Article conveyance facility

Abstract

To provide an article conveyance facility that easily improves the article conveyance efficiency.SOLUTION: An article conveyance facility (1) includes a plurality of conveyance vehicles (10) and a control system that controls the conveyance vehicles (10). The control system sets an occupied area (O) in front of a travel direction along a travel path (P) from a current position of the conveyance vehicle (10) to a destination spot (D). When the occupied areas (O) of the plurality of conveyance vehicles (10) overlap each other, the control system makes the conveyance vehicle (10), which first sets an overlapping area (L) as the occupied area (O), first pass as a priority conveyance vehicle (10P) through the overlapping area (L).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an article transport facility. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in a logistics warehouse or the like, an article conveying facility is used to convey articles. One example of such an article conveying facility is disclosed in JP 2020-100482 A (Patent Document 1). The article conveying facility (article conveying facility F) of Patent Document 1 includes a plurality of conveying vehicles (article conveying vehicles V) that convey articles (articles W) and a control system (general control device Cf) that controls the conveying vehicles.

[0003] In the article conveying facility of Patent Document 1, the conveying vehicles can travel freely vertically and horizontally on the floor (floor surface 70), and the travel paths of the multiple conveying vehicles may cross each other. In such a case, in order to avoid collisions between the conveying vehicles, it is conceivable to have only one of the conveying vehicles enter the intersection of the travel paths while the other conveying vehicle waits. In this case, the longer the travel path of the object to be judged for collision avoidance is, the more intersections there are, and therefore the number of waiting conveying vehicles increases, resulting in a problem of reduced conveying efficiency. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-100482 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

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

[0006] The article transport equipment according to the present disclosure includes: An article transport facility including a plurality of transport vehicles that travel on a floor to transport articles, and a control system that controls the transport vehicles, The control system includes: The floor is divided into a plurality of unit areas each large enough to accommodate the transport vehicle, and the unit areas are managed accordingly; Controlling the transport vehicle to travel from the unit area of ​​a starting point to the unit area of ​​a destination point by moving through adjacent unit areas in sequence; Each of the plurality of transport vehicles is set as a target transport vehicle, and the unit area of ​​the set reservation number is set as an occupied area of ​​the target transport vehicle ahead in a traveling direction along a travel route from a current position of the target transport vehicle to the destination point; When the same unit area overlaps as the occupied area of ​​multiple transport vehicles, the transport vehicle that first set the overlapping area, which is the overlapping unit area, as its occupied area is made a priority transport vehicle, and after the priority transport vehicle has passed through the overlapping area, the other transport vehicles that set the overlapping area as their occupied area are moved to the overlapping area.

[0007] According to this configuration, it is possible to allow each of the multiple transport vehicles to travel appropriately to the destination while avoiding collisions between the multiple transport vehicles. In this case, for each transport vehicle, only unit areas equal to the set reservation number are set as the occupied area in the forward direction along the travel route to the destination, so that it is possible to avoid the occurrence of more overlapping areas than necessary where occupied areas overlap. This makes it possible to prevent each transport vehicle from slowing down or stopping excessively frequently to avoid collisions with other transport vehicles. Therefore, it is easy to increase the travel speed of each transport vehicle, and as a result, it is easy to increase the overall efficiency of transporting goods in the goods transport facility.

[0008] Further features and advantages of the techniques disclosed herein will become more apparent from the following description of exemplary and non-limiting embodiments, which proceeds with reference to the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a plan view of an article sorting facility including an article transport facility according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] Front view of the aisle area [Diagram 3] Control system block diagram [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a travel route of a transport vehicle; [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a route reservation process; [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a route reservation process; [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a route reservation process and a traffic control process; [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a route reservation process and a traffic control process; [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a route reservation process and a traffic control process; [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a route reservation process and a traffic control process; [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a route reservation process and a traffic control process; [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a route reservation process and a traffic control process; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] An embodiment of an article transport facility will be described with reference to the drawings. An article transport facility 1 of this embodiment is used, for example, in a logistics center (e.g., an article sorting facility) to transport an article A that is taken out from a warehouse and sorted for each delivery destination.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, the article conveying equipment 1 includes a transport vehicle 10, a supply section 20, and a receiving section 30. The article conveying equipment 1 also includes a control system 40 (see FIG. 3). The article conveying equipment 1 of this embodiment includes a plurality of transport vehicles 10, a plurality of supply sections 20, a plurality of receiving sections 30, and the control system 40. The transport vehicles 10 travel on a floor 6 to convey articles A. The supply section 20 supplies articles A to the transport vehicles 10. The receiving section 30 receives articles A from the transport vehicles 10. The control system 40 controls the plurality of transport vehicles 10, the plurality of supply sections 20, and the plurality of receiving sections 30.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 2, the floor 6 on which the transport vehicle 10 travels is a raised floor in this embodiment. The floor 6 has a floor material 61, the upper surface of which is the travel surface of the transport vehicle 10, and a plurality of supports 62 that support the floor material 61 from below. The floor 6 is formed so that its upper surface (the upper surface of the floor material 61 in this embodiment) is flush with the horizontal plane. Although not shown in the figure, a position information holder is provided on the upper surface of the floor 6 (the upper surface of the floor material 61). The position information holder is, for example, a one-dimensional code (barcode), a two-dimensional code (e.g., QR code, etc.), an IC tag, etc. The position information holders are provided in multiple locations, and each holds unique position information.

[0013] In this embodiment, a specific direction along the floor 6 is defined as the X direction, and a direction along the floor 6 perpendicular to the X direction is defined as the Y direction. In this embodiment, the left-right direction in FIG. 1 is defined as the "specific direction" and is defined as the X direction, and the up-down direction in FIG. 1 perpendicular to the X direction is defined as the Y direction. The direction perpendicular to both the X direction and the Y direction (the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG. 1) is defined as the Z direction. This Z direction is the up-down direction of the article conveying equipment 1 (see FIG. 2).

[0014] 1, a supply area R1 in which a supply unit 20 is provided, a connection area R2, and an aisle area R3 in which a receiving unit 30 is provided are set on a floor 6. In this embodiment, the supply area R1 and the aisle area R3 are linear areas extending along the Y direction, and multiple supply areas R1 and the aisle areas R3 are set in equal numbers. One supply area R1 and one aisle area R3 are arranged in a straight line at the same position in the X direction, and multiple pairs of the supply area R1 and the aisle area R3 are arranged intermittently at intervals in the X direction.

[0015] The connection area R2 connects the supply area R1 and the passage area R3. In this embodiment, the supply area R1 and the passage area R3 are arranged at an interval in the Y direction, and the connection area R2 connects the supply area R1 and the passage area R3 in the Y direction. The connection area R2 in this embodiment is a rectangular area in plan view extending in the X and Y directions so as to extend in the Y direction and connect all the supply areas R1 and all the passage areas R3.

[0016] In this way, the floor 6 is configured such that, from a rectangular connection area R2 located in the center in the Y direction, multiple supply areas R1 extend intermittently in the Y direction in the X direction on one side in the Y direction (upper side in Figure 1), and multiple passage areas R3 extend in the Y direction at the same positions as the corresponding supply areas R1 on the other side in the Y direction (lower side in Figure 1).

[0017] In this embodiment, the connection points of the multiple supply areas R1 and the connection area R2 are referred to as exit sections 66. The exit sections 66 are positions where the transport vehicle 10 exits the supply area R1. The connection points of the multiple passage areas R3 and the connection area R2 are referred to as passage entrance sections 67. The passage entrance sections 67 are positions where the transport vehicle 10 enters the passage area R3. The connection area R2 connects the exit sections 66 of the multiple supply areas R1 and the passage entrance sections 67 of the multiple passage areas R3 to each other.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the transport vehicle 10 that travels on the floor 6 includes a travel section 11 and a transfer section 15. The travel section 11 includes a vehicle body 12 and wheels 13 rotatably supported on the lower part of the vehicle body 12. The wheels 13 roll on the travel surface on the floor 6. A plurality of wheels 13 are provided, at least one of which is a drive wheel to which driving force from a driving force source (e.g., a drive motor or an internal combustion engine) is transmitted. The transport vehicle 10 of this embodiment is an electric vehicle equipped with a drive motor as a driving force source, and travels by receiving power supply, for example, from a battery, a fuel cell, contact or non-contact power supply from the floor 6, or the like.

[0019] The transfer unit 15 has a mounting table 16 supported above the vehicle body 12, and a drive mechanism 17. The mounting table 16 is configured to be able to freely change its posture between a horizontal posture along the horizontal direction and an inclined posture inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the mounting table 16 is configured to be able to freely change its posture between a first inclined posture in which the mounting table 16 is inclined about an end portion on one side in the X direction as an axis while facing the Y direction, and a second inclined posture in which the mounting table 16 is inclined about an end portion on the other side in the X direction as an axis. That is, the mounting table 16 is configured to be able to freely change its posture between a horizontal posture, a first inclined posture, and a second inclined posture. The drive mechanism 17 drives the mounting table 16 to change its posture between a horizontal posture and an inclined posture (a first inclined posture and a second inclined posture). The drive mechanism 17 may be, for example, a bar mechanism, a cylinder mechanism, a ball screw mechanism, or the like.

[0020] The transport vehicle 10 is also provided with a position information detection unit 19 (see FIG. 3) for reading information stored in a position information holder provided on the upper surface of the floor 6. The position information detection unit 19 used is one that corresponds to the type of position information holder, and may be, for example, a barcode reader, a QR code reader, or an IC tag reader.

[0021] A supply conveying device 21 is provided in each of the multiple supply sections 20 arranged at a distance from each other in the X direction. In this embodiment, one supply conveying device 21 is provided corresponding to each of the multiple supply areas R1. The supply conveying device 21 is formed in a loop shape having an outward route and a return route so that the supply conveying device 21 can convey the item A from an automated warehouse (not shown) and convey the item A to the automated warehouse. The supply conveying device 21 is, for example, a conveyor or an automated guided vehicle, and may be a combination of multiple types.

[0022] In this embodiment, the work subject W transfers the item A to the transport vehicle 10 at the supply section 20, whereby the item A is supplied to the transport vehicle 10. That is, the work subject W transfers the item A, which has been transported from the automated warehouse by the supply transport device 21, to the transport vehicle 10 at the supply section 20, whereby the item A is supplied to the transport vehicle 10. The work subject W is, for example, a worker or a working device (e.g., an arm-type robot, etc.), and may be a combination of multiple types. The transport vehicle 10 receives the item A on the mounting table 16 in a horizontal position, and travels toward the receiving section 30 with the item A placed on the mounting table 16.

[0023] Each of the receiving sections 30 arranged at a distance from each other in the X direction is provided with a receiving and conveying device 31 and a shipping device 32. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, in this embodiment, a plurality of receiving and conveying devices 31 and shipping devices 32 are provided in association with each of the plurality of passage areas R3. The receiving and conveying devices 31 are provided adjacent to both sides in the X direction for each passage area R3, and are arranged in the Y direction in a plurality of units (seven units in this example). The shipping devices 32 are provided adjacent to both sides in the X direction for each passage area R3, sandwiching the receiving and conveying device 31, and extend in the Y direction. The receiving and conveying devices 31 are, for example, conveyors, cranes, arm-type robots, etc., and may be a combination of a plurality of types. The shipping devices 32 are, for example, conveyors, automatic guided vehicles, etc., and may be a combination of a plurality of types.

[0024] In this embodiment, the loading platform 16 of the transport vehicle 10 is changed to an inclined position (first inclined position or second inclined position) in the receiving section 30, whereby the article A is transferred from the transport vehicle 10 to the receiving and conveying device 31, and then the article A is transferred from the receiving and conveying device 31 to the corresponding shipping device 32 (see FIG. 2). By changing the loading platform 16 to the first inclined position, the article A is transferred to the shipping device 32 via the receiving and conveying device 31 on one side in the X direction, and by changing the loading platform 16 to the second inclined position, the article A is transferred to the shipping device 32 via the receiving and conveying device 31 on the other side in the X direction.

[0025] The height of the conveying surface of the receiving and conveying device 31 is set to be equal to or lower than the height of the loading surface of the loading platform 16 of the conveying vehicle 10 on the floor 6. A container C is placed on the shipping device 32, and the difference between the height of the conveying surface of the receiving and conveying device 31 and the height of the conveying surface of the shipping device 32 is set to be equal to or higher than the height of the container C. The item A transferred from the conveying vehicle 10 is loaded into the container C placed on the shipping device 32 via the receiving and conveying device 31.

[0026] One container C corresponds to one delivery destination, and the type and number of items A specified in one piece of order information are sequentially placed in the container C corresponding to the order information. When all items A specified in the order information are contained in the container C, the collected container C is transported by the shipping device 32.

[0027] After receiving and transferring the article A in the passage area R3, the transport vehicle 10 returns to the supply area R1 via the return path. The return path may be provided on the floor 6, or may be provided so as to pass through a different position in the Z direction from the floor 6. In addition, if the transport vehicle 10 is configured to be powered by a battery, a charging station may be provided on the return path.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 3, the control system 40 includes a control device 41 that controls the transport vehicle 10 (traveling section 11 and transfer section 15). The control system 40 (control device 41) is configured to control the supply transport device 21, the receiving transport device 31, and the shipping device 32 in addition to the transport vehicle 10. The control device 41 includes an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a main storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory). Each function of the control device 41 is realized by cooperation between the arithmetic processing device and a program executed on the arithmetic processing device.

[0029] The control device 41 may be configured not as a single piece of hardware, but as a set of multiple pieces of hardware (multiple separate pieces of hardware) that can communicate with each other by wire or wirelessly. For example, the control device 41 may be configured to include a host control device installed in a control facility (not shown) and a control terminal device that is mounted on each transport vehicle 10 and can communicate with the host control device.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the control system 40 divides the floor 6 into a plurality of unit areas U each having a size that allows the transportation vehicle 10 to be accommodated when viewed in the Z direction, and manages the divided areas. Here, in the floor 6 of this embodiment, as described above, a plurality of linear supply areas R1 along the Y direction, a rectangular connection area R2 having an extension in the X direction and the Y direction, and a plurality of linear passage areas R3 along the Y direction are set. The supply area R1 and the passage area R3 are managed by a plurality of unit areas U arranged in a straight line along the Y direction. The connection area R2 is managed by a plurality of unit areas U arranged in a lattice shape (orthogonal lattice shape) along the X direction and the Y direction. Each unit area U is provided with a position information holder that holds unique position information. The control system 40 controls each of the plurality of transportation vehicles 10 based on information obtained from the position information holder.

[0031] The control system 40 is configured to control the transport vehicle 10 to travel from the unit area U of the starting point S to the unit area U of the destination point D, moving through adjacent unit areas U in sequence. Here, the starting point S corresponds to a point where the transport vehicle 10 in question receives an item A from a supply conveying device 21 in any of the supply areas R1. The destination point D corresponds to a point in the passage area R3 adjacent in the X direction to the container C to which the transport vehicle 10 that received the item A should deliver the item A, across the receiving conveying device 31.

[0032] 4, when the position of the starting point S in the X direction is the same as the position of the destination point D in the X direction, a collection of a unit area U of the starting point S, a unit area U of the destination point D, and a plurality of unit areas U arranged in a straight line between them in the Y direction constitutes the travel route P of the transport vehicle 10. In this case, the transport vehicle 10 passes through an exit 66 and a passage entrance 67 which are located at the same position in the X direction.

[0033] On the other hand, when the position of the starting point S in the X direction is different from the position of the destination point D in the X direction, a collection of the unit area U of the starting point S, the unit area U of the first turning point T1, the unit area U of the second turning point T2 that is at the same Y direction position as the first turning point T1 and at the same X direction position as the destination point D, the unit area U of the destination point D, and a plurality of unit areas U arranged in a straight line between them in the X direction or the Y direction constitutes the travel route P of the transport vehicle 10. In this case, the exit 66 and the passage entrance 67 through which the transport vehicle 10 passes are at different positions in the X direction.

[0034] In the following description, among the passage entrances 67 arranged at positions in the X direction different from the exit portion 66, the passage entrance 67 closest to the exit portion 66 in the X direction is referred to as the target entrance 67S. In particular, the target entrance 67S here is the passage entrance 67 located forward in the traveling direction of the transportation vehicle 10 under consideration and closest to the exit portion 66 in the X direction (see FIG. 5, etc.).

[0035] The control system 40 executes a route reservation process when controlling the multiple transport vehicles 10. In the route reservation process, the control system 40 sets a unit area U of a set reservation number in the forward direction along a travel route P from the current position of each transport vehicle 10 to a destination point D as an occupied area O of the transport vehicle 10. This occupied area O can be said to be an area (advance reservation area) reserved in advance so that other transport vehicles 10 do not enter the area in which the transport vehicle 10 is about to travel. The occupied area O also includes the current position of the transport vehicle 10. In addition, when the transport vehicle 10 moves, the occupied area O starting from the current position may also move accordingly.

[0036] In this embodiment, the control system 40 does not make the set reservation number for setting the occupied area O of each transporting vehicle 10 uniform (i.e., a fixed value), but makes it different (i.e., a variable value) depending on the state of the transporting vehicle 10. The control system 40 makes the set reservation number different depending on at least one of the position and traveling direction of the transporting vehicle 10.

[0037] For example, the control system 40 sets the first set reservation number, which is the set reservation number when the traveling direction of the transport vehicle 10 is along the Y direction, to be greater than the second set reservation number, which is the set reservation number when the traveling direction of the transport vehicle 10 is along the X direction. In this embodiment, the first set reservation number is the number of unit areas U according to the travel distance from when the transport vehicle 10 accelerates to a predetermined maximum speed until it decelerates at a predetermined deceleration and stops. The maximum speed, which is one of the criteria for determining the first set reservation number, may be set based on the specifications of the transport vehicle 10, or may be set arbitrarily by the user of the equipment. The deceleration, which is one of the criteria for determining the first set reservation number, is preferably set so as not to drop the item A during transportation. This deceleration may also be set based on the specifications of the transport vehicle 10, or may be set arbitrarily by the user of the equipment.

[0038] By setting the first set reservation number from this perspective, it is possible to preferentially improve the transportation efficiency of the transport vehicle 10 traveling along the Y direction. In this example, for the sake of convenience, it is assumed that the first set reservation number is set to "20", and in this case, the occupied area O of the transport vehicle 10 traveling along the Y direction is a collection of unit areas U of 20 squares arranged in the Y direction starting from the position of the transport vehicle 10.

[0039] On the other hand, the second set reservation number is set to a number equal to or less than the number of unit areas U in the X direction from the unit area U corresponding to the exit 66 to the unit area U corresponding to the target entrance 67S (hereinafter, this will be referred to as the "entrance corresponding area E"). In this embodiment, as described above, the transport vehicle 10 travels along the X direction when the position of the departure point S in the X direction is different from the position of the destination point D in the X direction. For this reason, the second set reservation number is set to a number equal to or less than the number of unit areas U in the X direction from the unit area U of the first direction change point T1 to the entrance corresponding area E.

[0040] When the current position of the transport vehicle 10 is the first turning point T1, the number of unit areas U in the X direction from the unit area U of the first turning point T1 to the entrance corresponding area E is the second set reservation number. When the transport vehicle 10 passes the first turning point T1 and proceeds toward the entrance corresponding area E, the number of unit areas U in the X direction from the unit area U corresponding to the current position of the transport vehicle 10 to the entrance corresponding area E is the second set reservation number.

[0041] In this embodiment, as an example, adjacent supply areas R1 in the X direction are arranged with a unit area U of 10 squares between them. Therefore, the second set reservation number is set to "12 or less", and in this case, the occupied area O of the transport vehicle 10 traveling along the X direction is a collection of multiple (* an integer of 12 or less) unit areas U arranged in the X direction with the position of the transport vehicle 10 as the starting point and the entrance corresponding area E as the end point.

[0042] In addition, when the position of the departure point S in the X direction and the position of the destination point D in the X direction are different, the destination point D may be in a passage area R3 connected by a passage entrance 67 different from the target entrance 67S. In such a case, when the control system 40 reaches the entrance corresponding area E, it updates the passage entrance 67 that is closest in the X direction from there as the new target entrance 67S, and sets the second set reservation number in the same manner as above. In addition, when multiple passage areas R3 are provided at equal intervals in the X direction, it is not necessary to update the target entrance 67S.

[0043] Also, when the transport vehicle 10 travels along the X direction, the transport vehicle 10 changes direction at the first turning point T1 so that the traveling direction changes from the Y direction to the X direction, and also changes direction at the second turning point T2 so that the traveling direction changes from the X direction to the Y direction. In such a case, the control system 40 sets only the area corresponding to the travel route P up to the turning point T as the occupied area O until the transport vehicle 10 reaches the turning point T. In other words, for the transport vehicle 10 that is scheduled to change direction after that, the control system 40 does not include the area corresponding to the travel route P after the change in the occupied area O. Then, after the transport vehicle 10 changes direction at the turning point T, the control system 40 sets the area corresponding to the travel route P from the turning point T as the occupied area O.

[0044] That is, the control system 40 sets only the area along the Y direction up to the first turning point T1 as the occupied area O until the transport vehicle 10 reaches the first turning point T1. Also, the control system 40 sets only the area along the X direction from the transport vehicle 10 turning in the X direction at the first turning point T1 until the transport vehicle 10 reaches the second turning point T2 as the occupied area O. Thereafter, the control system 40 sets the area along the Y direction from the transport vehicle 10 turning in the Y direction at the second turning point T2 to the destination point D as the occupied area O.

[0045] In addition, when the area along the Y direction up to the first turning point T1 or the area along the Y direction after the second turning point T2 is set as the occupied area O, if its length is greater than or equal to the length of the unit area U of the first set reservation number, the collection of unit areas U of the first set reservation number arranged in the Y direction starting from the position of the transport vehicle 10, as described above, is set as the occupied area O.

[0046] Similarly, when the area along the X direction after the first turning point T1 is set as the occupied area O, if its length is greater than or equal to the length of the unit area U of the second set reservation number, the collection of unit areas U of the second set reservation number arranged in the X direction starting from the position of the transport vehicle 10, as described above, is set as the occupied area O.

[0047] Since the control system 40 sets the occupied area O for each of the multiple guided vehicles 10 according to the above criteria, the occupied areas O of different guided vehicles 10 may intersect. In the following, a unit area U that overlaps as the occupied areas O of multiple guided vehicles 10 is referred to as an overlapping area L. When such an overlapping area L occurs, the control system 40 executes a traffic control process to avoid collisions between the guided vehicles 10.

[0048] In the traffic control process, the control system 40 designates the transport vehicle 10 that has set the overlap area L as the occupied area O first among the multiple transport vehicles 10 as the priority transport vehicle 10P, and causes the priority transport vehicle 10P to travel first through the overlap area L. At that time, the control system 40 causes the transport vehicles 10 other than the priority transport vehicle 10P among the multiple transport vehicles 10 that have set the overlap area L as the occupied area O to wait in front of the overlap area L in their respective occupied areas O as necessary. After that, the control system 40 moves the other transport vehicles 10 to the overlap area L after the priority transport vehicle 10P has passed through the overlap area L.

[0049] An example of the route reservation process and the traffic control process executed by the control system 40 of this embodiment will be described in more detail below.

[0050] 5, when an item A is supplied to a transport vehicle 10 (hereinafter, referred to as "10A" to distinguish it from other transport vehicles 10) at a certain supply unit 20, a travel route P is drawn with the position as a starting point S and a position corresponding to a receiving unit 30 in which a container C into which the item A should be placed as a destination point D. In this example, the position of the starting point S in the X direction is different from the position of the destination point D in the X direction, and the travel route P includes two direction changes T.

[0051] In this case, until the guided vehicle 10A reaches the first turning point T1, the control system 40 sets only the area along the Y direction up to the first turning point T1 as the occupied area O. Then, the control system 40 causes the guided vehicle 10A to travel through the occupied area O. Note that as the guided vehicle 10A travels, its current position changes from moment to moment, and the occupied area O gradually becomes shorter, but the end point of the occupied area O along the Y direction does not change to the first turning point T1.

[0052] When the transport vehicle 10A reaches the first direction change point T1, the control system 40 changes the direction of the transport vehicle 10A so that the travel direction changes from the Y direction to the X direction. Then, when the direction change is completed, the control system 40 sets only the area along the X direction from the first direction change point T1 to the entrance corresponding area E (the unit area U corresponding to the target entrance 67S, which is the passage entrance 67 that is closest to the exit 66 in the X direction) as the occupied area O, as shown in FIG.

[0053] In this example, at that timing, as shown in Fig. 7, it is assumed that an item A is supplied to another transport vehicle 10 (hereinafter, indicated as "10B") at a supply unit 20 located at the same position in the X direction as the entrance corresponding area E for the transport vehicle 10A. Then, for this transport vehicle 10B, a travel route P is drawn with its position as a starting point S and a destination point D as a position corresponding to the receiving unit 30 where the container C into which the item A is to be placed is installed. In this example, the position of the starting point S in the X direction is the same as the position of the destination point D in the X direction, and the travel route P is a straight line along the Y direction.

[0054] In this example, the number of unit areas from the departure point S to the destination point D of the transport vehicle 10B is larger than the first set reservation number, and the control system 40 sets a collection of the unit areas U of the first set reservation number arranged in the Y direction from the departure point S as the occupied area O of the transport vehicle 10B. Then, the occupied area O of the transport vehicle 10A and the occupied area O of the transport vehicle 10B overlap in the entrance corresponding area E which is the downstream end of the occupied area O of the transport vehicle 10A.

[0055] In this case, in this example, the occupied area O of the transport vehicle 10A has already been set prior to the setting of the occupied area O of the transport vehicle 10B, and the overlap area L has been reserved in advance by the transport vehicle 10A. Therefore, the control system 40 sets the transport vehicle 10A, which has set the overlap area L as the occupied area O first, as the priority transport vehicle 10P, out of the transport vehicles 10A and 10B. Then, as shown in FIG. 8, the control system 40 resets the occupied area O of the transport vehicle 10B, which is not the priority transport vehicle 10P, out of the transport vehicles 10A and 10B, to the unit area U just before the overlap area L. As a result, the control system 40 makes the transport vehicle 10B wait in the unit area U just before the overlap area L, and makes the transport vehicle 10A, which is the priority transport vehicle 10P, travel through the overlap area L first, as shown in FIG. 9.

[0056] When the guided vehicle 10A reaches the overlap area L, the control system 40 resets the collection of multiple unit areas U arranged in the X direction from the guided vehicle 10A's position to the second turning point T2 as the occupied area O of the guided vehicle 10A.

[0057] In this example, as suggested in Fig. 9, it is assumed that before the transport vehicle 10A travels through the overlap area L, an item A is supplied to another transport vehicle 10 (hereinafter, indicated as "10C") at a supply unit 20 located at the same position in the X direction as the second turning point T2 for the transport vehicle 10A. The travel route P of this transport vehicle 10C is a route that starts at this position as a starting point S and ends at a destination point D at a position corresponding to the receiving unit 30 in which a container C into which the item A should be placed is installed. In this example, it is assumed that the position of the starting point S in the X direction is the same as the position of the destination point D in the X direction, and the travel route P is a straight line along the Y direction.

[0058] When the transport vehicle 10A reaches the previous overlap area L and the occupied area O of the transport vehicle 10A is updated to include the second direction change location T2, the occupied area O of the transport vehicle 10A and the occupied area O of the transport vehicle 10C overlap at the second direction change location T2. ​​Thus, a new overlap area L is generated as the occupied area O of the transport vehicle 10A is updated.

[0059] In this case, in this example, the occupied area O of the transport vehicle 10C has already been set prior to updating (resetting) the occupied area O of the transport vehicle 10A, and the newly generated overlapping area L has been reserved in advance by the transport vehicle 10C. Therefore, the control system 40 designates the transport vehicle 10C, which has set the overlapping area L as its occupied area O first, as the priority transport vehicle 10P, out of the transport vehicles 10A and 10C. Then, as shown in FIG. 10, the control system 40 resets the occupied area O of the transport vehicle 10A, which is not the priority transport vehicle 10P, out of the transport vehicles 10A and 10C, to the unit area U just before the overlapping area L. As a result, the control system 40 causes the transport vehicle 10C, which is the priority transport vehicle 10P, to travel through the overlapping area L first.

[0060] As the transport vehicle 10A advances, the initial overlap area L between the transport vehicle 10A and the transport vehicle 10B disappears, and the control system 40 releases the restriction on the occupied area O of the transport vehicle 10B. As a result, the occupied area O of the transport vehicle 10B is updated (reset) to a set of multiple unit areas U arranged in the Y direction from the current position to the destination point D, and the transport vehicle 10B starts traveling again toward the destination point D.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 11, in this example, in the relationship between the transport vehicle 10A and the transport vehicle 10C, the transport vehicle 10C reaches the overlap area L before the transport vehicle 10A reaches the unit area U just before the overlap area L. When the transport vehicle 10C proceeds beyond the overlap area L, the overlap area L disappears, and the control system 40 releases the restriction on the occupied area O for the transport vehicle 10A. As a result, the occupied area O of the transport vehicle 10A is updated (reset) to a set of multiple unit areas U arranged in the X direction from its current position to the second direction change point T2, and then the transport vehicle 10A proceeds to the second direction change point T2 without waiting on the way.

[0062] When the transport vehicle 10A reaches the second turning point T2, the control system 40 changes the direction of the transport vehicle 10A so that the traveling direction changes from the X direction to the Y direction. Then, when the direction change is completed, the control system 40 sets the area along the Y direction from the second turning point T2 to the destination point D as an occupied area O, as shown in FIG. 12. The transport vehicles 10A and 10C travel toward their respective destination points D.

[0063] By executing the route reservation processing and traffic control processing as described above, collisions between transport vehicles can be avoided while preventing the occurrence of more overlapping areas L than necessary, thereby improving the overall transport efficiency of the item transport equipment 1.

[0064] Other embodiments (1) In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the set reservation number for setting the occupied area O is a variable value depending on the state of the transport vehicle 10. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the set reservation number for setting the occupied area O may be a fixed value that does not depend on the state of the transport vehicle 10.

[0065] (2) In the above embodiment, the first set reservation number when the traveling direction of the transport vehicle 10 is along the Y direction is set to be larger than the second set reservation number when the traveling direction of the transport vehicle 10 is along the X direction. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the first set reservation number when the traveling direction of the transport vehicle 10 is along the Y direction may be set to be the same as or smaller than the second set reservation number when the traveling direction of the transport vehicle 10 is along the X direction.

[0066] (3) In the above embodiment, the first set reservation number is set to the number of unit areas U according to the travel distance of the transport vehicle 10 from accelerating to a predetermined maximum speed until it decelerates at a predetermined deceleration and stops. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the first set reservation number may be set according to a different standard. For example, the first set reservation number may be set to a value determined according to the size of the article transport equipment 1 (or the number of unit areas U set on the floor 6).

[0067] (4) In the above embodiment, the second set reservation number is set based on the relationship with the unit area U (entrance corresponding area E) corresponding to the target entrance 67S. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the second set reservation number may be set according to a different standard. For example, the second set reservation number may be set to a value smaller than the first set reservation number by a predetermined fixed value.

[0068] (5) In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described as an example in which the control system 40 sets an area corresponding to the travel path P from the turn point T after the guided vehicle 10 changes direction at the turn point T as the occupied area O. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the control system 40 may set an area corresponding to the travel path P after the guided vehicle 10 changes direction at the turn point T as the occupied area O when the guided vehicle 10 reaches the turn point T.

[0069] (6) In the above embodiment, it has been mainly assumed that the supply area R1, the connection area R2, and the passage area R3 represent areas defined by the actual outer edge of the floor 6. However, without being limited to such a configuration, the supply area R1, the connection area R2, and the passage area R3 may be virtual areas that are simply set on the floor 6.

[0070] (7) In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described as an example in which the supply area R1 and the passage area R3 are linear areas extending along the Y direction, and the connection area R2 is a rectangular area in plan view that extends in the X and Y directions. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and for example, at least one of the supply area R1 and the passage area R3 may be a rectangular area in plan view that extends in the X and Y directions, or the entire supply area R1, the connection area R2, and the passage area R3 may be a rectangular area in plan view that extends in the X and Y directions.

[0071] (8) In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which a plurality of outlets 66 are provided in correspondence with a plurality of supply areas R1 spaced apart in the X direction. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and for example, there may be only one outlet 66.

[0072] (9) In the above embodiment, a configuration in which a plurality of passage areas R3 are provided at equal intervals in the X direction has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the intervals between adjacent passage areas R3 in the X direction may be partially different. In this case, when focusing on one exit section 66, the distances to adjacent passage entrance sections 67 in the X direction may differ from each other. In such a case, the second set reservation number may be set by setting the closer of the two passage entrance sections 67 adjacent in the X direction as the target entrance section 67S, or the second set reservation number may be set to a different value between one side and the other side in the X direction.

[0073] (10) In the above embodiment, the receiving units 30 are arranged along the passage area R3. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and multiple receiving units 30 may be arranged, for example, scattered over a wide area. The multiple receiving units 30 may be arranged at intervals from each other at least in the X direction, and may also be arranged at intervals from each other in the Y direction.

[0074] (11) In the above embodiment, the description was given mainly assuming a configuration in which the control device 41 constituting the control system 40 includes a host control device and a control terminal device mounted on each transport vehicle 10 and capable of communicating with the host control device. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the control system 40 may be a system in which the control terminal devices mounted on each of the multiple transport vehicles 10 communicate with each other and each of them makes autonomous decisions and operates. In addition, a position information holder does not need to be provided on the floor 6, and in this case, the control system 40 may obtain position information of the transport vehicle 10 by a sensor, a camera, or the like installed on the transport vehicle 10 or the facility side.

[0075] (12) In the above embodiment, the article conveying equipment 1 is used in a logistics center (e.g., an article sorting facility). However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the article conveying equipment 1 of the present embodiment can be used in any facility where an article A needs to be conveyed, such as a factory or a warehouse.

[0076] (13) The configurations disclosed in the above-mentioned embodiments (including the above-mentioned embodiments and other embodiments; the same applies below) 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 illustrative in all respects and can be appropriately modified within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0077] Summary of the embodiment To summarise the above, an article transport facility according to the present disclosure preferably comprises the following configurations.

[0078] An article transport facility including a plurality of transport vehicles that travel on a floor to transport articles, and a control system that controls the transport vehicles, The control system includes: The floor is divided into a plurality of unit areas each large enough to accommodate the transport vehicle, and the unit areas are managed accordingly; Controlling the transport vehicle to travel from the unit area of ​​a starting point to the unit area of ​​a destination point by moving through adjacent unit areas in sequence; Each of the plurality of transport vehicles is set as a target transport vehicle, and the unit area of ​​the set reservation number is set as an occupied area of ​​the target transport vehicle ahead in a traveling direction along a travel route from a current position of the target transport vehicle to the destination point; When the same unit area overlaps as the occupied area of ​​multiple transport vehicles, the transport vehicle that first set the overlapping area, which is the overlapping unit area, as its occupied area is made a priority transport vehicle, and after the priority transport vehicle has passed through the overlapping area, the other transport vehicles that set the overlapping area as their occupied area are moved to the overlapping area.

[0079] According to this configuration, it is possible to allow each of the multiple transport vehicles to travel appropriately to the destination while avoiding collisions between the multiple transport vehicles. In this case, for each transport vehicle, only unit areas equal to the set reservation number are set as the occupied area in the forward direction along the travel route to the destination, so that it is possible to avoid the occurrence of more overlapping areas than necessary where occupied areas overlap. This makes it possible to prevent each transport vehicle from slowing down or stopping excessively frequently to avoid collisions with other transport vehicles. Therefore, it is easy to increase the travel speed of each transport vehicle, and as a result, it is easy to increase the overall efficiency of transporting goods in the goods transport facility.

[0080] In one embodiment, A supply unit that supplies the article to the transport vehicle; and a plurality of receiving units for receiving the items from the transport vehicle, A specific direction among the directions along the floor is defined as an X direction, and a direction perpendicular to the X direction among the directions along the floor is defined as a Y direction, The receiving portions are arranged spaced apart from each other in the X direction, The supply unit and the plurality of receiving units are disposed apart from each other in the Y direction, It is preferable that the control system sets a first set reservation number, which is the set reservation number when the travel direction of the transport vehicle is along the Y direction, to be greater than a second set reservation number, which is the set reservation number when the travel direction of the transport vehicle is along the X direction.

[0081] According to this configuration, a longer occupied area is set for a transport vehicle traveling along the Y direction from the supply unit to the receiving unit than for a transport vehicle traveling along the X direction to one of the multiple receiving units. For this reason, a transport vehicle traveling along the Y direction is more likely to set the overlap area as an occupied area first than a transport vehicle traveling along the X direction, and is more likely to pass through preferentially. This makes it easier to increase the travel speed of a transport vehicle traveling along the Y direction from the supply unit to the receiving unit. In general, the route from the supply unit to the receiving unit is often longer than the route to one of the multiple receiving units, and as a result, it is easier to further increase the article transport efficiency of the article transport facility as a whole.

[0082] In one embodiment, A supply area in which the supply unit is provided, a plurality of passage areas each extending along the Y direction and arranged in the X direction, and a connection area connecting the supply area and the plurality of passage areas are set on the floor, A plurality of the receiving portions are disposed along each of the plurality of passage areas; the connection area is an area extending in the X direction and the Y direction so as to connect an outlet portion of the supply area to passage inlets which are inlets of the plurality of passage areas, The passage inlet portion is disposed at a position in the X direction different from the outlet portion, and the passage inlet portion that is closest to the outlet portion in the X direction is defined as a target inlet portion, It is preferable that the control system sets the second set reservation number to a number equal to or less than the number of unit areas in the X direction from the unit area corresponding to the exit portion to the unit area corresponding to the target entrance portion.

[0083] According to this configuration, it is easy to reduce the frequency that a transport vehicle attempting to enter the aisle area from the connection area is obstructed by a transport vehicle attempting to leave the exit portion and travel in the X direction toward an aisle area separated in the X direction. Therefore, it is easy to increase the travel speed of a transport vehicle entering the aisle area from the connection area. This makes it easy to increase the travel speed of a transport vehicle traveling a relatively long distance along the aisle area, and therefore it is easy to further increase the article transport efficiency of the entire article transport facility.

[0084] In one embodiment, It is preferable that the control system sets the second set reservation number for the guided vehicle traveling along the X direction toward an entrance corresponding area, which is the unit area corresponding to the target entrance in the X direction, to the number of unit areas in the X direction from the unit area corresponding to a current position of the target guided vehicle to the entrance corresponding area.

[0085] According to this configuration, when the travel path of a transport vehicle traveling along the X direction intersects with a path along the Y direction that leads to an aisle area, it is possible to avoid setting the area beyond the intersection with the path along the Y direction as the occupied area of ​​the transport vehicle. This makes it possible to avoid the occupied area of ​​the transport vehicle traveling along the X direction becoming larger than necessary, regardless of whether the transport vehicle crosses the intersection and travels in the X direction, or joins the path along the Y direction at the intersection. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the occupied area of ​​a transport vehicle traveling along the X direction will obstruct the travel of other transport vehicles, and it is easy to further improve the efficiency of transporting goods in the entire goods transport facility.

[0086] In one embodiment, It is preferable that the control system sets the first set reservation number to the number of unit areas corresponding to the distance traveled by the transport vehicle after accelerating to a predetermined maximum speed and then decelerating at a predetermined deceleration rate to a stop.

[0087] According to this configuration, it becomes easier to secure a long period during which transport vehicles traveling along the Y direction can travel at maximum speed, which makes it easier to further increase the article transport efficiency of the entire article transport facility.

[0088] In one embodiment, When there is a turnaround point in the travel path of the target transport vehicle where the direction of travel is changed, it is preferable that the control system only sets the occupied area corresponding to the travel path up to the turnaround point until the target transport vehicle reaches the turnaround point, and then sets the occupied area corresponding to the travel path from the turnaround point after the target transport vehicle reaches the turnaround point.

[0089] This configuration makes it possible to prevent the area occupied by the transport vehicle from becoming larger than necessary, thereby reducing the possibility that the occupied area will impede the travel of other transport vehicles, and making it easier to further improve the efficiency of transporting goods in the entire goods transport facility.

[0090] It is sufficient for the article transport facility according to the present disclosure to achieve at least one of the above-mentioned effects. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 1. Goods transport equipment 6th Floor 10 Transport vehicle 10P Priority Transport Vehicle 20 Supply section 30 Reception Department 40 Control System 66 Exit section 67 Passage entrance 67S Target entrance R1 Supply Area R2 Connection Area R3 Passage area U unit area O Occupied Area L Overlap Area E Entrance Correspondence Area P Travel route S. Departure point D Destination point T Turning Point T1 First turning point T2 Second turning point A Goods

Claims

1. An article transport facility including a plurality of transport vehicles that travel on a floor to transport articles, and a control system that controls the transport vehicles, The control system includes: The floor is divided into a plurality of unit areas each large enough to accommodate the transport vehicle, and the unit areas are managed accordingly; Controlling the transport vehicle to travel from the unit area of ​​a starting point to the unit area of ​​a destination point by moving through adjacent unit areas in sequence; Each of the plurality of transport vehicles is set as a target transport vehicle, and the unit area of ​​the set reservation number is set as an occupied area of ​​the target transport vehicle ahead in a traveling direction along a travel route from a current position of the target transport vehicle to the destination point; When the same unit area overlaps as the occupied area of ​​multiple transport vehicles, the transport vehicle that first set the overlapping area, which is the overlapping unit area, as its occupied area is made a priority transport vehicle, and after the priority transport vehicle has passed through the overlapping area, the other transport vehicle that set the overlapping area as its occupied area is moved to the overlapping area.

2. A supply unit that supplies the article to the transport vehicle; and a plurality of receiving units for receiving the items from the transport vehicle, A specific direction among the directions along the floor is defined as an X direction, and a direction perpendicular to the X direction among the directions along the floor is defined as a Y direction, The receiving portions are arranged spaced apart from each other in the X direction, The supply unit and the plurality of receiving units are disposed apart from each other in the Y direction, The item transport equipment according to claim 1, wherein the control system sets a first set reservation number, which is the set reservation number when the travel direction of the transport vehicle is along the Y direction, to be greater than a second set reservation number, which is the set reservation number when the travel direction of the transport vehicle is along the X direction.

3. A supply area in which the supply unit is provided, a plurality of passage areas each extending along the Y direction and arranged to be aligned in the X direction, and a connection area connecting the supply area and the plurality of passage areas are set on the floor, A plurality of the receiving portions are disposed along each of the plurality of passage areas; the connection area is an area extending in the X direction and the Y direction so as to connect an outlet portion of the supply area to passage inlets which are inlets of the plurality of passage areas, The passage inlet portion is disposed at a position in the X direction different from the outlet portion, and the passage inlet portion that is closest to the outlet portion in the X direction is defined as a target inlet portion, 3. The item transport facility according to claim 2, wherein the control system sets the second set reservation number to a number equal to or less than the number of unit areas in the X direction from the unit area corresponding to the exit portion to the unit area corresponding to the target entrance portion.

4. 4. The item transport facility according to claim 3, wherein the control system sets the second set reservation number for the transport vehicle traveling along the X direction toward an entrance corresponding area, which is the unit area corresponding to the target entrance in the X direction, as the number of unit areas in the X direction from the unit area corresponding to a current position of the target transport vehicle to the entrance corresponding area.

5. 5. The item transport equipment according to claim 2, wherein the control system sets the first set reservation number to the number of unit areas corresponding to a distance traveled by the transport vehicle after accelerating to a predetermined maximum speed and then decelerating at a predetermined deceleration rate until the transport vehicle stops.

6. The item transport equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein, when there is a turnaround point in the travel path of the target transport vehicle where the direction of travel is changed, the control system sets only the occupied area corresponding to the travel path up to the turnaround point until the target transport vehicle reaches the turnaround point, and after the target transport vehicle reaches the turnaround point, sets the occupied area corresponding to the travel path from the turnaround point.

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