Article conveyance facility

Abstract

To provide an article conveyance facility capable of appropriately conveying articles while avoiding collision between conveyance vehicles.SOLUTION: An article conveyance vehicle (1) includes: a plurality of conveyance vehicles (10); and a control system that controls the conveyance vehicles (10). The control system executes abnormality processing of setting, upon the occurrence of abnormality with any of the plurality of conveyance vehicles (10), a unit area (U) where an abnormal conveyance vehicle (10E) with the aforementioned abnormality may be present, as an approach-prohibited area (K) into which the approach of the other normal conveyance vehicles (10) is prohibited.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

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 transport facility of Patent Document 1, the transport vehicles can travel freely vertically and horizontally on the floor (floor surface 70), and there is a possibility that the transport vehicles may collide with each other. If a collision occurs, the transport efficiency will decrease significantly, so it is preferable to take measures in advance to prevent the transport vehicles from colliding with each other. Even if some measures are taken, if an unexpected event occurs (for example, if some abnormality occurs in one of the multiple transport vehicles), it may trigger a collision. However, Patent Document 1 does not particularly consider avoiding collisions between transport vehicles, especially avoiding collisions between transport vehicles even when an unexpected event occurs. [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 appropriately transport articles while avoiding collisions between transport vehicles. [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; A normal process is executed to control the plurality of transport vehicles so that the plurality of transport vehicles do not enter the same unit area at the same time; When an abnormality occurs in any of the multiple transport vehicles, abnormality processing is executed to set the unit area in which the abnormal transport vehicle, the transport vehicle in which the abnormality occurs, may be located, as a no-entry area in which other normal transport vehicles are prohibited from entering.

[0007] According to this configuration, by executing the normal process, when no abnormality occurs in any of the multiple transport vehicles, it is possible to appropriately transport goods while avoiding collisions between the transport vehicles. Furthermore, when an abnormality occurs in any of the multiple transport vehicles, the abnormality process is executed to set the unit area in which the abnormal transport vehicle may exist as a no-entry area, so that even if the unit area in which the abnormal transport vehicle exists cannot be determined, it is possible to reduce the possibility of the abnormal transport vehicle colliding with other normal transport vehicles. Therefore, not only in normal times but also when a sudden abnormality occurs in some of the transport vehicles, it is possible to appropriately transport goods while avoiding collisions between the transport vehicles.

[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. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of normal processing; [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing another example of normal processing; [Figure 7] Schematic diagram showing an example of a first abnormality [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an abnormality process when a first abnormality occurs; [Figure 9] Schematic diagram showing an example of the second abnormality [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an abnormality process when a second abnormality occurs. [Figure 11] A schematic diagram showing an example of the third abnormality [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of abnormality processing when a third abnormality occurs. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of abnormality processing; 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. A position information holder 65 is provided on the upper surface of the floor 6 (the upper surface of the floor material 61). The position information holder 65 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 65 are provided in a plurality of 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] 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.

[0018] 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.

[0019] The transport vehicle 10 is also provided with a reading unit 19 for reading information stored in a position information storage unit 65 provided on the upper surface of the floor 6. The reading unit 19 used corresponds to the type of the position information storage unit 65, and may be, for example, a barcode reader, a QR code reader, or an IC tag reader. The transport vehicle 10 may also be provided with a speed sensor for detecting the traveling speed, an acceleration sensor for detecting the acceleration, or the like.

[0020] 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.

[0021] 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.

[0022] 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.

[0023] 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.

[0024] 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.

[0025] Furthermore, 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 into 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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.

[0028] 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.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the control system 40 divides the floor 6 into a plurality of unit areas U, each of which is large enough to accommodate the transport vehicle 10 when viewed in the Z direction, and manages the divided areas. Here, in the floor 6 of this embodiment, a plurality of linear supply areas R1 along the Y direction, a rectangular connection area R2 extending in the X and Y directions, and a plurality of linear passage areas R3 along the Y direction are set as described above. 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 (orthogonal lattice) along the X and Y directions. Each unit area U is provided with a position information holder 65 that holds unique position information. The control system 40 controls each of the plurality of transport vehicles 10 based on information obtained from the position information holder 65.

[0030] 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.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 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, the collection of the unit area U of the starting point S, 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 Y direction becomes the travel route P of the transport vehicle 10.

[0032] 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, the travel route P of the transport vehicle 10 is a collection of the unit area U of the starting point S, the unit area U of the first turning point, the unit area U of the second turning point which is in the same Y direction position as the first turning point and in 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.

[0033] The control system 40 executes normal processing and abnormality processing when controlling the multiple transport vehicles 10. The normal processing is processing executed when no abnormality occurs in any of the multiple transport vehicles 10. The abnormality processing is processing executed when an abnormality occurs in any of the multiple transport vehicles 10. The normal processing is executed for the transport vehicles 10 traveling in all areas, including the supply area R1, the connection area R2, and the passage area R3. The abnormality processing is executed mainly for the transport vehicles 10 traveling in the connection area R2, which is rectangular in plan view and extends in the X and Y directions.

[0034] The control system 40 judges whether or not an abnormality has occurred in each of the multiple transport vehicles 10 based on information acquired from each of the multiple transport vehicles 10. The control system 40 judges whether or not the transport vehicle 10 is traveling along the travel route P as scheduled or is correctly stopped at a predetermined position based on, for example, position information read by a reading unit 19 provided on the transport vehicle 10. In this case, when the control system 40 confirms that the transport vehicle 10 has deviated from the scheduled travel route P or deviated from the scheduled stopping position, it judges that an abnormality has occurred in the transport vehicle 10.

[0035] Alternatively, the control system 40 judges whether the transport vehicle 10 is running smoothly without sudden deceleration, etc., based on acceleration information acquired by an acceleration sensor provided on the transport vehicle 10. In this case, when the control system 40 detects a negative acceleration exceeding a predetermined value determined in advance based on an absolute value standard, it judges that an abnormality has occurred in the transport vehicle 10.

[0036] In normal processing executed when no abnormality occurs in any of the multiple transport vehicles 10, the control system 40 controls the multiple transport vehicles 10 so that the multiple transport vehicles 10 do not simultaneously enter the same unit area U. When executing this normal processing, the control system 40 sets the set reservation number of unit areas U as the occupied area O of each transport vehicle 10 in the forward direction along the travel path P from the current position of the transport vehicle 10 to the destination point D (see Figs. 5 and 6). This occupied area O can be said to be an area reserved in advance (advance reservation area) so that other transport vehicles 10 do not enter because 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 also moves accordingly.

[0037] The set reservation number that defines the size of the occupied area O may be a uniform fixed value, or may be a variable value that differs depending on the state of the transport vehicle 10. The set reservation number can be appropriately determined by the user so as to increase the overall transport efficiency of the article transport equipment 1.

[0038] In normal processing, when the occupied areas O of different transport vehicles 10 intersect (here, the unit area U at the intersection is referred to as the "overlap area"), the control system 40 of this embodiment gives priority to the transport vehicle 10 that first sets the overlap area as its occupied area O. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 5, a transport vehicle 10 traveling along the X direction sets the overlap area, shown with diagonal lines in the figure, as its occupied area O before a transport vehicle 10 that is about to start traveling along the Y direction. Therefore, the control system 40 gives priority to the transport vehicle 10 traveling along the X direction to travel through its own occupied area O.

[0039] 6, the transport vehicle 10 traveling along the Y direction sets the overlap area indicated by the diagonal lines in the figure as the occupied area O before the transport vehicle 10 that is about to start traveling along the X direction. Therefore, the control system 40 gives priority to the transport vehicle 10 traveling along the Y direction to travel through the occupied area O of the transport vehicle 10.

[0040] In this way, in normal processing, the control system 40 controls the multiple transport vehicles 10 so that the transport vehicles 10 that have set the overlapping area as the occupied area O first travel preferentially, thereby preventing multiple transport vehicles 10 from simultaneously entering the same unit area U. This makes it possible to appropriately transport the article A while avoiding collisions between the transport vehicles 10.

[0041] However, even if the normal processing is executed to prevent multiple transport vehicles 10 from entering the same unit area U at the same time, if any abnormality suddenly occurs in any of the transport vehicles 10, this may trigger a collision. Therefore, in the abnormality processing executed in this embodiment when an abnormality occurs in any of the multiple transport vehicles 10, the control system 40 sets the unit area U in which the transport vehicle 10 with the abnormality (hereinafter referred to as the "abnormal transport vehicle 10E") may exist as a no-entry area K in which the entry of other normal transport vehicles 10 is prohibited.

[0042] As described above, each unit area U is provided with a position information holder 65 that holds unique position information, and the transport vehicle 10 is provided with a reading unit 19 for reading the information held in the position information holder 65. Therefore, the control system 40 may be able to identify one unit area U in which the abnormal transport vehicle 10E exists, or multiple unit areas U in which the abnormal transport vehicle 10E exists across boundaries, based on the position information read by each transport vehicle 10 with the reading unit 19. In such a case, the control system 40 sets all of at least one unit area U in which the presence of the abnormal transport vehicle 10E has been confirmed as a no-entry area K.

[0043] For example, as shown in FIG. 7, there are cases where the transport vehicle 10 deviates from the target stopping position T (hereinafter referred to as the "target stopping position T"), where it is scheduled to stop, within a range where the position information holder 65 provided in the unit area U where the transport vehicle 10 is scheduled to stop, can be read. This corresponds to a so-called overrun. In such a case, the transport vehicle 10 is capable of reading the position information holder 65, and therefore can determine the unit area U in which it exists, or multiple unit areas U that exist across boundaries. In this embodiment, such an abnormality is referred to as a "first abnormality."

[0044] If the abnormality occurring in the abnormal transport vehicle 10E is a first abnormality, the control system 40 sets the range of L unit areas U existing ahead of the abnormal transport vehicle 10E in the traveling direction as a no-entry area K, starting from the unit area U existing just before the abnormal transport vehicle 10E became abnormal (specifically, the unit area U where the abnormal transport vehicle 10E last read the position information holder 65; hereinafter referred to as the "just before area B", and in this case the target stopping position T) as shown in FIG. 8. Here, L is an integer of 2 or more. In this embodiment, the control system 40 sets the two unit areas U whose boundaries the abnormal transport vehicle 10E straddles due to overrun as the no-entry area K, and in this case L is "2".

[0045] On the other hand, there are cases where the control system 40 cannot grasp one unit area U in which the abnormal guided vehicle 10E exists, or multiple unit areas U in which the abnormal guided vehicle 10E exists across boundaries, for example, when the position information of each guided vehicle 10 cannot be read by the reading unit 19. In such cases, the control system 40 sets no-entry areas K of different ranges according to the type of abnormality that has occurred in the abnormal guided vehicle 10E.

[0046] For example, as shown in FIG. 9, there are cases where the transport vehicle 10 deviates from the stop target position T to such an extent that the position information holder 65 provided at the stop target position T cannot be read. This corresponds to a so-called derailment. In such a case, the transport vehicle 10 cannot read the position information holder 65, and therefore cannot determine the unit area U in which it exists, or multiple unit areas U that exist across boundaries. In this embodiment, such an abnormality is referred to as a "second abnormality."

[0047] When the abnormality occurring in the abnormal guided vehicle 10E is the second abnormality, the control system 40 sets the range of M×M unit areas U on the forward side in the traveling direction including the immediately preceding area B (in this case, the stop target position T) as the no-entry area K, as shown in FIG. 10. Here, M is an integer of 2 or more. In the case of the second abnormality (derailment), compared to the case of the first abnormality (overrun), there may be a greater jump forward in the traveling direction, and there may also be a shift in the width direction relative to the traveling direction. For this reason, the no-entry area K is set to the range of M×M unit areas U including the immediately preceding area B (stop target position T) and with a slight margin on the forward side in the traveling direction from the immediately preceding area B (stop target position T).

[0048] 11, for example, there is a possibility that the transport vehicle 10 may collide with another transport vehicle 10. In this embodiment, an abnormality caused by the transport vehicle 10 colliding with another transport vehicle 10 is referred to as a "third abnormality."

[0049] When the abnormality occurring in the abnormal guided vehicle 10E is the third abnormality, the control system 40 sets the range of N×N unit areas U centered on the immediately preceding area B as the no-entry area K, as shown in FIG. 12. Here, N is an integer greater than M. In the case of the third abnormality (collision), the direction in which the vehicle jumps out and the amount of deviation vary depending on the degree of the collision. For this reason, the range of N×N unit areas U with a certain amount of margin centered on the immediately preceding area B is set as the no-entry area K.

[0050] In FIG. 12, for ease of viewing, only one of the collided guided vehicles 10 is shown as an abnormal guided vehicle 10E and its entry-prohibited area K is shown, but the other collided guided vehicle 10 is also an abnormal guided vehicle 10E, and the range of N×N unit areas U centered on it is set as the entry-prohibited area K (see FIG. 13). In the case of multiple collisions, even more guided vehicles 10 may become abnormal guided vehicles 10E. Therefore, when viewed as a whole, the union of the ranges of N×N unit areas U centered on the immediately preceding area B of all the collided guided vehicles 10 is set as the entry-prohibited area K.

[0051] Thus, in this embodiment, the control system 40 distinguishes between three types of abnormality that may occur in the transport vehicle 10: a first abnormality, a second abnormality, and a third abnormality. When the abnormality that occurred in the abnormal transport vehicle 10E is the first abnormality, the control system 40 sets the range of L unit areas U that exist on the forward side in the traveling direction of the abnormal transport vehicle 10E starting from the immediately preceding area B (the stop target position T in this example) as the entry prohibited area K. When the abnormality that occurred in the abnormal transport vehicle 10E is the second abnormality, the control system 40 sets the range of M×M unit areas U on the forward side in the traveling direction including the immediately preceding area B (the stop target position T in this example) as the entry prohibited area K. When the abnormality that occurred in the abnormal transport vehicle 10E is the third abnormality, the control system 40 sets the range of N×N unit areas U centered on the immediately preceding area B as the entry prohibited area K.

[0052] "L", which defines the size of the no-entry area K in the case of the first abnormality, is an integer of 2 or more, but is preferably "2" because the abnormal transport vehicle 10E can read the position information holder 65 in the case of the first abnormality and can determine the two unit areas U that straddle the boundary. In this way, the no-entry area K can be kept to the minimum necessary size based on the determined position of the abnormal transport vehicle 10E in which the first abnormality (overrun) has occurred. Therefore, it is possible to avoid collision between the abnormal transport vehicle 10E and other normal transport vehicles 10 while minimizing the influence on other normal transport vehicles 10.

[0053] "M", which defines the size of the no-entry area K in the case of the second abnormality, is an integer of 2 or more, but is preferably 5 or less in order to prevent the no-entry area K from becoming excessively large. Furthermore, it is preferable that the no-entry area K includes one row starting from the immediately preceding area B and includes the same number of rows on both sides of it, and from this perspective, M is preferably an odd number. Taking these factors into consideration comprehensively, it is preferable that "M" is "3". In this way, even if the position of the abnormal guided vehicle 10E in which the second abnormality (derailment) has occurred cannot be determined, it is possible to appropriately avoid collision between the abnormal guided vehicle 10E and other normal guided vehicles 10 while keeping the no-entry area K as small as possible.

[0054] "N", which defines the size of the no-entry area K in the case of the third abnormality, is an integer larger than M, but is preferably 8 or less in order to avoid the no-entry area K from becoming excessively large, even though the abnormal transport vehicle 10E may move significantly due to a collision. In addition, it is preferable that the no-entry area K is set so that it extends the same number of times in each direction from the previous area B as the center, and from this perspective, it is preferable that N is an odd number. Taking these factors into consideration together with the preferable value of "M" as a reference, "N" is preferably 7 or less, and more preferably "5". In this way, even if the position of the abnormal transport vehicle 10E in which the third abnormality (collision) has occurred cannot be determined, secondary collisions between the abnormal transport vehicle 10E and other normal transport vehicles 10 can be appropriately avoided.

[0055] When the abnormal guided vehicle 10E is stopped and a no-entry area K is set, if the travel route P of another guided vehicle 10 overlaps with the no-entry area K, the control system 40 controls the guided vehicle 10 to detour around the no-entry area K as shown in FIG. 13. In this case, it is preferable for the control system 40 to redraw the travel route P for each guided vehicle 10 whose travel route P is changed so that the route length is as short as possible and the number of turning points is reduced. In addition, when the occupied areas O in the changed travel routes P of each guided vehicle 10 intersect, the control system 40 preferentially allows the guided vehicle 10 that has set the occupied area O to the overlapping area first to travel, as described in the normal processing. In addition, when the abnormal guided vehicle 10E resumes traveling, the control system 40 cancels the no-entry area K.

[0056] By performing the abnormality processing as described above and setting a no-entry area K when an abnormality occurs in any of the multiple transport vehicles 10, it is possible to appropriately transport the article A while avoiding collisions between the transport vehicles 10 even when a sudden abnormality occurs in some of the transport vehicles 10. The technology disclosed in this embodiment is particularly suitable for a configuration in which each transport vehicle 10 of the article transport facility 1 is not equipped with a collision prevention sensor.

[0057] Other embodiments (1) In the above embodiment, the description is mainly based on the assumption that the set reservation number for setting the occupied area O in the normal processing is a fixed value. However, without being limited to such a configuration, the set reservation number for setting the occupied area O may be a variable value according to the state of the transport vehicle 10. For example, the set reservation number (first set reservation number) when the traveling direction of the transport vehicle 10 is along the Y direction may be greater than the set reservation number (second set reservation number) when the traveling direction of the transport vehicle 10 is along the X direction. In addition, when the travel route P of the transport vehicle 10 includes a turn point, the set reservation number may be a number that gradually decreases as the transport vehicle 10 travels from the current position of the transport vehicle 10 to the turn point.

[0058] (2) In the above embodiment, an overrun is given as an example of the first abnormality, and a configuration is described as an example in which, when the abnormality occurring in the abnormal guided vehicle 10E is the first abnormality, a unit area U of two squares starting from the immediately preceding area B (target stop position T) is set as the no-entry area K. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the abnormal guided vehicle 10E may be contained within one unit area U in the first abnormality. In such a case, the control system 40 sets only one square of the immediately preceding area B (target stop position T) as the no-entry area K.

[0059] (3) In the above embodiment, derailment is exemplified as an example of the second abnormality, and it is assumed that when a derailment occurs, the abnormal guided vehicle 10E cannot grasp the multiple unit areas U that exist across boundaries. However, without being limited to such a configuration, even when a derailment occurs, if it is possible to determine the multiple unit areas U in which the abnormal guided vehicle 10E exists across boundaries, the control system 40 may set all (two or four) unit areas U in which the presence of the abnormal guided vehicle 10E has been determined as no-entry areas K.

[0060] (4) In the above embodiment, the no-entry area K when the abnormality occurring in the abnormal guided vehicle 10E is the second abnormality is set to a range of M×M unit areas U on the forward side in the traveling direction with respect to the immediately preceding area B. However, the no-entry area K is not limited to such a configuration, and may be set to, for example, a range of M×M unit areas U centered on the immediately preceding area B. In addition, the no-entry area K does not necessarily have to be a square, and may be set to, for example, a rectangular range consisting of M×(M+1) or M×(M+2) unit areas U. Alternatively, the no-entry area K may be set to a range of another shape, such as a triangular shape or a trapezoidal shape.

[0061] (5) In the above embodiment, the no-entry area K when the abnormality occurring in the abnormal guided vehicle 10E is the third abnormality is set to a range of N×N unit areas U centered on the immediately preceding area B. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the no-entry area K may be set to, for example, a range of N×N unit areas U on the forward side in the traveling direction with respect to the immediately preceding area B. In addition, the no-entry area K does not necessarily have to be a square, and may be set to, for example, a rectangular range consisting of N×(N+1) or N×(N+2) unit areas U. Alternatively, the no-entry area K may be set to, for example, a range of another shape, such as a diamond shape, a circle shape, or an ellipse shape.

[0062] (6) In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described as an example in which a position information holder 65 is provided in each unit area U, a reading unit 19 for reading information held in the position information holder 65 is provided in the transport vehicle 10, and the control system 40 controls the multiple transport vehicles 10 based on information obtained from the position information holder 65. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and for example, sensors, cameras, etc. may be provided on each transport vehicle 10 or on the equipment side, and the control system 40 may control the multiple transport vehicles 10 based on information obtained from them.

[0063] (7) 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.

[0064] (8) In the above embodiment, 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. 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 supply area R1, the connection area R2, and the passage area R3 may all be rectangular areas in plan view that extend in the X and Y directions. In these cases, the abnormality process may be performed in a rectangular area in plan view that extends in the X and Y directions (supply area R1+connection area R2 / connection area R2+passage area R3 / supply area R1+connection area R2+passage area R3).

[0065] (9) 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, for example, 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 this case, the control terminal devices mounted on each of the multiple transport vehicles 10 communicate with each other to execute normal processing and abnormal processing.

[0066] (10) In the above embodiment, the description was given mainly assuming a configuration in which each transport vehicle 10 is not equipped with a collision prevention sensor. However, without being limited to such a configuration, the technology according to the present disclosure can naturally be applied to an article transport facility 1 including a plurality of transport vehicles 10 each equipped with a collision prevention sensor.

[0067] (11) 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.

[0068] Summary of the embodiment To summarise the above, an article transport facility according to the present disclosure preferably comprises the following configurations.

[0069] 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; A normal process is executed to control the plurality of transport vehicles so that the plurality of transport vehicles do not enter the same unit area at the same time; When an abnormality occurs in any of the multiple transport vehicles, abnormality processing is executed to set the unit area in which the abnormal transport vehicle, the transport vehicle in which the abnormality occurs, may be located, as a no-entry area in which other normal transport vehicles are prohibited from entering.

[0070] According to this configuration, by executing the normal process, when no abnormality occurs in any of the multiple transport vehicles, it is possible to appropriately transport goods while avoiding collisions between the transport vehicles. Furthermore, when an abnormality occurs in any of the multiple transport vehicles, the abnormality process is executed to set the unit area in which the abnormal transport vehicle may exist as a no-entry area, so that even if the unit area in which the abnormal transport vehicle exists cannot be determined, it is possible to reduce the possibility of the abnormal transport vehicle colliding with other normal transport vehicles. Therefore, not only in normal times but also when an abnormality occurs in some of the transport vehicles, it is possible to appropriately transport goods while avoiding collisions between the transport vehicles.

[0071] In one embodiment, In the abnormality processing, when the control system is able to determine one unit area in which the abnormal transport vehicle is present, or multiple unit areas in which the abnormal transport vehicle is present across a boundary, it is preferable that the control system sets at least one of the unit areas in which the presence of the abnormal transport vehicle was determined to be present as the no-entry area.

[0072] According to this configuration, when one or more unit areas where an abnormal guided vehicle exists can be determined, the no-entry area can be minimized based on the determination result. Therefore, when an abnormality occurs in any guided vehicle, the influence on the running of other normal guided vehicles can be minimized.

[0073] In one embodiment, In the abnormality processing, if the control system is unable to determine one of the unit areas in which the abnormal transport vehicle is located, or multiple unit areas in which the abnormal transport vehicle is located across a boundary, it is preferable that the control system sets the no-entry area of ​​different scopes depending on the nature of the abnormality that has occurred in the abnormal transport vehicle.

[0074] According to this configuration, when it is not possible to determine one or more unit areas in which the abnormal guided vehicle exists, it is easy to set the size of the no-entry area appropriately according to the nature of the abnormality that has occurred in the abnormal guided vehicle. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately reduce the possibility of the abnormal guided vehicle colliding with other normal guided vehicles according to the nature of the abnormality that has occurred in the abnormal guided vehicle, while minimizing the influence on the travel of the other normal guided vehicles.

[0075] in particular, a position information holder for holding position information of each of the unit areas is provided in each of the unit areas; The transport vehicle includes a reading unit that reads the position information stored in the position information storage unit, The abnormality of the transport vehicle includes a first abnormality, which is an abnormality caused by the transport vehicle being displaced from the stop target position within a range in which the position information holder provided at the stop target position can be read, a second abnormality, which is an abnormality caused by the transport vehicle being displaced from the stop target position to an extent in which the position information holder provided at the stop target position cannot be read, and a third abnormality, which is an abnormality caused by the transport vehicle colliding with another transport vehicle. The control system includes: When the abnormality occurring in the abnormal transport vehicle is the first abnormality, a range of L unit areas (L is an integer of 2 or more) existing forward in a traveling direction of the abnormal transport vehicle is set as the no-entry area, starting from the unit area in which the abnormal transport vehicle existed immediately before the abnormal transport vehicle became abnormal; When the abnormality occurring in the abnormal transport vehicle is the second abnormality, a range of M×M (M is an integer of 2 or more) unit areas on the forward side in the traveling direction including the unit area in which the abnormal transport vehicle existed immediately before the abnormal transport vehicle became abnormal is set as the no-entry area; If the abnormality occurring in the abnormal transport vehicle is the third abnormality, it is preferable to set the range of N x N unit areas (N is an integer greater than M) centered on the unit area in which the abnormal transport vehicle existed immediately before it became abnormal as the no-entry area.

[0076] According to this configuration, the reference position for setting the no-entry area is appropriately determined according to the type of abnormality, and the range of the no-entry area is set wider as the degree of the abnormality becomes more severe. This makes it possible to appropriately set the range of the no-entry area depending on whether the abnormality occurring in the abnormal transport vehicle is the first abnormality, the second abnormality, or the third abnormality. Therefore, depending on whether the abnormality occurring in the abnormal transport vehicle is the first abnormality, the second abnormality, or the third abnormality, it is possible to appropriately reduce the possibility of a collision between the abnormal transport vehicle and other normal transport vehicles, while minimizing the impact on the travel of the other normal transport vehicles.

[0077] 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]

[0078] 1. Goods transport equipment 6th Floor 10 Transport vehicle 10E Abnormal Transport Vehicle 19 Reading unit 40 Control System 65 Location information holder U unit area K No entry area B Immediately preceding area P Travel route S. Departure point D Destination point T Stop target position 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; A normal process is executed to control the plurality of transport vehicles so that the plurality of transport vehicles do not enter the same unit area at the same time; This item transport equipment executes abnormality processing in which, when an abnormality occurs in any of a plurality of transport vehicles, the unit area in which the abnormal transport vehicle, the transport vehicle in which the abnormality occurs, may be located, is set as a no-entry area in which other normal transport vehicles are prohibited from entering.

2. The item transport equipment of claim 1, wherein, in the abnormality processing, the control system is able to determine one of the unit areas in which the abnormal transport vehicle is present, or multiple of the unit areas in which the abnormal transport vehicle is present across a boundary, and sets at least one of the unit areas in which the presence of the abnormal transport vehicle was determined to be present as the no-entry area.

3. The item transport equipment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, in the abnormality processing, when the control system is unable to determine one of the unit areas in which the abnormal transport vehicle is located, or multiple of the unit areas in which the abnormal transport vehicle is located across a boundary, it sets the no-entry area of ​​different scopes depending on the type of abnormality that has occurred in the abnormal transport vehicle.

4. a position information holder for holding position information of each of the unit areas is provided in each of the unit areas; The transport vehicle includes a reading unit that reads the position information stored in the position information storage unit, The abnormality of the transport vehicle includes a first abnormality, which is an abnormality caused by the transport vehicle being displaced from the stop target position within a range in which the position information holder provided at the stop target position can be read, a second abnormality, which is an abnormality caused by the transport vehicle being displaced from the stop target position to an extent in which the position information holder provided at the stop target position cannot be read, and a third abnormality, which is an abnormality caused by the transport vehicle colliding with another transport vehicle. The control system includes: When the abnormality occurring in the abnormal transporting vehicle is the first abnormality, a range of L unit areas (L is an integer of 2 or more) existing forward in a traveling direction of the abnormal transporting vehicle is set as the no-entry area, starting from the unit area in which the abnormal transporting vehicle existed immediately before the abnormal transporting vehicle became abnormal; When the abnormality occurring in the abnormal transporting vehicle is the second abnormality, a range of M×M unit areas (M is an integer of 2 or more) on the forward side in the traveling direction including the unit area in which the abnormal transporting vehicle existed immediately before the abnormal transporting vehicle became abnormal is set as the no-entry area; The item transport equipment of claim 1, wherein, if the abnormality occurring in the abnormal transport vehicle is the third abnormality, the range of N x N (N is an integer greater than M) unit areas centered on the unit area in which the abnormal transport vehicle was located immediately before it became abnormal is set as the no-entry area.

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