Article sorting facility

Abstract

To provide an article sorting facility which easily enhances article carrying efficiency by a plurality of carrying vehicles.SOLUTION: In a floor E where a plurality of carrying vehicles 20 travel, a supply area E1 where a supply part 15 is provided, a passage area E3 extending in a Y direction, and a connection area E2 for connecting the supply area E1 and the passage area E3 are set. A plurality of receiving parts 30 are arranged along the passage area E3, in the passage area E3, a forward path where the carrying vehicles 20 travel to a reference turning position 53 from a first end 51, and a return path where the carrying vehicles 20 which made a U-turn at the reference turning position 53 travels to the first end 51 from the reference turning position 53 are set side by side in an X-direction, and in the passage area E3, in the Y direction between the first end 51 and the reference turning position 53, a shortcut turning position 52 where the carrying vehicles 20 can make a U-turn is set.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an article sorting facility in which a plurality of transport vehicles transport articles. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, automation of article transportation has progressed in article transportation facilities in logistics warehouses, etc. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-128318 (Patent Document 1) describes an article sorting facility in which articles (W) are transported by a plurality of transport vehicles (cage cars 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-128318 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the article sorting facility shown in Fig. 1 of Patent Document 1, articles (W) are transferred between a plurality of storage shelves (7) and a plurality of transport vehicles (2) passing through a track-shaped circulating transport path (F). However, even for a transport vehicle (2) among the plurality of transport vehicles (2) that transfers articles (W) only between the storage shelves (7) near the entrance of the circulating transport path (F), it is necessary for the transport vehicle (2) to circulate around the entire track-shaped circulating transport path (F) uniformly, which poses a problem that the transport efficiency is likely to be low.

[0005] Therefore, it is desirable to realize an article sorting facility that can easily increase the efficiency of article transport using multiple transport vehicles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The article sorting equipment according to the present disclosure is an article sorting equipment which sorts articles by having each of a plurality of transport vehicles travel on a floor to transport the articles, and which includes a supply unit which supplies the articles to the transport vehicles, and a plurality of receiving units each configured to receive the articles from the transport vehicles, and which defines a specific direction among the directions along the floor as a Y direction, a direction along the floor that is perpendicular to the Y direction as an X direction, one side of the Y direction as a Y direction first side, and the other side of the Y direction as a Y direction second side, and includes an aisle area extending along the Y direction on the floor, and a receiving unit arranged on the Y direction first side with respect to the aisle area, A supply area in which the supply unit is provided and a connection area connecting the aisle area and the supply area are set, and a plurality of the receiving units are arranged along the aisle area, and in the aisle area, an outbound path for the transport vehicle to travel from an end on the first side of the Y direction to a reference turning position set on the second side of the end in the Y direction, and a return path for the transport vehicle, which has made a U-turn at the reference turning position, to travel from the reference turning position to the end are set side by side in the X direction, and a shortcut turning position at which the transport vehicle can make a U-turn is set in the aisle area between the end and the reference turning position in the Y direction.

[0007] According to this configuration, the transport vehicle that has received the supply of the article at the supply unit can transport the article to any one of the multiple receiving units arranged along the passage area. This allows the articles to be sorted into the multiple receiving units. Also, according to this configuration, since the outward route and the return route are set in the passage area in the X direction, the multiple transport vehicles traveling back and forth in the passage area are unlikely to interfere with each other. Furthermore, according to this configuration, a shortcut turning position at which the transport vehicle can make a U-turn is set between the end of the passage area on the first side in the Y direction and the reference turning position, so that the transport vehicle can make a U-turn on the way back to the supply unit without going to the reference turning position. Therefore, by making the transport vehicle that has transported the article to the receiving unit arranged on the end side on the first side in the Y direction from the shortcut turning position make a U-turn at the shortcut turning position, the time it takes for the transport vehicle to return to the supply unit can be shortened. This makes it easier to improve the efficiency of transporting articles by the multiple transport vehicles between the supply unit and the multiple receiving units. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a top view of an article sorting facility according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] Front view of the aisle area in Figure 1 [Diagram 3] Control block diagram of the item sorting equipment in Figure 1 [Figure 4] An enlarged view of the passage area illustrating the U-turn at the standard turning position in Figure 1 [Diagram 5] An enlarged view of the passage area illustrating the U-turn at the shortcut turning point in Figure 1 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the article sorting equipment 10 will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a top view of the article sorting equipment 10 in which a plurality of transport vehicles 20 each travel on a floor E to transport the articles W and thereby sort the articles W. The article sorting equipment 10 includes a supply section 15 that supplies the articles W to the transport vehicles 20, and a plurality of receiving sections 30. Each of the receiving sections 30 is configured to receive the articles W from the transport vehicles 20. In this embodiment, the receiving section 30 includes a first receiving section 31 and a second receiving section 32, which will be described later.

[0010] In this embodiment, the work subject 16 transfers the item W to the transport vehicle 20 at the supply unit 15. Here, the "work subject" refers to, for example, one or both of a worker and a work device. The work subject 16 transfers the item W to the transport vehicle 20 from a supply conveying device 17 that conveys the item W from an automated warehouse (not shown). Examples of the supply conveying device 17 include a belt conveyor, a crane, and an arm-type robot.

[0011] Here, a specific direction among the directions along the floor E is defined as the Y direction, and a direction perpendicular to the Y direction among the directions along the floor E is defined as the X direction. One side of the Y direction is defined as the Y direction first side Y1, and the other side of the Y direction is defined as the Y direction second side Y2. One side of the X direction is defined as the X direction first side X1, and the other side of the X direction is defined as the X direction second side X2. The direction along the vertical direction is defined as the Z direction. Examples of the floor E include running surfaces and floors provided in facilities such as buildings and ships. In this embodiment, the floor E is a running surface provided on an indoor platform.

[0012] A supply area E1 in which the supply unit 15 is provided and a passage area E3 extending along the Y direction are set on the floor E. The supply area E1 is disposed on the first side Y1 in the Y direction with respect to the passage area E3. A connection area E2 that connects the passage area E3 and the supply area E1 is set on the floor E. The supply area E1, the connection area E2, and the passage area E3 set on the floor E may each be an area into which the floor E is actually divided, or may be a virtual area. In this embodiment, the boundary between the supply area E1 and the connection area E2 is a virtual boundary set on the floor E. In this embodiment, both sides of the passage area E3 in the X direction are the outer edges of the floor E.

[0013] In this embodiment, a supply path 61 is set in the supply area E1. The above-mentioned supply unit 15 may be disposed at the beginning of the supply path 61, or at the end of the supply path 61. In the illustrated example, the supply unit 15 is disposed midway along the supply path 61. In other words, the supply path 61 is set to pass through the supply unit 15.

[0014] In this embodiment, the connection area E2 is connected to the supply area E1 and the passage area E3 so that the transport vehicle 20 can travel therethrough. A connection outward route 62 is set in the connection area E2 along which the transport vehicle 20 travels from the supply area E1 toward the passage area E3. Also, a connection return route 65 is set in the connection area E2 along which the transport vehicle 20 travels from the passage area E3 toward the supply area E1. Here, the end of the passage area E3 on the first side Y1 in the Y direction is defined as a first end 51. In the illustrated example, the connection area E2 connects the first end 51 and the supply area E1.

[0015] In the passage area E3, an outgoing path 63 is set along which the transport vehicle 20 travels from a first end 51, which is an end of the passage area E3 on the first side Y1 in the Y direction, to a reference turning position 53 set on the second side Y2 in the Y direction from the first end 51. In addition, in the passage area E3, a return path 64 is set along which the transport vehicle 20 that has made a U-turn at the reference turning position 53 travels from the reference turning position 53 to the first end 51. In addition, the outgoing path 63 and the return path 64 are set side by side in the X direction. In addition, in the passage area E3, a shortcut turning position 52 where the transport vehicle 20 can make a U-turn is set between the first end 51 and the reference turning position 53 in the Y direction. In this embodiment, the receiving unit 30 is arranged on both the first side Y1 in the Y direction and the second side Y2 in the Y direction of the shortcut turning position 52. In addition, the reference turning position 53 is set at the second end, which is an end of the passage area E3 on the second side Y2 in the Y direction.

[0016] The multiple receiving units 30 are arranged along the passage area E3. In this embodiment, the multiple receiving units 30 are arranged side by side along the Y direction on both sides of the passage area E3 in the X direction. In addition, the transport vehicle 20 delivers the article W to a receiving unit 30 arranged on the opposite side of the return path 64 in the X direction on the outgoing path 63, and delivers the article W to a receiving unit 30 arranged on the opposite side of the outgoing path 63 in the X direction on the return path 64.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a front view of the passage area E3. In this embodiment, the transport vehicle 20 is provided with a transfer unit 21 that transfers the article W from the transport vehicle 20 to the receiving unit 30 (the first receiving unit 31 and the second receiving unit 32). The transfer unit 21 is configured so that the placement surface 21a on which the article W is placed can be freely changed between a "horizontal position" and an "inclined position". The article W is placed on the placement surface 21a in a horizontal position and transported, and when the placement surface 21a is in an inclined position, the article W is transferred to the receiving unit 30. In this embodiment, the transport vehicle 20 is provided with a running unit 25. The running unit 25 is provided with a plurality of wheels 23 that roll on the running surface on the floor E. Examples of the transport vehicle 20 include an electric vehicle that runs on power supplied from a storage battery, a fuel cell, or the floor E by contact power supply or non-contact power supply, and a vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine. In this embodiment, a storage battery 27 (see FIG. 3) is mounted on the running unit 25 of the transport vehicle 20. Moreover, the carrier 20 is an electrically operated unmanned carrier.

[0018] In this embodiment, a receiving conveying device 35 is provided for each of the multiple receiving sections 30. The items W transferred to the receiving section 30 are conveyed in the X direction by this receiving conveying device 35 and stored in containers 38 corresponding to each of the multiple receiving sections 30. In this embodiment, a shipping device 36 is arranged adjacent to the multiple receiving conveying devices 35. The containers 38 are arranged side by side on the shipping device 36, and when the type and number of items W specified in one order information are stored in the container 38, the shipping device 36 transports the container 38 to the shipping location. Examples of the receiving conveying device 35 include a belt conveyor, a crane, an arm-type robot, etc. Examples of the shipping device 36 include a belt conveyor, a stacker crane, an automatic guided vehicle, etc.

[0019] Returning to FIG. 1, in this embodiment, a charging position 42 for charging the transport vehicle 20 by the charger 41 is set in the connection area E2. Also, a charging standby path 72 is set in the connection area E2, where multiple transport vehicles 20 can wait before being charged by the charger 41. This allows efficient use of the connection area E2, where the supply unit 15 and the receiving unit 30 are not located. In the illustrated example, the charger 41 is arranged adjacent to the connection area E2. The charging position 42 is arranged so that multiple transport vehicles 20 can stop there.

[0020] In this embodiment, when the amount of stored power in the transport vehicle 20 is less than a specified amount (for example, less than 50% based on the amount of stored power in a fully charged state), the transport vehicle 20 moves to the charging position 42 and stops there. At the charging position 42, the storage battery 27 of the transport vehicle 20 can be quickly charged. In the illustrated example, the transport vehicle 20 moves from the connection return path 65 to the charging position 42 and stops there. In addition, the transport vehicle 20 that has completed charging returns to the connection return path 65. The charger 41 may be configured as a non-contact power supply device or a contact power supply device. In this embodiment, a control device 46 included in a control system 45 described later acquires the amount of stored power in the storage battery 27 of each transport vehicle 20, and controls the transport vehicle 20 that has less than a specified amount of stored power to move to the charging position 42.

[0021] FIG. 3 is a control block diagram of the article sorting equipment 10 of this embodiment. In this embodiment, a position information detection unit 29 is provided in each of the multiple transport vehicles 20. In addition, position information holders (not shown) are provided at regular intervals on a travel path 60 of the transport vehicles 20 set on the floor E. When the transport vehicles 20 travel on the travel path 60, the position information detection unit 29 of the transport vehicles 20 is configured to detect the position information held by these position information holders. Examples of the position information holders include barcodes (one-dimensional codes), two-dimensional codes, and IC tags. The position information detected by the position information detection unit 29 is transmitted from the transport vehicles 20 to a control device 46 provided in a control system 45 described later. In this embodiment, the floor E is divided into a plurality of virtual unit areas Au (see FIG. 4) that form a lattice shape when viewed in the Z direction. The travel path of the transport vehicles 20 is set to connect a plurality of arbitrary virtual unit areas Au. For example, a position information holder is provided in each virtual unit area Au. In this embodiment, the travel path 60 of the transport vehicle 20 includes a supply path 61 , a connecting outward path 62 , an outward path 63 , a return path 64 , and a connecting return path 65 .

[0022] In this embodiment, the article sorting equipment 10 includes a control system 45 that controls the transport vehicle 20. The control system 45 includes a control device 46 that controls the transfer unit 21 and the travel unit 25 of the transport vehicle 20. The control device 46 includes an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a main storage device that can be referenced by the arithmetic processing device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory). Each function of the control device 46 (for example, a function to control the travel of the transport vehicle 20) is realized by cooperation between the hardware included in the control device 46 and a program executed on the hardware such as the arithmetic processing device. Specifically, each function of the control device 46 is realized by the control device 46 executing a program stored in a storage device (such as a main storage device or a separately provided storage device). In other words, a program (for example, an article sorting program) for causing a computer (the computer of the control system 45) to realize each function of the control device 46 is stored in a storage device that can be referenced by the computer. This program is provided, for example, by a storage medium or via a communication network. The provided program is then stored in a storage device that can be referenced by a computer. In this embodiment, the control device 46 (specifically, an arithmetic processing device provided in the control device 46) functions as the "computer". The control device 46 may be configured not as a single piece of hardware, but as a collection of multiple pieces of hardware (multiple separate pieces of hardware) that can communicate with each other via wire or wirelessly. For example, the control device 46 may be configured to include a host control device that is placed in a control facility (not shown) and controls the multiple transport vehicles 20, and a control device mounted on each transport vehicle 20.

[0023] In this embodiment, the control system 45 issues transport commands to each transport vehicle 20. The transport command specifies the "origin" and "destination" of the item W. In this embodiment, the origin is the supply section 15, and the destination is the receiving section 30. The transport command also specifies the travel route of the transport vehicle 20 from the origin to the destination. Upon receiving the transport command from the control system 45, the transport vehicle 20 receives the item W at the specified origin and transports the item W to the specified destination.

[0024] Here, the receiving section 30 arranged on the first side Y1 in the Y direction from the shortcut turning position 52 is referred to as the first receiving section 31. Also, the receiving section 30 arranged on the second side Y2 in the Y direction from the shortcut turning position 52 is referred to as the second receiving section 32.

[0025] In this embodiment, the control system 45 causes the transport vehicle 20 transporting the article W to the second receiving unit 32 to make a U-turn at the reference turning position 53. The control system 45 also causes the transport vehicle 20 transporting the article W to the first receiving unit 31 to make a U-turn at the shortcut turning position 52. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the transport vehicle 20 making a U-turn at the reference turning position 53. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the transport vehicle 20 making a U-turn at the shortcut turning position 52.

[0026] In this embodiment, the control system 45 is configured to be able to switch between a normal mode in which multiple transport vehicles 20 transport items W to both the first receiving section 31 and the second receiving section 32 of the multiple receiving sections 30, and a partial operation mode in which multiple transport vehicles 20 transport items W only to the first receiving section 31 of the multiple receiving sections 30.

[0027] Here, among the multiple receiving sections 30 arranged along the passage area E3, the receiving section 30 whose number of received articles W per unit time or the number of arrivals of the transport vehicles 20 per unit time is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value is referred to as a "high frequency receiving section", and the receiving section 30 whose number is less than the threshold value is referred to as a "low frequency receiving section". In this embodiment, the high frequency receiving section is arranged on the first side Y1 in the Y direction from the low frequency receiving section. In addition, the shortcut turning position 52 is set in a boundary area E4 between the area where the high frequency receiving section is arranged and the area where the low frequency receiving section is arranged in the Y direction. In the illustrated example, the first receiving section 31 is the high frequency receiving section, and the second receiving section 32 is the low frequency receiving section. In the illustrated example, the boundary area E4 is an area adjacent to the area where the high frequency receiving section is arranged and the area where the low frequency receiving section is arranged.

[0028] In this embodiment, the passing position is set in the passage area E3. The control system 45 controls the transport vehicle 20 so that it does not turn at the passing position. In the illustrated example, the passing position is a position other than the shortcut turning position 52 and the reference turning position 53 in the passage area E3. In this way, the travel of the transport vehicle 20 at the passing position is limited to forward, so that the control of the transport vehicle 20 by the control system 45 can be simplified. Although not illustrated, the width of the shortcut turning position 52 is set wider than the width of the passing position in the X direction or Y direction. In this way, when the shape of the transport vehicle 20 in a plan view is rectangular (square or rectangular), the size of the passing position where the transport vehicle 20 does not need to turn can be reduced while preventing the transport vehicle 20 from protruding from the passage area E3 even if the transport vehicle 20 turns. In the illustrated example, the receiving unit 30 is not provided between the area in the Y direction where the first receiving unit 31 is arranged and the area in the Y direction where the second receiving unit 32 is arranged. In this way, the width of the shortcut turning position 52 in the X direction can be secured to be wide.

[0029] Returning to FIG. 1, in this embodiment, a plurality of passage areas E3 are arranged in line in the X direction on the floor E, and the first ends 51 of the plurality of passage areas E3 are connected to each other via the connection area E2. As a result, a plurality of receiving sections 30 are arranged along each of the plurality of passage areas E3, so that the articles W can be transported to and sorted by many receiving sections 30. In the illustrated example, the article sorting equipment 10 includes a plurality of supply sections 15. Also, a plurality of supply areas E1 each including a supply section 15 are arranged in line in the X direction on the floor E. In this embodiment, the articles W can be transported by the transport vehicle 20 from each of the plurality of supply sections 15 to the receiving sections 30 arranged along the plurality of passage areas E3 for sorting.

[0030] Other embodiments Next, other embodiments of the article sorting system 10 will be described.

[0031] (1) In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which a plurality of passage areas E3 and a plurality of supply areas E1 are arranged on the floor E, and the transport vehicle 20 is connected by a connection area E2 so that the transport vehicle 20 can travel therethrough. However, the present invention is not limited to such an example, and for example, there may be only one passage area E3. Also, for example, there may be only one supply area E1. Also, for example, there may be only one supply unit 15. Also, for example, the connection area E2 may connect the supply area E1 and the passage area E3 in a manner that the transport vehicle 20 cannot travel therethrough, and the transport vehicle 20 may be transferred between the supply area E1 or the passage area E3 and the connection area E2 by a transfer device.

[0032] (2) In the above embodiment, the receiving unit 30 has both the first receiving unit 31 and the second receiving unit 32. However, the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, the receiving unit 30 does not have to be disposed on the first side Y1 in the Y direction from the shortcut turning position 52 or on the second side Y2 in the Y direction from the shortcut turning position 52. The reference turning position 53 may be set at a location in the middle of the passage area E3, not at the end of the passage area E3 on the second side Y2 in the Y direction. In addition, the shortcut turning position 52 may be set at a plurality of locations between the first end 51 and the reference turning position 53 in the passage area E3 in the Y direction.

[0033] (3) In the above embodiment, the supply area E1 and the connection area E2 are separated by a virtual boundary, and both sides of the passage area E3 in the X direction are the outer edges of the floor E. However, the present invention is not limited to such an example. For example, the supply area E1, the connection area E2, and the passage area E3 may be separated by the actual outer edges of the floor E, and may be areas in which the transport vehicle 20 can move. In addition, the supply area E1, the connection area E2, and the passage area E3 may all be virtual areas set on a wide floor E. In addition, an area different from the supply area E1, the connection area E2, and the passage area E3, for example, a buffer area in which multiple transport vehicles 20 can be lined up, may be provided on the floor E.

[0034] (4) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the control system 45 causes the transport vehicle 20 transporting the article W to the second receiving unit 32 to make a U-turn at the reference turning position 53, and causes the transport vehicle 20 transporting the article W to the first receiving unit 31 to make a U-turn at the shortcut turning position 52. However, the present invention is not limited to such an example, and for example, the control system 45 may cause the transport vehicle 20 transporting the article W to the first receiving unit 31 to make a U-turn at the reference turning position 53. Furthermore, the control system 45 may be configured to have only a normal mode without having a partial operation mode.

[0035] (5) In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the high frequency receiving section is disposed on the first side Y1 in the Y direction relative to the low frequency receiving section has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to such an example, and for example, the high frequency receiving section may be disposed on the second side Y2 in the Y direction relative to the low frequency receiving section. Also, for example, the boundary area E4 does not have to be adjacent to either the area in which the high frequency receiving section is disposed or the area in which the low frequency receiving section is disposed, or it does not have to be adjacent to both. Also, for example, a high frequency receiving section and a low frequency receiving section do not have to be set.

[0036] (6) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the control system 45 includes a host control device that controls a plurality of transport vehicles 20 and a control device mounted on each transport vehicle 20. However, the present invention is not limited to such an example, and the control system 45 may be, for example, a system in which the control device mounted on each transport vehicle 20 communicates with the control devices of the other transport vehicles 20 and each makes autonomous decisions and operates.

[0037] (7) In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the control system 45 controls the transfer unit 21 and the travel unit 25 of the transport vehicle 20. However, the present invention is not limited to such an example, and the control device 46 may be a control device that controls only the travel unit 25 of the transport vehicle 20. In addition, the transport vehicle 20 may not be equipped with the transfer unit 21, and the work subject 16 may transfer the item W on the transport vehicle 20. In addition, the transport vehicle 20 may be equipped with an accommodation chamber in which the item W is accommodated. In addition, the control system 45 may be equipped to control a work device that is the work subject 16.

[0038] (8) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the travel path 60 of the transport vehicle 20 includes the supply path 61, the connecting outward path 62, the outward path 63, the return path 64, and the connecting return path 65. However, the present invention is not limited to such an example, and may include, for example, only the outward path 63 and the return path 64. Also, for example, the travel path 60 may include a charging standby path 72. Also, for example, a position information holder may not be provided on the travel path 60, and position information of the transport vehicle 20 may be acquired by an image sensor or the like provided on the transport vehicle 20 or the facility.

[0039] (9) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the article sorting equipment 10 includes the supplying and conveying device 17, the receiving and conveying device 35, and the shipping device 36. However, the present invention is not limited to such an example, and for example, the article sorting equipment 10 may not include the supplying and conveying device 17, the receiving and conveying device 35, and the shipping device 36, and an operator or a vehicle operated by the operator may transport the articles W or containers 38.

[0040] (10) The configurations disclosed in the above-described embodiments can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, as long as no contradiction occurs. As for other configurations, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples in all respects. Therefore, various modifications can be made as appropriate within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0041] Summary of the above embodiment The article sorting equipment described above will now be described.

[0042] The article sorting equipment according to the present disclosure is an article sorting equipment which sorts articles by having each of a plurality of transport vehicles travel on a floor to transport the articles, and which includes a supply unit which supplies the articles to the transport vehicles, and a plurality of receiving units each configured to receive the articles from the transport vehicles, and which defines a specific direction among the directions along the floor as a Y direction, a direction along the floor that is perpendicular to the Y direction as an X direction, one side of the Y direction as a Y direction first side, and the other side of the Y direction as a Y direction second side, and includes an aisle area extending along the Y direction on the floor, and a receiving unit arranged on the Y direction first side with respect to the aisle area, A supply area in which the supply unit is provided and a connection area connecting the aisle area and the supply area are set, and a plurality of the receiving units are arranged along the aisle area, and in the aisle area, an outbound path for the transport vehicle to travel from an end on the first side of the Y direction to a reference turning position set on the second side of the end in the Y direction, and a return path for the transport vehicle, which has made a U-turn at the reference turning position, to travel from the reference turning position to the end are set side by side in the X direction, and a shortcut turning position at which the transport vehicle can make a U-turn is set in the aisle area between the end and the reference turning position in the Y direction.

[0043] According to this configuration, the transport vehicle that has received the supply of the article at the supply unit can transport the article to any one of the multiple receiving units arranged along the passage area. This allows the articles to be sorted into the multiple receiving units. Also, according to this configuration, since the outward route and the return route are set in the passage area in the X direction, the multiple transport vehicles traveling back and forth in the passage area are unlikely to interfere with each other. Furthermore, according to this configuration, a shortcut turning position at which the transport vehicle can make a U-turn is set between the end of the passage area on the first side in the Y direction and the reference turning position, so that the transport vehicle can make a U-turn on the way back to the supply unit without going to the reference turning position. Therefore, by making the transport vehicle that has transported the article to the receiving unit arranged on the end side on the first side in the Y direction from the shortcut turning position make a U-turn at the shortcut turning position, the time it takes for the transport vehicle to return to the supply unit can be shortened. This makes it easier to improve the efficiency of transporting articles by the multiple transport vehicles between the supply unit and the multiple receiving units.

[0044] In one embodiment, the item sorting equipment is equipped with a control system that controls the transport vehicles, and the receiving unit located on the first side of the Y direction from the shortcut turning position is designated as a first receiving unit, and the receiving unit located on the second side of the Y direction from the shortcut turning position is designated as a second receiving unit, and the control system preferably causes the transport vehicle transporting the item to the second receiving unit to make a U-turn at the reference turning position, and causes the transport vehicle transporting the item to the first receiving unit to make a U-turn at the shortcut turning position.

[0045] According to this configuration, it is possible to transport articles to a receiving section located closer to the reference turning position than the shortcut turning position, while a transport vehicle that transports an article to a receiving section closer to the first end side in the Y direction than the shortcut turning position is made to make a U-turn at the shortcut turning position, thereby shortening the time it takes for the transport vehicle to return to the supply section. Therefore, it is easy to improve the efficiency of transporting articles by multiple transport vehicles between the supply section and multiple receiving sections.

[0046] In one embodiment, the item sorting equipment is preferably equipped with a control system that controls the transport vehicles, and the receiving unit located on the first side of the Y direction from the shortcut turning position is designated as a first receiving unit, and the receiving unit located on the second side of the Y direction from the shortcut turning position is designated as a second receiving unit, and the control system is preferably configured to be capable of switching between a normal mode in which the items are transported by the multiple transport vehicles to both the first receiving unit and the second receiving unit among the multiple receiving units, and a partial operation mode in which the items are transported by the multiple transport vehicles only to the first receiving unit among the multiple receiving units.

[0047] According to this configuration, for example, when a large number of sorting destinations are required, both the first receiving section and the second receiving section can be used as destinations by switching to normal mode, and when a small number of sorting destinations are required, only the first receiving section arranged on the first side in the Y direction from the shortcut turning position can be used as a destination by switching to partial operation mode. In the partial operation mode, the transport vehicle can be made to make a U-turn at the shortcut turning position to shorten the time it takes for the transport vehicle to return to the supply section. Therefore, it is easy to improve the efficiency of transporting items by multiple transport vehicles between the supply section and multiple receiving sections.

[0048] In one embodiment, among the multiple receiving sections arranged along the aisle area, the receiving section whose number of items received per unit time or the number of arrivals of the transport vehicles per unit time is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value is designated as a high frequency receiving section, and the receiving section whose number of items received per unit time or the number of arrivals of the transport vehicles per unit time is less than the threshold value is designated as a low frequency receiving section, and the high frequency receiving section is arranged on the first side of the Y direction relative to the low frequency receiving section, and the shortcut turning position is set in the boundary area in the Y direction between the area where the high frequency receiving section is located and the area where the low frequency receiving section is located.

[0049] According to this configuration, the number of transport vehicles traveling on the second side in the Y direction from the shortcut turning position can be kept small, and the number of transport vehicles making a U-turn at the shortcut turning position can be relatively increased. Therefore, it is easy to improve the efficiency of transporting articles by the multiple transport vehicles between the supply unit and the multiple receiving units.

[0050] In one embodiment, preferably, a plurality of the receiving sections are arranged in a line along the Y direction on each side of the passage area in the X direction, and the transport vehicle, on the outbound journey, delivers the article to the receiving section arranged on the opposite side of the return journey in the X direction, and, on the return journey, delivers the article to the receiving section arranged on the opposite side of the outbound journey in the X direction.

[0051] According to this configuration, in the aisle area, articles can be input to the receiving units on both the outbound and inbound routes, so that in one aisle area, articles can be efficiently sorted into a large number of receiving units. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 10: Goods sorting equipment 15: Supply section 20: Transport vehicle 30: Acceptance Department 31: 1st reception department 32: 2nd reception department 45: Control Systems 51: First end (end) 52: Shortcut turning position 53: Reference turning position 63: Outbound 64:Return E: Floor E1: Supply area E2: Connection area E3: Passage area W:Goods

Claims

1. An article sorting facility in which a plurality of transport vehicles travel on a floor to transport articles and sort the articles, A supply unit that supplies the article to the transport vehicle; a plurality of receivers, each configured to receive the item from the transport vehicle; Equipped with A specific direction among the directions along the floor is defined as a Y direction, a direction perpendicular to the Y direction among the directions along the floor is defined as an X direction, one side of the Y direction is defined as a Y direction first side, and the other side of the Y direction is defined as a Y direction second side, The floor includes: A passage area extending along the Y direction; a supply area in which the supply unit is provided and which is disposed on a first side in the Y direction with respect to the passage area; a connection area connecting the passage area and the supply area; is set, A plurality of the receiving portions are disposed along the passage area; In the passage area, an outward route along which the transport vehicle travels from an end portion on the first side in the Y direction to a reference turning position set on the second side in the Y direction from the end portion, and a return route along which the transport vehicle, having made a U-turn at the reference turning position, travels from the reference turning position to the end portion are set side by side in the X direction, An article sorting facility, wherein a shortcut turning position at which the transport vehicle can make a U-turn is set in the aisle area between the end and the reference turning position in the Y direction.

2. A control system for controlling the transport vehicle is provided. The receiving portion disposed on a first side in the Y direction from the shortcut turning position is defined as a first receiving portion, The receiving portion arranged on the second side in the Y direction from the shortcut turning position is a second receiving portion, The control system includes: the transport vehicle that transports the article to the second receiving section is made to make a U-turn at the reference turning position; The article sorting facility according to claim 1 , wherein the transport vehicle transporting the article to the first receiving section is made to make a U-turn at the shortcut turning position.

3. A control system for controlling the transport vehicle is provided. The receiving portion disposed on a first side in the Y direction from the shortcut turning position is defined as a first receiving portion, The receiving portion arranged on the second side in the Y direction from the shortcut turning position is a second receiving portion, The control system includes: a normal mode in which the articles are transported by the plurality of transport vehicles to both the first receiving unit and the second receiving unit among the plurality of receiving units; a partial operation mode in which the articles are transported by the plurality of transport vehicles only to the first receiving unit among the plurality of receiving units; The article sorting equipment according to claim 1 or 2, configured to be capable of switching between the above.

4. Among the plurality of receiving sections arranged along the passage area, a receiving section in which the number of received articles per unit time or the number of arrivals of the transport vehicles per unit time is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value is defined as a high-frequency receiving section, and a receiving section in which the number of received articles per unit time or the number of arrivals of the transport vehicles per unit time is less than the threshold value is defined as a low-frequency receiving section, The high frequency receiving portion is disposed on a first side in the Y direction relative to the low frequency receiving portion, The article sorting equipment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the shortcut turning position is set in a boundary area in the Y direction between an area in which the high frequency receiving section is located and an area in which the low frequency receiving section is located.

5. A plurality of the receiving portions are arranged on each of both sides of the passage area in the X direction so as to be aligned along the Y direction, 3. The item sorting facility according to claim 1, wherein the transport vehicle, on the outbound journey, delivers the item to the receiving section arranged on the opposite side to the return journey in the X-direction, and, on the return journey, delivers the item to the receiving section arranged on the opposite side to the outbound journey in the X-direction.

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