Warehouse device

Abstract

To provide a warehouse device capable of suppressing a standby current and suppressing annual electricity consumption.SOLUTION: A partition of a storage area of a warehouse device has a number of zone members that form a conveyance path, at least some of the zone members have a standby state in which standby current is energized, and a resting state in which standby current is not energized, the warehouse device is provided with storage location storage means for storing the partition in which each storage article is stored, and input means for inputting information on the storage article to be removed, specifying a storage partition in which the storage article input by input means is stored while at least one of the zone members belonging to each partition is in the resting state, the zone member belonging to the storage partition is placed in the standby state, thereafter, the required zone member is driven to move to a required discharge part, thereafter, at least any of the zone members belonging to the storage partition is brought into the resting state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to warehouse equipment having a function for automatically loading and unloading stored items, and in particular to warehouse equipment that can reduce standby power consumption and contribute to energy conservation. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Warehouse devices are known that allow items to be loaded and unloaded at will. This type of warehouse equipment has a conveying device running throughout the interior, which picks up items from any position and conveys them to a discharge section. In the conventional warehouse system, the conveying device is in a standby mode so that the contents can be discharged at any time, and when a predetermined command is received, the conveying device is immediately driven to convey the contents. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-33556 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the prior art warehouse equipment, the conveying device is in a standby mode, in which a standby current is supplied to the conveying device so that the conveying device can be driven immediately. The standby current is much smaller than the drive current. However, large warehouse equipment has a huge number of built-in transport devices, so even the standby current is large. Also, if the maximum current (peak current) used by the warehouse equipment is large, it can cause problems in the power receiving equipment. The present invention focuses on this point and has an objective of providing warehouse equipment that can suppress standby current, suppress annual electricity consumption, and lower maximum current (peak current). [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] An embodiment for solving the above-mentioned problem is a warehouse apparatus capable of moving a specific item from among stored items to an ejection section and removing the item, the warehouse apparatus having a number of zone members forming a transport path, the zone members having a transport function capable of sending out the items in at least one direction and moving the items by handing them over to adjacent zone members, at least some of the zone members having a standby state in which a standby current is applied and a pause state in which the standby current is not applied, the warehouse apparatus having a storage position memory means for storing the storage position of each item, an input means for inputting information on the items to be removed, and an ejection path calculation means for calculating an ejection path for the items, the warehouse apparatus being characterized in that at least one of the zone members is placed in an idle state, the ejection path for the items inputted by the input means is calculated by the ejection path calculation means, the zone members belonging to the ejection path are placed in a standby state, and then the required zone members are driven to move them to the required ejection section, and then at least one of the zone members is placed in an idle state.

[0006] The warehouse apparatus of this embodiment has a plurality of zone members. The operating states of the zone members include a standby state, a pause state, and a drive state. The standby state is a state in which the zone members can be immediately driven and a standby current is applied to the zone members. The pause state is a state in which a standby current is not applied to the zone members. In the warehouse apparatus of this embodiment, each zone member is normally in a standby state in a quiescent state. When information on the contents to be discharged is input to the input means, the discharge path calculation means calculates the discharge path for the contents. Then, the zone members belonging to the discharge path are put into a standby state. After that, the necessary zone members are driven to move to the necessary discharge section. In the warehouse apparatus of this embodiment, the zone members are in a standby state while in a quiescent state, so that no standby current flows and the amount of electricity consumed is small.

[0007] Another aspect for solving the same problem is a warehouse device capable of moving a specific item from among stored items to an ejection section and removing it, the warehouse device having a storage area for storing items, the storage area being divided into a plurality of sections, the section having a number of zone members forming a transport path, the zone members having a transport function capable of sending out the items in at least one direction, and moving the items by handing them over to adjacent zone members, at least some of the zone members having a standby state in which a standby current is applied and a pause state in which a standby current is not applied, the warehouse device having a storage position memory means for storing the section in which each item is stored and an input means for inputting information on the item to be removed, the warehouse device being characterized in that at least one of the zone members belonging to each section is placed in a pause state, the storage section in which the item input by the input means is stored is identified, the zone member belonging to the storage section is placed in a standby state, and then the required zone member is driven to move it to the required ejection section, and then at least one of the zone members belonging to the storage section is placed in a pause state.

[0008] The storage device of this embodiment has a storage area for storing items, and the storage area is divided into a plurality of sections. In the storage device of this embodiment, only the section in which the items to be removed are stored is put into a standby state. Then, the necessary zone members are driven to move the items to the necessary discharge section. In the warehouse apparatus of this embodiment, the zone members are in a standby state while in a quiescent state, so that no standby current flows and the amount of electricity consumed is small.

[0009] In the above-mentioned aspect, the zone members are arranged in a plane, and the zone members include unidirectional zone members that can receive the contents from one side and send them out in the opposite direction and in the receiving direction, and multidirectional zone members that can receive the contents from one side and send them out in the left and right directions, and it is desirable that a specific zone member is selected to configure the discharge path.

[0010] In each of the above-mentioned aspects, the zone members are arranged in a plane, and the zone members include unidirectional zone members that can receive the contents from one side and send them out only in the opposite direction and in the receiving direction, and multidirectional zone members that can receive the contents from one side and send them out in both the left and right directions. The zone members have a forward direction conveying path in which a plurality of unidirectional zone members are all arranged in series with the same send-out direction and arranged to move the contents in one direction, and a reverse direction conveying path in which a plurality of unidirectional zone members are all arranged in series with the same send-out direction and arranged to move the contents in the opposite direction to the forward direction conveying path. The forward direction conveying path and the reverse direction conveying path are connected via the multidirectional zone member to form a circular conveying path, and it is preferable that the contents are circulated on the circular conveying path, and the requested contents are removed from the circular conveying path via the multidirectional zone member and conveyed to the discharge section.

[0011] The storage apparatus of this aspect has a circular conveying path, and the stored items are placed on the circular conveying path. In the storage apparatus of this aspect, the stored items are stored in a state in which they are placed on the zone members. Therefore, the storage apparatus of this aspect can effectively utilize the planar space. In the warehouse apparatus of this embodiment, when the stored items placed on the circular conveying path are discharged, the circular conveying path itself becomes part of the discharge path.

[0012] In each of the above aspects, it is preferable to have a plurality of discharge sections.

[0013] According to the warehouse apparatus of this aspect, a plurality of stored items can be discharged at the same time.

[0014] In each of the above-mentioned aspects, it is preferable that the zone member comprises a plurality of motors each individually driving at least one of a plurality of rollers that move the contents; a plurality of item detection means provided for each of the compartments and generating an item detection signal when the contents are present in the corresponding compartment; a current detection means for detecting the sum of currents flowing through each of the motors and generating a current excess detection signal when this sum exceeds a predetermined reference current value; and a control means connected to each of the item detection means and the current detection means, for allocating each current whose maximum total current value is a predetermined allowable current value only to a plurality of motors including the motors in the compartments in which the first and second contents are present among the contents, when the current excess detection signal is being generated.

[0015] In the warehouse device configured in this manner, when the total value of the current flowing through each motor exceeds the reference current, the maximum value of the total value of the current flowing through each motor is limited to the allowable current value. This allows the capacity of the power supply to be reduced, and the power supply can be made more compact, resulting in cost reduction. Moreover, this current limitation is performed so that the supply of current continues to the motors in the area where the first and second items are being transported. Therefore, even if the current is limited, the transport of the first and second items continues, and it is possible to prevent the items from being stuck. In this case, no current is supplied to the motors in the area where the third and subsequent items are being transported. Effect of the Invention

[0016] In the warehouse equipment of the present invention, since the zone members are in a quiescent state and in a standby state, no standby current flows and the amount of electricity consumed is small, so that the annual electricity consumption can be reduced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a warehouse apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2(a) is a model diagram of a unidirectional zone member, and FIG. 2(b) is a perspective view of the unidirectional zone member. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2(a) is a model diagram of a multi-directional zone member, and FIG. 2(b) is a perspective view of the multi-directional zone member. [Figure 4] 2A is a plan view of the circular transport path in the warehouse apparatus of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a plan view showing the operation when a specific item is removed from the circular transport path. [Diagram 5] 4(c) and (d) are plan views showing the operation when a specific object is removed from the circular transport path, following FIG. 4(b). [Figure 6] 2A and 2B are block diagrams of a control device of the warehouse equipment in FIG. 1, in which (a) is a block diagram in the case where standby current is suppressed, and (b) is a block diagram in the case where, in addition to (a), the current supplied to the motor of the zone member is suppressed. [Figure 7] 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the warehouse apparatus of FIG. 1. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating the division of the warehouse equipment of FIG. 1. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating a power supply state of the warehouse apparatus of FIG. [Figure 10] 2 is a monitor screen displayed on the display device of the warehouse equipment of FIG. 1. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control device of the warehouse equipment of FIG. 1. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a detailed block diagram of the D / A converter of FIG. 12. [Figure 13] 13 is a circuit diagram of a delay circuit included in the driver of FIG. 12. [Figure 14] In the warehouse device of FIG. 1, there are items O, N, and M, and the motors in each zone are started based on the detection signals of the items. [Figure 15] This is another example in which items N and M are present in the warehouse apparatus of FIG. 1 and the motors of each zone are started based on the item detection signals. [Figure 16] FIG. 14 shows an example in which the first current suppression is implemented. [Figure 17] FIG. 15 shows an example in which the first current suppression is implemented. [Figure 18]In this example, the warehouse apparatus of FIG. 1 has items P, O, N, and M, and the motors of each zone are activated based on the detection signals of the items. [Figure 19] FIG. 18 shows an example in which the first current suppression is implemented. [Figure 20] FIG. 14 shows an example in which the second current suppression is implemented. [Figure 21] FIG. 15 shows an example in which the second current suppression is implemented. [Figure 22] FIG. 18 shows an example in which the second current suppression is implemented. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The warehouse apparatus 1 of this embodiment is capable of moving a specific item from among stored items to a discharge section and removing the item. In the warehouse apparatus 1 of this embodiment, a large number of zone members 2 and 3 are arranged in a plane. Each of the zone members 2 and 3 has a rectangular outer shape.

[0019] Each of the zone members 2 and 3 has a motor and a load sensor (not shown). The load sensor is a sensor that detects whether or not the zone member 2 or 3 has an article therein. Each zone member 2, 3 has a distributed control device, not shown, which controls the movement of that zone. The distributed control device receives signals from the load sensor in the relevant zone and the load sensor in the adjacent zone, as well as information about the driving status of the motors in the preceding and following zones. The distributed control device has a CPU and memory, and takes a certain amount of time to start up. For this reason, the distributed control device has an operation mode in which a standby current is passed through the device, a pause mode in which no drive current is passed through the device, and a drive mode in which the motors and other devices are driven.

[0020] In this embodiment, zone member 2 is a unidirectional zone member 62 and zone member 3 is a multidirectional zone member 63 . The unidirectional zone member 62 has a function of moving the contents in a straight line. The unidirectional zone member 62 can receive the contents in one direction and send them out in the opposite direction and in the receiving direction. The model diagram and actual form of the unidirectional zone member 62 are as shown in Fig. 2. The unidirectional zone member 62 is a zone conveyor, and the zone conveyor 40 has a frame 41 to which a conveying roller (rotating member) 43 is attached. The frame 41 of the zone conveyor 40 has a known structure and has frame pieces 42 arranged in parallel, with multiple transport rollers (rotating members) 43 attached in parallel between the frame pieces 42. One of the multiple transport rollers (rotating members) 43 is a motor-integrated roller with a motor and a reducer built into the roller body. The roller body of the motor-integrated roller rotates when the built-in motor is driven. The other conveying rollers (rotating members) 43 are freely rotating rollers. Adjacent conveying rollers 43 constituting the zone conveyor 40 are engaged with each other by belts 44. Therefore, when the motor-incorporated roller rotates, all conveying rollers 43 belonging to the zone conveyor 40 rotate.

[0021] The multi-directional zone member 63 can move the received contents straight and can also send them out in either the left or right direction. The multi-directional zone member 63 can also receive contents from either side.

[0022] The model diagram and actual form of the multi-directional zone member 63 are as shown in Figure 3. The multi-directional zone member 63 has a direction change mechanism that switches the conveying direction or the loading direction. As shown in Figure 3, the multi-directional zone member 63 is composed of a main transport conveyor 45, a sub-transport conveyor 46, and a lifting device (not shown). The main transport conveyor 45 of the multi-directional zone member 63 is a conveyor in which multiple chains 47 are arranged at regular intervals. The chains 47 engage with a driving sprocket installed on a motor-integrated roller from the outside, so that when the motor-integrated roller is rotated and the driving sprocket is rotated, the chains 47 run.

[0023] The sub-conveyor 46 of the multi-directional zone member 63 is a roller conveyor. The sub-conveyor 46 has a plurality of rollers 49 arranged in parallel, and a belt 60 is suspended between adjacent rollers 49, which are linked by the belt 60. One of the rollers 49 constituting the sub-conveyor 46 is a motor-integrated roller, and all rollers 49 are rotated by driving the motor-integrated roller. The sub-conveyor 46 is arranged so that the rollers 49 are present between the chains 47 of the main conveyor 45, as shown in FIG. 3(b).

[0024] When the items placed on the multi-directional zone member 63 are to be moved in a straight line, the auxiliary conveyor 46 is extended above the main conveyor 45 by a lifting device (not shown), and the motor-equipped roller of the auxiliary conveyor 46 is driven to drive the roller 49. When the contents placed on the multi-directional zone member 63 are to be discharged laterally, the contents are pulled onto the main transport conveyor 45, and then the main transport conveyor 45 is raised and the secondary transport conveyor 46 is lowered by a lifting device (not shown), causing the main transport conveyor 45 to extend above the secondary transport conveyor 46, and a motor-integrated roller (not shown) of the main transport conveyor 45 is driven to run the circular chain 47.

[0025] There are six model diagrams, ie, models 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15. The arrows in the models 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 indicate the transport direction of the stored items when the models are installed in the warehouse device 1.

[0026] The warehouse apparatus 1 of this embodiment has an interior that is largely divided into a storage area 5 and a loading / unloading area 6. The containing area 5 is further divided into a first section to a fourth section as shown in FIG.

[0027] In the warehouse device 1 of this embodiment, a number of circular conveying paths 20 as shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 are configured within the storage area 5. The circular conveying path 20 is configured in parallel with a linear forward conveying path 21 and a reverse conveying path 22. Both ends are connected by delivery conveying paths 25 and 26. The forward conveying path 21 is made up of a plurality of unidirectional zone members 62 connected in series, and each of the unidirectional zone members 62 that make up the forward conveying path 21 is controlled to convey the contents in one direction. The reverse conveying path 22 also comprises a number of unidirectional zone members 62 connected in series, but each of the unidirectional zone members 62 constituting the reverse conveying path 22 is controlled to convey the contents in a direction opposite to the traveling direction of the forward conveying path 21 described above. Here, the forward conveying path 21 may be used as the reverse conveying path, and the reverse conveying path 22 may be used as the forward conveying path.

[0028] Each of the transfer paths 25 and 26 is formed by two multi-directional zone members 63 . The stored articles are placed on the forward conveying path 21 and the reverse conveying path 22 of the circular conveying path 20. That is, the unidirectional zone members 62 of the forward conveying path 21 and the unidirectional zone members 62 of the reverse conveying path 22 also serve as members for storing the stored articles. An information reader 30 is provided on one of the delivery and transport paths 25. The information reader 30 is a code reader that reads a code attached to an item and identifies the item.

[0029] As described above, the articles are placed on the unidirectional zone members 62 of the forward conveying path 21 and the reverse conveying path 22, and are stored while placed on the unidirectional zone members 62. The articles are provided with graphic codes that identify them. When a specific object is to be removed from the annular conveying path 20, the zone members 2 and 3 of the annular conveying path 20 are driven to circulate the object as shown in Figs. 4(a) and 4(b). For example, an item on the forward conveying path 21 travels straight forward on the forward conveying path 21 and enters the multidirectional zone member 63-1 of the delivery conveying path 25. The item changes direction at the multidirectional zone member 63-1 to enter the adjacent multidirectional zone member 63-2, and then changes direction to enter the reverse conveying path 22. The item travels along the reverse conveying path 22 and returns to the forward conveying path 21 via the multidirectional zone members 63-3 and 63-4 of the delivery conveying path 26.

[0030] When the item enters the multi-directional zone member 63-2 of the delivery path 25 as shown in Fig. 5(c), the graphic code attached to the item is read by the information reader 30 to determine whether or not the item should be discharged. If the item is to be discharged, the discharge direction of the multi-directional zone member 63-2 changes as shown in Fig. 5(d), and the item is removed from the circular path 20.

[0031] The loading / unloading area 6 includes an entrance / exit area 31 and a distribution section 32. The entrance / exit area 31 is an area in which an entrance 34 and multiple exits 33 are arranged in a horizontal row. The exits 33 are formed of unidirectional zone members 62. An input device 35 is installed at the entrance 34. The distribution section 32 is an area in which a plurality of multidirectional zone members 63 are arranged in a horizontal row, and a unidirectional zone member 62 is disposed behind each multidirectional zone member 63 .

[0032] The warehouse device 1 of this embodiment has a control device 50, which controls the storage of stored items. Incoming and outgoing goods are delivered. The control device 50 has a CPU and a memory (not shown), and stores computer software for performing desired operations. The control device 50 is configured as shown in Fig. 6 and includes a storage position storage means 51, an unloading route calculation means 52, an import route calculation means 53, and a mode switching signal creation means 55. In addition, a signal from the input device 35 is input to the control device 50.

[0033] The storage location storage means 51 stores the location where the item is stored. As described above, in the warehouse apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the storage area 5 is divided into the first to fourth sections, and therefore it is possible to store in which area a particular item is stored. The take-out route calculation means 52 calculates the route required to take out the target contained item. The carry-in route calculation means 53 calculates the route to be taken when storing the items.

[0034] The mode switching signal generating means 55 generates a switching signal for switching the operation mode of the zone members 2 and 3. That is, each of the zone members 2 and 3 has a standby mode (standby state) in which a standby current is passed as described above, and a pause mode (pause state) in which a standby current is not passed. There is also a drive mode (drive state) in which a motor or the like is driven.

[0035] In the warehouse apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the operation mode is switched for each section. As described above, in this embodiment, the area is divided into the storage area 5 and the loading / unloading area 6, and the storage area 5 is further divided into the first to fourth sections (see FIG. 8). The mode switching signal creation means 55 creates signals for individually switching the operation modes of the first to fourth sections.

[0036] Next, the function of the warehouse equipment 1 will be described. When storing an item in the warehouse equipment 1, the input device 35 reads the graphic code attached to the item with a code reader, and the item is placed at the entrance 34 and a storing switch (not shown) is operated. The carry-in route calculation means 53 of the control device 50 searches for the availability of storage area 5, and carries the item into an available section. The contents enter the sorting section 32 from the entrance 34, and in the sorting section 32, the contents move through the multidirectional zone member 63 and the unidirectional zone member 62 to a position corresponding to the target compartment. Then, the contents enter the target compartment. Generally, the items are stored in the warehouse device 1 at one time. Therefore, the storing operation is performed continuously for a long time. When the storing operation is completed, the mode switching signal generating means 55 of the control device 50 switches all the operation modes of the first to fourth sections to the pause mode.

[0037] Next, a retrieval operation for removing an article from the warehouse equipment 1 will be described. As mentioned above, while the receiving operation is carried out continuously over a long period of time, the unloading operation may be carried out individually, one item at a time or several items at a time. In other words, there may be a considerable amount of time between the end of one unloading operation and the start of the next unloading operation. Therefore, in the warehouse equipment 1 of this embodiment, when the retrieval operation is completed, the operation mode is returned to the sleep mode to reduce power consumption. Furthermore, in the warehouse equipment 1 of this embodiment, only the sections related to the retrieval operation are switched from the pause mode to the standby mode, thereby achieving further energy saving. The unloading operation is carried out in sequence according to the flowchart shown in FIG. The following explains.

[0038] In the warehouse equipment 1 of this embodiment, in step 1, the input of a retrieval request is awaited. When retrieval is to be performed, data on the necessary stored items is input using the code reader of the input device 35. When the input via the input device 35 is completed, step 1 becomes YES, and the process proceeds to step 2. In step 2, the position of the corresponding item is confirmed by the storage position storage means 51, and the carry-out path of the item is calculated by the carry-out path calculation means 52. Then, a section including the carry-out path is detected. For example, if the item to be discharged is M in FIG. 9, the entire third section in which M is contained is recognized as the discharge route. Then, in step 3, the operation modes of all the zone members 2 and 3 belonging to the third section are changed to the standby mode. That is, while all the sections were in the pause mode, only the third section, which is the storage section having the target contents M, is changed to the standby mode.

[0039] Then, the process proceeds to step 4, where the waiting time is timed. When it is confirmed in step 5 that the waiting time has expired, the process proceeds to step 6, where the zone members 2 and 3 belonging to the transport path are driven to transport the contents to the outlet 33. At this time, a current is passed through the motors and the like belonging to the third section. The transport speed of the contents can be changed by adjusting the amount of this current. When it is confirmed in step 7 that the contents have reached the exit 33, a timer to ensure a margin of time begins to count in step 8, and when it is confirmed in step 9 that the margin of time has expired, the process proceeds to step 10, where the operating modes of all zone members 2 and 3 belonging to the third section are changed to pause mode, and the process returns to step 1.

[0040] The loading / unloading area 6 of the warehouse equipment 1 of this embodiment is in a standby state, so that a standby current is always applied thereto.

[0041] The warehouse equipment 1 of this embodiment has a monitor screen as shown in FIG. 10, in which the operation mode of each section is displayed in different colors.

[0042] The warehouse apparatus 1 of the present embodiment can also contribute to energy saving by controlling the current supplied to the motors for moving the rollers and chains of the zone members.

[0043] For example, in the third section in FIG. 9, the first item to be discharged is M, and the second item is N. The items are only M and N, and in the third section to which items M and N belong, item M is on the unidirectional zone member 62, and item N is on the multidirectional zone member 63. At this time, the total value of the current flowing through the motors of each zone in the third section is detected, and the allowable current value is calculated from the maximum value. Then, a current of 80 percent of the allowable current value is supplied to the motor of the unidirectional zone member 62 to which item M belongs, and a current of 20 percent of the allowable current value is supplied to the motor of the multidirectional zone member 63 to which item N belongs. At this time, no current is supplied to the motors of the other members. This type of control can be used when only item M needs to be transported quickly and item N does not need to be removed quickly.

[0044] Also, if the contents are only M and N, and in the third section to which contents M and N belong, item M is on the unidirectional zone member 62 and item N is on the multidirectional zone member 63, and neither of the contents is in a hurry to be removed, 25 percent of the allowable current is supplied to the motors of the unidirectional zone member 62 to which item M belongs and the multidirectional zone member 63 to which item N belongs. At this time, no current is supplied to the motors of the other members. Therefore, contents M and N are transported slowly but surely, and no current is supplied to the motors of the other members, thereby saving energy.

[0045] Further, the leftmost column of the third section is taken as an example. In this column, the zones located on the most downstream side and the most upstream side are multidirectional zone members 63, and the other zones are unidirectional zone members 62. As shown in Fig. 11, the motor for driving the motorized roller of the unidirectional zone member 62 and the motors 70a to 70l for driving the motorized roller of the multidirectional zone member 63 are driven by currents supplied from motor driving means, e.g., drivers 82a to 82h, respectively. These drivers 82a to 82h start, stop and control the speed of the corresponding motors by control signals from decision means, e.g., controllers 84a to 84h, respectively, respectively. These drivers 82a to 82h are supplied with currents from their positive power supply terminals, which drive the opposing motors, and currents flow out from their negative power supply terminals.

[0046] The controllers 84a to 84h are connected to the presence sensors (hereinafter, referred to as "content detectors") 86a to 86h, respectively. These content detectors are provided corresponding to the unidirectional zone members 62 or the multidirectional zone members 63.

[0047] The carry-in route calculation means 53 of the control device 50 searches for vacant sections in the storage area 5 and carries the item into an available section. The position of the corresponding item is confirmed by the storage position storage means 51, and the carry-out route calculation means 52 calculates the carry-out route for the item. Then, the section including the carry-out route is detected. The motor to be driven is determined from this information.

[0048] Each of the drivers 82a to 82h is connected to a current adjusting means, for example, a D / A converter 88a to 88h. The D / A converters 88a to 88h supply current adjusting control signals to the corresponding drivers 82a to 82h to limit the maximum current supplied to the corresponding motors 70a to 70l. The D / A converters 88a to 88h convert the 3-bit digital signals supplied from the current suppression circuit 90 to analog signals and supply them to the corresponding drivers.

[0049] The current suppression circuit 90 has three output terminals for each of the D / A converters 88a to 88h. When a maximum current, for example 3A, can be supplied to the corresponding drivers, only the output terminal corresponding to 3A becomes H level, and the other output terminals become L level. When an intermediate current, for example 2A, can be supplied to the corresponding drivers, only the output terminal corresponding to 2A becomes H level, and the other output terminals become L level. When a minimum current, for example 1A, can be supplied to the corresponding drivers, only the output terminal corresponding to 1A becomes H level, and the other output terminals become L level. The current value of the maximum current, intermediate current, and minimum current combined, which is 6A in this embodiment, is the maximum allowable current value that can be supplied from the power supply device provided in this conveyor device.

[0050] The current suppression circuit 90 determines which of the three output terminals corresponding to which driver should be set to the H level based on the start signal supplied through each of the controllers 84a to 84h. The start signal is generated by each of the controllers 84a to 84h based on a signal from the stored object detector. The current suppression circuit 90 performs a first current suppression when the current detector 92 detects that the total value of the current flowing through the motors 70a to 70l of the storage device is equal to or greater than a predetermined first reference current value, for example, 5A, and a second current suppression when the current detector 92 detects that the total value of the current flowing through each of the motors 70a to 70l of the storage device is equal to or greater than a predetermined second reference current value, for example, 4A, but smaller than the first reference current value, for example, 5A.

[0051] A current flowing out from the negative power supply terminal of each of the drivers 82a to 82h flows through a resistor 93, and the current flowing through this resistor 93 is detected by a current detector 92. The current detector 92 includes, for example, an amplifier that amplifies the voltage across the resistor 93, and includes a first comparator that generates a first current overrun signal when the output voltage of the amplifier is equal to or higher than a first reference voltage, a second comparator that generates an output signal when the output voltage of the amplifier is equal to or higher than a second reference voltage, and a logic circuit that generates a second current overrun signal when the second comparator generates an output signal and the first comparator does not generate the first current overrun signal.

[0052] The controllers 84a to 84h, the drivers 82a to 82h, the D / A converters 88a to 88h, and the current suppression circuit 90 constitute a control means.

[0053] 12 shows the configuration of each of the D / A converters 88a to 88h. Each of the D / A converters 88a to 88h has an OR gate 94 whose inputs are connected to the corresponding 3A and 2A terminals of the current suppression circuit 90. It also has an OR gate 96 whose one input is connected to the 1A terminal. The other input of the OR gate 96 is connected to the 3A terminal. The outputs of the OR gates 94, 96 are supplied to the A and B selection terminals of a multiplexer 98.

[0054] This multiplexer 98 connects one of the four input terminals IN1 to IN4 to the output terminal OUT depending on whether the selection terminals A and B are at H level or L level.

[0055] A current source is connected to the input terminal IN1 to generate a current required to control the conductive state of the transistor 100 connected via the output terminal OUT so that the maximum current flowing through the corresponding motor is 3 A. This current source is composed of resistors 102 and 104 and a Zener diode 106.

[0056] Similarly, a current source is connected to the input terminal IN2 to generate a current to be supplied to the transistor 100 so that the maximum current flowing through the corresponding motor is 2 A. This current source is also composed of resistors 108 and 110 and a Zener diode 112.

[0057] A current source is connected to the input terminal IN3 to generate a current necessary to control the conductive state of the transistor 100 connected via the output terminal OUT so that the maximum current of the corresponding motor is 1 A. This current source is composed of resistors 134, 116 and a Zener diode 118.

[0058] The input terminal IN4 is grounded, so that when the input terminal IN4 is selected, the transistor 100 is in a non-conductive state.

[0059] When the 3A terminal becomes H level, the outputs of OR gates 94 and 96 both become H level, the selection terminals A and B of multiplexer 98 both become H level, the input terminal IN1 is connected to the output terminal OUT, and a current of up to 3A can be passed through the corresponding motor.

[0060] When the 2A terminal goes to H level, only the output of the OR gate 94 goes to H level, the selection terminal A of the multiplexer 98 goes to H level and the selection terminal B goes to L level, the input terminal IN2 is connected to the output terminal OUT, and a current of up to 2A can be passed through the corresponding motor.

[0061] When the 1A terminal goes to H level, only the output of the OR gate 96 goes to H level, selection terminal A of the multiplexer 98 goes to L level and selection terminal B goes to H level, the input terminal IN3 is connected to the output terminal OUT, and a current of up to 1A can be passed through the corresponding motor.

[0062] When the 3A to 1A terminals are all at L level, the selection terminals A and B both go to L level, the input terminal IN4 is connected to the output terminal OUT, the transistor 100 goes into a non-conducting state, and the current suppression circuit 90 does not control the current.

[0063] Each of the controllers 84a to 84h controls each of the motors 70a to 70l based on a signal from each of the content detectors 86a to 86h. To perform this control, each of the controllers 84a to 84h notifies the upstream and downstream controllers whether or not a content exists in the zone corresponding to the controller, although this is not shown.

[0064] When there is an item in the zone corresponding to itself, if a content detection signal is supplied from the controller of the zone one downstream, each controller 84a to 84h will not start the motor of its corresponding zone to avoid a collision with the content; however, if a signal notifying the presence of an item is not supplied from the controller of the zone one downstream, a collision with the content will not occur, so the controller will start the motor of its corresponding zone.

[0065] When there is no content in the zone corresponding to it, each controller 84a to 84h starts the motor of the zone corresponding to it if a signal notifying the presence of content is supplied from the controller of the zone one upstream, but stops the motor of the zone corresponding to it if a signal notifying the presence of content is not supplied from the controller of the zone one upstream.

[0066] Therefore, as shown in Fig. 14, for example, if there are objects O, N, and M in zones 1, 2, and 4, respectively, then since there is object N in zone 2, motors 70a and 70c in zone 1 are stopped, since there is no object in zone 3, motors 70d and 70e in zones 2 and 3 are started, and since there is no article in zone 5, motors 70f and 70g in zones 4 and 5 are started. Similarly, as shown in Fig. 15, if there are objects N and M in zones 3 and 5, motors 70e, 70f, 70g, and 70h in zones 3, 4, 5, and 6 are started. Zones with diagonal lines in the figure are zones in which the motors are stopped. Each of the controllers 84a to 84h supplies a start signal to the current suppression circuit 90 when starting the motor corresponding to itself.

[0067] In this manner, the motors 70a to 70l of each of the zones 1 to 8 forming one row are controlled based on the signal from the content detector. However, when the total value of the currents flowing through the motors 70a to 70l becomes equal to or exceeds the first reference current value, that is, when the current detector 92 generates a first overcurrent signal, the current suppression circuit 90 performs a first current suppression so that the total value of the currents flowing through the motors becomes equal to or less than a predetermined allowable current value, for example, 6 A.

[0068] The first current suppression is performed based on the start signal from each of the controllers 84a to 84h, with priority given to the downstream. For example, the maximum current of the allowable current value can be supplied to the motor of the most downstream zone among the zones in which contents exist, and if there is a zone one zone downstream from this zone, an intermediate current can be supplied to the motor of the zone one zone downstream. Then, the minimum current can be supplied to the motor of the second most downstream zone among the zones in which contents exist. The motors of the other zones in which contents exist are stopped.

[0069] If there is no zone one zone downstream of the most downstream zone among the zones in which the contents are present, an intermediate current can be supplied to the motor of the second most downstream zone among the zones in which the contents are present, and a minimum current can be supplied to the motor of the zone one zone downstream of this zone.

[0070] For example, as shown in FIG. 16, when contents O, N, and M are present in zones 1, 2, and 4, and the motors in zones 2, 3, 4, and 5 are operating, if the total current of motors 70a to 70h becomes 5A or more, a maximum current of 3A is supplied to motor 70f in zone 4, a maximum current of 2A is supplied to motor 70g in zone 5, and a maximum current of 1A is supplied to motor 70d in zone 2.

[0071] 17, when the stored objects N and M are present in the above-mentioned zones 3 and 5, motors 70e, 70f, 70g, and 70h in zones 3, 4, 5, and 6 are operating. At this time, when a first excess current signal is supplied to the current suppression circuit 90, the current suppression circuit 90 allocates a maximum current of 3 A to motor 70g in zone 5, a maximum current of 2 A to motor 70h in zone 6, and a maximum current of 1 A to motor 70e in zone 3, and stops motor 70f in zone 4.

[0072] 18, for example, if contents P, O, N, and M are present in zones 1, 2, 4, and 8, each controller 84a to 84h determines that contents are present in the most downstream zone 8 and that no contents are present in the downstream zones because no contents detection signal is provided from the most downstream detector, and starts motors 70j, 70k, and 70l in zone 8. Also, since zone 5 is present downstream of zone 4, motors 70f and 70g in zones 4 and 5 are started. Since no contents are present in zone 3, motors 70d and 70e in zones 2 and 3 are started. Since contents are present in zone 2, motors 70a, 70b, and 70c in zone 1 are not started. That is, motors 70d, 70e, 70f, 70g, 70j, 70k, and 70l in zones 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8 are operating.

[0073] 19, when a first excess current signal is supplied to current suppression circuit 90 in this state, current suppression circuit 90 allows a maximum current of 3 A to be supplied to motors 70j, 70k, and 70l in zone 8, the most downstream. Since there is no object downstream of zone 8, a maximum current of 2 A is allowed to be supplied to motor 70f in zone 4, the second most downstream. A maximum current of 1 A is allocated to motor 70g in zone 5, which follows this, and motors 70d and 70e in zones 2 and 3 are stopped.

[0074] Even if there are items in other zones, the motor current is suppressed by the current suppression circuit 90 in the same manner as described above. Since the current is suppressed in this manner, the capacity of the power supply for this warehouse equipment can be reduced.

[0075] However, as described above, the total current of each motor often exceeds 5A only for a short time after the motors are started, and the total current value immediately drops below 5A. Then, when the control by each controller is shifted again, a new motor is started, and the total current again becomes 6A or more, and the first suppression is likely to be executed again. That is, the warehouse apparatus 1 is likely to perform chattering operation.

[0076] Thus, when the total current is greater than or equal to the second reference current value but less than the first reference current value, i.e., when the second overcurrent signal is provided, the current throttle circuit 90 initiates a second throttling.

[0077] The principle of the second current suppression is that the motor current of the most downstream zone where the contents are present is the same as that of the first suppression, and if there is a zone one zone downstream of this most downstream zone, the motor current of this zone one zone downstream is also the same as that of the first suppression.Then, of the remaining motors, the current of each motor that would have been driven if suppression had not been performed is increased by a predetermined value, for example, 1A, from the current state.

[0078] As shown in FIG. 16, when contents O, N, and M are present in the above-mentioned zones 1, 2, and 4, each controller 84a to 84h attempts to operate motors 70d, 70e, 70f, and 70g in zones 2, 3, 4, and 5, but due to the first current suppression, the maximum current of motor 70f in zone 4 is set to 3 A, the maximum current of motor 70g in zone 5 is set to 2 A, and the maximum current of motor 70d in zone 2 is set to 1 A, and motor 70e in zone 3 is stopped.

[0079] In this state, if the total motor current decreases to between 4A and 5A, a second current suppression is initiated as shown in Figure 20, and the maximum motor current of 3A for zone 4 and 2A for zone 5 are maintained, but the maximum motor current of 2A for zone 2 and the maximum motor current of 1A for zone 3 are assigned.

[0080] 21, when contents N and M are present in zones 3 and 5, controllers 84a to 84h would normally operate motors in zones 3 to 6, but when first current suppression is being performed, a maximum of 3 A is assigned to motor 70g in zone 5, a maximum of 2 A to motor 70h in zone 6, and a maximum of 1 A to motor 70e in zone 3, while motor 70f in zone 4 is stopped. When second suppression is started, the maximum currents of motors 70g and 70h in zones 5 and 6 are maintained at 3 A and 2 A, respectively, but the maximum current of motor 70e in zone 3 is assigned to 2 A, and the maximum current of motor 70f in zone 4 is assigned to 1 A.

[0081] Furthermore, when contents P, O, N, and M are present in zones 1, 2, 4, and 8 as shown in FIG. 22, the controllers 84a to 84h should start motors 70a, 70b, 70c, 70d, 70e, 70f, 70g, 70j, 70k, and 70l in zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8. However, when the first suppression is being performed, a maximum current of 3 A is assigned to motors 70j, 70k, and 70l in zone 8, a maximum current of 2 A is assigned to motor 70f in zone 4, and a maximum current of 1 A is assigned to motor 70g in zone 5, and the other motors are stopped. When the second current suppression is initiated, the current of motors 70j, 70k, and 70l in zone 8 is maintained at a maximum of 3A, while the current of motor 70f in zone 4 is allocated a maximum of 3A, the current of motor 70g in zone 5 a maximum of 2A, and the current of motors 70d and 70e in zones 2 and 3 a maximum of 1A.

[0082] This current suppression circuit 90 can be configured by, for example, a CPU. Of course, it can also be configured by a logic circuit that receives as input signals the start signals supplied from each controller. Even when the current suppression circuit is configured by a CPU or a logic circuit, the circuit can be easily configured by providing a combination of start signal inputs from each of the controllers 84a to 84h, so a detailed circuit configuration of the current suppression circuit 90 will be omitted. The entire control device 50 may be configured as shown in FIG. 6(b).

[0083] If the result of the second current reduction is that the total current flowing through each motor is equal to or greater than 5 A, the first current reduction is performed again. If the total current falls below 4 A, each motor 70a-70l is controlled only by each controller 84a-84h.

[0084] In addition, as shown in Fig. 13, each driver is provided with a delay circuit consisting of a resistor 120, a variable resistor 122, and a capacitor 124, and the start signal supplied from the controller is delayed by a predetermined time before being input to the driver. This suppresses the excess current generated when the motor is started, and prevents the total current from suddenly exceeding the first reference current value. This delay circuit can also be configured by the CPU, and can be incorporated into the controllers 84a to 84h or the current suppression circuit 90.

[0085] Therefore, in the warehouse equipment 1, by suppressing the current, energy can be saved and the power supply device used can be made smaller.

[0086] In the warehouse apparatus 1 described above, the operation mode is changed for each section, but the operation mode may be changed for each circular conveyor path 20. Also, the operation mode may be changed only for the path through which the stored items actually pass. Also, in the warehouse apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the storage area 5 is described as having the first section to the fourth section, but it may be divided into the first section to the hundredth section. Furthermore, in the warehouse apparatus 1 of the present invention, the zone members are described as being flat, but the zone members may be multi-staged and three-dimensional. The above embodiment is merely an example for explaining the present invention, and may be modified in various ways. The first and second reference current values ​​are set to 4A and 5A, and the allowable current value is set to 6A, but the present invention is not limited to these values ​​and may be modified to various values. The current suppression circuit 90 is configured to perform the first suppression and the second suppression, but it may also be configured to perform only one of the current suppressions. Furthermore, the suppression control may be performed in more than two stages, such as the first, second, and third stages. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 1 Warehouse equipment 2 Zone Members 3 Zone Members 5 Containment Area 6 Loading / unloading area 20 Circular conveyor 21 Forward conveying path 22 Reverse conveying path 25 Delivery route 26 Delivery route 30 Information reading device 31 Entrance / exit area 32 Distribution Department 33 Entrance / Exit 35 Input Devices 50 Control device 51 Storage position storage means 52 Carry-out route calculation means 53 Delivery route calculation means 55 Mode switching signal generation means 62 Unidirectional Zone Members 63 Multi-directional zone members 70a~70j motor 82a~82j Driver 84a~84j Controller 86a~86j Content sensor (content detector) 88a~84j D / A converters 90 Current suppression circuit

Claims

1. A storage device capable of moving a specific item from among stored items to an ejection section and removing the item, The apparatus has a number of zone members forming a conveying path, the zone members each having a conveying function capable of sending out the contents in at least one direction, and moves the contents by transferring the contents to an adjacent zone member; At least some of the zone members have a standby state in which a standby current is passed therethrough and a rest state in which a standby current is not passed therethrough; The system includes a storage position storage means for storing the storage position of each item, an input means for inputting information on the item to be removed, and a carry-out route calculation means for calculating a carry-out route for the item, A warehouse apparatus characterized in that at least one of the zone members is kept in a resting state, an output path for the stored items inputted by the input means is calculated by an output path calculation means, the zone members belonging to the output path are put into a standby state, the necessary zone members are then driven to move them to the necessary discharge section, and then at least one of the zone members is put into a resting state.

2. A storage device capable of moving a specific item from among stored items to an ejection section and removing the item, There is a containment area for storing items, and the containment area is divided into multiple sections; The compartment has a number of zone members forming a conveying path, and the zone members have a conveying function capable of sending out the contents in at least one direction, and move the contents by transferring the contents to an adjacent zone member; At least some of the zone members have a standby state in which a standby current is passed therethrough and a rest state in which a standby current is not passed therethrough; The device is provided with a storage location storage means for storing the section in which each item is stored, and an input means for inputting information on the item to be removed, A warehouse device characterized in that at least one of the zone members belonging to each compartment is put into a resting state, a storage compartment in which the item input by the input means is stored is identified, the zone members belonging to that storage compartment are put into a standby state, the necessary zone members are then driven to move them to the necessary discharge section, and then at least one of the zone members belonging to the storage compartment is put into a resting state.

3. The warehouse apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the zone members are arranged in a plane, and the zone members include unidirectional zone members that can receive contents from one side and send them out in the opposite direction and in the receiving direction, and multidirectional zone members that can receive contents from one side and send them out in the left and right directions, and a specific zone member is selected to form an output route.

4. The zone members are arranged in a plane, and the zone members include unidirectional zone members that can receive the contents from one side and send them out in the opposite direction and in the receiving direction, and multidirectional zone members that can receive the contents from one side and send them out in both left and right directions. The zone members include a forward direction conveying path in which a plurality of unidirectional zone members are all arranged in series with the same sending direction to move the contents in one direction, and a reverse direction conveying path in which a plurality of unidirectional zone members are all arranged in series with the same sending direction to move the contents in the opposite direction to the forward direction conveying path, and the forward direction conveying path and the reverse direction conveying path are connected via the multidirectional zone members to form a circular conveying path. The warehouse apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the stored items are circulated on the circular transport path, and requested stored items are removed from the circular transport path via the multi-directional zone member and transported to a discharge section.

5. 3. The warehouse apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of discharge sections.

6. The zone member includes a plurality of motors each for individually driving at least one of a plurality of rollers and / or chains for sequentially moving the stored items; a plurality of content detection means provided for each of the compartments, each of which generates a content detection signal when the content is present in the corresponding compartment; current detection means for detecting a total value of currents flowing through the motors and generating an excess current detection signal when the total value exceeds a predetermined reference current value; The warehouse equipment according to claim 2, further comprising: a control means connected to each of the item detection means and the current detection means, and which, when the current excess detection signal is generated, assigns currents whose maximum total current value is a predetermined allowable current value only to a plurality of motors including the motors in the sections in which the first and second items among the items are located.

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