Article storage facility

Abstract

In an article storage facility, articles of a single type are held in each of a plurality of article holding bodies stored in each of a first storage container and a second storage container having a lower degree of automation than the first storage container, and the number of first storage parts in the first storage container is equal to or greater than the total number of target types. The object type is the type of the article stored in the first storage cabinet among all types of articles which are objects specified by the order information, and the number of the second storage parts of the second storage cabinet is larger than the number of the first storage parts. A delivery process is executed in which an article holding body holding an ordered type of article is delivered from either the first storage container or the second storage container by a transport device and is transported to a take-out operation unit such that the first storage container is more preferential than the second storage container.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an article storage device for storing articles. Background Art

[0002] An example of such an article storage facility is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-063029 (hereinafter referred to as "Patent Document 1"). In the following description of the background art, the reference numerals in Patent Document 1 are cited in parentheses.

[0003] The article storage equipment of patent document 1 comprises: a storage warehouse (4) which is capable of storing a plurality of article holders (18), each of which is capable of holding a plurality of articles (20); a retrieval operation section (27) which performs the operation of retrieving articles (20) from the article holders (18); and a conveying device (6) which conveys the article holders (18) between the storage warehouse (4) and the retrieval operation section (27). Summary of the invention

[0004] Regarding the article storage equipment of Patent Document 1, a storage warehouse (4) is provided with: a plurality of storage racks (10a-10f); and a plurality of stacking cranes (12a-12c), which are controlled by a control system (8) so as to transfer article holders (18) to the storage racks corresponding to the plurality of stacking cranes (12a-12c). In this way, regarding the article storage equipment, the storage and retrieval operations of the article holders (18) are automated in the storage warehouse (4) as a whole, thereby improving the operation efficiency.

[0005] However, as described above, since the storage warehouse (4) is automated as a whole, it is disadvantageous in that the installation cost of the article storage equipment becomes high. Therefore, it is considered that in a part of the storage warehouse (4), the operator manually performs the storage and unloading operations of the article holder (18), etc., to reduce the degree of automation and seek to reduce the equipment cost. However, with such a structure, the operating efficiency of the article storage equipment is likely to deteriorate.

[0006] Therefore, it is desired to realize an article storage facility that can suppress the installation cost to a low level and improve the operation efficiency.

[0007] In view of the above-mentioned characteristic structure of the article storage equipment, it is as follows: The article storage equipment is an article storage equipment having the following features: A first storage warehouse configured to store a plurality of article holders, each of which can hold a plurality of articles; A second storage warehouse, which is capable of storing a plurality of the aforementioned article holders and has a lower degree of automation than the aforementioned first storage warehouse; a taking-out operation section, which takes the type of the aforementioned article specified by the order information as the order type, and takes the quantity of the aforementioned article of the aforementioned order type specified by the order information as the order quantity, and performs a taking-out operation as an operation of taking out the aforementioned article of the aforementioned order type in the aforementioned order quantity from the aforementioned article holder; a transport device for transporting the article holder between the first storage warehouse and the take-out operation unit and between the second storage warehouse and the take-out operation unit; and a control system that controls the first storage, the second storage, and the transport device based on the order information, Each of the plurality of article holders holds a single type of the article. The first storage room includes a plurality of first storage sections, each of which is configured to store the article holder. The second storage room includes a plurality of second storage sections, each of which is configured to store the article holder. of all the types of the articles designated by the order information, the types of the articles stored in the first storage are the target types; The number of the first storage units is greater than the total number of the object types. The number of the second storage parts is greater than the number of the first storage parts. The control system is configured to execute the following outbound processing upon receiving the order information: the article holder holding the article of the ordered type is outbound from either the first storage or the second storage and transported to the retrieval operation unit through the conveying device, with the first storage giving priority to the second storage.

[0008] According to this characteristic configuration, in the outbound processing, the article holders stored in the first storage are prioritized for outbound processing. Thus, the first storage, which is more automated than the second storage, can be prioritized for operation. Therefore, the operating efficiency of the article storage equipment can be improved. In addition, according to this characteristic configuration, the second storage warehouse, whose object holders are taken out of the warehouse less frequently than the first storage warehouse, has a lower degree of automation, and the number of second storage sections in the second storage warehouse is greater than the number of first storage sections in the first storage warehouse. Thus, the operating efficiency of the object storage equipment can be maintained, and at the same time, the degree of automation of the object storage equipment as a whole can be suppressed to a low level. Therefore, the installation cost of the object storage equipment can be suppressed to a low level. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1This is a diagram showing one floor of a building in which the article storage facility according to the embodiment is installed. Figure 2 This is a diagram showing another floor of a building in which the article storage facility according to the embodiment is installed. Figure 3 This is a control block diagram of the article storage equipment involved in the embodiment. Figure 4 This is a diagram showing an example of the first outgoing warehouse process and the post-work incoming warehouse process. Figure 5 This is a diagram showing an example of the first outgoing warehouse process, the second outgoing warehouse process, the post-work incoming warehouse process, and the empty holder storage process. Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing an example of the first outgoing warehouse process, the second outgoing warehouse process, the post-work incoming warehouse process, and the empty holder storage process. Figure 7 It is a diagram showing an example of new inventory processing. Figure 8 It is a diagram showing an example of new inventory processing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0010] In the following, the article storage facility 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the article storage facility 100 includes a first storage warehouse 1 , a second storage warehouse 2 , a take-out operation unit 3 , and a transport device 4 .

[0011] In the present embodiment, the article storage facility 100 is installed in a building B consisting of multiple floors. In the present embodiment, the first storage 1 is installed in the second floor of the building B. Furthermore, the second storage 2 is installed in the third floor of the building B. That is, in the present embodiment, the first storage 1 and the second storage 2 are installed in different floors in the vertical direction. In addition, in the present embodiment, the take-out operation unit 3 is installed in the second floor of the building B. That is, in the present embodiment, the take-out operation unit 3 is installed on the floor where the first storage 1 is installed.

[0012] Each of the first storage 1 and the second storage 2 can store a plurality of article holders 8 (see Figure 4 etc.)

[0013] like Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the first storage warehouse 1 includes a plurality of automatic warehouses 11. Each of the plurality of automatic warehouses 11 includes: a pair of first storage racks 12 each configured to store a plurality of article holders 8; and a stacker crane 13 that moves along a travel track 13a to transport the article holders 8.

[0014] A pair of first storage racks 12 are arranged to face each other with the travel rail 13a interposed therebetween. Each of the pair of first storage racks 12 includes a plurality of first storage sections 12a. Each of the plurality of first storage sections 12a is configured to store an article holder 8. The plurality of first storage sections 12a are arranged side by side along the travel rail 13a and are arranged side by side in the up-down direction.

[0015] The stacker crane 13 receives the article holder 8 from the storage conveyor 14 and stores the article holder 8 in the predetermined first storage section 12 a. In addition, the stacker crane 13 takes out the article holder 8 from the predetermined first storage section 12 a and places the article holder 8 on the storage conveyor 14.

[0016] The storage / receiving conveyor 14 is configured to be able to convey the article holder 8 between a delivery position for delivering the article holder 8 to the stacker crane 13 and a delivery position for delivering the article holder 8 to the conveyor device 4 .

[0017] like Figure 4 As shown, each of the plurality of article holders 8 is configured to hold a plurality of articles 9. Each of the plurality of article holders 8 holds a single type of article 9. In this embodiment, the article holder 8 is a tray for placing a plurality of articles 9. Figure 4 In the above description, the alphabets recorded on the respective items 9 indicate the types of the items 9. Figure 5 The same goes for etc.

[0018] The article holder 8 can hold a maximum of a predetermined number of articles 9, which is predetermined for each type of article 9. In this example, the article holder 8 can hold a maximum of 9 articles 9 of type "A", a maximum of 12 articles 9 of type "B", and a maximum of 4 articles 9 of type "C". Figure 4 For the sake of convenience, there is no object 9 other than the illustrated object in the paper depth direction. Figure 5 The same goes for etc.

[0019] The take-out operation section 3 performs a take-out operation, which is an operation of taking out the ordered quantity of the ordered type of articles 9 from the article holder 8. Here, the "ordered type" is the type of article 9 specified by the order information. Furthermore, the "ordered quantity" is the quantity of the ordered type of articles 9 specified by the order information.

[0020] The first storage 1 may store all types of articles 9 that are the objects specified by the order information, or may store some types of articles 9 among all types of articles 9 that are the objects specified by the order information. Hereinafter, the types of articles 9 stored in the first storage 1 among all types of articles 9 that are the objects specified by the order information are referred to as "target types".

[0021] The number of first storage sections 12a provided in the first depository 1 is set to be greater than the total number of object types. Furthermore, at least one article holder 8 is stored in the first depository 1 for one object type. That is, at least one first storage section 12a corresponds to one object type. In the present embodiment, the number of first storage sections 12a is set to be the same as the total number of object types. Furthermore, at least one article holder 8 is stored in the first depository 1 for one object type. That is, in each of the plurality of first storage sections 12a, the article holder 8 is stored in a manner such that the types of articles 9 are different for each first storage section 12a. Thus, in the present embodiment, one first storage section 12a corresponds to one object type.

[0022] like Figure 1 As shown, the conveying device 4 is a device for conveying the article holder 8 between the first storage 1 and the retrieval operation unit 3 and between the second storage 2 and the retrieval operation unit 3. In this embodiment, the conveying device 4 includes a plurality of rotating conveying trolleys 41, a first conveying trolley 42, a first connecting conveyor 43, a pair of first lifting devices 44, a second conveying trolley 45, a second connecting conveyor 46, a second lifting device 47, and a pair of third lifting devices 48.

[0023] Each of the plurality of rotating transport vehicles 41 is configured to be able to travel along the circular rotating track 41 a. Each of the plurality of rotating transport vehicles 41 is configured to be able to transport the article holder 8. Each of the plurality of rotating transport vehicles 41 is configured to be able to deliver the article holder 8 to the storage and unloading conveyor 14.

[0024] The first transport vehicle 42 is configured to be able to travel along a linear first rail 42 a. The first transport vehicle 42 is configured to be able to transport the article holder 8 .

[0025] The first connecting conveyor 43 is a conveyor configured to connect the rotating track 41a and the first track 42a. The first connecting conveyor 43 conveys the article holder 8 delivered from the first conveying trolley 42 toward the rotating track 41a. The rotating conveying trolley 41 receives the article holder 8 from the first connecting conveyor 43. In the present embodiment, the first connecting conveyor 43 is formed in a straight line. Moreover, the first connecting conveyor 43 is configured to be orthogonal to the first track 42a in a manner connected to the central portion in the extension direction of the first track 42a.

[0026] Each of the pair of first lifting devices 44 is a device for transporting the article holder 8 in the up-down direction between different floors. In this embodiment, each of the pair of first lifting devices 44 is located on the second floor portion of the building B (see Figure 1 ) and the third layer (refer to Figure 2 ) is constructed in a manner of lifting and lowering the article holding body 8.

[0027] In addition, each of the pair of first lifting devices 44 is arranged adjacent to the first rail 42a so as to be able to deliver the article holder 8 between the pair of first lifting devices 44 and the first transport cart 42. In the present embodiment, each of the pair of first lifting devices 44 transports the article holder 8 from the third floor portion of the building B to the second floor portion. Then, the article holder 8 transported from the third floor portion of the building B to the second floor portion by the first lifting devices 44 is delivered to the first transport cart 42. In addition, in the present embodiment, the pair of first lifting devices 44 is arranged adjacent to both ends of the first rail 42a.

[0028] The second transport vehicle 45 is configured to be able to travel along a linear second rail 45 a. The second transport vehicle 45 is configured to be able to transport the article holder 8 .

[0029] The second connecting conveyor 46 is a conveyor configured to connect the rotating track 41a and the second track 45a. The second connecting conveyor 46 conveys the article holder 8 delivered from the second conveying trolley 45 toward the rotating track 41a. The rotating conveying trolley 41 receives the article holder 8 from the second connecting conveyor 46. In the present embodiment, the second connecting conveyor 46 is formed in a straight line. Moreover, the second connecting conveyor 46 is configured to be orthogonal to the second track 45a in a manner connected to the central portion in the extension direction of the second track 45a.

[0030] The second lifting device 47 is a device for transporting the article holder 8 in the up-down direction between different floors. Figure 1 ) and the third layer (refer to Figure 2 ) is constructed in a manner of lifting and lowering the article holding body 8.

[0031] The second lifting device 47 is disposed adjacent to the second rail 45a so as to be able to deliver the article holder 8 to the second transport vehicle 45. In the present embodiment, the article holder 8 transported by the second transport vehicle 45 is delivered to the second lifting device 47. The second lifting device 47 transports the article holder 8 from the second floor portion to the third floor portion of the building B. In the present embodiment, the second lifting device 47 is disposed adjacent to one end portion of the second rail 45a.

[0032] Each of the pair of third lifting devices 48 is a device for transporting the article holder 8 in the up-down direction between different floors. In this embodiment, each of the pair of third lifting devices 48 is located on the second floor portion of the building B (see Figure 1 ) and the first floor portion (not shown) between the article holding body 8. In addition, in the present embodiment, the article holding body 8 is loaded and unloaded relative to the article storage facility 100 at the first floor portion of the building B.

[0033] In addition, each of the pair of third lifting devices 48 is arranged adjacent to the second rail 45a so as to be able to deliver the article holder 8 between the second transport cart 45. In the present embodiment, each of the pair of third lifting devices 48 transports the article holder 8 from the first floor portion of the building B to the second floor portion. Then, the article holder 8 transported from the first floor portion of the building B to the second floor portion by the third lifting devices 48 is delivered to the second transport cart 45. In the present embodiment, the pair of third lifting devices 48 are arranged adjacent to the other end of the second rail 45a in a state of being adjacent to each other.

[0034] In the present embodiment, the taking-out working section 3 includes a first working section 31 , a second working section 32 , and a third working section 33 .

[0035] The first working section 31 works on articles 9 that are loaded in multiple stages in a relatively stable packaging shape. The first working section 31 includes a plurality of layer depalletizers 311 .

[0036] Each of the plurality of layer depalletizers 311 is configured to receive the article holder 8 from the rotating conveyor trolley 41 and perform a take-out operation of taking out the ordered number of ordered types of articles 9 from the article holder 8. In addition, each of the plurality of layer depalletizers 311 is configured to hand over the article holder 8 after the take-out operation is completed to the rotating conveyor trolley 41. Each of the plurality of layer depalletizers 311 is configured to be able to take out one level of articles 9 from the article holder 8 at once.

[0037] In this embodiment, the articles 9 taken out by the layered depalletizer 311 are delivered to the first collecting conveyor (first loading and unloading conveyor) 312 arranged adjacent to the layered depalletizer 311. The first collecting conveyor 312 conveys the articles 9 taken out by the layered depalletizer 311 to a collecting operation section (not shown) provided on the first floor of the building B for collecting the articles 9.

[0038] In addition, in the present embodiment, a first empty holder storage section 313 is provided in an area adjacent to a portion of the rotating track 41a on the downstream side relative to the first operation section 31 in the conveying direction of the article holder 8. The first empty holder storage section 313 is configured to store the article holder 8 that is in a state of not holding the article 9 after the first operation section 31 completes the removal operation of the article holder 8.

[0039] The second operation unit 32 operates on articles 9 that cannot be handled by the first operation unit 31 (for example, when articles 9 are loaded over multiple stages, a smaller number of articles 9 than the number of articles 9 constituting one stage is taken out). The second operation unit 32 includes a plurality of first picking conveyors 321 and a plurality of picking robots 322. The same number of first picking conveyors 321 and a plurality of picking robots 322 are provided so that one picking robot 322 corresponds to one first picking conveyor 321.

[0040] Each of the plurality of first picking conveyors 321 receives the article holder 8 from the rotating conveyor cart 41 and conveys it toward the corresponding picking robot 322. Each of the plurality of picking robots 322 is configured to perform a taking-out operation of taking out the ordered number of ordered types of articles 9 from the article holder 8 conveyed by the corresponding first picking conveyor 321.

[0041] In this embodiment, the articles 9 taken out by the picking robot 322 are delivered to the second collecting conveyor 323 arranged adjacent to the picking robot 322. The second collecting conveyor 323 conveys the articles 9 taken out by the picking robot 322 to a collecting operation section (not shown) arranged on the first floor of the building B for collecting the articles.

[0042] In addition, each of the plurality of first picking conveyors 321 is configured to deliver the article holder 8 , for which the picking operation by the corresponding picking robot 322 has been completed, to the rotary transport cart 41 .

[0043] In the present embodiment, a second empty holder storage section 324 is provided in an area adjacent to a portion of the rotating track 41a on the downstream side relative to the second operation section 32 in the conveying direction of the article holder 8. The second empty holder storage section 324 is configured to store the article holder 8 that is in a state of not holding the article 9 after the second operation section 32 completes the removal operation of the article holder 8.

[0044] The third operation section 33 operates on articles 9 that cannot be handled by the first operation section 31 and the second operation section 32 (for example, when multiple articles 9 are loaded in an unstable packaging shape, when multiple articles 9 are bundled together, etc.). The third operation section 33 is equipped with multiple second picking conveyors 331. In the third operation section 33, an operator W who performs a take-out operation is arranged corresponding to each of the multiple second picking conveyors 331.

[0045] Each of the plurality of second picking conveyors 331 receives the article holder 8 from the rotating conveyor cart 41 and conveys it toward the corresponding worker W. The worker W performs a taking-out operation of taking out the ordered number of ordered items 9 from the article holder 8 conveyed by the corresponding second picking conveyor 331 .

[0046] In this embodiment, the articles 9 taken out by the worker W are delivered to the third collecting conveyor 332 arranged adjacent to the worker W. The third collecting conveyor 332 conveys the articles 9 taken out by the worker W to a collecting operation section (not shown) arranged on the first floor of the building B for collecting the articles.

[0047] In addition, each of the plurality of second picking conveyors 331 is configured to deliver the article holder 8 , for which the corresponding worker W has completed the taking-out operation, to the rotary transport cart 41 .

[0048] In this embodiment, a third empty holder storage section 333 is provided in an area adjacent to a portion of the rotating track 41a on the downstream side relative to the third operation section 33 in the conveying direction of the article holder 8. The third empty holder storage section 333 is configured to store the article holder 8 that is in a state of not holding the article 9 after the third operation section 33 completes the removal operation of the article holder 8.

[0049] like Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the second storage room 2 includes a plurality of second storage racks 21. Each of the plurality of second storage racks 21 includes a plurality of second storage sections 21a. Each of the plurality of second storage sections 21a is configured to store an article holder 8.

[0050] In the present embodiment, each of the plurality of second storage racks 21 includes a pair of fixed racks 22 and a plurality of movable racks 23 .

[0051] In each of the pair of fixed frames 22, the plurality of second storage portions 21a are arranged side by side in a certain direction when viewed in the up-down direction, and are arranged side by side in the up-down direction. In addition, in each of the plurality of movable frames 23, the plurality of second storage portions 21a are arranged side by side in the direction in which the second storage portions 21a of the fixed frames 22 are arranged side by side when viewed in the up-down direction, and are arranged side by side in the up-down direction.

[0052] A pair of fixed frames 22 are arranged in a state separated from each other along a direction perpendicular to the parallel direction of the second storage sections 21a when viewed in the vertical direction. A plurality of movable frames 23 are arranged between the pair of fixed frames 22. The plurality of movable frames 23 are arranged side by side along a direction perpendicular to the parallel direction of the second storage sections 21a when viewed in the vertical direction. Each of the plurality of movable frames 23 is configured to be movable along the parallel direction of the plurality of movable frames 23. By partially or fully moving the plurality of movable frames 23, a travel passage A for a forklift F operated by an operator is formed between any adjacent pair of movable frames 23 or between a fixed frame 22 and a movable frame 23 adjacent to the fixed frame 22.

[0053] In this embodiment, the operator operates the operation panel so that the predetermined moving rack 23 moves in a manner to form a desired travel path A. Then, the forklift F operated by the operator transports the article holder 8 between the predetermined second storage section 21a and any one of the pair of first lifting devices 44 or the second lifting device 47. In this way, the second storage warehouse 2 is configured to have a lower degree of automation than the first storage warehouse 1.

[0054] Here, the "degree of automation" of each storage is determined based on the number of automatic transport devices (e.g., stacker cranes 13, etc.) that each storage has for automatically transporting the article holders 8 between the storage section and the transport device 4, and the installation status of the automatic transport devices. The "degree of automation" of each storage can be, for example, the ratio of the distance of the article holders 8 of each storage using the automatic transport devices to the total transport distance, or the ratio of the number of automatic transport devices to the storage capacity of each storage (e.g., the ratio of the number of automatic transport devices to the number of storage sections of each storage, or the ratio of the number of automatic transport devices to the volume value of each storage, etc.), or simply the number of automatic transport devices of each storage. In this embodiment, a plurality of stacker cranes 13 as automatic transport devices are provided in the first storage 1. On the other hand, a forklift F operated by an operator is provided in the second storage 2, but no automatic transport device such as a stacker crane is provided. Therefore, when any of the above criteria is used as the “degree of automation” of each storage, the degree of automation of the first storage 1 is a positive number, and the degree of automation of the second storage 2 is 0. Therefore, the degree of automation of the second storage 2 is lower than that of the first storage 1.

[0055] The number of second storage sections 21a included in the second storage room 2 is greater than the number of first storage sections 12a included in the first storage room 1. In the present embodiment, the second storage room 2 stores a greater number of article holders 8 per unit volume than the first storage room 1.

[0056] like Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the article storage facility 100 further includes a third storage room 5. The third storage room 5 is configured to store a plurality of article holders 8. In this embodiment, the third storage room 5 is installed on the second floor of the building B. That is, in this embodiment, the third storage room 5 is installed on the floor where the first storage room 1 is installed.

[0057] The third storage 5 includes a plurality of placement sections 51. Each of the plurality of placement sections 51 is configured to be able to lay a plurality of article holders 8 flatly. That is, each of the plurality of placement sections 51 is configured by the floor surface of the building B.

[0058] In the present embodiment, workers manually perform the work of taking the article holder 8 into and out of the third storage warehouse 5 using a forklift F or the like. Thus, the third storage warehouse 5 is configured to have a lower degree of automation than the second storage warehouse 2 .

[0059] In the present embodiment, among the article holders 8 taken out from the second storage 2, the article holders 8 holding articles 9 of a part of the type specified by the order information are stored in the first storage 1, and the article holders 8 holding articles 9 of the remaining types are stored in the third storage 5. That is, in the present embodiment, the target type is a part of the type of the article 9 specified by the order information.

[0060] As described above, in the first storage warehouse 1, the article holder 8 for holding the object type of articles 9 is stored in such a manner that at least one first storage section 12a corresponds to one object type. In the present embodiment, the number of articles 9 of the object type taken out per unit period is greater than a predetermined reference value. Furthermore, in the third storage warehouse 5, the article holder 8 for holding the objects 9 whose number of taken out per unit period is less than the above-mentioned reference value is stored. Here, the so-called "number of taken out per unit period" is the number of articles 9 taken out by the taking-out operation unit 3 per unit period. In this way, in the present embodiment, the article holder 8 for holding the objects 9 with a relatively high frequency of being taken out of the warehouse is stored in the first storage warehouse 1, and the article holder 8 for holding the objects 9 with a relatively low frequency of being taken out of the warehouse is stored in the third storage warehouse 5.

[0061] like Figure 3 As shown, the article storage facility 100 includes a control system 10 for controlling the first storage warehouse 1, the second storage warehouse 2, and the transport device 4 based on order information.

[0062] In this embodiment, the control system 10 controls the first storage 1 by controlling the operations of the stacker crane 13 and the storage conveyor 14, and manages the number of article holders 8 stored in the first storage section 12a and the types and numbers of articles 9 held in the article holders 8. In addition, the control system 10 controls the second storage 2 by outputting operation instructions related to the operation of the forklift F by the operator and the movement of the mobile rack 23 by the operator (for example, displaying to a tablet terminal held by the operator), and managing the number of article holders 8 stored in the second storage section 21a and the types and numbers of articles 9 held in the article holders 8. In addition, the control system 10 controls the conveyor 4 by controlling the operations of the rotating conveyor trolley 41, the first conveyor trolley 42, the first connecting conveyor 43, the first lifting device 44, the second conveyor trolley 45, the second connecting conveyor 46, the second lifting device 47, and the third lifting device 48.

[0063] In this embodiment, the control system 10 also controls the take-out operation unit 3 based on the order information. The control system 10 controls the take-out operation unit 3 by controlling the layered depalletizer 311, the first collection conveyor 312, the first picking conveyor 321, the picking robot 322, the second collection conveyor 323, the second picking conveyor 331, and the third collection conveyor 332.

[0064] The control system 10 is configured to execute a first outgoing process, a second outgoing process, and a post-work incoming process.

[0065] like Figure 4 As shown, the first outgoing processing is a processing in which, upon receiving order information, the control system 10 causes the transport device 4 to outgoing the target holder 8T, which is the article holder 8 holding the ordered article 9, from the first storage warehouse 1 and transport it to the take-out operation unit 3.

[0066] In the first outgoing process of the present embodiment, the target holder 8T is taken out from the predetermined first storage section 12a of the first storage rack 12 by the stacker crane 13 and placed on the in-and-out conveyor 14. Then, the target holder 8T placed on the in-and-out conveyor 14 and transported in the outgoing direction is received by the rotating transport cart 41 and then transported to any one of the first working section 31, the second working section 32 and the third working section 33 of the taking-out working section 3 according to the state of the plurality of articles 9 held in the target holder 8T (see Figure 1 ).

[0067] like Figure 4As shown, the post-operation storage process is a control in which, after the removal operation of the target holder 8T by the removal operation unit 3 is completed, if there are articles 9 remaining in the target holder 8T, the target holder 8T is transported to the first storage warehouse 1 by the transport device 4.

[0068] In the post-work storage process of the present embodiment, the object holder 8T in which the articles 9 remain after the removal work is completed is received by the rotating transport vehicle 41 and transported toward the first storage warehouse 1. Furthermore, the object holder 8T transported to the first storage warehouse 1 by the rotating transport vehicle 41 is placed on the storage-in and storage-out conveyor 14 and transported in the storage direction, and then is received by the stacker crane 13 and stored in the predetermined first storage section 12a of the first storage rack 12 (see Figure 1 ).

[0069] like Figure 5 As shown, the second outbound processing is as follows: when the number of articles 9 held by the object holder 8T outbound in the first outbound processing is less than the ordered number, or when the object holder 8T does not exist in the first storage 1, the object holder 8T is outbound from the second storage 2 and transported to the take-out operation unit 3 by the transport device 4. Figure 5 In the figure, as an example of the second outbound processing, the following processing is shown: when the number (here, 6) of items 9 (here, items 9 of type "B") held by the object holder 8T that is outbound in the first outbound processing is less than the ordered quantity (here, 8), the object holder 8T is outbound from the second storage warehouse 2 and transported to the retrieval operation unit 3.

[0070] In this way, the control system 10 performs the first outgoing processing of outgoing the object holder 8T from the first storage 1, and performs the second outgoing processing of outgoing the object holder 8T from the second storage 2 when the number of articles 9 held by the object holder 8T outgoing in the first outgoing processing is less than the ordered number or when the object holder 8T does not exist in the first storage 1. That is, when receiving the order information, the control system 10 performs the following "outgoing processing": the article holder 8 (object holder 8T) holding the ordered article 9 is outgoing from either the first storage 1 or the second storage 2 by the conveying device 4 and conveyed to the take-out operation unit 3 in such a manner that the first storage 1 is given priority over the second storage 2.

[0071] In the second outgoing process of the present embodiment, the forklift F operated by the operator transports the target holder 8T from the predetermined second storage section 21a of the second storage rack 21 to one of the pair of first lifting devices 44, and the target holder 8T is transported from the third floor portion of the building B to the second floor portion by the first lifting device 44 (see Figure 2). Moreover, the object holder 8T transported by the first lifting device 44 to the second floor portion of the building B is received by the first transport trolley 42 and transported toward the first connecting conveyor 43. The object holder 8T transported by the first transport trolley 42 to the first connecting conveyor 43 is transported by the first connecting conveyor 43 toward the rotating rail 41a and received by the rotating transport trolley 41. The object holder 8T received by the rotating transport trolley 41 is transported to any one of the first working section 31, the second working section 32, and the third working section 33 of the removal working section 3 according to the state of the plurality of articles 9 held by the object holder 8T (refer to Figure 1 ).

[0072] like Figure 5 As shown, in the present embodiment, in the second out-of-warehouse processing, when there is an object holder 8T holding less than the prescribed number of articles 9 in the second storage warehouse 2, the control system 10 causes the object holder 8T to be out of the warehouse and transported to the take-out operation unit 3 via the transport device 4. Figure 5 In the example shown, there is a target holder 8T holding less than a predetermined number of articles 9 (here, articles 9 of type “B”) in the second storage 2 , so the target holder 8T is transported to the removal operation unit 3 .

[0073] In this embodiment, the control system 10 is configured to also perform empty storage processing. Figure 5 As shown, the empty holder storage process is controlled as follows: after the removal operation unit 3 completes the removal operation of the target holder 8T, when the target holder 8T has become an empty holder 8E as the article holder 8 that does not hold the article 9, the empty holder 8E is transported to a predetermined empty holder storage unit 34 by the transport device 4. In this embodiment, the empty holder storage unit 34 includes a first empty holder storage unit 313, a second empty holder storage unit 324, and a third empty holder storage unit 333 (see Figure 1 ).

[0074] Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing an example of the first outgoing processing, the second outgoing processing, the post-work incoming processing, and the empty holder storage processing performed by the control system 10 .

[0075] like Figure 6 As shown, first, the control system 10 receives order information including order type and order quantity (step #1).

[0076] When receiving the order information, the control system 10 determines whether there is a target holder 8T as an article holder 8 holding an article 9 of the ordered type in the first storage 1 (step #2). Furthermore, when the target holder 8T exists in the first storage 1 (step #2: yes), the control system 10 determines whether the number of articles 9 held in the target holder 8T is greater than the ordered number (step #3).

[0077] When the number of articles 9 held in the target holder 8T is equal to or greater than the ordered number (step #3: Yes), the control system 10 causes the transport device 4 to remove the target holder 8T from the first storage warehouse 1 and transport it to the take-out unit 3 (step #4).

[0078] On the other hand, when there is no object holder 8T in the first storage 1 (step #2: No) or the number of items 9 held in the object holder 8T is less than the ordered number (step #3: No), the control system 10 determines whether there is an object holder 8T in the second storage 2 that holds less than the prescribed number of items 9 (step #5).

[0079] When there is a target holder 8T holding less than a predetermined number of articles 9 in the second storage 2 (step #5: Yes), the control system 10 removes the target holder 8T via the conveying device 4 and conveys it to the taking-out unit 3 (step #6).

[0080] On the other hand, when there is no object holder 8T holding less than the specified number of items 9 in the second storage warehouse 2 (step #5: No), the control system 10 removes the object holder 8T holding the specified number of items 9 from the storage through the conveying device 4 and conveys it to the retrieval operation unit 3 (step #7).

[0081] The control system 10 controls the take-out operation section 3 so as to perform a take-out operation on the object holder 8T that has been transported to the take-out operation section 3 (step #8). In this example, when the object holder 8T has been transported to the first operation section 31 of the take-out operation section 3, the control system 10 causes the layered depalletizer 311 to perform a take-out operation on the object holder 8T. In addition, when the object holder 8T has been transported to the second operation section 32 of the take-out operation section 3, the control system 10 causes the picking robot 322 to perform a take-out operation on the object holder 8T.

[0082] After the removal operation unit 3 completes the removal operation of the target holder 8T, the control system 10 determines whether or not there is any article 9 remaining in the target holder 8T (step #9).

[0083] After the removal operation unit 3 completes the removal operation on the target holder 8T, if there are articles 9 remaining in the target holder 8T (step #9: Yes), the control system 10 causes the transport device 4 to transport the target holder 8T to the first storage warehouse 1 (step #10).

[0084] On the other hand, after the control system 10 completes the removal operation of the object holder 8T by the removal operation unit 3 and when there are no remaining items 9 in the object holder 8T (step #9: No), the object holder 8T, i.e., the empty holder 8E, is transported to the empty holder storage unit 34 through the conveying device 4 (step #11).

[0085] In this example, the above steps #1 and #4 correspond to the first outbound processing. Moreover, the above steps #2 to #3 and #5 to #7 correspond to the second outbound processing. In addition, the above steps #9 to #10 correspond to the post-operation inbound processing. In addition, the above steps #9 and #11 correspond to the empty holder storage processing.

[0086] like Figure 7 As shown, in this embodiment, the article storage facility 100 further includes a storage section 6 for receiving an article holder 8 holding at least one article 9. Furthermore, the conveying device 4 is configured to convey the article holder 8 between the first storage 1 and the storage section 6 and between the second storage 2 and the storage section 6. In this embodiment, the article holder 8 is conveyed from the first floor portion (not shown) of the building B where the article holder 8 is delivered to the article storage facility 100 to the second floor portion (see FIG. 1 ). Figure 1 ) of the pair of third lifting devices 48 function as the storage unit 6.

[0087] In the present embodiment, the control system 10 is configured to further execute a new storage process of storing the storage holder 8I as the article holder 8 received in the storage unit 6 into either the first storage warehouse 1 or the second storage warehouse 2 .

[0088] like Figure 7 As shown, in the new storage processing, when the storage holding body 8I holds less than the specified number of items 9, and when there are no items 9 of the same type as the items 9 held by the storage holding body 8I in the first storage warehouse 1, the storage holding body 8I is stored in the first storage warehouse 1 by the conveying device 4.

[0089] like Figure 8As shown, in the new storage process, when the storage holding body 8I holds less than the specified number of articles 9, and there are articles 9 of the same type as the articles 9 held by the storage holding body 8I in the first storage warehouse 1, or when the storage holding body 8I holds the specified number of articles 9, the storage holding body 8I is stored in the second storage warehouse 2 by the conveying device 4. Figure 8 In the figure, as an example of new storage processing, the following processing is shown: when the storage holding body 8I holds less than the specified number of items 9 (here, 4), and when there are items 9 of the same type as the items 9 held by the storage holding body 8I in the first storage warehouse 1, the storage holding body 8I is stored in the second storage warehouse 2.

[0090] (Other Embodiments) (1) In the above embodiment, the following configuration is described as an example: the number of first storage sections 12a is the same as the total number of object types. However, the configuration is not limited to that, and the following configuration may be used: the number of first storage sections is the same as the number obtained by adding up the adjustment number N (N is a natural number) for each of all object types. Here, the so-called "adjustment number N (N is a natural number)" is a number determined for each object type, and is a number that increases as the prescribed holding number of the article holder 8 (the number of articles 9 that can be held by the article holder 8 predetermined for each type of article 9) decreases and increases as the number of items taken out per unit period (the number of articles 9 taken out by the taking-out operation unit 3 per unit period) increases. For example, for article 9 of type "A", when the number of items taken out per day is 100 and the prescribed holding number is 50, two article holders 8 are required per day, so it is appropriate to set the adjustment number N for the article 9 to 2. In addition, for the type "B" article 9, when the number of items shipped out per day is 200 and the specified number of items to be held is 20, 10 article holders 8 are required per day, so it is appropriate to set the adjustment number N for the article 9 to 10. In addition, in order to make the adjustment number N a natural number, it is appropriate to perform decimal processing appropriately.

[0091] (2) In the above embodiment, the following configuration is described as an example: the first storage 1 is installed on the second floor of the building B, and the second storage 2 is installed on the third floor of the building B. However, the configuration is not limited to that, and at least one of the first storage 1 and the second storage 2 may be installed over a plurality of floors. For example, the second storage 2 may be installed on each of the fourth floor and the fifth floor of the building B in addition to the third floor of the building B.

[0092] (3) In the above embodiment, the article holder 8 is described as a tray for placing a plurality of articles 9. However, the article holder 8 is not limited to such a structure, and may be a foldable container, a carton, or the like for storing a plurality of articles 9.

[0093] (4) In the above embodiment, the following configuration is described as an example: the first storage 1 is provided with a stacker crane 13. However, the configuration is not limited to such a configuration, and the following configuration may be adopted: the first storage 1 is provided with a device other than the stacker crane 13, and the device can transfer the article holder 8 between any of the first storage sections 12a.

[0094] (5) In the above embodiment, the second storage 2 is described as an example in which the second storage 2 includes the fixed rack 22 and the movable rack 23. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the second storage 2 may include only one of the fixed rack 22 and the movable rack 23. Alternatively, the second storage 2 may be configured so that the article holder 8 can be placed flatly, similarly to the third storage 5.

[0095] (6) In the above embodiment, the following configuration is described as an example: the take-out operation unit 3 includes the first operation unit 31, the second operation unit 32, and the third operation unit 33. However, the configuration is not limited to that, and the take-out operation unit 3 may include only one or two of the first operation unit 31, the second operation unit 32, and the third operation unit 33.

[0096] (7) In the above embodiment, the following configuration is described as an example: after the retrieval operation of the target holder 8T by the retrieval operation unit 3 is completed, if there are articles 9 remaining in the target holder 8T, the transport device 4 performs the post-operation storage process of transporting the target holder 8T to the first storage warehouse 1. However, after the retrieval operation of the target holder 8T by the retrieval operation unit 3 is completed, there are no articles 9 remaining in the target holder 8T, and the post-operation storage process cannot be performed. In such a case, the transport device 4 may perform the process of taking out the article holder 8 holding the same kind of article 9 as the target holder 8T from the second storage warehouse 2 and transporting it to the first storage warehouse 1.

[0097] (8) In addition, the configurations disclosed in the above-mentioned embodiments can also be combined with the configurations disclosed in other embodiments as long as no contradiction occurs. With regard to other configurations, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely illustrative in all aspects. Therefore, various changes can be appropriately made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0098] (Summary of this embodiment) Hereinafter, the outline of the article storage facility described above will be described.

[0099] An article storage device, which is an article storage device having the following: A first storage warehouse configured to store a plurality of article holders, each of which can hold a plurality of articles; A second storage warehouse, which is capable of storing a plurality of the aforementioned article holders and has a lower degree of automation than the aforementioned first storage warehouse; a taking-out operation section, which takes the type of the aforementioned article specified by the order information as the order type, and takes the quantity of the aforementioned article of the aforementioned order type specified by the order information as the order quantity, and performs a taking-out operation as an operation of taking out the aforementioned article of the aforementioned order type in the aforementioned order quantity from the aforementioned article holder; a transport device for transporting the article holder between the first storage warehouse and the take-out operation unit and between the second storage warehouse and the take-out operation unit; and a control system that controls the first storage, the second storage, and the transport device based on the order information, Each of the plurality of article holders holds a single type of the article. The first storage room includes a plurality of first storage sections, each of which is configured to store the article holder. The second storage room includes a plurality of second storage sections, each of which is configured to store the article holder. of all the types of the articles designated by the order information, the types of the articles stored in the first storage are the target types; The number of the first storage units is greater than the total number of the object types. The number of the second storage parts is greater than the number of the first storage parts. The control system is configured to execute the following outbound processing upon receiving the order information: the article holder holding the article of the ordered type is outbound from either the first storage or the second storage and transported to the retrieval operation unit through the conveying device, with the first storage giving priority to the second storage.

[0100] According to this configuration, in the outbound processing, the article holders stored in the first storage are prioritized for outbound processing. Thus, the first storage, which is more automated than the second storage, can be prioritized for operation. Therefore, the operating efficiency of the article storage equipment can be improved. In addition, according to this configuration, the second storage warehouse, whose object holders are taken out of the warehouse less frequently, has a lower degree of automation than the first storage warehouse, and the number of second storage sections in the second storage warehouse is greater than the number of first storage sections in the first storage warehouse. Thus, the operating efficiency of the object storage equipment can be maintained, and at the same time, the degree of automation of the object storage equipment as a whole can be suppressed to a low level. Therefore, the installation cost of the object storage equipment can be suppressed to a low level.

[0101] Here, it is appropriate that There is also a third storage warehouse with a lower degree of automation than the second storage warehouse. The number of the aforementioned articles taken out by the aforementioned taking-out operation unit per unit period is taken as the number of articles taken out per unit period, the number of items of the aforementioned object category taken out per unit period is greater than a predetermined reference value, In the first storage, the article holders for holding the articles of the object type are stored in such a manner that at least one first storage section corresponds to one object type. The third storage warehouse stores the article holder for holding the articles whose number of articles taken out during the unit period is less than the reference value.

[0102] According to this configuration, it is possible to always ensure in the first storage room a space for storing all the object types of article holders whose number of items taken out per unit period is greater than a reference value. As a result, it is possible to increase the ratio of items of the order type specified by the order information being taken out from the first storage room with a relatively high degree of automation and transported to the taking-out operation unit. Therefore, it is possible to improve the operating efficiency of the article storage equipment.

[0103] In addition, it is appropriate that The number of the first storage sections is the same as the total number of the object types.

[0104] According to this configuration, one article holder can be stored in the first storage for each of all object types. This allows the size of the first storage to be minimized while maintaining the operating efficiency of the article storage facility.

[0105] In addition, it is appropriate that The article holder is capable of holding a maximum of a specified number of the articles, the specified number being predetermined for each type of the articles. The number of the aforementioned articles taken out by the aforementioned taking-out operation unit per unit period is taken as the number of articles taken out per unit period, An adjustment number N (N is a natural number) is determined for each of the aforementioned object types, and the adjustment number N increases as the aforementioned predetermined retention number decreases and as the aforementioned unit period withdrawal number increases, The number of the first storage sections is the same as the sum of the adjustment numbers N for all the respective object types.

[0106] According to this configuration, an appropriate amount of articles can be stored in the first storage for each target type, thereby reducing the frequency of the situation where the number of articles stored in the first storage is insufficient for the ordered number. Industrial Applicability

[0107] The technology involved in the present disclosure can be utilized in an article storage facility for storing articles. Description of Reference Numerals

[0108] 100: Article storage equipment 1: First Vault 12a: First storage section 2: Second Vault 21a: Second storage section 3: Remove the working part 4: Conveying device 8: Item Holder 9: Items 10: Control system

Claims

1. An article storage device having the following characteristics: have: A first storage warehouse configured to store a plurality of article holders, each of which can hold a plurality of articles; A second storage warehouse, which is capable of storing a plurality of the object holders and has a lower degree of automation than the first storage warehouse; a taking-out operation section that takes the type of the article specified by the order information as the order type and the quantity of the articles of the order type specified by the order information as the order quantity, and performs a taking-out operation as an operation of taking out the articles of the order type in the ordered quantity from the article holder; a conveying device for conveying the article holder between the first storage warehouse and the taking-out operation unit and between the second storage warehouse and the taking-out operation unit; as well as a control system that controls the first storage, the second storage, and the transport device based on the order information, Each of the plurality of article holders holds a single type of article. The first storage room includes a plurality of first storage sections, each of which is configured to store the article holder. The second storage room includes a plurality of second storage sections, each of which is configured to store the article holder. of all the types of the articles designated by the order information, the types of the articles stored in the first storage are taken as target types, The number of the first storage sections is greater than the total number of the object types. The number of the second storage parts is greater than the number of the first storage parts, The control system is configured to perform the following outbound processing when receiving the order information: the article holder holding the article of the ordered type is outbound from either the first storage or the second storage and transported to the retrieval operation unit through the conveying device, with the first storage taking priority over the second storage.

2. The article storage device according to claim 1, further comprising a third storage vault having a lower degree of automation than the second storage vault, The number of the articles taken out by the taking-out operation unit per unit period is taken as the number of articles taken out per unit period, the number of items of the target type taken out per unit period is greater than a predetermined reference value, The article holders for holding the articles of the target type are stored in the first storage warehouse in such a manner that at least one of the first storage sections corresponds to one of the target types. The third storage warehouse stores the article holder for holding the articles whose number of articles taken out during the unit period is less than the reference value.

3. The article storage device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The number of the first storage sections is the same as the total number of the object types.

4. The article storage device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The article holder can hold a maximum of a specified number of articles, the specified number being predetermined for each type of the articles. The number of the articles taken out by the taking-out operation unit per unit period is taken as the number of articles taken out per unit period, determining an adjustment number N for each of the object types, wherein N is a natural number, and the adjustment number N increases as the prescribed retention number decreases and as the number of withdrawals per unit period increases, The number of the first storage sections is the same as the total of the adjustment numbers N for all the object types.

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