Storage equipment

Abstract

The specific transfer mode is a mode in which the conveying device sequentially performs a first transfer operation, a travel operation, and a second transfer operation. The first transfer operation is an operation in which the first transfer device is used to transfer the second item from the storage area to the conveying device after the second transfer device has transferred the first item from the storage area to the conveying device. The travel operation is an operation in which the conveying device travels to a position corresponding to the boundary between the relay unit and the temporary storage area while retaining the first and second items. The second transfer operation is an operation in which the first transfer device is used to transfer the first item from the conveying device to the relay unit and the second transfer device is used to transfer the second item from the conveying device to the temporary storage area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an article storage device, which comprises: an article storage rack having a storage portion capable of storing multiple articles side by side in a depth direction; a relay device that transports articles between a storage and unloading portion and the relay portion; and a transport device that transports articles between the relay portion and the storage portion. Background Art

[0002] An example of an article storage device having an article storage rack capable of storing a plurality of articles side by side in the depth direction is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-97006 (Patent Document 1). In the following description of the background technology, the symbols shown in parentheses are the symbols of Patent Document 1. The article storage device described in Patent Document 1 comprises: a storage rack (7) capable of storing two stored objects (8, 9) side by side in the depth direction; and a workpiece conveying device (3) conveying the stored objects (8, 9) between the storage and unloading port (6) and the storage rack (7). The workpiece conveying device (3) comprises two storage and unloading devices (4, 5) for storing and retrieving stored objects (8, 9) from the storage rack (7) in a state of being side by side in the width direction of the storage rack (7). Furthermore, as described in paragraph 0015 of Patent Document 1, in the article storage device, when the stored object (8) on the front side is not taken out of the warehouse but the stored object (9) on the back side is taken out of the warehouse, the workpiece conveying device (3) uses the first storage and unloading device (4) to take out the stored object (8) on the front side, and then uses the second storage and unloading device (5) to take out the stored object (9) on the back side. Then, after using the first storage and unloading device (4) to return the stored object (8) on the front side to the storage rack (7), the workpiece conveying device (3) travels to the storage and unloading port (6) and moves the stored object (9) on the back side out to the storage and unloading port (6).

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-97006. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] However, as also described in paragraph 0003 of Patent Document 1, there may be a need to urgently remove items stored in an item storage rack (in Patent Document 1, the stored items stored in the storage rack). In the item storage device of Patent Document 1, when an item to be removed (hereinafter referred to as a "first item") is arranged side by side on the back side (inner side) of an item not to be removed (hereinafter referred to as a "second item") on the item storage rack, as described above, after the second item and the first item are removed from the item storage rack in sequence, the second item is returned to the item storage rack, and then the first item is removed to a relay unit (in Patent Document 1, a loading and unloading port), which serves as a location for removing items from the warehouse. Therefore, the time required to return the second item to the item storage rack increases, and there is room for improvement in shortening this time. Furthermore, it is desirable to improve the efficiency of conveying articles in the entire facility while shortening the time required for the first article to be conveyed to the relay unit.

[0008] Therefore, it is expected to realize the following technology: when the items to be shipped are arranged side by side on the back side of the item storage rack relative to the items that are not to be shipped, the overall item transportation efficiency of the equipment can be improved, and at the same time, the time until the items to be shipped are moved out to the relay unit can be shortened.

[0009] Solutions to Problems

[0010] The article storage equipment involved in the present disclosure comprises: an article storage rack, which has a storage section that can store multiple articles side by side in the depth direction; a storage and unloading section, which is arranged on a first side in the width direction as one side of the width direction of the article storage rack relative to the aforementioned storage section, and carries out the loading and unloading of articles; a relay device, which transports articles between the aforementioned storage and unloading section and a relay section arranged between the aforementioned storage and unloading section and the aforementioned storage section in the aforementioned width direction; a transport device, which travels in the aforementioned width direction on the front side as the aforementioned depth direction relative to the aforementioned storage section, and moves between the aforementioned storage section and the aforementioned relay section The storage rack is a rack mounted on a shelf and has two opposite sides, one of which is for transporting items to the storage rack and the other is for transporting items to the shelf. The first item is a first item, an item that is not to be taken out from the item storage rack is a second item, one of the plurality of transfer machines is used as the first transfer machine, and another is used as the second transfer machine. The control device is configured to switch the control mode of the conveying device to a specific transfer mode when the first item is arranged side by side in the storage area relative to the second item on the back side. The specific transfer mode is a mode in which the conveying device performs a first transfer action, a driving action and a second transfer action in sequence. The first transfer action is when the second transfer machine is used to transfer the first item. After the second article is transferred from the storage area to the conveying device, the first transfer machine is used to transfer the first article from the storage area to the conveying device. The traveling action is an action of traveling while maintaining the first article and the second article until a position corresponding to the boundary between the relay section and the temporary placement area. The second transferring action is an action of using the first transfer machine to transfer the first article from the conveying device to the relay section and using the second transfer machine to transfer the second article from the conveying device to the temporary placement area.

[0011] According to this configuration, when a first item, which is to be removed from an item storage rack, is arranged side by side in the storage area of ​​the storage section of the item storage rack, behind a second item, which is not to be removed from the item storage rack, the control mode of the conveying device can be switched to a specific transfer mode. In this specific transfer mode, after the second item and the first item are sequentially transferred from the storage section to the conveying device, the conveying device, while still holding the second item in addition to the first item, can be moved to a position corresponding to the boundary between the relay section and the temporary storage area (hereinafter referred to as the "boundary-corresponding position"), whereupon the first item can be transferred from the conveying device to the relay section or the second item can be transferred from the conveying device to the temporary storage area. In this way, in the specific transfer mode, one of the two positions of the conveying device for transferring the first item to the relay section and the conveying device for transferring the second item to the temporary storage area can be set to the boundary-corresponding position, and the other position can be set to the boundary-corresponding position or a position near the boundary-corresponding position. Therefore, compared with the case where the position of the conveying device for transferring the second item that is not an outbound item to the storage section (i.e., for returning it to the storage section) is away from the corresponding position of the boundary, it is easy to make the conveying device move quickly to the position for transferring the first item to the relay section, thereby shortening the time until the first item is moved out to the relay section.

[0012] Furthermore, in this configuration, by moving the items (i.e., items to be stored on the item storage rack) that are moved by the relay device to the relay section into the storage area, it is possible to essentially free up a temporary placement area for temporarily placing the second item in a specific transfer mode. Furthermore, in this configuration, the temporary placement area can be set near the relay section, which is the location where the conveying device travels whenever items are stored in or out of the item storage rack. Therefore, compared to a situation where the second item is temporarily placed in a location away from the relay section (e.g., a storage location that originally stored the second item), it is easier to use the travel motion of the conveying device used to store and retrieve items from the item storage rack to transport the temporarily placed second item to the desired storage location in the storage section. This makes it possible to improve the overall item transport efficiency of the equipment.

[0013] As described above, according to this configuration, when the first item is arranged side by side on the back side of the item storage rack relative to the second item, the overall item conveying efficiency of the equipment can be improved and the time until the first item is conveyed to the relay unit can be shortened.

[0014] Further features and advantages of the article storage facility will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments described with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a portion of an item storage device.

[0016] Figure 2 It is a top view of a portion of the item storage device.

[0017] Figure 3 It is a control block diagram.

[0018] Figure 4 This is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of specific transfer control.

[0019] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing one scenario of outbound control.

[0020] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing one scenario of outbound control.

[0021] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing a situation of inventory control.

[0022] Figure 8 This is a diagram showing a situation of inventory control.

[0023] Figure 9 This is a diagram showing one aspect of specific transfer control.

[0024] Figure 10 This is a diagram showing one aspect of specific transfer control.

[0025] Figure 11 This is a diagram showing one aspect of specific transfer control.

[0026] Figure 12 This is a diagram showing one aspect of specific transfer control.

[0027] Figure 13 This is a diagram showing one aspect of specific transfer control according to another embodiment.

[0028] Figure 14 This is a diagram showing one aspect of specific transfer control according to another embodiment.

[0029] Figure 15 This is a diagram showing one aspect of specific transfer control according to another embodiment.

[0030] Figure 16 This is a diagram showing one aspect of specific transfer control according to another embodiment.

[0031] Figure 17 This is a plan view of a portion of an article storage facility according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] An embodiment of an article storage facility will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here, the article storage facility according to the present disclosure is described as an example in which a conveying device travels along a travel path formed corresponding to each layer of an article storage rack.

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown in FIG, the article storage facility 100 includes an article storage rack 1, a storage and unloading unit 2, a relay device 4, a conveying device 5, and a control device 9 (see FIG. Figure 3 ). The article storage rack 1 includes a storage portion 10 capable of storing a plurality of articles W side by side along the depth direction Y. Figure 2 As shown in the figure, the position of the storage section 10 in the depth direction Y of the storage article W is set as the storage position P. The storage section 10 supports the article W from the lower side Z2 (the lower side in the up-down direction Z). The article W is, for example, a corrugated cardboard shell or a container shell. The depth direction Y is a direction perpendicular to the width direction X of the article storage rack 1. Here, both the width direction X and the depth direction Y are horizontal directions along the horizontal plane. In this embodiment, a pair of article storage racks 1 are provided in a manner opposite to each other along the depth direction Y, sandwiching the travel path of the conveying device 5. The article storage rack 1 can also be configured to be provided only on one side of the depth direction Y relative to the travel path of the conveying device 5.

[0034] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown in FIG, in this embodiment, the storage section 10 is configured to store two articles W side by side in the depth direction Y. That is, in this embodiment, the articles W are stored in the storage section 10 at either of the two storage positions P (specifically, the first storage position P1 and the second storage position P2). Figure 2 As shown in FIG, the first storage position P1 is the storage position P on the front side Y1 of the two storage positions P, and the second storage position P2 is the storage position P on the back side Y2 of the two storage positions P. Here, the front side Y1 is one side in the depth direction Y (specifically, the side on which the articles W are stored and retrieved relative to the storage section 10), and the back side Y2 is the side opposite to the front side Y1 in the depth direction Y.

[0035] like Figure 2As shown in FIG, the storage section 10 is configured to accommodate multiple articles W side by side in the width direction X. Specifically, the storage section 10 is configured to accommodate multiple articles W side by side in the width direction X at each of the storage positions P (here, each of the first storage position P1 and the second storage position P2). For example, a plurality of plate-like bodies can be arranged side by side in the width direction X to form the storage section 10 capable of accommodating multiple articles W side by side in the width direction X. The plate-like bodies are, for example, formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from above (viewed along the vertical direction Z), or in a U-shape with an opening on the front side Y1 when viewed from above.

[0036] In this embodiment, the article storage rack 1 includes storage portions 10 at multiple locations in the vertical direction Z (plumb direction), and is configured so that articles W can be stored in each of multiple layers (shelf levels) arranged side by side in the vertical direction Z. Alternatively, the article storage rack 1 may include a storage portion 10 at only one location in the vertical direction Z.

[0037] The loading and unloading section 2 is arranged on the outside of the width direction X relative to the storage section 10. That is, the loading and unloading section 2 is arranged on the outside of the configuration area of ​​the storage section 10 in the width direction X. The loading and unloading section 2 is arranged on the first side X1 in the width direction, which is one side of the width direction X, relative to the storage section 10. In other words, the storage section 10 is arranged on the second side X2 in the width direction, which is the other side of the width direction X (that is, the side opposite to the first side X1 in the width direction of the width direction X) relative to the loading and unloading section 2. In the loading and unloading section 2, articles W are moved in and out. Specifically, articles W that are stored in the article storage rack 1 are moved into the loading and unloading section 2 from the loading line, etc., and articles W that are taken out of the article storage rack 1 are moved out from the loading and unloading section 2 to the unloading line, etc. In addition, the moving in and out of articles W in the loading and unloading section 2 can also be performed by a transport vehicle or an operator, etc.

[0038] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown in FIG, in the present embodiment, a first conveyor 41 and a second conveyor 42 are provided in the loading and unloading section 2. In other words, the loading and unloading section 2 is provided on the conveying path of the articles W using the first conveyor 41 or on the conveying path of the articles W using the second conveyor 42. The first conveyor 41 is an loading conveyor for loading articles W into the article storage rack 1, and conveys the articles W toward the second side X2 in the width direction in the loading and unloading section 2. The second conveyor 42 is an unloading conveyor for unloading articles W from the article storage rack 1, and conveys the articles W toward the first side X1 in the width direction in the loading and unloading section 2. The first conveyor 41 is, for example, a conveyor constituting an loading line, and the second conveyor 42 is, for example, a conveyor constituting an unloading line. As the first conveyor 41 and the second conveyor 42, for example, roller conveyors or belt conveyors can be used. Furthermore, the first conveyor 41 or the second conveyor 42 can also be configured to be used as either a storage conveyor or a removal conveyor according to the current state of the article storage facility 100 .

[0039] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown in FIG, a relay unit 3 is disposed between the loading and unloading unit 2 and the storage unit 10 in the width direction X. Specifically, the relay unit 3 is disposed adjacent to the storage unit 10 on the first side X1 in the width direction. Articles W stored in the storage rack 1 are conveyed from the loading and unloading unit 2 to the storage unit 10 via the relay unit 3. Articles W unloaded from the storage rack 1 are conveyed from the storage unit 10 to the loading and unloading unit 2 via the relay unit 3.

[0040] In this embodiment, a third conveyor 43 and a fourth conveyor 44 are provided in the relay section 3. In other words, the relay section 3 is provided on the conveyance path of the articles W using the third conveyor 43 or the conveyance path of the articles W using the fourth conveyor 44. The third conveyor 43 is a loading conveyor for loading articles W into the article storage rack 1, and conveys the articles W toward the second side X2 in the width direction through the relay section 3. The fourth conveyor 44 is a retrieval conveyor for unloading articles W from the article storage rack 1, and conveys the articles W toward the first side X1 in the width direction through the relay section 3. The third conveyor 43 and the fourth conveyor 44 can be, for example, roller conveyors or belt conveyors. Furthermore, the third conveyor 43 or the fourth conveyor 44 can be configured to function as either a loading conveyor or a retrieval conveyor, depending on the current state of the article storage facility 100.

[0041] As described above, in this embodiment, a pair of article storage racks 1 are arranged so as to face each other in the depth direction Y, sandwiching the travel path of the conveying device 5. Furthermore, the third conveyor 43 is arranged parallel to the storage section 10 of one article storage rack 1 on the first widthwise side X1 thereof, and the fourth conveyor 44 is arranged parallel to the storage section 10 of the other article storage rack 1 on the first widthwise side X1 thereof. Furthermore, the first conveyor 41 is arranged parallel to the third conveyor 43 on the first widthwise side X1 thereof, and the second conveyor 42 is arranged parallel to the fourth conveyor 44 on the first widthwise side X1 thereof.

[0042] like Figure 1 As shown in FIG, in the present embodiment, the relay section 3 is provided at each of the heights (positions in the up-down direction Z) at which the storage section 10 is arranged. Specifically, a third conveyor 43 and a fourth conveyor 44 are provided at each of the heights at which the storage section 10 is arranged. Furthermore, a first lifting device 45 and a second lifting device 46 are provided between the loading and unloading section 2 and the relay section 3 in the width direction X. The first lifting device 45 is configured so as to be sandwiched by the first conveyor 41 and the third conveyor 43 from both sides in the width direction X, and the second lifting device 46 is configured so as to be sandwiched by the second conveyor 42 and the fourth conveyor 44 from both sides in the width direction X. The first lifting device 45 and the second lifting device 46 are configured so as to be able to be lifted and lowered (i.e., so as to be able to move in the up-down direction Z). When the first lift 45 is raised to a height corresponding to the first conveyor 41, the article W is conveyed between the first lift 45 and the first conveyor 41. When the first lift 45 is raised to a height corresponding to any one of the third conveyors 43, the article W is conveyed between the first lift 45 and the third conveyor 43. Furthermore, when the second lift 46 is raised to a height corresponding to the second conveyor 42, the article W is conveyed between the second lift 46 and the second conveyor 42. When the second lift 46 is raised to a height corresponding to any one of the fourth conveyors 44, the article W is conveyed between the second lift 46 and the fourth conveyor 44.

[0043] The relay device 4 is a device that transports articles W between the storage and unloading section 2 and the relay section 3. The relay device 4 transports articles W stored in the item storage racks 1 from the storage and unloading section 2 to the relay section 3, and transports articles W unloaded from the item storage racks 1 from the relay section 3 to the storage and unloading section 2. In this embodiment, the relay device 4 includes a first conveyor 41, a second conveyor 42, a third conveyor 43, a fourth conveyor 44, a first lift 45, and a second lift 46. Articles W stored in the item storage racks 1 are sequentially transported by the first conveyor 41, the first lift 45, and the third conveyor 43, thereby being transported from the storage and unloading section 2 to the relay section 3. Furthermore, articles W unloaded from the item storage racks 1 are sequentially transported by the fourth conveyor 44, the second lift 46, and the second conveyor 42, thereby being transported from the relay section 3 to the storage and unloading section 2.

[0044] Thus, in this embodiment, the relay device 4 is configured as follows: the device group including the first conveyor 41 and the third conveyor 43 (in this example, the device group also includes the first lifting device 45) is used to convey the articles W from the storage and outgoing section 2 to the relay section 3, and the device group including the second conveyor 42 and the fourth conveyor 44 (in this example, the device group also includes the second lifting device 46) is used to convey the articles W from the relay section 3 to the storage and outgoing section 2. In addition, the relay device 4 can also use a single device group for both conveying the articles W from the storage and outgoing section 2 to the relay section 3 and conveying the articles W from the relay section 3 to the storage and outgoing section 2. In this case, the relay device 4 can also be configured to include only one of the two device groups.

[0045] The conveying device 5 is a device that travels along the width direction X on the front side Y1 relative to the storage section 10 and transports the article W between the storage section 10 and the relay section 3 (in this embodiment, the third conveyor 43 and the fourth conveyor 44). That is, the conveying device 5 performs a travel action R along the width direction X and a transfer action T of the article W relative to the storage section 10 or the relay section 3. The conveying device 5 transports the article W stored in the article storage rack 1 from the relay section 3 (in this embodiment, the third conveyor 43) to the storage section 10, and transports the article W taken out of the article storage rack 1 from the storage section 10 to the relay section 3 (in this embodiment, the fourth conveyor 44). As Figure 1 As shown in FIG, in this embodiment, the travel path of the conveying device 5 is formed to correspond to each layer of the article storage rack 1 and to be equal to the number of layers of the article storage rack 1 (in other words, the number of storage sections 10 arranged side by side in the vertical direction Z). Specifically, Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown in FIG, the travel path of the conveying device 5 is formed by a pair of rails 51 arranged at the same position in the vertical direction Z and facing each other in the depth direction Y. The conveying device 5 is arranged on the travel path of each layer and conveys the articles W between the storage section 10 and the relay section 3 on the same layer (in other words, between the storage section 10 and the relay section 3 arranged at the same position in the vertical direction Z). Figure 1 In FIG, only the conveying device 5 arranged at the uppermost side Z1 (upper side in the vertical direction Z) is shown.

[0046] like Figure 2 As shown in FIG, the conveying device 5 includes a plurality of transfer machines 60 arranged side by side in the width direction X, each capable of transferring articles W relative to the storage section 10 and the relay section 3. The conveying device 5 uses the transfer machines 60 to perform the transfer operation T of the article W. The conveying device 5 includes a traveling section 50 that travels in the width direction X, and the transfer machines 60 are supported by the traveling section 50. As described above, in this embodiment, a pair of article storage racks 1 are provided so as to be opposed to each other in the depth direction Y with the traveling path of the conveying device 5 sandwiched therebetween, and the conveying device 5 is configured so as to be able to transfer articles W to the storage section 10 of either of the pair of article storage racks 1 using the transfer machines 60.

[0047] Here, one of the plurality of transfer machines 60 is referred to as the first transfer machine 61, and the other is referred to as the second transfer machine 62. In the present embodiment, the first transfer machine 61 is arranged on the first side X1 in the width direction relative to the second transfer machine 62. Specifically, the first transfer machine 61 is the transfer machine 60 that is adjacent to the second transfer machine 62 on the first side X1 in the width direction. In the present embodiment, the number of transfer machines 60 provided in the conveying device 5 is two. That is, the conveying device 5 includes two transfer machines 60, namely the first transfer machine 61 and the second transfer machine 62. Thus, in the present embodiment, the number of articles W that can be stored side by side in the storage section 10 along the depth direction Y and the number of transfer machines 60 provided in the conveying device 5 are equal to each other (specifically, two).

[0048] The transfer machine 60 is constructed so as to transfer the article W by moving it along the depth direction Y. Specifically, the transfer machine 60 transfers the article W from the transfer target portion such as the storage portion 10 or the relay portion 3 to the conveying device 5 by moving the article W toward the front side Y1, and transfers the article W from the conveying device 5 to the transfer target portion by moving the article W toward the back side Y2. The article W transferred from the transfer target portion to the conveying device 5 is supported by the support portion of the conveying device 5 (the support portion of the transfer machine 60 or the support portion of the travel portion 50, etc.), and is thus held by the conveying device 5. Figure 2, the following situation is shown: the first transfer machine 61 performs a transfer operation T for transferring an article W between the first storage position P1 of the storage section 10 and the conveying device 5, and the second transfer machine 62 performs a transfer operation T for transferring an article W between the second storage position P2 of the storage section 10 and the conveying device 5. Thus, the transfer machines 60 are configured to be able to transfer articles W to any storage position P of the storage section 10 (in this embodiment, to both the first storage position P1 and the second storage position P2). Furthermore, the first transfer machine 61 and the second transfer machine 62 are provided on the conveying device 5 so that two articles W aligned in the width direction X of the storage section 10 or the relay section 3 (here, two articles W aligned in the width direction X without another article W interposed therebetween) can be transferred simultaneously or in parallel between the transfer target location and the conveying device 5.

[0049] like Figure 2 As shown in FIG, in the present embodiment, the transfer machine 60 is constructed as follows: by utilizing an advance and retreat mechanism 65 (sliding mechanism, etc.) to move the abutting portion 66 that abuts against the article W forward and backward along the depth direction Y (advance movement toward the back side Y2 and retreat movement toward the front side Y1), the article W is moved along the depth direction Y. Specifically, the transfer machine 60 moves the abutting portion 66 toward the back side Y2, thereby pushing the article W toward the back side Y2 by the abutting portion 66, and transferring the article W from the conveying device 5 to the transfer target portion. In addition, the transfer machine 60 moves the abutting portion 66 backward toward the front side Y1, thereby pulling the article W toward the front side Y1 by the abutting portion 66, and transferring the article W from the transfer target portion to the conveying device 5. Figure 2 For simplicity, the abutment portion 66 used to push the article W toward the rear side Y2 is omitted from the illustration. Furthermore, the configuration of the transfer machine 60 is not limited thereto. For example, the transfer machine 60 may also be a fork-type transfer machine that moves a support member supporting the article W from the lower side Z2 forward and backward in the depth direction Y, or a clamp-type transfer machine that moves a clamping member holding the article W forward and backward in the depth direction Y.

[0050] The control device 9 is a device that controls the operation of the conveying device 5. The control device 9 includes an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU, and includes peripheral circuits such as a memory, and the various functions of the control device 9 are realized through the cooperation of these hardware and the program executed on the hardware such as the arithmetic processing device. The control device 9 controls the operation of the conveying device 5 by controlling the drive of various motors, for example, based on the detection information of various sensors. The control device 9 controls the operation of the traveling portion 50 to perform the traveling action R, and controls the operation of the transfer machine 60 (in this embodiment, the operation of the first transfer machine 61 and the operation of the second transfer machine 62) to perform the transfer action T. The technical features of the control device 9 disclosed in this specification can also be applied to the control method of the conveying device 5, and the control method of the conveying device 5 is also disclosed in this specification. In this control method, it is included to perform Figure 4 The process of each treatment (each step) shown in .

[0051] In the present embodiment, the control device 9 performs, based on instructions from a higher-level control device, outbound control for removing an article W from the article storage rack 1 or inbound control for loading an article W into the article storage rack 1. When performing outbound control, the control device 9 causes the conveying device 5 to sequentially execute a travel action R to a position corresponding to the storage location of the article W in the storage section 10 (specifically, a position where the transfer machine 60 faces the article W in the depth direction Y), a transfer action T to transfer the article W from the storage section 10 to the conveying device 5 using the transfer machine 60, a travel action R to a position corresponding to the relay section 3 while holding the article W (specifically, a position where the transfer machine 60 faces the article W in the transfer location of the relay section 3 in the depth direction Y), and a transfer action T to transfer the article W from the conveying device 5 to the relay section 3 using the transfer machine 60.

[0052] When performing warehousing control, the control device 9 causes the conveying device 5 to sequentially execute the driving action R of driving to the position corresponding to the relay section 3 (specifically, the position where the transfer machine 60 and the article W arranged in the relay section 3 are opposite in the depth direction Y), the transfer action T of using the transfer machine 60 to transfer the article W from the relay section 3 to the conveying device 5, the driving action R of driving to the position corresponding to the storage section 10 while holding the article W (specifically, the position where the transfer machine 60 and the article W are opposite in the storage place of the storage section 10 along the depth direction Y), and the transfer action T of using the transfer machine 60 to transfer the article W from the conveying device 5 to the storage section 10.

[0053] like Figure 2As shown in FIG, a portion of the first widthwise side X1 of the storage section 10 is designated as the temporary placement area 11, and a portion of the storage section 10 on the opposite side of the widthwise side X1 (i.e., the second widthwise side X2) of the storage section 10 relative to the temporary placement area 11 is designated as the storage area 12. In other words, the control device 9 manages the storage section 10 by dividing it into the temporary placement area 11 and the storage area 12. Furthermore, the control device 9 is configured such that, when performing storage control, the storage target article W (specifically, the article W transferred to the relay section 3 by the relay device 4) is transferred to the storage area 12. The temporary placement area 11 is configured to be smaller in size in the widthwise direction X than the storage area 12. In this embodiment, the size of the temporary placement area 11 in the widthwise direction X is set to a size corresponding to the size of the article W in the widthwise direction X (i.e., a size that does not allow multiple articles W to be arranged side by side in the widthwise direction X). Different from such a configuration, the size of the temporary placement area 11 in the width direction X may be set to a size that allows a plurality of articles W (for example, two articles W) to be arranged side by side in the width direction X.

[0054] In the following, an article W to be taken out from the article storage rack 1 is referred to as a first article W1 , and an article W not to be taken out from the article storage rack 1 is referred to as a second article W2 . Figures 5 to 8 An example of a scenario in which the control device 9 performs unloading control for unloading two first articles W1 from the article storage rack 1 and then performs loading control for loading two articles W into the article storage rack 1 is shown in time series. Figure 6 Shown in Figure 5 The situation in the future, Figure 7 Shown in Figure 6 The situation in the future, Figure 8 Shown in Figure 7 The situation at a later time.

[0055] like Figure 5 As shown in FIG, after the conveying device 5 performs a travel action R to a position corresponding to the storage location of the two first articles W1 in the storage area 12, the first transfer machine 61 and the second transfer machine 62 are used to transfer the two first articles W1 from the storage area 12 to the conveying device 5. Figure 5 In the example shown in FIG, at this moment, the relay device 4 performs the carrying-in operation E of carrying two articles W to be carried in to the relay unit 3. Then, as shown in FIG. Figure 6As shown in the figure, after the conveying device 5 performs a traveling action R of traveling to a position corresponding to the relay section 3 while holding the two first articles W1, it performs a transferring action T of transferring the two first articles W1 from the conveying device 5 to the relay section 3 using the first transfer machine 61 and the second transfer machine 62.

[0056] like Figure 7 As shown in FIG, the conveying device 5 performs a transfer operation T in which two articles W arranged in the relay section 3 are transferred from the relay section 3 to the conveying device 5 using the first transfer machine 61 and the second transfer machine 62. Figure 7 In the example shown in FIG, at this moment, the relay device 4 performs the unloading operation L of unloading the two first articles W1 from the relay unit 3. Then, as shown in FIG. Figure 8 As shown in FIG, after the conveying device 5 performs a travel action R in which it moves to a position corresponding to the storage area 12 while holding two articles W, it performs a transfer action T in which the first transfer machine 61 and the second transfer machine 62 are used to transfer the two articles W from the conveying device 5 to the storage area 12. Figure 8 In the example shown in FIG, at this point in time, the relay device 4 performs the carrying-in operation E of carrying two articles W to be carried in to the relay unit 3 .

[0057] However, a first article W1, an item W to be shipped, may be arranged side by side in the storage area 12 with a second article W2, an item W not to be shipped, on the rear side Y2 (specifically, side by side on the rear side Y2 without interposing other articles W). In this embodiment, when the first article W1 is stored in the second storage position P2 and the second article W2 is stored in the first storage position P1 at the same position in the width direction X, the first article W1 is arranged side by side with the second article W2 on the rear side Y2. The control device 9 is configured to switch the control mode of the conveyor device 5 to the specific transfer mode when the first article W1 is arranged side by side with the second article W2 on the rear side Y2 in the storage area 12.

[0058] The specific transfer mode is a mode in which the conveying device 5 sequentially performs the first transfer action T1, the specific travel action R0, and the second transfer action T2. ​​In this embodiment, the specific travel action R0 corresponds to the "travel action." In addition, performing multiple target actions (here, the three actions mentioned above) in sequence means that even if an action other than these multiple target actions is performed midway (for example, the travel action R required to perform the next target action), the order in which these multiple target actions are performed is a predetermined order (here, the order of the first transfer action T1, the specific travel action R0, and the second transfer action T2). In addition, the travel action R of the conveying device 5 is performed at any time according to needs.

[0059] The first transfer action T1 is an action of using the first transfer machine 61 to transfer the first article W1 from the storage area 12 to the conveying device 5 after using the second transfer machine 62 to transfer the second article W2 from the storage area 12 to the conveying device 5. The specific driving action R0 is an action of driving to the boundary corresponding position B while maintaining the first article W1 and the second article W2. Here, the boundary corresponding position B is a position corresponding to the boundary between the relay part 3 and the temporary placement area 11. In other words, the boundary corresponding position B is a position determined based on the boundary between the relay part 3 and the temporary placement area 11, and will be referred to later. Figures 9 to 12 In the example of specific transfer control described above, Figure 11 The position of the conveying device 5 in the boundary corresponds to the position B, which will be referred to later. Figures 13 to 16 In another example of specific transfer control, Figure 14 The position of the conveying device 5 in is the boundary corresponding position B. The second transfer operation T2 is an operation of transferring the first article W1 from the conveying device 5 to the relay unit 3 using the first transfer machine 61 and transferring the second article W2 from the conveying device 5 to the temporary storage area 11 using the second transfer machine 62 .

[0060] When the control mode of the conveying device 5 is switched to the specific transfer mode, the control device 9 performs specific transfer control to operate the conveying device 5 based on the specific transfer mode. That is, the control method for controlling the article storage facility 100 includes a mode switching step of switching the control mode of the conveying device 5 to the specific transfer mode and a specific transfer control step (a step of executing the specific transfer control) to operate the conveying device 5 based on the specific transfer mode. Figure 4 As shown in FIG, in the specific transfer control, the operation of the conveying device 5 is controlled to sequentially execute the first transfer action T1 (step #10), the specific travel action R0 as the travel action (step #11), and the second transfer action T2 (step #12).

[0061] Figures 9 to 12 An example of a scene in which the control device 9 performs specific transfer control is shown in time series. Figure 10 Shown in Figure 9 The situation in the future, Figure 11 Shown in Figure 10 The situation in the future, Figure 12 Shown in Figure 11 The situation at a later time.

[0062] like Figure 9As shown in FIG, the conveying device 5 performs the travel action R to the position corresponding to the storage location of the first article W1 and the second article W2 in the storage area 12 (specifically, the position where the second transfer machine 62 and the second article W2 are opposite in the depth direction Y), and then performs the first transfer action T1. In this example, at this moment, the relay device 4 performs the loading action E to load the third article W3 and the fourth article W4, which are the two articles W to be loaded, into the relay unit 3. In the first transfer action T1, after the second article W2 is transferred from the storage area 12 to the conveying device 5 using the second transfer machine 62 (refer to FIG. Figure 9 ), the first transfer machine 61 is moved while holding the second article W2 until the first transfer machine 61 and the first article W1 are opposite to each other in the depth direction Y (here, the movement R is moved toward the second side X2 in the width direction), and the first transfer machine 61 is used to transfer the first article W1 from the storage area 12 to the conveying device 5 (refer to Figure 10 Thus, in the first transfer operation T1, between the transfer operation T for transferring the second article W2 from the storage area 12 to the conveying device 5 using the second transfer machine 62 and the transfer operation T for transferring the first article W1 from the storage area 12 to the conveying device 5 using the first transfer machine 61, a travel operation R for traveling while holding the second article W2 is performed.

[0063] like Figure 11 As shown in , the conveying device 5 performs a specific travel action R0. The boundary corresponding position B in the specific travel action R0 is a position where the first transfer machine 61 and the first article W1 are opposite to each other in the depth direction Y at the transfer place of the relay section 3, a position where the second transfer machine 62 and the second article W2 are opposite to each other in the depth direction Y at the transfer place of the temporary placement area 11, or a position where the first transfer machine 61 and the first article W1 are opposite to each other in the depth direction Y at the transfer place of the relay section 3 and the second transfer machine 62 and the second article W2 are opposite to each other in the depth direction Y at the transfer place of the temporary placement area 11. In this example, as Figure 11 As shown in , the boundary corresponding position B in the specific driving action R0 is a position where the first transfer machine 61 and the first article W1 are opposite to each other in the depth direction Y at the transfer place of the relay section 3, and the second transfer machine 62 and the second article W2 are opposite to each other in the depth direction Y at the transfer place of the temporary placement area 11.

[0064] like Figure 11 As shown in FIG, the conveying device 5 performs the second transfer operation T2 after performing the specific travel operation R0. Figure 11In the example shown in FIG, in the second transfer operation T2, the transfer operation T of the second article W2 from the conveying device 5 to the temporary storage area 11 using the second transfer machine 62 is performed in parallel with the transfer operation T of the first article W1 from the conveying device 5 to the relay unit 3 using the first transfer machine 61. In addition, performing two operations in parallel means performing the two operations in such a way that at least a portion of the period of one operation and the period of the other operation overlap. Figure 12 As shown in FIG, the relay device 4 performs a carry-out operation L for carrying the first article W1 transferred from the conveying device 5 to the relay section 3 out of the relay section 3. Furthermore, the transfer location of the second article W2 in the second transfer operation T2 may be either the first storage position P1 or the second storage position P2 in the temporary storage area 11. However, if the article W is not arranged at the first storage position P1 aligned with the second storage position P2 on the front side Y1, the second storage position P2 is selected as the transfer location for the second article W2.

[0065] In this example, if Figure 12 As shown in FIG, after the conveying device 5 performs the second transfer operation T2, it performs a travel operation R (in Figure 12 The driving action R shown by the solid arrow in FIG). Figure 12 In the example shown in FIG, the third article W3 is positioned on the first widthwise side X1 relative to the fourth article W4. The position corresponding to the relay section 3 in the aforementioned travel motion R is such that the first transfer machine 61 faces the third article W3 positioned on the relay section 3 in the depth direction Y, and the second transfer machine 62 faces the fourth article W4 positioned on the relay section 3 in the depth direction Y. The conveying device 5 then performs the third transfer motion T3. The third transfer motion T3 involves transferring the third article W3 from the relay section 3 to the conveying device 5 using the first transfer machine 61 and transferring the fourth article W4 from the relay section 3 to the conveying device 5 using the second transfer machine 62. Here, in the third transfer operation T3 , the fourth article W4 is transferred from the relay unit 3 to the conveying device 5 using the second transfer machine 62 in parallel with the transfer operation T of the third article W3 from the relay unit 3 to the conveying device 5 using the first transfer machine 61 .

[0066] like Figure 12 As shown in FIG, after the conveying device 5 performs the third transfer operation T3, it performs the travel operation R (in the state of holding the third article W3 and the fourth article W4) to the position corresponding to the storage area 12. Figure 12The position corresponding to the storage area 12 in this travel motion R is a position where the first transferer 61 and the third article W3 are opposite each other in the depth direction Y of the storage area 12, a position where the second transferer 62 and the fourth article W4 are opposite each other in the depth direction Y of the storage area 12, or a position where the first transferer 61 and the third article W3 are opposite each other in the depth direction Y of the storage area 12, and the second transferer 62 and the fourth article W4 are opposite each other in the depth direction Y of the storage area 12. Although omitted from the illustration, after the conveying device 5 performs the above-mentioned traveling action R, it performs a transfer action T using the first transfer machine 61 to transfer the third article W3 from the conveying device 5 to the storage area 12 or a transfer action T using the second transfer machine 62 to transfer the fourth article W4 from the conveying device 5 to the storage area 12.

[0067] Here, if Figure 2 As shown in FIG, the distance in the width direction X between the first transferer 61 and the second transferer 62 (specifically, the distance in the width direction X between the center of the first transferer 61 and the center of the second transferer 62) is referred to as the first distance D1. Furthermore, the distance in the width direction X between the transfer location of an article W (specifically, the first article W1) in the relay unit 3 and the transfer location of an article W (specifically, the second article W2) in the temporary storage area 11 (specifically, the distance in the width direction X between the center of the first transfer location and the center of the second transfer location) is referred to as the second distance D2. In addition, the interval in the width direction X between two articles W (here, two articles W that are arranged side by side in the width direction X without other articles W being sandwiched between them) in the storage area 12 (specifically, the distance in the width direction X between the center of one article W in the width direction X and the center of the other article W in the width direction X) is taken as the third interval D3.

[0068] As mentioned above, in Figures 9 to 12In the example of specific transfer control shown in , the boundary-corresponding position B is the position where the first transfer machine 61 and the first article W1 are opposite each other in the depth direction Y at the transfer location of the relay section 3, and the second transfer machine 62 and the second article W2 are opposite each other in the depth direction Y at the transfer location of the temporary storage area 11. That is, the position of the conveying device 5 for transferring the first article W1 to the relay section 3 (in other words, the position of the conveying device 5 capable of transferring the first article W1 to the relay section 3) and the position of the conveying device 5 for transferring the second article W2 to the temporary storage area 11 (in other words, the position of the conveying device 5 capable of transferring the second article W2 to the temporary storage area 11) are both the boundary-corresponding position B. Hereinafter, the position of the conveying device 5 for transferring the first article W1 to the relay section 3 is referred to as the "first position," and the position of the conveying device 5 for transferring the second article W2 to the temporary storage area 11 is referred to as the "second position."

[0069] For example, in a configuration where the first interval D1 is fixed, by setting the first interval D1 and the second interval D2 so as to correspond to each other, the first position and the second position can be made a common position (boundary corresponding position B) as described above. Here, setting the first interval D1 and the second interval D2 so as to correspond to each other is a concept that includes both the case where the first interval D1 and the second interval D2 are equal and the case where the first interval D1 and the second interval D2 are different within a range that allows the first position and the second position to be made a common position. Thus, in a configuration where the first interval D1 is fixed, in the case where the first interval D1 is an interval corresponding to the third interval D3, as Figure 5 and Figure 8 , it is possible to transfer articles W between the conveying device 5 and the storage area 12 using the second transferer 62 in parallel with transferring articles W between the conveying device 5 and the storage area 12 using the first transferer 61. That is, two articles W can be transferred simultaneously or in parallel to the storage area 12 using the first transferer 61 and the second transferer 62. Here, the concept that the first interval D1 corresponds to the third interval D3 includes both the case where the first interval D1 and the third interval D3 are equal, and the case where the first interval D1 and the third interval D3 are different within the range where the two articles W can be transferred simultaneously or in parallel to the storage area 12 as described above.

[0070] In addition, for example, the first interval D1 is configured in a changeable manner as a configuration including an interval corresponding to the second interval D2 within its changeable range, thereby enabling the first position and the second position to be a common position (boundary corresponding position B) as described above. In this case, the control device 9 controls the first interval D1 when performing the second transfer action T2 so that the first interval D1 becomes an interval corresponding to the second interval D2. Here, the interval corresponding to the second interval D2 is a concept that includes both an interval equal to the second interval D2 and an interval different from the second interval D2 within a range that enables the first position and the second position to be a common position. For example, one or both of the first transfer machine 61 and the second transfer machine 62 is configured to be supported by the traveling portion 50 in a manner that allows movement along the width direction X, thereby enabling the first interval D1 to be changed. In this way, in the configuration including the interval corresponding to the second interval D2 within the changeable range of the first interval D1, further as a configuration including the interval corresponding to the third interval D3 within the changeable range of the first interval D1, thereby enabling the first interval D1 to be changed. Figure 5 and Figure 8 As shown in the example shown in FIG, two articles W can be transferred simultaneously or in parallel to the storage area 12 using the first transferer 61 and the second transferer 62. In this case, when the first transferer 61 and the second transferer 62 are used to transfer the two articles W simultaneously or in parallel to the storage area 12, the control device 9 controls the first distance D1 so that the first distance D1 corresponds to the third distance D3. Here, the term "the distance corresponding to the third distance D3" encompasses both a distance equal to the third distance D3 and a distance different from the third distance D3 within the range in which the two articles W can be transferred simultaneously or in parallel to the storage area 12 as described above.

[0071] In addition, when the first position and the second position cannot be made the same position (boundary corresponding position B), the same as the example of specific transfer control described later (see Figure 14 and Figure 15 ), in the second transfer operation T2, the travel operation R is performed during the period from the transfer operation T of the first article W1 from the conveying device 5 to the relay unit 3 using the first transfer machine 61 and the transfer operation T of the second article W2 from the conveying device 5 to the temporary storage area 11 using the second transfer machine 62 until the other transfer operation T is performed. Figure 15 ).

[0072] However, in this embodiment, the control device 9 is configured such that, when the first article W1 is arranged side by side with the second article W2 on the back side Y2 in the storage area 12, the control mode of the conveying device 5 is switched to the specific transfer mode, provided that a transfer space for the second article W2 can be secured in the temporary storage area 11. Furthermore, the control device 9 is configured such that, when a transfer space for the second article W2 cannot be secured in the temporary storage area 11, the control mode of the conveying device 5 is switched to a mode other than the specific transfer mode. A mode other than the specific transfer mode is, for example, a mode in which the conveying device 5 is controlled so that, after transferring the second article W2 to a vacant space in the storage area 12, the conveying device 5, while holding the first article W1, moves to a position corresponding to the relay unit 3 and transfers the first article W1 to the relay unit 3.

[0073] [Other Implementation Methods]

[0074] Next, other embodiments of the article storage facility will be described.

[0075] (1) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the configuration in which the first transfer machine 61 is arranged on the first side X1 in the width direction relative to the second transfer machine 62 is described as an example. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration, and the first transfer machine 61 can also be arranged on the second side X2 in the width direction relative to the second transfer machine 62. In this case, in the second transfer action T2, the conveying device 5 performs the traveling action R during the period from the transfer action T of the first article W1 from the conveying device 5 to the relay section 3 using the first transfer machine 61 to the transfer action T of the second article W2 from the conveying device 5 to the temporary storage area 11 using the second transfer machine 62 until the other transfer action T is performed.

[0076] Figures 13 to 16 An example of a scenario in which the control device 9 executes the specific transfer control when the first transfer machine 61 is arranged on the second side X2 in the width direction with respect to the second transfer machine 62 is shown in time series. Figure 14 Shown in Figure 13 The situation in the future, Figure 15 Shown in Figure 14 The situation in the future, Figure 16 Shown in Figure 15 The situation at a later time.

[0077] The first transfer action T1 when the first transfer machine 61 is arranged on the second side X2 in the width direction relative to the second transfer machine 62 is the same action as the above-mentioned embodiment except for the following points: the driving action R while maintaining the second article W2 between the transfer action T of using the second transfer machine 62 to transfer the second article W2 from the storage area 12 to the conveying device 5 and the transfer action T of using the first transfer machine 61 to transfer the first article W1 from the storage area 12 to the conveying device 5 is not the driving action R toward the second side X2 in the width direction, but is the driving action R toward the first side X1 in the width direction. Figure 13 and Figure 10 Similarly, the situation at the time when the first transfer operation T1 is completed is shown. Figure 13 In the example shown in FIG, the transfer operation E of the third article W3 and the fourth article W4 into the relay unit 3 by the relay device 4 is performed in parallel with the first transfer operation T1.

[0078] like Figure 14 As shown in FIG, the transport device 5 performs a specific travel action R0. In this example, the boundary corresponding position B in the specific travel action R0 is a position where the second transfer machine 62 and the second article W2 are opposite to each other in the transfer location of the temporary storage area 11 along the depth direction Y. Therefore, in the second transfer action T2, the transport device 5 transfers the second article W2 from the transport device 5 to the temporary storage area 11 using the second transfer machine 62 (see FIG. Figure 14 ), the first transfer machine 61 is moved while holding the first article W1 until the first transfer machine 61 and the first article W1 are positioned opposite to each other in the depth direction Y at the transfer location of the relay section 3, and the first transfer machine 61 is used to transfer the first article W1 from the conveying device 5 to the relay section 3 (refer to Figure 15 ).like Figure 16 As shown in FIG, the relay device 4 performs a carry-out operation L for carrying out the first article W1 transferred from the conveying device 5 to the relay unit 3 from the relay unit 3 .

[0079] like Figure 16 As shown in FIG, after performing the second transfer operation T2, the conveying device 5 performs the third transfer operation T3. In this example, the third transfer operation T3 is an operation in which the first transfer machine 61 is used to transfer the fourth article W4 from the relay section 3 to the conveying device 5, and the second transfer machine 62 is used to transfer the third article W3 from the relay section 3 to the conveying device 5. In this case, in the third transfer operation T3, the transfer operation T of the third article W3 from the relay section 3 to the conveying device 5 using the second transfer machine 62 is performed in parallel with the transfer operation T of the fourth article W4 from the relay section 3 to the conveying device 5 using the first transfer machine 61.

[0080] like Figure 16As shown in FIG, after the conveying device 5 performs the third transfer operation T3, it performs the travel operation R (in the state of holding the third article W3 and the fourth article W4) to the position corresponding to the storage area 12. Figure 16 The position corresponding to the storage area 12 in this travel motion R is a position where the first transferer 61 and the fourth article W4 are opposite each other in the depth direction Y of the storage area 12, a position where the second transferer 62 and the third article W3 are opposite each other in the depth direction Y of the storage area 12, or a position where the first transferer 61 and the fourth article W4 are opposite each other in the depth direction Y of the storage area 12, and the second transferer 62 and the third article W3 are opposite each other in the depth direction Y of the storage area 12. Although omitted from the illustration, after the conveying device 5 performs the above-mentioned traveling action R, it performs a transfer action T using the first transfer machine 61 to transfer the fourth article W4 from the conveying device 5 to the storage area 12 or a transfer action T using the second transfer machine 62 to transfer the third article W3 from the conveying device 5 to the storage area 12.

[0081] (2) In the above embodiment, the conveying device 5 is described as an example of a conveying device that travels along a travel path provided corresponding to each layer of the article storage rack 1. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration, and the conveying device 5 may be a conveying device of another configuration, such as a stacker crane.

[0082] exist Figure 17 In FIG. 1 , an example is shown in which the transport device 5 is a stacker crane. Figure 17 In the example shown in , a track 51 forming a travel path of the conveying device 5 is provided on the floor portion. Furthermore, the conveying device 5 includes: a travel portion 50, which is guided by the track 51 and travels in the width direction X; and a lifting body 53, which is guided by a column 52 erected on the travel portion 50 and raised and lowered. The transfer machine 60 is supported by the lifting body 53, and transfers the article W between the conveying device 5 and the storage portion 10 when the lifting body 53 is raised and lowered to a height corresponding to the storage portion 10 of the transfer object. In addition, when the lifting body 53 is raised and lowered to a height corresponding to the relay portion 3, the transfer machine 60 transfers the article W between the conveying device 5 and the relay portion 3. In addition, in Figure 17 In the example shown in , the relay device 4 does not have the first lifting device 45 or the second lifting device 46. The items W stored in the item storage rack 1 are transported in sequence by the first conveyor 41 and the third conveyor 43, and are thus transported from the storage and outgoing section 2 to the relay section 3. The items W taken out of the item storage rack 1 are transported in sequence by the fourth conveyor 44 and the second conveyor 42, and are thus transported from the relay section 3 to the storage and outgoing section 2.

[0083] (3) In the above-mentioned embodiment, the following configuration is described as an example: the number of articles W that can be stored side by side in the storage section 10 along the depth direction Y and the number of transfer machines 60 provided on the conveying device 5 are both 2. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration, and these numbers may be integers greater than 3 (for example, 3). In addition, unlike the above-mentioned embodiment, the number of articles W that can be stored side by side in the storage section 10 along the depth direction Y and the number of transfer machines 60 provided on the conveying device 5 may be different numbers. In the configuration in which the number of articles W that can be stored side by side in the storage section 10 along the depth direction Y is greater than 3, for example, when the second article W2 is stored in the storage position P on the front side Y1, or when no other article W is stored on the front side Y1 relative to the second article W2, the control device 9 performs the various controls described in the above-mentioned embodiment.

[0084] (4) In addition, as long as no contradiction arises, the configurations disclosed in each of the above-mentioned embodiments can also be combined with the configurations disclosed in other embodiments (including combinations of the embodiments described as other embodiments). With respect to other configurations, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely illustrative in all respects. Therefore, various modifications can be made as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0085] [Overview of the above embodiment]

[0086] Hereinafter, the outline of the article storage facility described above will be described.

[0087] An article storage device comprises: an article storage rack, which has a storage portion that can store multiple articles side by side in a depth direction; a storage-in and storage-out portion, which is arranged on a first side in a width direction as one side of the width direction of the article storage rack relative to the aforementioned storage portion, and carries out the loading and unloading of articles; a relay device, which transports articles between the aforementioned storage-in and storage-out portion and a relay portion arranged between the aforementioned storage-in and storage-out portion and the aforementioned storage portion in the aforementioned width direction; a transport device, which travels in the aforementioned width direction on a front side as one side in the aforementioned depth direction relative to the aforementioned storage portion, and transports articles between the aforementioned storage portion and the aforementioned relay portion and a control device for controlling the operation of the transporting device, wherein the transporting device is provided with a plurality of transfer machines capable of transferring articles relative to the storage portion and the relay portion in a state of being arranged side by side in the width direction, and an area of ​​a portion of the first side in the width direction of the storage portion is used as a temporary placement area, an area of ​​the storage portion opposite to the temporary placement area and the first side in the width direction is used as a storage area, the side opposite to the front side in the depth direction is used as the back side, and the articles to be taken out of the storage rack are used as the first side. The control device is configured to switch the control mode of the transport device to a specific transfer mode when the first item is arranged side by side in the storage area relative to the second item on the back side. The specific transfer mode is a mode in which the transport device performs a first transfer action, a driving action and a second transfer action in sequence. The first transfer action is to use the second transfer machine to transfer the first item to the storage area. After the second article is transferred from the storage area to the conveying device, the first transfer machine is used to transfer the first article from the storage area to the conveying device. The driving action is an action of driving while maintaining the first article and the second article until a position corresponding to the boundary between the relay section and the temporary placement area. The second transferring action is an action of using the first transfer machine to transfer the first article from the conveying device to the relay section and using the second transfer machine to transfer the second article from the conveying device to the temporary placement area.

[0088] According to this configuration, when a first item, which is to be removed from an item storage rack, is arranged side by side in the storage area of ​​the storage section of the item storage rack, behind a second item, which is not to be removed from the item storage rack, the control mode of the conveying device can be switched to a specific transfer mode. In this specific transfer mode, after the second item and the first item are sequentially transferred from the storage section to the conveying device, the conveying device, while still holding the second item in addition to the first item, can be moved to a position corresponding to the boundary between the relay section and the temporary storage area (hereinafter referred to as the "boundary-corresponding position"), whereupon the first item can be transferred from the conveying device to the relay section or the second item can be transferred from the conveying device to the temporary storage area. In this way, in the specific transfer mode, one of the two positions of the conveying device for transferring the first item to the relay section and the conveying device for transferring the second item to the temporary storage area can be set to the boundary-corresponding position, and the other position can be set to the boundary-corresponding position or a position near the boundary-corresponding position. Therefore, compared with the case where the position of the conveying device for transferring the second item that is not an outbound item to the storage section (i.e., for returning it to the storage section) is away from the corresponding position of the boundary, it is easy to make the conveying device move quickly to the position for transferring the first item to the relay section, thereby shortening the time until the first item is moved out to the relay section.

[0089] Furthermore, in this configuration, by moving the items (i.e., items to be stored on the item storage rack) that are moved by the relay device to the relay section into the storage area, it is possible to essentially free up a temporary placement area for temporarily placing the second item in a specific transfer mode. Furthermore, in this configuration, the temporary placement area can be set near the relay section, which is the location where the conveying device travels whenever items are stored in or out of the item storage rack. Therefore, compared to a situation where the second item is temporarily placed in a location away from the relay section (e.g., a storage location that originally stored the second item), it is easier to use the travel motion of the conveying device used to store and retrieve items from the item storage rack to transport the temporarily placed second item to the desired storage location in the storage section. This makes it possible to improve the overall item transport efficiency of the equipment.

[0090] As described above, according to this configuration, when the first item is arranged side by side on the back side of the item storage rack relative to the second item, the overall item conveying efficiency of the equipment can be improved and the time until the first item is conveyed to the relay unit can be shortened.

[0091] Here, preferably, the first transfer machine is arranged on a first side in the width direction with respect to the second transfer machine.

[0092] In this configuration, the widthwise alignment of the first and second articles, while the transport device is holding them, can be aligned with the widthwise alignment of the intermediate section to which the first article is transferred and the temporary storage area to which the second article is transferred. Therefore, compared to a case where the first transfer device is positioned on the opposite side of the width from the first side relative to the second transfer device, the position of the transport device for transferring the first article to the intermediate section and the position of the transport device for transferring the second article to the temporary storage area can be brought closer together, or these two positions can be made to coincide (the aforementioned boundary-corresponding position). Consequently, the time required for the second transfer operation can be shortened.

[0093] In the configuration in which the first transferor is arranged on the first side in the width direction relative to the second transferor as described above, it is appropriate that the distance in the width direction between the first transferor and the second transferor is set corresponding to the distance in the width direction between the transfer location of the first article in the relay section and the transfer location of the second article in the temporary placement area.

[0094] According to this configuration, even when the widthwise distance between the first and second transfer machines is fixed, during the second transfer operation, the second article can be transferred to the temporary storage area simultaneously with the first article being transferred to the relay unit. Therefore, the time required for the second transfer operation can be kept short.

[0095] In addition, in the configuration in which the first transferor is arranged on the first side in the width direction relative to the second transferor as described above, it is appropriate that the interval in the width direction between the first transferor and the second transferor is configured in a changeable manner, and within its changeable range, includes an interval corresponding to the interval in the width direction between the transfer place of the first article in the relay section and the transfer place of the second article in the temporary placement area, and an interval corresponding to the interval in the width direction between two articles arranged side by side along the width direction in the storage area.

[0096] According to this configuration, by changing the widthwise spacing between the first and second transfer machines to correspond to the widthwise spacing between the transfer location of the first item in the relay section and the transfer location of the second item in the temporary storage area, during the second transfer operation, the second item can be transferred to the temporary storage area in parallel with the transfer of the first item to the relay section. Furthermore, by changing the widthwise spacing between the first and second transfer machines to correspond to the widthwise spacing between two items aligned in the storage area, the second transfer machine can be used to transfer items between the transport device and the storage area in parallel with the first transfer machine. This allows for efficient storage and retrieval of items from and to the item storage racks.

[0097] The article storage facility according to the present disclosure only needs to be able to achieve at least one of the above-mentioned effects.

[0098] Explanation of symbols

[0099] 1: Storage rack

[0100] 2: Warehouse and outbound department

[0101] 3: Relay Department

[0102] 4: Relay device

[0103] 5: Transport device

[0104] 9: Control device

[0105] 10: Storage

[0106] 11: Temporary storage area

[0107] 12: Storage area

[0108] 60: Transfer machine

[0109] 61: No. 1 transfer machine

[0110] 62: Second transfer machine

[0111] 100: Storage equipment

[0112] B: Boundary corresponding position (position corresponding to the boundary between the relay unit and the temporary placement area)

[0113] D1: First interval (the interval in the width direction between the first transfer machine and the second transfer machine)

[0114] D2: Second distance (the distance in the width direction between the transfer location of the first article in the relay unit and the transfer location of the second article in the temporary storage area)

[0115] D3: The third interval (the distance in the width direction between two articles arranged side by side in the width direction of the storage area)

[0116] R0: Specific driving action (driving action)

[0117] T1: First transfer action

[0118] T2: Second transfer action

[0119] W: Item

[0120] W1: Item 1

[0121] W2: Item 2

[0122] X: width direction

[0123] X1: 1st side in width direction

[0124] Y: Depth direction

[0125] Y1: front side

[0126] Y2: Back side.

Claims

1. An article storage device comprising: An article storage rack having a storage portion capable of storing a plurality of articles side by side in a depth direction; a loading and unloading section, which is arranged on a first side in the width direction of the article storage rack relative to the storage section and carries out loading and unloading of articles; a relay device for conveying articles between the storage and unloading section and a relay section disposed between the storage and unloading section and the storage section in the width direction; a conveying device that travels in the width direction on a front side, which is one side in the depth direction, relative to the storage section and conveys articles between the storage section and the relay section; and a control device for controlling the operation of the conveying device; The conveying device includes a plurality of transfer machines arranged in parallel in the width direction and capable of transferring articles to the storage section and the relay section. a portion of the first side in the width direction of the storage portion as a temporary placement area, an area of ​​the storage portion on the opposite side of the first side in the width direction relative to the temporary placement area as a storage area, a side opposite to the front side in the depth direction as a back side, an item to be taken out from the item storage rack as a first item, an item not to be taken out from the item storage rack as a second item, one of the plurality of transfer machines as a first transfer machine, and another as a second transfer machine, The control device is configured to switch the control mode of the conveying device to a specific transfer mode when the first article is arranged side by side with the second article on the rear side in the storage area. The specific transfer mode is a mode in which the transport device performs a first transfer operation, a travel operation, and a second transfer operation in sequence. The first transfer operation is an operation of transferring the first article from the storage area to the conveying device using the first transfer machine after transferring the second article from the storage area to the conveying device using the second transfer machine. The traveling operation is an operation of traveling to a position corresponding to a boundary between the relay unit and the temporary placement area while holding the first article and the second article. The second transfer operation is an operation of transferring the first article from the conveying device to the relay unit using the first transfer machine and transferring the second article from the conveying device to the temporary placement area using the second transfer machine.

2. The article storage device according to claim 1, wherein: The first transfer machine is arranged on a first side in the width direction relative to the second transfer machine.

3. The article storage device according to claim 2, wherein: The interval in the width direction between the first transfer machine and the second transfer machine is set according to the interval in the width direction between the transfer location of the first article in the relay unit and the transfer location of the second article in the temporary storage area.

4. The article storage device according to claim 2, wherein: The interval in the width direction between the first transfer machine and the second transfer machine is configured in a changeable manner, and within its changeable range, includes an interval corresponding to a second interval (D2) in the width direction between the transfer location of the first article in the relay section and the transfer location of the second article in the temporary placement area, and an interval corresponding to a third interval (D3) in the width direction between two articles arranged side by side along the width direction in the storage area.

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