported items, Nt.

[0087] (8) In the above embodiment, the following configuration is used as an example: when the number of transport commands assigned to the second internal transport device 3B is greater than or equal to the command number threshold, the internal transport load adjustment control (range adjustment processing) is not performed. However, it is not limited to such a configuration, and the internal transport load adjustment control (range adjustment processing) may be performed in all cases regardless of the number of transport commands assigned to the second internal transport device 3B.

[0088] (9) The above implementation is illustrated by example using the configuration of all three functions: temporary storage area adjustment control, warehouse entry priority control, and internal transport load adjustment control. However, it is not limited to that configuration, and only one or two of these functions may be implemented.

[0089] (10) In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the first internal conveying device 3A and the second internal conveying device 3B are arranged on a common running track 31 is used as an example. However, it is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the first internal conveying device 3A and the second internal conveying device 3B may also be arranged on their own dedicated running tracks 31 that are laid parallel to each other.

[0090] (11) In the above embodiment, the internal conveying device 3 is described as having a first internal conveying device 3A and a second internal conveying device 3B as an example. However, it is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the internal conveying device 3 may also be configured with only one unit. In this case, one internal conveying device 3 can be responsible for the entire range of conveying from the receiving section 4 and the outgoing section 5 through the holding rack 2 to the processing device 9, and directly convey the item 10 from the receiving section 4 to the processing device 9. In such a case, the process of directly conveying the item 10 from the receiving port Pi of the receiving section 4 to the transfer port Pp of the processing device 9 by the internal conveying device 3 can also be considered as included in the receiving conveying process. Furthermore, one internal conveying device 3 can also directly convey the item 10 from the receiving section 4 to the outgoing section 5. In such a case, the process of directly conveying the item 10 from the receiving section 4 to the outgoing section 5 by the internal conveying device 3 can also be considered as included in the receiving conveying process.

[0091] (12) In the above embodiment, the following configuration is used as an example: the receiving section 4 and the dispatching section 5 can each physically hold two items 10. However, it is not limited to that configuration, and the number of items that the receiving section 4 or the dispatching section 5 can physically hold can be one or more than three. In this case, the number of items that the receiving section 4 can physically hold and the number of items that the dispatching section 5 can physically hold can also be different from each other.

[0092] (13) The above embodiment is described in the example of the internal conveying device 3 being constructed by a stacker crane. However, it is not limited to such a configuration. The internal conveying device 3 may also be constructed by, for example, a multi-layer shuttle trolley (a conveying device having a multi-layer conveying trolley, wherein the multi-layer conveying trolley moves back and forth along the front of the housing 2 at the height corresponding to each layer of the housing 2).

[0093] (14) In the above embodiment, the external conveying device 8 is described as having a tracked floor-mounted conveyor trolley 82. However, it is not limited to that configuration. The external conveying device 8 may also be configured as, for example, a trackless trolley with floor movement, or a tracked trolley with ceiling-mounted conveying. When the external conveying device 8 is configured as a tracked trolley with ceiling-mounted conveying, the external conveying device 8 may also have a crane-type transfer device suspended and supported from the conveyor trolley 82.

[0094] (15) In the above embodiment, the external conveying device 8 is configured to have a transfer device as an example. However, it is not limited to such a configuration. The external conveying device 8 may not have a transfer device, but the transfer device may be provided on the side of the inbound section 4 or the outbound section 5.

[0095] (16) In the above embodiment, the following configuration is used as an example: the control system 7 has an internal transfer control unit 71, an external transfer control unit 72, and an integrated control unit 73 that cooperate with each other. However, the specific configuration of the control system 7 may also include multiple control units or further subdivide a single control unit. Furthermore, it may also include other control units for realizing other functions.

[0096] (17) The configurations disclosed in the above embodiments (including the above embodiments and other embodiments, hereinafter the same) may be combined with the configurations disclosed in other embodiments, provided that there is no contradiction. Regarding other configurations, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely illustrative in all respects and may be appropriately modified without departing from the spirit of this disclosure.

[0097] [Summary of Implementation Modes] In summary, the article containing device 1 disclosed herein ideally has the following components.

[0098] An article holding device 1, comprising: The storage rack 2 has a storage section 23 for accommodating a plurality of items 10; The receiving section 4 holds the aforementioned items 10, which have been received from the external conveying device 8 that transports the aforementioned items 10, outside the aforementioned holding rack 2; The internal conveying device 3 moves Ti along a conveying path set in front of the aforementioned receiving shelf 2, and conveys the aforementioned item 10 between the aforementioned storage section 4 and the aforementioned receiving shelf 2; and Control system 7 controls the aforementioned external conveying device 8 and the aforementioned internal conveying device 3. Let the maximum number of the aforementioned items 10 that the aforementioned storage section 4 can hold be set as the holding limit number Nmax, and let the number of the aforementioned items 10 that are actually held in the aforementioned storage section 4 at each time point be set as the holding item number Nr. The aforementioned control system 7 sets the number of items to be used as the temporary storage area (Nmax + A) by adding the aforementioned upper limit number Nmax to an adjustment number A that is variablely set to an integer value greater than or equal to 0, and controls the aforementioned external conveying device 8 to ensure that the number of items 10 being conveyed toward the aforementioned storage section 4, i.e., the number of items being conveyed Nt, is less than or equal to the number of items to be used as the temporary storage area (Nmax + A - Nr). Furthermore, the aforementioned control system 7 sets the aforementioned adjustment number A to a smaller value as the load on the aforementioned internal conveying device 3 increases.

[0099] Based on this configuration, the internal conveying device 3, which moves along the conveying path in front of the receiving rack 2, stores the items 10 received from the external conveying device 8 into the receiving rack 2, which can then be processed later if necessary. At this time, the storage section 4 functions as a temporary storage area, and it is used with a temporary storage area number B (Nmax+A; A is an adjustment number of 0 or more) that the storage section 4 can physically hold at most, i.e., the maximum number of items Nmax. This can further improve processing efficiency. For example, if the adjustment number A is set to 1 or more, even if the storage section 4 is already filled with items 10 equal to the maximum number of items Nmax, the external conveying device 8 can still move items 10 up to the number of items A toward the storage rack 2 (storage section 4). If the internal conveying device 3 finishes its conveying process during this period, it can move one item 10 that is currently held in the receiving section 4, creating an empty space in the receiving section 4. Therefore, the receiving section 4 can be used to receive the item 10 that was previously moved by the external conveying device 8. In this way, the processing efficiency can be further improved. Furthermore, in this configuration, the adjustment number A is set to a smaller value as the load on the internal conveying device 3 increases. Therefore, even if there is a delay in the removal of the item 10 from the storage section 4 by the internal conveying device 3, it is easy to avoid the situation where the external conveying device 8 becomes blocked in front of the storage section 4 due to this delay. Accordingly, it is easier to avoid a situation where the overall processing efficiency of the item conveying equipment 100 decreases due to the blockage of the external conveying device 8. Based on this information, the item holding device 1 can be implemented to further improve the overall processing efficiency of the item conveying equipment 100.

[0100] As a single state, ideally, The aforementioned control system 7 determines that the load is high as the number of transport instructions for the aforementioned internal transport device 3 to the aforementioned item 10 increases.

[0101] Based on this configuration, the load level of the internal conveying device 3 can be appropriately determined according to the number of conveying instructions for the items 10 in the internal conveying device 3. Accordingly, the subsequent adjustment number A can be appropriately reset, thereby improving the overall processing efficiency of the item conveying equipment 100.

[0102] As a single state, ideally, During the period when the number of items Nt being transported is equal to the number of items in the temporary storage area B minus the number of items in the storage area Nr (Nmax+A-Nr), the control system 7 will not start the external transport device 8 to transport new items 10 toward the storage unit 4. When the number of items Nt being transported becomes less than the number of items in the temporary storage area B minus the number of items in the storage area Nr (Nmax+A-Nr), the external transport device 8 will start transporting new items 10 toward the storage unit 4.

[0103] Based on this configuration, a smaller adjustment number A can be set as the load on the internal conveying device 3 increases, thereby appropriately limiting the number of items 10 transported towards the storage section 4 by the external conveying device 8. This more effectively prevents the external conveying device 8 from blocking the front of the storage section 4.

[0104] As a single state, ideally, The aforementioned internal conveying device 3 includes a first conveying unit 3A and a second conveying unit 3B. The aforementioned first conveying unit 3A conveys the aforementioned item 10 within the first conveying range R1 of the aforementioned storage section 23, which includes at least a portion of the aforementioned storage section 4 and the aforementioned storage rack 2. The aforementioned second conveying unit 3B conveys the aforementioned items 10 within the second conveying range R2, which includes at least a portion of the aforementioned accommodating section 23 but does not include the aforementioned storage section 4. A portion of the aforementioned first conveying range R1 and a portion of the aforementioned second conveying range R2 are designed to overlap. The aforementioned control system 7 determines that the load is high when the sum of the number of transport instructions for the aforementioned items 10 located within the aforementioned first transport range R1 and the number of transport instructions for the aforementioned items 10 located within the overlapping range L of the aforementioned first transport range R1 and the aforementioned second transport range R2 increases.

[0105] Based on this configuration, the coordinated operation of the first conveying unit 3A and the second conveying unit 3B allows for efficient handling of the items 10 within the item holding device 1. Furthermore, depending on the number of conveying instructions, the load on the first conveying unit 3A, responsible for conveying items from the storage section 4, can be appropriately determined by considering the relationship between the starting and ending points of each conveying instruction and the locations of the first and second conveying ranges R1 and R2. This allows for more appropriate resetting of the subsequent adjustment parameters A, further improving the overall processing efficiency of the item conveying device 100.

[0106] As a single state, ideally, The aforementioned control system 7 includes: an external conveying control unit 72 for controlling the external conveying device 8; an internal conveying control unit 71 for controlling the internal conveying device 3; and an integrated control unit 73 for integrating the external conveying control unit 71 and the internal conveying control unit 72. The aforementioned internal transfer control unit 71 sends load information displaying the load of the aforementioned internal transfer device 3 to the aforementioned integrated control unit 73. The aforementioned integrated control unit 73 sets the aforementioned adjustment number A based on the aforementioned load information received from the aforementioned internal transfer control unit 71, and sends a transfer instruction to the aforementioned external transfer control unit 72 for the aforementioned items 10 in quantities based on the aforementioned number of temporary storage areas B (Nmax+A), wherein the aforementioned number of temporary storage areas B is determined in response to the previously set adjustment number A. The aforementioned external transfer control unit 72 controls the aforementioned external transfer device 8 based on the aforementioned transfer command from the aforementioned integrated control unit 73.

[0107] Based on this configuration, the necessary information or instructions are sent and received between the internal transfer control unit 71 and the external transfer control unit 72, with the integrated control unit 73 as the center. This allows for the appropriate setting of the adjustment number A and the appropriate control of the external transfer device 8.

[0108] The item holding device 1 disclosed herein only needs to perform at least one of the above-mentioned effects.

[0109] 1: Item storage equipment 2: Storage rack 2A: First storage rack 2B: Second storage shelf 3: Internal transport device 3A: 1st internal conveying device (1st conveying unit) 3B: Second internal conveying device (second conveying unit) 4: Warehousing Department 5: Outbound Department 7: Control System 8:External transport device 9: Processing device 10: Items 21: Pillar 22: Support section 23: Compartment 31: Walking Track 32: Moving trolley 33: Mast 34: Lifting Platform 35: Transfer device 36: Guide rail 41: Warehouse conveyor 43, 44, 53, 54: Support levels 51: Outbound Conveyor 71: Internal transport control unit 72: External transport control unit 73: Integrated control unit 81: Detour Track 82: Transport trolley 100: Goods conveying equipment A: Adjustment number A-1, A-2, A-3, A-4, B-1, B-2, B-3: Transport instructions B: Using temporary storage area L: Overlapping range Ne: Maintain the predetermined number of items (baseline number of items) Nmax: Maintain the upper limit number Np: Number of items that can be potentially kept Nr: Number of items to maintain (baseline number of items) Nt: Number of items being moved Ph: Delivery Port Pi: Inbound Port Po: Outbound Port Pp: Processing port (transfer section, transfer port) Pr: Receive port R1: 1st transport range R1n: Normal range R1l: Limitation range R2: Second transport area R2n: Normal range R2e: Expanding the range S1: First storage rack S2: Second storage rack Th: Judgment threshold Ti: Internal transport path (transport route) To: External transport path #01,#02,#03,#04,#05,#21,#22,#23,#24,#25,#41,#42,#43,#44: Steps

Claims

1. An article holding device, characterized by the following features: comprising: a holding rack having a plurality of holding sections for holding articles; a storage section holding articles received from an external conveying device for conveying articles outside the holding rack; an internal conveying device moving along a conveying path set along the front of the holding rack to convey the articles between the storage section and the holding rack; and a control system controlling the external conveying device and the internal conveying device, setting the maximum number of articles that the storage section can hold as a holding limit number Nmax, and setting the number of articles actually held in the storage section at each time point as the holding article number Nr. The aforementioned control system sets the number of temporary storage areas (Nmax + A) to the number of items being used, which is an integer value that can be set to 0 or higher, plus the aforementioned upper limit number Nmax. It also controls the aforementioned external conveying device to make the number of items being conveyed toward the aforementioned warehouse section, i.e., the number of items being conveyed, less than or equal to the number of temporary storage areas used minus the number of items being held, Nr (Nmax + A - Nr). Furthermore, the aforementioned control system sets the aforementioned adjustment number A to a smaller value as the load on the aforementioned internal conveying device increases.

2. The article containing device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the aforementioned control system determines that the aforementioned load is high as the number of article conveying instructions to the aforementioned internal conveying device increases.

3. As in claim 1 or 2, the item holding device wherein the control system does not initiate the transfer of new items to the warehouse by the external transfer device during the period when the number of items being transferred is equal to the number of items in the temporary storage area minus the number of items held (Nmax + A - Nr); and initiates the transfer of new items to the warehouse by the external transfer device after the number of items being transferred becomes less than the number of items in the temporary storage area minus the number of items held (Nmax + A - Nr).

4. The item holding device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the aforementioned internal conveying device includes a first conveying unit and a second conveying unit, wherein the first conveying unit conveys the aforementioned items within a first conveying range of the aforementioned holding portion, which includes at least a portion of the aforementioned storage section and the aforementioned holding rack, and wherein the second conveying unit conveys the aforementioned items within a second conveying range of the aforementioned holding portion, which includes at least a portion of the aforementioned holding rack and does not include the aforementioned storage section, wherein a portion of the aforementioned first conveying range and a portion of the aforementioned second conveying range are configured to overlap, and wherein the aforementioned control system determines that the aforementioned load is high when the sum of the number of conveying instructions for the aforementioned items whose conveying start point or conveying destination is located within the aforementioned first conveying range and the number of conveying instructions for the aforementioned items whose conveying start point and conveying destination are both located within the overlapping range of the aforementioned first conveying range and the aforementioned second conveying range increases.

5. The item containing device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the aforementioned control system comprises: an external transfer control unit for controlling the aforementioned external transfer device; an internal transfer control unit for controlling the aforementioned internal transfer device; and an integrated control unit for integrating the aforementioned external transfer control unit and the aforementioned internal transfer control unit, wherein the aforementioned internal transfer control unit sends load information displaying the load of the aforementioned internal transfer device to the aforementioned integrated control unit, wherein the aforementioned integrated control unit sets the aforementioned adjustment number A based on the aforementioned load information received from the aforementioned internal transfer control unit, and sends a transfer instruction to the aforementioned external transfer control unit for the aforementioned items in the number of the aforementioned temporary storage areas (Nmax+A), wherein the number of temporary storage areas is determined in accordance with the previously set aforementioned adjustment number A, and wherein the aforementioned external transfer control unit controls the aforementioned external transfer device based on the aforementioned transfer instruction from the aforementioned integrated control unit.

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