Article handling device

Abstract

The present invention provides a conveying unit that is less likely to cause a misalignment of articles, a cargo scattering, and the like in an article processing apparatus. The article processing apparatus includes a structure determining unit that determines a structure of a conveying unit in which a plurality of article groups each of which has a plurality of articles loaded on a pallet are stacked, a stacking mechanism that loads a plurality of articles on a pallet in a manner that constitutes the plurality of article groups included in the conveying unit whose structure is determined by the structure determining unit, and a stacking mechanism that stacks the plurality of article groups constituted by the stacking mechanism in a manner that constitutes the conveying unit determined by the structure determining unit, and the structure determining unit determines the structure of the conveying unit in a manner that a load bearing capacity index set in a first article group is smaller than a load ratio at which an action is performed with respect to the first article group, respectively.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to an article processing apparatus. BACKGROUND

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a method of alternately stacking a pallet and a plurality of articles when the plurality of articles are collectively transported (for example, refer to Patent Document 1). In this case, the pallet of the upper layer is placed on the plurality of articles.

[0003] PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

[0004] PATENT DOCUMENTS

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-72243 SUMMARY

[0006] PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0007] Thus, in the transport form in which the pallet and the plurality of articles are alternately stacked, it is important to more reliably prevent the articles from being misaligned and the goods from being scattered.

[0008] Therefore, one of the objects of the present application is to produce a transport unit in an article processing apparatus, the transport unit having a form in which a pallet and a plurality of articles are alternately stacked, and being less likely to cause an adverse condition such as misalignment of the articles and scattering of the goods.

[0009] SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM

[0010] The article processing apparatus of the present application includes a structure determining section that determines a structure of at least one transport unit including a plurality of articles designated, the at least one transport unit having a plurality of article groups each including a pallet and at least one article loaded on the pallet and stacked, and a plurality of articles being loaded on the pallet in a manner in which another pallet can be placed in a first article group that is the article group other than the uppermost layer; a stacking mechanism that loads a plurality of articles on a pallet in a manner of constituting the plurality of article groups in the transport unit having the structure determined by the structure determining section; and a stacking mechanism that stacks the plurality of article groups constituted by the action of the stacking mechanism in a manner of constituting the transport unit determined by the structure determining section, the structure determining section determining the structure of the transport unit in a manner in which a load applied to each of the first article groups is smaller than a load bearing index set for the first article groups. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 is a schematic and illustrative side view of a transport unit produced by the article processing apparatus of the embodiment.

[0012] Figure 2is a schematic and illustrative plan view of the article processing apparatus of the embodiment.

[0013] Figure 3 is an illustrative conceptual view showing a conveyance order of articles toward a receiving position of the article processing apparatus of the embodiment.

[0014] Figure 4 is a schematic and illustrative perspective view of an article group made by the article processing apparatus of the embodiment.

[0015] Figure 5 is a schematic and illustrative side view of a stacking mechanism of the article processing apparatus of the embodiment, and is a view showing an order of stacking.

[0016] Figure 6 is an illustrative block diagram of the article processing apparatus of the embodiment and an automatic warehouse.

[0017] Figure 7 is an illustrative block diagram of the work control section of the article processing apparatus of the embodiment.

[0018] Figure 8 is a schematic and illustrative side view of a detection mechanism of the article processing apparatus of the embodiment.

[0019] Figure 9 is a schematic and illustrative plan view of the detection mechanism of the article processing apparatus of the embodiment.

[0020] Figure 10 is a schematic and illustrative perspective view of an article group made by the article processing apparatus of the embodiment, and is a view showing an example of an article group excluded from a stacking target.

[0021] Figure 11 is a schematic and illustrative perspective view of an article group made by the article processing apparatus of the embodiment, and is a view showing another example of an article group excluded from a stacking target.

[0022] Figure 12 is an illustrative block diagram of the structure determination section of the article processing apparatus of the embodiment.

[0023] Figure 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the order in which the structure determination section of the article processing apparatus of the embodiment determines the structure of the conveyance unit.

[0024] Figure 14 is a schematic and illustrative side view of the conveyance unit made by the article processing apparatus of the embodiment, and is a view showing a case where a conveyance unit having a height close to a prescribed height is made.

[0025] Figure 15is a schematic and illustrative side view of a conveying unit made by the article processing apparatus of the embodiment, and is a view showing a case where a plurality of conveying units having equalized heights are made.

[0026] Figure 16 is an illustrative schematic view showing a structure of a conveying unit temporarily decided by the article processing apparatus of the embodiment.

[0027] Figure 17 is an illustrative schematic view showing an example of a structure of a conveying unit after an article group has been exchanged, after being temporarily decided by the article processing apparatus of the embodiment.

[0028] Figure 18 is an illustrative schematic view showing another example of a structure of a conveying unit after an article group has been exchanged, after being temporarily decided by the article processing apparatus of the embodiment.

[0029] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0030] 10 conveying unit

[0031] 20, 20A, 20B article group (first article group, second article group, third article group)

[0032] 21 pallet

[0033] 22 article

[0034] 100 conveying unit making apparatus (article processing apparatus)

[0035] 110 palletizing mechanism

[0036] 140 layering mechanism

[0037] 162 structure deciding section

[0038] 162e index changing section

[0039] Iw bearable load index

[0040] i layering number

[0041] Hmax limit height (predetermined height)

[0042] Hm average value

[0043] Th1 first threshold value

[0044] Th2 second threshold value. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present application will be disclosed. The structure of the embodiments shown below, and the effects and results (effects) obtained from the structure are examples. The present application can also be realized by a structure other than the structure disclosed in the following embodiments. In addition, according to the present application, at least one of various effects (including derivative effects) obtained from the following structure can be obtained.

[0046] Note that, in the present specification, ordinal numbers are arbitrarily assigned in order to distinguish components, parts, parameters, and the like, and do not indicate priority order, sequence.

[0047] In addition, in some of the drawings, arrows indicate each direction in the conveying unit manufacturing apparatus 100. The X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction intersect with and are orthogonal to each other. The Z direction is substantially along the vertical direction, and the arrow Z points upward in the vertical direction. The X direction and the Y direction are substantially along the horizontal direction.

[0048] [Structure of Conveying Unit]

[0049] Figure 1 is a side view of the conveying unit 10. The conveying unit 10 is a unit that conveys a plurality of articles 22. The plurality of articles 22 are concentrated in at least one conveying unit 10, and are conveyed in the form of the conveying unit 10.

[0050] As shown in Figure 1 , the conveying unit 10 has at least one article group 20. The article group 20 includes a pallet 21, and at least one article 22 loaded on the pallet 21, respectively.

[0051] There is a case where the conveying unit 10 includes a plurality of article groups 20 stacked. In this case, in the article group 20 of each layer except for the uppermost layer, a plurality of articles 22 are stacked on the pallet 21 in a state where other pallets 21 can be placed. Thereby, it is possible to place other pallets 21, that is, other article groups 20, on the plurality of articles 22 loaded on the pallet 21, and further to stack a plurality of article groups 20. A placed portion on which other pallets 21 can be placed substantially horizontally and stably by the plurality of articles 22 loaded on the pallet 21 is formed at the upper end of such an article group 20. The article group 20 of each layer except for the uppermost layer, that is, the article group 20 on which other pallets 21, that is, other article groups 20, can be placed is an example of the first article group.

[0052] In addition, the conveying unit 10 can have an article group 20 that cannot load other trays 21 on the uppermost layer. In addition, in a case where the conveying unit 10 has only one article group 20, the one article group 20 can not load other trays 21. The article group 20 that cannot load other trays 21 has a tray 21 and at least one article 22 loaded on the tray 21 in a manner that cannot load other trays 21. An article group 20 that cannot load other trays 21, that is, other article groups 20 is an example of a second article group.

[0053] The tray 21 is a table that loads the article 22 and has a quadrangular shape and a plate shape. As an example, the tray 21 is a flat tray like a double-sided tray. However, the tray 21 is not limited to a double-sided tray or a flat tray, and can be a tray of another form.

[0054] The article 22 has a shape that can load other articles 22, for example, a box (case) that has a cuboid shape and contents (not shown) housed in the box. However, the article 22 can be a shape other than a cuboid shape as long as the article 22 has a shape that can load other articles 22 and can be loaded on other articles 22. In addition, the article 22 can not have a box.

[0055] There is a case where the article group 20 includes a plurality of articles 22 that have the same shape as the box. Also, there is a case where the article group 20 includes only the same article of different specifications, for example, the same brand and different tastes of foods in the same shape of boxes as the plurality of articles 22. Sometimes, by such an article group 20, the article 22 is more easily handled at the delivery destination of the conveying unit 10. The article group 20 that includes only the same article 22 of different specifications as the article 22 is an example of a third article group.

[0056] [Outline of structure and operation of conveying unit manufacturing apparatus]

[0057] Figure 2 is a plan view of the conveying unit manufacturing apparatus 100. As shown in Figure 2 , the conveying unit manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a stacking mechanism 110 and conveying mechanisms 120A and 120B. In addition, the conveying unit manufacturing apparatus 100 includes a lifting mechanism 130 and a stacking mechanism 140 at each layering site Ps (Psl, Ps2) as shown in Figure 5 . The operations of the stacking mechanism 110, the conveying mechanisms 120A and 120B, the lifting mechanism 130, and the stacking mechanism 140 are controlled by the operation control section 163 (see Figure 6 ). The conveying unit manufacturing apparatus 100 is an example of an article processing apparatus.

[0058] [Stacking mechanism and structure of article group]

[0059] The stacking mechanism 110 produces the article group 20 by loading at least one article 22 on the empty tray 21 located at the stacking position Pp. The stacking mechanism 110 has a robot arm 111 such as a multi-joint robot. The stacking mechanism 110 places the article 22 conveyed to the receiving position Pi by the conveying mechanism 220 such as the conveyer 221 on the tray 21 located at the stacking position Pp, or on the article 22 already placed on the tray 21. Thus, the article group 20 is produced at the stacking position Pp. The stacking mechanism 110 sequentially produces a plurality of article groups 20 in accordance with a production plan of the conveying unit 10 prepared in advance. Figure 6

[0060] Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram showing the conveying order of the articles 22 to the receiving position Pi. As shown in Figure 3 , the conveying mechanism 220 including the conveyer 221 conveys a plurality of articles 22 from the automatic warehouse 200 to the receiving position Pi in the order in which the stacking mechanism 110 loads the plurality of articles 22 on the tray 21. The stacking mechanism 110 loads the articles 22 conveyed by the conveying mechanism 220 and arrived at the receiving position Pi on the tray 21 or on the articles 22 loaded on the tray 21 one by one in the order of arrival, thereby producing the article group 20.

[0061] The loading order of the articles 22 of each article group 20, that is, the conveying order of the articles 22 is prepared so that the stacking mechanism 110 (robot arm 111) can avoid interference with the articles 22 already arranged while the stacking mechanism 110 is working. Specifically, the loading order of the articles 22, that is, the conveying order from the automatic warehouse 200 (hereinafter referred to as the conveying order of the articles 22) is prepared, for example, so that the articles 22 arranged on the tray 21 at a position away from the stacking mechanism 110 are conveyed first. In addition, the conveying order of the articles 22 is prepared, for example, so that the articles 22 located at the lower layer are conveyed first when a plurality of layers of articles 22 are stacked in the article group 20.

[0062] In addition, the conveying order of the articles 22 is determined in the order of the article groups 20 produced by the stacking mechanism 110. That is, the articles 22 included in the article group 20 produced first by the stacking mechanism 110 are conveyed first, and the articles 22 included in the article group 20 produced later by the stacking mechanism 110 are conveyed later.

[0063] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing an example of the article group 20. As shown in Figure 4 ​As shown, the stacking mechanism 110 uses a plurality of stacked articles 22 to produce a plurality of columns 20p of approximately the same height on the tray 21. In this embodiment, in order to more stably support the upper article group 20, the article group 20 has at least four columns 20p of the same height arranged near the four corners of the tray 21. The article group 20 may also have more than five columns 20p of approximately the same height, but must have four columns 20p (hereinafter referred to as the four corner columns) arranged near the four corners of the tray 21. The upper end (upper surface) of the column 20p is an example of a loaded portion. It should be noted that each column 20p can be composed of one article 22 or three or more stacked articles 22.

[0064] In addition, if Figure 2 As shown, the conveyor unit fabrication apparatus 100 includes multiple stacking mechanisms 110, which can operate in parallel. For example, the conveyor unit fabrication apparatus 100 is provided with two receiving positions Pi (Pi1, Pi2) and two stacking positions Pp (Pp1, Pp2). The two stacking mechanisms 110 hold articles 22 at different receiving positions Pi1 and Pi2, respectively, and move them to predetermined positions on different trays 21 located at different stacking positions Pp1 and Pp2, thereby fabricating different sets of articles 20.

[0065] In addition, if Figure 1 As shown, the stacking mechanism 110 can prepare the article groups 20 so that the side surfaces 22a of the articles 22 assigned identification information 22a1 are exposed on the side surfaces 20a of the article group 20, i.e., the outer peripheral surfaces. The side surfaces 20a of the article group 20 include the side surfaces 22a of the plurality of articles 22 located on the outer periphery that face laterally and outward. Regarding the identification information 22a1, the posture of the article 22 at the receiving position Pi and the position of the side surfaces 22a assigned identification information 22a1 within this posture may be known or fixed. In such cases, the stacking mechanism 110 controlled by the operation control unit 163 can stack the articles 22 so that the identification information 22a1 is exposed, based on the posture, the position of the side surfaces 22a assigned identification information 22a1, and the position (disposition) of the articles 22 within the article group 20. As another example, if the stacking mechanism 110 includes a camera, such as one located near the receiving position Pi or the stacking position Pp, the stacking mechanism 110 can load the articles 22 such that the identification information 22a1 is exposed, based on the camera's image capture results. The identification information 22a1 can be, for example, text, numbers, a pattern, a trademark, or a barcode. It should be noted that the identification information 22a1 can be printed directly on the side surface 22a of the article 22, or a label with the identification information 22a1 can be affixed to the side surface 22a.

[0066] Note that, in a case where the article group 20 includes a plurality of the same articles 22, the stacking mechanism 110 can load the plurality of articles 22 on the tray 21 in a manner that the identification information 22al of at least one of the plurality of the same articles 22 is exposed, and it is not necessary that the identification information 22al of all the articles 22 located at the outer periphery of the article group 20 can be seen.

[0067] In addition, it can also be that the plurality of stacking mechanisms 110 make other article groups 20 included in one conveying unit 10. Thus, in a case where only one conveying unit 10 can be made, there is a case where the one conveying unit 10 can be made more quickly.

[0068] The article group 20 made by the stacking mechanism 110 is conveyed by the conveying mechanism 120A, 120B to the stacking place Ps (Psl, Ps2).

[0069] [Conveying mechanism]

[0070] The conveying mechanism 120A, 120B can convey the empty tray 21, the article group 20, the stacked body 20S (refer to Figure 5 (S5), (S6)) in which a plurality of the article groups 20 are stacked, and the made conveying unit 10 in the lateral direction, respectively. That is, in the present embodiment, the conveying mechanism 120A, 120B constitutes a conveying path of the empty tray 21, the article group 20, the stacked body 20S, and the made conveying unit 10. The conveying mechanism 120A, 120B can also be referred to as a sliding mechanism, for example. Note that, the conveying unit 10 can be referred to as a completed stacked body 20S or a final stacked body 20S.

[0071] As shown in Figure 2 , the conveying unit making apparatus 100 is provided with three conveying mechanisms 120A (120Al, 120A21, 120A22) extending in the X direction and arranged in series in the X direction. The conveying mechanisms 120A each extend in the substantially horizontal X direction, and convey the article group 20 or the tray 21 in the X direction or the opposite direction of the X direction. The conveying mechanism 120A22 is arranged on the opposite side from the conveying mechanism 120A21 with the conveying mechanism 120Al interposed therebetween. It can be said that the conveying mechanism 120A is divided into three conveying mechanisms 120Al, 120A21, 120A22 that perform conveyance in three sections arranged in series. The conveying mechanisms 120Al, 120A21, 120A22 can each operate independently. It can also be that each of the conveying mechanisms 120Al, 120A21, 120A22 is further divided in series. The conveying mechanism 120A is, for example, a chain conveyor, but is not limited thereto.

[0072] Further, the conveying unit manufacturing apparatus 100 is provided with three conveying mechanisms 120B (120B1, 120B21, 120B22) which are arranged in parallel at intervals in the X direction and extend in the Y direction. The conveying mechanisms 120B convey the trays 21, the article groups 20, or the stacked bodies 20S in the Y direction or the opposite direction of the Y direction, respectively. The conveying mechanisms 120B1, 120B21, 120B22 can operate independently of each other. The conveying mechanisms 120B are chain conveyors, for example, but are not limited thereto.

[0073] The conveying mechanism 120A and the conveying mechanism 120B are configured to be able to hand over the empty tray 21, the article group 20, and the stacked body 20S, respectively.

[0074] The conveying mechanism 120B1 adjacent to the middle position of the X direction (lengthwise direction) of the conveying mechanism 120A1 conveys the empty tray 21 to the middle position in the opposite direction of the Y direction. The conveying mechanism 120A1 is able to convey the empty tray 21 received from the conveying mechanism 120B1 to two stacking positions Pp (Pp1, Pp2), respectively. Note that a tray separating mechanism (not shown) which separates a plurality of stacked empty trays 21 and takes out the empty trays 21 one by one can be provided. In this case, the conveying mechanism 120B1 conveys the empty tray 21 separated by the tray separating mechanism toward the conveying mechanism 120A1.

[0075] The stacking position Pp1 is provided on the conveying mechanism 120A21, and the stacking position Pp2 is provided on the conveying mechanism 120A22. As described above, the conveying mechanisms 120A1, 120A21, 120A22 can operate independently of each other. Therefore, the conveying mechanism 120A1 can convey the empty tray 21 to one of the two stacking positions Pp1, Pp2 regardless of the manufacturing status of the article group 20 at the other of the two stacking positions Pp1, Pp2. Further, the conveying mechanism 120A21 can convey the article group 20 manufactured at the stacking position Pp1 toward the stacking site Ps1 regardless of the manufacturing status of the article group 20 at the stacking position Pp2, and the conveying mechanism 120A22 can convey the article group 20 manufactured at the stacking position Pp2 toward the stacking site Ps2 regardless of the manufacturing status of the article group 20 at the stacking position Pp1.

[0076] The conveying mechanism 120B21 is adjacent to the conveying mechanism 120A21, and the conveying mechanism 120B21 is able to convey the article group 20 conveyed from the stacking position Pp by the conveying mechanism 120A to the stacking site Ps1 (Ps) and the shipping position Po1 (Po) in the Y direction.

[0077] Further, a conveyance mechanism 120B22 is adjacent to the conveyance mechanism 120A22 on the side opposite to the conveyance mechanism 120B21 with respect to the conveyance mechanism 120B1, and this conveyance mechanism 120B22 is capable of conveying the article group 20 conveyed from the stacking position Pp by the conveyance mechanism 120A to the layering place Ps2 (Ps) and the delivery position Po2 (Po) in the Y direction.

[0078] A conveyance mechanism 120B2a with a lifting mechanism can also be provided at the connection position Pc where the conveyance mechanism 120A and the conveyance mechanisms 120B21, 120B22 are connected. In this case, the conveyance faces of the conveyance mechanisms 120B21, 120B22 are set higher than the conveyance faces of the conveyance mechanisms 120A21, 120A22. The conveyance mechanisms 120B21, 120B22 are capable of conveying the article group 20 to the layering place Ps after the article group 20 is lifted by the conveyance mechanism 120B2a at the connection position Pc to make the article group 20 leave the conveyance faces of the conveyance mechanisms 120A21, 120A22. The conveyance mechanism 120B2a can also be called a transfer mechanism.

[0079] [Layering mechanism]

[0080] Figure 5 is a side view of the layering mechanism 140. The layering mechanism 140 has the conveyance mechanism 120B21 and the lifting mechanism 130. Note that, here, the layering of the article group 20 at the layering place PsI provided on the conveyance mechanism 120B21 is explained, but the structures and operations of the respective parts are the same at the layering place Ps2 provided on the conveyance mechanism 120B22.

[0081] The layering mechanism 140 produces the conveyance unit 10 by layering a plurality of article groups 20 at the layering place PsI. The layering place PsI is a place or a space where the layering of a plurality of article groups 20 is performed, and can also be called a layering space.

[0082] The lifting mechanism 130 is capable of moving the article group 20 and the layered body 20S in which a plurality of article groups 20 are layered, respectively, in the up-and-down direction at the layering place PsI. The lifting mechanism 130 has a conveyer 130a, an elevator 130b, and a hook 130c.

[0083] The conveyer 130a constitutes a part of the conveyance mechanism 120B21, and is capable of conveying the article group 20 and the layered body 20S in the Y direction and the opposite direction of the Y direction, respectively. The conveyer 130a and the conveyance mechanism 120B21 are examples of a sliding mechanism.

[0084] The elevator 130b has a rail 130b1 extending in the vertical direction and a movable element (not shown) configured to be vertically movable along the rail 130b1 and to be able to stop at a plurality of positions or an arbitrary position on the rail 130b1 and be fixed to the support portion of the conveyer 130a. The movable element is moved or stopped on the rail 130b1 by the operation of an actuator 102 (see Figure 6 ) such as an electric motor, whereby the vertical position of each of the conveyer 130a, the article group 20 placed on the conveyer 130a, and the stack 20S can be changed. Note that the conveyer 130a can be referred to as a part of the movable element of the elevator 130b.

[0085] The hook 130c holds the tray 21, whereby the article group 20 including the tray 21 can be held. In addition, the hook 130c holds the tray 21 of the article group 20 of the lowermost layer of the stack 20S, whereby the stack 20S can be held. The hook 130c is, for example, a movable claw that is movable in the lateral direction between a retreat position pf at which the hook 130c is separated from the tray 21 and a hooking position ph at which the hook 130c hooks the tray 21. The hook 130c can also be referred to as a fork or a support portion.

[0086] Here, an example of the operation of the stacking mechanism 140 will be described with reference to Figure 5

[0087] First, the conveyance mechanism 120B21 including the conveyer 130a conveys the article group 20A to the handover position Ps11 of the lower portion of the stacking site Ps1 (step S1).

[0088] Next, the elevating mechanism 130 moves the article group 20A together with the conveyer 130a from the handover position Ps11 to the upper side position Ps12 that is apart upward from the handover position Ps11. Here, the hook 130c holds the tray 21 of the article group 20A, whereby the article group 20A is left at the upper side position Ps12 (step S2).

[0089] Next, the elevating mechanism 130 moves the conveyer 130a downward (step S3). In step S3, the article group 20A held by the hook 130c is left at the upper side position Ps12, and only the conveyer 130a is lowered.

[0090] Next, the conveyance mechanism 120B21 including the conveyer 130a conveys the next article group 20B to the handover position Ps11 (step S4). The handover position Ps11 is an example of a prescribed position.

[0091] ​Next, the lifting mechanism 130 moves the article group 20B upward together with the conveyer 130a from the handover position Psll. Then, at an appropriate timing before and after the upper end of the article group 20B meets the tray 21 of the article group 20A, the hook 130c releases the holding of the article group 20A. Thereby, a stack 20S in which the article group 20A is stacked on the upper article group 20B is produced (step S5).

[0092] Next, the lifting mechanism 130 moves the stack 20S together with the conveyer 130a to the upper side position Ps 12. Here, the hook 130c holds the tray 21 of the lowermost article group 20B of the stack 20S, thereby leaving the stack 20S at the upper side position Ps 12 (step S6).

[0093] Hereinafter, the stacking mechanism 140 can stack a plurality of article groups 20 and produce the stack 20S, and further produce the conveyance unit 10, by repeating steps S4 to S6. The conveyance mechanism 120B21 including the conveyer 130a conveys the produced conveyance unit 10 from the handover position Psll to the delivery position Po. The delivery position Po is provided on the side opposite to the stacking place Ps with respect to the conveyance mechanism 120A on the conveyance mechanism 120B21 in the present embodiment.

[0094] In this way, the stacking mechanism 140 stacks a plurality of article groups 20 in a manner that the article groups 20 are sequentially replenished from the uppermost article group 20 downward, thereby producing the conveyance unit 10. Therefore, in the present embodiment, in the production plan of the conveyance unit 10, the article 22 is conveyed earlier in the order the article 22 is included in the article group 20 in the upper layer, and later in the order the article 22 is included in the article group 20 in the lower layer.

[0095] Note that, in the stacking mechanism 140 of the present embodiment, the conveyer 130a moves in the vertical direction, but it is not limited thereto, and for example, the conveyer 130a can not move in the vertical direction and the hook 130c can move in the vertical direction. In this case, for example, the releasable hook 130c having a lifting function holds the tray 21 of the article group 20 or the tray 21 of the lowermost layer of the stack 20S at the handover position Psll and is raised to the upper side position Ps 12. Then, the hook 130c is lowered so that the article group 20 or the stack 20S being held is placed on the next article group 20 conveyed to the handover position Psll by the conveyance mechanism 120B21, and the hook 130c is released at an appropriate timing. The hook 130c having the lifting function is an example of the lifting mechanism.

[0096] Figure 6 is a block diagram of the conveyance unit production device 100 and the automatic warehouse 200.

[0097] The control device 101 of the conveyance unit production apparatus 100 can be constituted by a computer, for example. The control device 101 is provided with an arithmetic processing section 160, a main storage section 171, and an auxiliary storage section 172.

[0098] The arithmetic processing section 160 is a processor (circuit), for example. The main storage section 171 is a RAM (random access memory), a ROM (read only memory), for example, and the auxiliary storage section 172 is a HDD (hard disk drive), a SSD (solid state drive), for example. The arithmetic processing section 160 reads out and executes a program (application) stored in the ROM of the main storage section 171 or the auxiliary storage section 172. The processor functions as a communication control section 161, a structure determination section 162, a work control section 163, an input control section 164, and an output control section 165 by working in accordance with the program. In this case, the program includes program modules corresponding to the communication control section 161, the structure determination section 162, the work control section 163, the input control section 164, and the output control section 165, respectively.

[0099] The program can be provided by being recorded in a recording medium that can be read by a computer, in an installable format or an executable format. The recording medium can also be referred to as a program product. In addition, the program is stored in a storage section of a computer connected to a communication network and is downloaded via the network, so that it can be introduced into the computer. In addition, the program can also be pre-installed in a ROM or the like.

[0100] In addition, in a case where at least a part of the computer is constituted by hardware, an FPGA (field programmable gate array), an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit), or the like can be included in the computer, for example.

[0101] Information used in the arithmetic processing performed by the communication control section 161, the structure determination section 162, the work control section 163, the input control section 164, and the output control section 165 is stored in the ROM of the main storage section 171 or the auxiliary storage section 172. In addition, the information used in the arithmetic processing can also be described in the program.

[0102] In addition, the control device 101 is electrically connected to the actuator 102, the sensor 103, the input device 104, and the output device 105.

[0103] The communication control section 161 controls transmission and reception of data with the external device 300 and the automated warehouse 200. The communication control section 161 receives order information indicating a plurality of articles 22 for which centralized removal is instructed from the external device 300. In addition, the communication control section 161 transmits removal instruction information indicating removal instruction of the articles 22 to the automated warehouse 200.

[0104] The structure determination section 162 determines the structure of the conveying unit 10 and the article group 20 included in the conveying unit 10 through arithmetic processing on a computer. Furthermore, the structure determination section 162 creates a production plan indicating the operation of the stacking mechanism 110, the conveying mechanism 120A, 120B, the lifting mechanism 130, the layering mechanism 140, and the detection mechanism 150 for producing the conveying unit 10 and the article group 20 of which the structure is determined, and creates removal instruction indicating the removal order, removal timing, and the like of the articles 22 with respect to the automated warehouse 200 for producing the conveying unit 10 and the article group 20 of which the structure is determined.

[0105] The operation control section 163 controls various actuators 102 possessed by the stacking mechanism 110, the conveying mechanism 120A, 120B, the lifting mechanism 130, and the layering mechanism 140, and controls the operation and arithmetic processing of the detection mechanism 150, on the basis of the detection values of various sensors 103, to obtain the determined structure of the conveying unit 10 and the article group 20 in accordance with the produced production plan. The actuator 102 is, for example, an electric actuator such as an electric motor, an electro-hydraulic-pneumatic actuator such as an electric hydraulic pump and a hydraulic-pneumatic solenoid valve, or the like.

[0106] The input control section 164 acquires information input by an input device 104 such as a touch panel, a switch, a button, a keyboard, or the like.

[0107] The output control section 165 controls an output device 105 such as a display, a lamp, a speaker, or the like to perform a prescribed output.

[0108] In addition, the control device 201 of the automated warehouse 200 can be constituted by a computer, for example. The control device 201 is provided with an arithmetic processing section 230, a main storage section 241, and an auxiliary storage section 242.

[0109] The arithmetic processing section 230 is, for example, a processor (circuit). The main storage section 241 is, for example, a RAM, a ROM, and the auxiliary storage section 242 is, for example, a HDD, a SSD. The arithmetic processing section 230 reads out and executes a program (application) stored in the ROM of the main storage section 241 or the auxiliary storage section 242. The processor functions as a communication control section 231 and a conveying control section 232 by operating in accordance with the program. In this case, the program includes program modules corresponding to the communication control section 231 and the conveying control section 232, respectively.

[0110] The program can be provided by recording a file in an installable format or an executable format in a recording medium that can be read by a computer. The recording medium can also be referred to as a program product. In addition, the program is stored in a storage section of a computer connected to a communication network and downloaded via the network so as to be introduced into the computer. In addition, the program can also be incorporated in advance in a ROM or the like.

[0111] In addition, in a case where at least a part of the computer is constituted by hardware, for example, an FPGA, an ASIC, or the like can also be included in the computer.

[0112] Information used in arithmetic processing by the communication control section 231 and the conveyance control section 232 is stored in the ROM of the main storage section 241 or the auxiliary storage section 242. In addition, the information used in the arithmetic processing can also be described in the program.

[0113] In addition, the control device 201 is electrically connected to the actuators 202 and the sensors 203.

[0114] The communication control section 231 controls transmission and reception of data with the conveyance unit manufacturing device 100. The communication control section 231 receives the carry-out instruction information indicating a carry-out instruction of the article 22 from the conveyance unit manufacturing device 100.

[0115] The conveyance control section 232 controls the actuators 202 of the conveyance mechanism 220 such as a stacker crane (not shown), a conveyer 221, on the basis of detection values of the various sensors 203, so as to carry out the article 22 from a storage place (not shown) and convey it to the reception position Pi in accordance with the received carry-out instruction. The actuator 202 is, for example, an electric actuator such as an electric motor, an electro-hydraulic-pneumatic actuator such as an electro-hydraulic pump or a hydraulic-pneumatic solenoid valve, or the like.

[0116] Figure 7 is a block diagram of the work control section 163. As Figure 7 indicated, the work control section 163 has a stacking control section 163a, a conveyance control section 163b, a lifting control section 163c, and a detection processing section 163d. The stacking control section 163a controls the stacking mechanism 110. The conveyance control section 163b controls the conveyance mechanisms 120A, 120B. The lifting control section 163c controls the lifting mechanism 130. In addition, the detection processing section 163d controls the work, detection processing, and arithmetic processing of the detection mechanism 150. The layering mechanism 140 is controlled by the conveyance control section 163b and the lifting control section 163c. Therefore, the conveyance control section 163b and the lifting control section 163c can also be referred to as a layering control section.

[0117] [Detection mechanism]

[0118] The detection mechanism 150 detects the height of the article group 20 produced by the stacking mechanism 110. The detection mechanism 150 can detect the height at a plurality of sites of the article group 20, in other words, can detect the height distribution of the article group 20. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the detection mechanism 150 detects the height of the article group 20 between the stacking mechanism 110 and the layering mechanism 140, and as an example, the detection mechanism 150 detects the height of the article group 20 between the stacking position Pp and the connecting position Pc. Figure 2

[0119] Figure 8 is a side view of the detection mechanism 150, Figure 9 is a plan view of the detection mechanism 150. As Figure 8 , 9 illustrated in FIG. 11, the detection mechanism 150 has a sensor 151 and a plurality of sensors 152.

[0120] The sensor 151 is, for example, a transmission-type photoelectric sensor array. The sensor 151 has a light projection array 151a and a light receiving array 151b. The light projection array 151a and the light receiving array 151b each extend in the up-down direction. In addition, the light projection array 151a and the light receiving array 151b are disposed apart from each other in the horizontal direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the article group 20 in the conveyance mechanism 120A, in other words, in the width direction (Y direction) of the conveyance mechanism 120A. The light projection array 151a emits a plurality of signal lights in the horizontal direction toward the light receiving array 151b at certain intervals in the up-down direction. As Figure 8 shown in FIG. 12, the signal light blocked by the article 22 does not reach the light receiving array 151b. Therefore, the detection processing portion 163d can acquire the light blocking height in the light receiving array 151b as the height of the article group 20 from the light receiving state in the light receiving array 151b. The sensor 151 can also be referred to as a maximum height sensor.

[0121] The relative position of the article group 20 to the conveyance direction (X direction) of the sensor 151 can be changed by the conveyance of the article group 20 by the conveyance mechanism 120A. Therefore, the detection processing portion 163d can acquire the maximum height of the article group 20 at a plurality of cross-sectional positions perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the conveyance mechanism 120A, for example, positions C1 to C3 (hereinafter referred to as detection positions C1 to C3) shown in FIG. 13. Figure 9

[0122] ​​The sensor 151 may also repeatedly perform detection at predetermined time intervals. In this case, when the sensor 151 detects the leading end of the conveyed article group 20 or column 20p, the light shielding height detected by the sensor 151 increases sharply. Conversely, when the sensor 151 detects the trailing end of the conveyed article group 20 or column 20p, the light shielding height detected by the sensor 151 decreases sharply. Therefore, the detection processing unit 163d can determine the leading and trailing ends of the article group 20 or column 20p based on increases and decreases in the detection value of the sensor 151 above a predetermined threshold. Therefore, the detection processing unit 163d can, for example, determine detection positions C1 to C3 after a predetermined distance or a predetermined time has passed since the leading end of the article group 20 or column 20p was detected. In this case, the distance can be obtained by multiplying the conveying speed of the article group 20 conveyed by the conveying mechanism 120A by the elapsed time. Alternatively, for example, the detection values ​​of the sensor 151 may be accumulated in the main storage unit 171 and the auxiliary storage unit 172 for a predetermined period of time, and the detection positions C1 to C3 may be determined from the moment the rear end of the article group 20 or the column 20p is detected until the article group 20 or the column 20p moves a predetermined distance or a predetermined time has passed. Alternatively, for example, the detection values ​​of the sensor 151 may be stored in the main storage unit 171 and the auxiliary storage unit 172 for a predetermined period of time, and a detection interval from the front end to the rear end of the article group 20 may be determined based on the temporal changes in the detection values, and the detection positions C1 to C3 may be determined within this detection interval.

[0123] The sensor 152 is a non-contact distance sensor such as a laser rangefinder. Figure 8 As shown, the sensor 152 is positioned upwardly from the conveyor mechanism 120A and detects the distance L2 from this position to the upper end of the article group 20. The detection processing unit 163d can determine the height of the article group 20 as the difference (L1 - L2) between the distance L1 from the loading surface of the conveyor mechanism 120A to the sensor 152 and the detected distance L2. In this embodiment, the detection mechanism 150 includes two sensors 152 as an example, but may also include three or more sensors 152 spaced apart in the width direction of the conveyor mechanism 120A. The sensors 152 may also be referred to as local height sensors.

[0124] The conveyance of the article group 20 by the conveyance mechanism 120A can change the relative position of the article group 20 and the sensor 152 in the conveyance direction (X direction). Figure 9 At a plurality of cross sections (eg, detection positions C1 to C3 ) perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveying mechanism 120A shown, the height of the article group 20 below the position where the sensor 152 is provided is acquired.

[0125] Here, if Figure 8 、 9 As shown, the sensors 152 are respectively located above a position at a predetermined distance d inward in the width direction from the end 21b of the tray 21, which is assumed to be located in the center in the width direction of the conveying mechanism 120A. The predetermined distance d is set to, for example, about half the width of a typical article 22 handled in the conveying unit manufacturing device 100. Thus, the sensor 152 can be relatively located above the columns 20p at the four corners of the article group 20 as the article group 20 is conveyed. Therefore, the detection processing unit 163d can obtain the height of each of the columns 20p at the four corners of the article group 20 based on the detection values ​​of the sensors 152 at the detection positions C1 and C3. It should be noted that by making the number of sensors 152 three or more, the local height of the article group 20 can be obtained at more positions. It should be noted that the detection mechanism 150 is not limited to Figure 8 、 9 The structure shown.

[0126] [Excluded institutions]

[0127] If an error occurs in the stacking mechanism 110, the height value of the article group 20 detected by the detection mechanism 150 does not meet specified conditions. In this case, in this embodiment, the conveying mechanism 120A, serving as an exclusion mechanism, excludes the article group 20 from the stacking at the stacking location Ps. In this case, the operation control unit 163 controls the conveying mechanism 120A to convey the article group 20 that does not meet the specified conditions to an exclusion position Pe, which is different from the stacking location Ps. The exclusion position Pe is located at either end of the conveying mechanism 120A in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, the conveying path of the article group 20 from the stacking location Pp branches from the connection position Pc where the conveying mechanism 120A and the conveying mechanism 120B connect to form a conveying path for the article group 20 toward the stacking location Ps and a conveying path for the article group 20 toward the exclusion position Pe. Furthermore, the conveying mechanism 120A is used in both conveying the article group 20 from the stacking location Pp to the stacking location Ps and conveying the article group 20 from the stacking location Pp to the exclusion position Pe.

[0128] At the exclusion position Pe, for example, an operator can perform repair work such as restacking the articles 22 for a group of articles 20 that does not meet the exclusion criteria. Therefore, the exclusion position Pe is located separately from the stacking mechanism 110 and the stacking mechanism 140 so that the operator is not affected by the stacking mechanism 110 and the stacking mechanism 140. It should be noted that while the exclusion position Pe is located at both ends of the conveying mechanism 120A in the longitudinal direction, it may alternatively be located at only one end in the longitudinal direction.

[0129] [Exclusion conditions]

[0130] Here, the conditions for excluding the article group 20 from the stacked objects are described. The article group 20 that satisfies at least one of the following (1-1) and (1-2) is excluded from the stacked objects.

[0131] (1-1) A case where the maximum difference in the heights of the four-corner posts 20p exceeds a first threshold value

[0132] Figure 10 is a perspective view of an article group 20 having posts 20p arranged near three corners but not having a post 20p arranged near one corner. As shown in Figure 10 the case where one of the four-corner posts 20p is missing, it can be difficult to stably place other trays 21, i.e., other article groups 20, on top of this article group 20. In addition, in the case where there are four-corner posts 20p but the difference in the heights of these four-corner posts 20p is large, it can be difficult to stably place other article groups 20 on top of this article group 20. Therefore, the work control section 163 excludes the article group 20 that meets the condition of (1-1) from the stacked objects. As for the condition of (1-1), it is possible to make a determination based on the detection values of the sensors 152 at the detection positions C1, C3. Specifically, based on the detection values of the two sensors 152 at the detection position C1 and the detection values of the two sensors 152 at the detection position C3, the heights h1 to h4 of the four-corner posts 20p are obtained, and in the case where the maximum value (maximum difference) among the absolute values (|h1-h2|, |h1-h3|, |h1-h4|, |h2-h3|, |h2-h4|, and |h3-h4|) of the differences in these heights h1 to h4 or at least one of these absolute values is equal to or greater than a third threshold value Th3 (for example, 10 mm), the article group 20 is excluded from the stacked objects.

[0133] (1-2) A case where the height of a post 20p1 different from the four-corner posts 20p is higher than the height of the four-corner posts 20p, and the maximum difference in the heights of the different post 20p1 and the four-corner posts 20p exceeds a second threshold value

[0134] Figure 11 is a perspective view of an article group 20 in which the height of a post 20p1 different from the four-corner posts 20p is higher than the height of the four-corner posts 20p. As shown in Figure 11 the case where the different post 20p1 is higher than the four-corner posts 20p, it is not possible to stably place other article groups 20 on top of this article group 20. Therefore, the work control section 163 excludes the article group 20 that meets the condition of (1-2) from the stacked objects. In Figure 11In the case where the maximum height hmax of the article group 20 obtained from the detection value of the sensor 151 at the detection position C1 to C3 is large, the condition (1-2) is satisfied. Therefore, in the case where the maximum height hmax of the article group 20 is higher than all of the heights h1 to h4 of the four corner columns 20p obtained from the detection value of the sensor 152, and the maximum height hmax is higher than the fourth threshold value Th4 (for example, 10 mm) or the maximum value (maximum difference) of the differences ((hmax-h1), (hmax-h2), (hmax-h3), and (hmax-h4)) between the maximum height hmax and the heights h1 to h4 of the four corner columns 20p or at least one of these values, the article group 20 is excluded from the stacked objects.

[0135] [Decision of structure of conveying unit and article group]

[0136] In the present embodiment, the structure decision part 162 decides the structure of the article group 20 and the conveying unit 10 based on, for example, the order information that specifies the centrally conveyed articles 22, and makes a production plan for producing the conveying unit 10 and a removal instruction. As described above, the conveying control part 232 of the automatic warehouse 200 controls the actuators 202 of the conveying mechanism 220 such as the stacker crane (not shown) and the conveyer 221 so that the articles 22 are removed from the storage place (not shown) of the automatic warehouse 200 according to the produced removal instruction and conveyed to the receiving position Pi. In addition, the work control part 163 controls the actuators 102 of the stacking mechanism 110, the conveying mechanisms 120A and 120B, the lifting mechanism 130, and the stacking mechanism 140, and controls the operation of the detection mechanism 150 and the arithmetic processing so that the article group 20 and the conveying unit 10 are produced according to the produced production plan.

[0137] Figure 12 is a block diagram of the structure decision part 162. As shown in Figure 12 , the structure decision part 162 has an order content acquisition part 162a, a first structure decision part 162b, a second structure decision part 162c, a plan / instruction production part 162d, and an index change part 162e.

[0138] The order content acquisition part 162a acquires the order content from the external device 300, for example, the identification information, the number, the identification information of the conveying destination, and the conveying time of the articles 22 included in the conveying unit 10.

[0139] The first structure decision part 162b decides the structure of the article group 20 included in the conveying unit 10. The order of the decision of the structure of the article group 20 is described later.

[0140] The second structure determining section 162c determines the structure of the conveyance unit 10 by determining the combination and arrangement of the article groups 20 whose structures are determined. The second structure determining section 162c has a pre-processing section 162cl, a provisional determining section 162c2, a load calculating section 162c3, and a rearranging section 162c4. The pre-processing section 162cl performs calculations of various parameters required for determining the structure of the conveyance unit 10. The provisional determining section 162c2 provisionally determines the structure of the conveyance unit 10. The load calculating section 162c3 calculates the load acting on the articles 22 and checks whether the load satisfies the load index for the article groups 20. The rearranging section 162c4 rearranges the arrangement of the article groups 20 as necessary based on the calculation result and the check result of the load calculating section 162c3. The order of determining the structure of the conveyance unit 10 will be described later.

[0141] The plan and instruction creating section 162d creates a production plan for more smoothly and reliably producing the conveyance unit 10 determined by the second structure determining section 162c.

[0142] The index changing section 162e can change the load index. Details of the load index and the change thereof will be described later.

[0143] Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the order of determining the structure of the conveyance unit 10. As shown in Figure 13 , the structure determining section 162 first operates as the order content acquisition section 162a and acquires the order content from the order information (step S20).

[0144] [Decision of Structure of Article Group]

[0145] Next, the structure determining section 162 operates as the first structure determining section 162b and determines the structure of the article groups 20 in a manner that follows the order content acquired in step S20 and satisfies prescribed rules and conditions (step S21).

[0146] In determining the structure of the article groups 20, the first structure determining section 162b acquires, for example, attribute information such as the size, weight, load capacity, and load index of each article 22 from a database stored in the auxiliary storage section 172. Note that the database can be stored in a server different from the conveyance unit production device 100. In this case, the first structure determining section 162b acquires the attribute information of each article 22 from the database via the communication control section 161.

[0147] When the indication, the specification based on the order information is given, the first structure determining section 162b determines the structure of the article group 20 according to the indication. For example, when the kind and the number of the articles 22 constituting the article group 20 are specified in advance, the first structure determining section 162b determines the structure of the article group 20 so as to include the kind and the number of the articles 22 specified. Also, for example, when the height and the weight of each article group 20 are specified, the first structure determining section 162b determines the structure of each article group 20 so as to satisfy the conditions of the height and the weight specified.

[0148] When the article group 20 is configured so as to load other trays 21, that is, other article groups 20 thereon as the first article group, the first structure determining section 162b determines the structure of the article group 20 so as to have the four-cornered column 20p as described above. The article group 20 can also have the column 20p having the same height as the four-cornered column 20p, or can have the articles 22 stacked at a lower height than the four-cornered column 20p.

[0149] Also, when the article group 20 as the first article group is configured so as to include only the third article group of the plurality of goods of the same brand and different specifications as described above, when the article group 20 includes only the plurality of articles 22 of the same shape although the brand and the specification are different, when the article group 20 includes only the plurality of articles 22 having the same height and capable of being loaded one on another, and the like, the first structure determining section 162b configures the article group 20 by the following logic.

[0150] That is, when the plurality of articles 22 can be arranged in a matrix shape of n rows and m columns (n, m are positive integers) on the tray 21, one article 22 or a plurality of articles 22 stacked is arranged at each position in the matrix shape. In this case, the first structure determining section 162b determines the number i (i is a positive integer) of the articles 22 stacked at the four-cornered column 20p for the article group 20 in which the number of the articles 22 is N (N is an integer of 4 or more) by the following formula (1).

[0151] i = (N - 1) / (n x m) + 1 (1)

[0152] Since the number i of the articles 22 stacked is a positive integer, in the operation result of i of formula (1), the value below the decimal point is omitted. Figure 4 When the articles 22 of the same shape can be arranged in a matrix shape of 3 rows and 3 columns on the tray 21, the article group 20 has 12 articles 22 is shown. In this case, since n = 3, m = 3, and N = 12, formula (1) becomes i = (12 - 1) / (3 x 3) + 1 = 2.22 → i = 2 (the value below the decimal point is omitted), as Figure 4As shown, the number of layers i of the articles 22 at the four-cornered pillars 20p is 2. Also, in the case where the articles 22 are arranged in a matrix of 3 rows by 3 columns and stacked,

[0153] N: 4 to 9 → i = 1

[0154] N: 10 to 18 → i = 2

[0155] N: 19 to 27 → i = 3.

[0156] In the case where the number of layers i is 2 or more, as shown in Figure 4 , the arrangement of the articles 22 is determined so as to not exceed the height of the four-cornered pillars 20p at other portions and to achieve balance in the X direction or the Y direction as much as possible, on the basis of ensuring that the number of layers of the articles 22 at the four-cornered pillars 20p is 2. In the case where Figure 4 , balance is achieved in the X direction and the Y direction by arranging the remaining 4 articles 22 between the four spaces between the four-cornered pillars 20p after removing the 8 articles 22 constituting the four-cornered pillars 20p from the total of 12 articles 22. The number of layers i of the articles 22 at the four-cornered pillars 20p can also be said to be the maximum number of layers of the articles 22 in the article group 20. Note that the layout of the articles 22 corresponding to the number N of articles 22 can also be stored in the auxiliary storage section 172. Also, in the case where the number of articles 22 included in the article group 20 is 3 or less, the four-cornered pillars 20p cannot be formed, and thus the first article group is formed by only the 3 or less articles 22, without placing other trays 21, i.e., other article groups 20.

[0157] [Decision of structure of conveyance unit]

[0158] Next, the structure decision section 162 operates as a pre-processing section 162cl of the second structure decision section 162c, and calculates parameters required to decide the structure of the conveyance unit 10 (step S22). In this step S22, the pre-processing section 162cl obtains the total value of the heights of the plurality of article groups 20, and decides the number of conveyance units 10 on the basis of the total value of the heights. Here, in the case where there is a height limit for the conveyance unit 10, it is necessary to converge the heights of all of the conveyance units 10 to within the limit height Hmax. As an example, in the case where the limit height is Hmax and the total value of the heights of the plurality of article groups 20 is Ht, the pre-processing section 162cl decides the number I of conveyance units 10 (I is an integer of 1 or more) using the following formula (2).

[0159] I = Ht / Hmax + 1 (2)

[0160] Since the number of layers i is a positive integer, the value below the decimal point is omitted in the operation result of I in formula (2). The limit height Hmax is an example of a prescribed height.

[0161] Further, in step S22, the pre-processing section 162c1 decides the target height of the transport units 10. In formula (2), in the case where the number I of the transport units 10 is two or more, i.e., in the case where the structure of the plurality of transport units 10 is decided, there are (2-1) the case where the transport units 10 close to the limit height Hmax are included, and (2-2) the case where the heights of the plurality of transport units 10 are equalized. Figure 14 is a side view showing an example of the structure of the plurality of transport units 10 in the case of (2-1), Figure 15 is a side view showing an example of the structure of the plurality of transport units 10 in the case of (2-2).

[0162] In the case of (2-1), the second structure deciding section 162c decides the structure of the transport unit 10-1 so that the deviation (first deviation) of the height H1 of the transport unit 10-1 from the limit height Hmax (not shown) in both the temporary decision and the exchange of the transport units 10 is equal to or less than the first threshold Th1 in steps S22 to S25. Note that the height of the transport unit 10-2 can be equal to or less than the limit height Hmax. In this case, for example, the advantage that the loading efficiency in the transport space is easily increased when the plurality of transport units 10 are transported using a truck or the like can be obtained. Note that the transport unit 10-2 which is lower than the limit height Hmax can be stacked with other transport units 10. In the case where the number of the transport units 10 is I (I is an integer of two or more), the second structure deciding section 162c decides the structure of the transport unit 10-1 so that the absolute value of the first deviation of each of the I-1 transport units 10 is equal to or less than the first threshold Th1. Note that the first threshold Th1 is, for example, set relatively loosely to about 10 to 20% of the limit height Hmax.

[0163] On the other hand, in the case of (2-2), the second structure deciding section 162c decides the structure of the plurality of transport units 10 so that the heights H2 of the plurality of transport units 10 become close values in both the temporary decision and the exchange of the transport units 10 in steps S22 to S25. Specifically, the structure of the plurality of transport units 10 is decided so that the value obtained by dividing the total height Ht by the number I of the transport units 10 is the average value Hm of the heights, and the absolute value of the deviation (second deviation) of the heights of all the transport units 10 from the Hm is equal to or less than the second threshold Th2. In this case, for example, the advantage that the weight balance is easily obtained when the plurality of transport units 10 are transported using a truck or the like can be obtained. Note that the second threshold Th2 is, for example, set relatively loosely to about 10 to 20% of the average value Hm.

[0164] In addition, in step S22, the pre-processing section 162c1 calculates the bearable load index of the article group 20.

[0165] The greater the bearable load of the articles 22 constituting each column 20p, the greater the bearable load of the article group 20. In addition, the greater the number of columns 20p provided to the article group 20, the greater the bearable load of the article group 20.

[0166] However, when a plurality of articles 22 are stacked in each column 20p, the bearable load can decrease, for example, due to errors, deviations in the shape of each article 22, misalignment of the plurality of articles 22, and the like. Therefore, in the present embodiment, a decrease coefficient that becomes smaller the greater the number of stacked articles 22 at the column 20p is set. As an example, when the number of stacked articles i is 1, the decrease coefficient is set to 100% (1.0), when the number of stacked articles i is 2, the decrease coefficient is set to 60% (0.6), and when the number of stacked articles i is 3, the decrease coefficient is set to 40% (0.4). When the number of stacked articles i is 4 or more, the decrease coefficient is also set to become smaller the greater the number of stacked articles i.

[0167] The pre-processing section 162c1 calculates the bearable load index Iw of each article group 20 by the following formula (3).

[0168] Iw = r x W x Np (3)

[0169] Here, r is the decrease coefficient, W is the bearable load of the article 22, and Np is the number of columns 20p. The greater the number of stacked articles i, the smaller the bearable load index Iw becomes. The number of stacked articles i is the number of stacked articles 22 between the pallet 21 and other pallets 21, and the number of stacked articles i can also be referred to as the number of layers.

[0170] As an example, in the case of the article group 20 shown in FIG. 6, r = 0.6 (number of stacked articles i = 2), if the bearable load W of the article 22 is set to 50 [kg] and the number of columns Np is set to 4, the bearable load index Iw of the article group 20 is Iw = 0.6 x 50 x 4 = 120 [kg]. Figure 4 In addition, in step S22, the pre-processing section 162c1 calculates the weight of each article group 20. The weight of the article group 20 is the total value of the weights of the pallets 21 and the plurality of articles 22 included in the article group 20.

[0171]

[0172] ​Next, the structure determination unit 162 operates as a temporary determination unit 162c of the second structure determination unit 162c, and temporarily determines the structure of the conveying units 10 (step S23). In this step S23, in a case where the structures of a plurality of conveying units 10 are temporarily determined, the temporary determination unit 162c2, for example, allocates the plurality of groups of articles 20 to each of the plurality of conveying units 10 in order from large to small in weight. Further, the temporary determination unit 162c2 arranges, in each conveying unit 10, the group of articles 20 having a larger weight at a lower position and the group of articles 20 having a smaller weight at an upper position. Thus, since the center of gravity of each conveying unit 10 is located at a lower position, it is possible to obtain an advantage that the conveying unit 10 is less likely to swing and further, goods are less likely to scatter.

[0173] Figure 16 is a schematic view (side view) showing an example in which two conveying units 10 are temporarily determined. Note that, in Figure 16 ( and Figure 17 , 18 ), for simplicity, ten groups of articles 20 are represented by rectangles. The numbers written in each rectangle are numbers for distinguishing the groups of articles 20, and indicate that the weight becomes smaller as the number becomes larger from 1 to 10. Further, the height of the rectangle represents the height of the group of articles 20. Hereinafter, the group of articles 20 to which the number j (j = 1 to 10) is assigned is referred to as the jth group of articles 20-j.

[0174] Note that, such temporary determination is an example, and the temporary determination unit 162c2 can allocate the groups of articles 20 in order from large to small in the load bearing index Iw instead of in order from large to small in weight. In this case, the temporary determination unit 162c2 arranges, in each conveying unit 10, the group of articles 20 having a larger load bearing index Iw at a lower position and the group of articles 20 having a smaller load bearing index Iw at an upper position.

[0175] Further, in the step S23, the temporary determination unit 162c2 temporarily determines the plurality of conveying units 10 in such a manner that the height of each conveying unit 10 converges to the target height. That is, the temporary determination unit 162c2 temporarily determines the arrangement of the plurality of groups of articles 20 with the condition (height condition) that the height of the conveying unit 10 converges to the target height.

[0176] Next, the structure determination unit 162 operates as a load calculation unit 162c3 of the second structure determination unit 162c, and performs load calculation (step S24). In this step S24, the load calculation unit 162c3 compares the load bearing index Iw of each group of articles 20 with the weight of the group of articles 20 placed on the upper side of the group of articles 20.

[0177] When the load-bearing condition is satisfied among all the article groups 20, that is, when the load-bearing index Iw of each article group 20 is greater than the weight of the article group 20 above the article group 20 ("Yes" in step S25), the second structure determination unit 162c determines the structure of each conveying unit 10, that is, the structure and arrangement of the article groups 20 in each conveying unit 10 (step S26).

[0178] In step S26, when the structure of the transport unit 10 is determined, the structure determination unit 162 operates as a plan / instruction preparation unit 162d to prepare a preparation plan for the transport unit 10 with the determined structure and instructions for carrying out multiple items 22 used to prepare the transport unit 10 (step S28).

[0179] On the other hand, in step S25, if the load-bearing index Iw for at least one article group 20 is less than or equal to the weight of the article group 20 above that article group 20 ("No" in step S25), the configuration determining unit 162 operates as the swapping unit 162c4 of the second configuration determining unit 162c and swaps the positions of the two article groups 20 (step S27). In step S27, the swapping unit 162c4 swaps the article groups 20 based on, for example, the logic of (3-1) or (3-2) below.

[0180] (3-1) The article group 20 that does not meet the load-bearing condition is replaced with an article group 20 having a higher load-bearing index Iw.

[0181] Here, as an example, assume that Figure 16 The situation that the load bearing condition is not satisfied occurs in the article group 20-5 of the conveying unit 10L (10) on the left side, which has the fifth largest load bearing index Iw. Figure 16 The load-bearing index Iw of the 4th article group 20-4 is greater than the load-bearing index Iw of the 5th article group 20-5. Figure 17 In this case, Figure 16 A schematic diagram (side view) of the transport unit 10 after the temporary transport unit 10 has performed the replacement of the article group 20. Figure 16 and Figure 17 A comparison clearly shows that Figure 17 In the example, Figure 16 In the two conveyor units 10, the fourth article group 20-4 is swapped with the fifth article group 20-5. By swapping, the article group 20-4 having a larger load bearing index Iw is placed in the location of the article group 20-5 that does not meet the load bearing condition, thereby potentially meeting the load bearing condition.

[0182] (3-2) The article group 20 above the article group 20 that does not satisfy the load-bearing condition is replaced with an article group 20 of smaller weight.

[0183] Here, as an example, assume that Figure 16 The situation in which the load bearing condition is not satisfied occurs in the article group 20-1 having the largest load bearing index Iw of the conveying unit 10L (10) on the left side. Figure 18 Yes Figure 16 A schematic diagram (side view) of the transport unit 10 after the temporary transport unit 10 has performed the replacement of the article group 20. Figure 16 and Figure 18 A comparison clearly shows that Figure 18 In the example, Figure 16 In the two conveyor units 10, the 9th article group 20-9 is swapped with the 10th article group 20-10. Here, the weight of the 10th article group 20-10 is smaller than that of the 9th article group 20-9. Therefore, this swapping reduces the weight of the other article groups 20 placed on the article group 20-1 that does not meet the acceptable load condition, potentially allowing the acceptable load condition to be met.

[0184] In step S27, as described above, the swapping unit 162c4 swaps the multiple article groups 20 so that the heights of the conveyor units 10 converge to the target height. Specifically, in step S27, the swapping unit 162c4 selects two article groups 20 to swap, based on the condition (height condition) that the heights of the conveyor units 10 converge to the target height. Furthermore, after step S27, step S24 is executed to inspect the post-swap structure for load-bearing conditions. It should be noted that in the above example, the positions of the article groups 20 are swapped between the multiple, pre-determined conveyor units 10. However, this is not a limitation; the positions of the article groups 20 may also be swapped between the same conveyor units 10.

[0185] In the case where the load-bearing conditions and height conditions are not satisfied for all article groups 20 even by swapping various combinations of article groups 20, the second structure determination unit 162c may, for example, execute the steps subsequent to step S22 again after increasing the number of conveying units 10, or further lowering the target height, or setting the first threshold and the second threshold to a larger value.

[0186] In addition, the load-bearing index Iw used in the load calculation can be changed appropriately. Index changing unit 162e ( Figure 12) For example, the load-bearing index Iw can be changed according to environmental conditions such as humidity and temperature. As an example, for a box made of paper such as corrugated paper, the higher the humidity, the lower the load-bearing index Iw may be. Therefore, the index changing unit 162e can, for example, based on the detection value of the humidity sensor as the sensor 103, change the load-bearing index Iw or the reduction coefficient to a value smaller than the usual set value when the humidity detection value is greater than the threshold value. The index changing unit 162e can, for example, make the reduction coefficient r lower in a season with high humidity than in a season with low humidity. In addition, the index changing unit 162e can, for example, change the load-bearing index Iw or the reduction coefficient r according to the input value obtained based on the operator's operation on the input device 104.

[0187] As described above, in this embodiment, the structure determination unit 162 that determines the structure of the conveying unit 10 determines the structure of the conveying unit 10 in such a manner that the load acting on each of the article groups 20 (first article group) carrying other pallets 21, i.e., other article groups 20, is smaller than the tolerable load index Iw.

[0188] With such a configuration, the transport unit manufacturing device 100 (article handling device) can manufacture the transport unit 10 in which the articles 22 are less likely to be deformed or the cargo is less likely to be scattered.

[0189] In addition, in the present embodiment, for example, the greater the number i of stacked articles 22 at the column 20 p , the smaller the load-bearing index Iw becomes.

[0190] With such a configuration, for example, the conveyor unit manufacturing apparatus 100 (article handling apparatus) can manufacture the conveyor unit 10 in which the articles 22 are less likely to be deformed or to be scattered even when the number i of stacked articles 22 increases.

[0191] In addition, in the present embodiment, for example, the configuration determining unit 162 determines the configuration of the transport unit 10 so that the height of the transport unit 10 is equal to or less than the limit height Hmax (predetermined height).

[0192] According to such a configuration, for example, the conveyance unit manufacturing apparatus 100 can manufacture the conveyance unit 10 having a height not exceeding the limit height Hmax and not causing any hindrance to the conveyance.

[0193] In addition, in this embodiment, for example, when the number of conveying units 10 is I (I is an integer greater than 2), the structure determination unit 162 determines the structure in such a manner that the absolute value of the first deviation between the height of each of I-1 conveying units 10 and the limit height Hmax is less than the first threshold Th1.

[0194] According to such a structure, for example, the volume ratio of the conveying units 10 in the conveying space can be further increased, and the conveying efficiency can be further increased.

[0195] Further, in the present embodiment, for example, the structure determination section 162 determines the structure of the conveying units 10 in such a manner that the absolute value of the second deviation of the height of each of the I conveying units 10 from the average value Hm of the heights of the I conveying units 10 is equal to or less than the second threshold value Th2 when the number of the conveying units 10 is I (I is an integer of 2 or more).

[0196] According to such a structure, for example, the weight balance of the plurality of conveying units 10 in the conveying mechanism can be further improved.

[0197] Further, in the present embodiment, for example, the structure determination section 162 can determine the structure of the conveying units 10 in such a manner that at least one conveying unit 10 has at least one article 22 loaded on the pallet 21 in such a manner that no other pallet 21 can be placed on the article group 20 (second article group) of the pallet 21 as the uppermost article group 20.

[0198] According to such a structure, for example, since the adjustment of the odd number of articles 22 not included in the article group 20 (first article group) on which other pallets 21 can be placed can be performed, the structure of the conveying units 10 can be more flexibly and smoothly determined.

[0199] Further, in the present embodiment, for example, the structure determination section 162 can determine the structure of the conveying units 10 in such a manner that at least one conveying unit 10 has an article group 20 (third article group) in which only a plurality of the same articles including different specifications are included as the plurality of articles 22.

[0200] According to such a structure, for example, there is a case where the articles 22 are more easily handled at the delivery destination of the conveying units 10.

[0201] Further, in the present embodiment, for example, the structure determination section 162 has an index change section 162e that changes the loadable weight index Iw.

[0202] According to such a structure, for example, the change in the strength of the conveying units 10 due to the change in the situation can be suppressed.

[0203] Further, in the present embodiment, for example, the index change section 162e can change the loadable weight index Iw according to the environmental condition.

[0204] According to such a structure, for example, the change in the strength of the conveying units 10 due to the change in the environmental condition can be suppressed.

[0205] Further, in the present embodiment, for example, the structure determining section 162 determines the structure of the conveying unit 10 by exchanging the places of the article groups 20 within one conveying unit 10 for which the structure is temporarily determined or between a plurality of conveying units 10 for which the structures are temporarily determined after the structure of the conveying unit 10 is temporarily determined.

[0206] According to such a structure, for example, the structure determining section 162 can more quickly or more smoothly determine the structure of the conveying unit 10.

[0207] The above describes an embodiment of the present application, but the above embodiment is an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the application. The above embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, combinations, modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the application. Further, the specifications (structure, type, direction, style, size, length, width, thickness, height, number, arrangement, position, material, etc.) of each structure, shape, etc. can be appropriately changed to implement.

[0208] For example, the number and layout of the conveying mechanism, the receiving position, the stacking position, the stacking place, the delivery position, the position of the inspection mechanism, the exclusion position, etc. are not limited to the above embodiment.

[0209] Further, the conveying unit can be wrapped with a film or the like.

Claims

1. An article processing apparatus, wherein the article processing apparatus is provided with: a structure determining section that determines a structure of at least one conveying unit that contains a plurality of articles designated, the at least one conveying unit having a plurality of article groups obtained by containing a plurality of trays and at least one article loaded on each of the trays and stacking them, and in a first article group that is the article group other than the uppermost layer, a plurality of articles are loaded on the tray in a manner capable of loading another tray; a stacking mechanism that loads a plurality of articles on a tray in a manner constituting the plurality of article groups in the conveying unit whose structure is determined by the structure determining section; and a stacking mechanism that stacks the plurality of article groups constituted by the stacking mechanism in a manner constituting the conveying unit determined by the structure determining section, the structure determining section determines the structure of the conveying unit in a manner in which a loadable load index set for the first article group is smaller than a load ratio acting on each of the first article groups, the structure determining section can determine the structure of the conveying unit in a manner in which the at least one conveying unit has a second article group in which the at least one article is loaded on the tray in a manner incapable of loading another tray as the article group of the uppermost layer.

2. The article processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the more the number of stacks of the articles between the tray of the first article group and the other tray, the smaller the loadable load index.

3. The article processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the structure determining section determines the structure of the conveying unit in a manner in which the height of the conveying unit is equal to or less than a predetermined height.

4. The article processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the structure determining section determines the structure in a manner in which the absolute value of a first deviation of the height of each of I-1 conveying units from the predetermined height is equal to or less than a first threshold value, where I is an integer of 2 or more, when the number of the conveying units is I.

5. The article processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the structure determining section determines the structure in a manner in which the absolute value of a second deviation of the height of each of I conveying units from the average value of the heights of the I conveying units is equal to or less than a second threshold value, where I is an integer of 2 or more, when the number of the conveying units is I.

6. The article processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the structure determining section can determine the structure of the conveying unit in a manner in which the at least one conveying unit has a third article group containing only a plurality of identical articles of different specifications as the plurality of articles as the article group.

7. The article processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the structure determining section has an index changing section that changes the loadable load index.

8. The article processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the index changing section changes the loadable load index according to an environmental condition.

9. The article processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein The structure determining section determines the structure of the at least one conveying unit by exchanging the locations of the groups of articles within one conveying unit for which the structure is temporarily determined, or between a plurality of conveying units for which the structure is temporarily determined, after the structure of the conveying unit is temporarily determined.

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