Stored article conveyance system

Abstract

To provide a stored article conveyance system which automatically conveys and stacks a stored article such as a flexible container bag using a ceiling crane device, and can prevent erroneous shipping.SOLUTION: A stored article conveyance system for automatically entering and exiting a stored article includes: a ceiling crane device (2) which has a hand part (5) for gripping a storage rack (91) storing a stored article (90), and conveys and stacks the storage rack gripped by the hand part in a storage area; and a management device for managing a storage address in a storage area and item information for each of the stored articles.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a storage item transport system that automatically stores and retrieves storage items such as heavy items such as flexible container bags (FIBCs) using an overhead crane device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been technology for automatically transporting stored items using overhead travelling crane equipment. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-91125 (Patent Document 1) discloses an overhead travelling crane equipment that is equipped with an openable hoisting tool that directly grips a stored item, a roll of paper, and suspends the horizontal support frame of the roll of paper hoisting tool at four points with wire ropes.

[0003] The overhead crane device in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a first pulley that changes the direction of the wire rope extended from the drum of the hoisting device, and a second pulley that is located between the drum and the first pulley and changes the direction of the wire rope extended from the first pulley to the vertical direction.By positioning the first pulley so that the imaginary plane formed by the center lines of the front and rear wire ropes passing through the first pulley is parallel to the central axis of the drum, wear and deformation of the wire rope caused by the drum is reduced. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-91125 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] FIBC bags that contain powdered or granular raw materials or products are bulky and heavy. In addition, their shapes are unstable. Therefore, while lightweight cylindrical storage items with horizontal bottom and top surfaces, such as the objects to be transported in Patent Document 1, can be stacked automatically using an overhead crane, the transportation and stacking of heavy FIBC bags that are unstable in shape is currently performed by workers using forklifts and by hand.

[0006] However, in this case, it is necessary to provide space for the forklift to travel in the storage area of ​​the warehouse, so the storage area cannot be made large. In other words, dead space is generated in the storage area. In addition, when stacking FIBC bags, workers may have to work on top of the FIBC bags, which may cause accidents such as falling.

[0007] Furthermore, when transporting FIBC bags manually in this manner, it is difficult to accurately link storage locations with item information, which can lead to incorrect shipments.

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a stored item transport system that can automatically transport and stack stored items such as flexi-con bags using an overhead crane device and prevent erroneous shipping. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A stored item transport system according to one aspect of the present invention is a stored item transport system that automatically stores and retrieves stored items, and includes an overhead crane device and a management device. The overhead crane device has a hand unit that holds a storage rack that holds the stored items, and transports the storage rack held by the hand unit to a storage area and stacks them. The management device manages the storage address and item information in the storage area for each stored item.

[0010] In this way, by storing the stored items in a dedicated rack, the transport and stacking of the stored items can be performed automatically. Also, since the storage address and item information of each stored item are managed in the management device, erroneous shipment of the stored items can be prevented. The item information includes, for example, at least one of content specification information for specifying the manufacturer and item name, and manufacturing information for specifying the manufacturing date and lot number (production unit).

[0011] Preferably, the overhead crane device includes a pair of traveling devices that can move in the x-axis direction along a traveling rail inside the building, a traverse device that can move in the y-axis direction along a traverse rail suspended between the pair of traveling devices, and a winding device that is mounted on the traverse device and winds up and down a hanging member having a hand unit connected and fixed to a lower end. In this case, it is preferable that the management device determines a storage address that indicates a three-dimensional position when the stored item is stored. Also, it is preferable that the control device of the overhead crane device controls the traveling devices, the traverse device, and the winding device so that the hand unit arrives at the storage address determined by the management device.

[0012] Preferably, a chain having both ends fixed is provided along the traveling rail or the traverse rail, and the traveling device or the traverse device is provided with a drive mechanism including a sprocket that engages with the chain and a travel motor that drives the sprocket, thereby making it possible to stop the traveling device or the traverse device at a precise position.

[0013] Preferably, at least one of the traveling device and the traversing device is provided with a position detection means for detecting its own position, thereby making it possible to further improve the stopping accuracy of the traveling device or the traversing device.

[0014] Preferably, the management device determines the storage address when the stored item is received using an algorithm based on the empirical value of the order of items being removed from the warehouse, thereby enabling the stored item to be transported efficiently when it is removed from the warehouse.

[0015] It is preferable that the stored item transport system further comprises a calculation device that calculates the machine coordinates for the operation of the overhead crane device based on the storage address of each stored item determined by the management device and transmits the calculated machine coordinates to the control device, thereby making it possible to isolate the cause of any trouble that may occur. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, the transport and stacking of stored items can be performed automatically. As a result, it is possible to improve the storage amount of stored items in a warehouse or the like and ensure the safety of workers. In addition, since the storage address and item information of each stored item are managed in the management device, it is possible to prevent erroneous shipment of stored items. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view of a warehouse equipped with an overhead crane device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a side view showing a main part of an overhead crane apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 1 is a side view showing a main part of an overhead crane apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a plan view showing a schematic diagram of a traverse device of an overhead crane apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 5] 5 is a perspective view showing a schematic connection state between a lower end of a hanging member hanging down from a traverse device and a hand unit in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6] 3 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a lower end portion of a hand unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 7] 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an upper end portion of a hand unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 8] 11 is a side view showing a schematic configuration example of a connecting member that connects a lower end portion of the hanging member and a hand portion. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a drive mechanism of a traverse device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10]FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a drive mechanism of a traveling device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a position detection unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic functional configuration of a management device provided in the flexible container bag transport system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are designated by the same reference characters and their description will not be repeated.

[0019] In this embodiment, a FIBC transport system that automatically transports and stacks FIBCs using an overhead crane device will be described. The FIBC transport system includes an overhead crane device that transports FIBCs stored on dedicated racks to a storage area in a warehouse, and a management device that manages the storage address and item information for each FIBC bag in the storage area.

[0020] <About the overhead travelling crane> (Schematic configuration) First, a schematic configuration of an overhead crane system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3. Fig. 1 is a plan view of a warehouse equipped with an overhead crane system 1 according to the present embodiment. Figs. 2 and 3 are side views showing the main parts of the overhead crane system 1. In Fig. 1, the depth direction of the warehouse as seen from the entrance / exit E is shown as the x-axis direction, and the width direction of the warehouse as seen from the entrance / exit E is shown as the y-axis direction. The x-axis direction and the y-axis direction are perpendicular to each other on a horizontal plane. The z-axis direction shown in Figs. 2 and 3 corresponds to the up-down direction (vertical direction).

[0021] The warehouse has a loading / unloading station AR1 facing the entrance / exit E, and a storage area AR2 located at the rear of the loading / unloading station AR1. It also has an operation area AR3 near the entrance / exit E. The storage area AR2 occupies most of the interior space of the warehouse.

[0022] The overhead crane device 1 includes a pair of traveling rails 11, 11 extending in the x-axis direction, a pair of traveling devices (hereinafter referred to as "saddles") 2, 2 that can move in the x-axis direction along the traveling rails 11, 11, a pair of lateral rails 22, 22 that are spanned between the pair of saddles 2 and extend in the y-axis direction, a lateral device (hereinafter referred to as "trolley") 3 that can move along the y-axis direction straddling the lateral rails 22, 22, a winding device 4 mounted on the trolley 3 and winding up and down the suspended member 43, and a hand unit 5 that is connected and fixed to the lower end of the suspended member 43. The overhead crane device 1 also includes a control device that controls the saddle 2, the trolley 3, and the winding device 4. The control device is realized by a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) or the like installed in the warehouse.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 2, the trolley 3 is a self-propelled moving device including a carriage body 35 having wheels 34 that fit on each of a pair of lateral rails 22, 22, and a drive mechanism 30 that moves the carriage body 35 linearly in the y-axis direction. The lateral rail 22 is formed on a girder 23 that receives the load of the trolley 3, and the load received by the girder 23 is supported by the saddle 2. Note that, as shown in Fig. 10 described later, the saddle 2 is also a self-propelled moving device including a carriage body 21 having wheels that fit on the traveling rails 11, and a drive mechanism 20 that moves the carriage body 21 linearly in the x-axis direction.

[0024] The overhead crane device 1 adjusts the planar position (xy coordinates) of the hand unit 5 by adjusting the x-axis position of the saddle 2 and the y-axis position of the trolley 3, and can adjust the height (z coordinate) of the hand unit 5 by adjusting the length of winding down of the hanging member 43 by the winding device 4 mounted on the trolley 3. The hand unit 5 rises and falls between a working height at which it grips the flexi-con bag 90 and a retraction height, which is the upper limit. The hand unit 5 positioned at the retraction height is shown by a solid line in Figure 3.

[0025] As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the hand unit 5 is configured to be able to grip and open a rack 91 in which FIBC bags 90 are stored. FIBC bags 90 usually have a height of more than 1 meter and can weigh more than 1 ton. In addition, their shape is unstable. FIBC bags 90 are stored in dedicated racks 91 that can be stacked, enabling automatic transportation and automatic stacking using the ceiling crane device 1. In the following description, the rack 91 that stores FIBC bags 90 is referred to as the "FIBC storage rack 91."

[0026] As an example, the FIBC storage rack 91 includes a bottom surface 911 arranged in a lattice pattern, four square pillars (vertical bars) 912 provided at the four corners of the bottom surface 911, and two upper and lower rows of horizontal rails 913 connecting adjacent square pillars 912. No horizontal rails 913 are arranged on the front side which is the insertion opening for the FIBC bag 90, and horizontal rails 913 are arranged only on both side surfaces and the back surface. The FIBC storage rack 91 also includes legs 914 which support the bottom surface 911 from below.

[0027] A total of four legs 914 are provided on the extension line of the square pillars 912. An upwardly recessed recess 916 (FIG. 6) is provided on the bottom surface of the legs 914. The upper end of the square pillar 912 of the lower FIBC storage rack 91 fits into the recess 916 of the upper FIBC storage rack 91. This allows the FIBC storage racks 91 to be stacked stably, so that a plurality of FIBC storage racks 91 (for example, up to four) can be stacked in the storage area AR2 shown in FIG.

[0028] Even if the FIBC bags 90 are stored in the FIBC storage rack 91, the FIBC storage rack 91 is huge and heavy. The winding device 4 and hand unit 5 of the overhead crane apparatus 1 according to this embodiment are configured to properly grip the FIBC storage rack 91 when entering and leaving the warehouse, and to transport the gripped FIBC storage rack 91 in a safe state. In addition, the drive mechanisms 20, 30 of the saddle 2 and the trolley 3 are configured to stop the apparatus at an accurate position. The configuration of each part of the overhead crane apparatus 1 will be described in detail below.

[0029] (Configuration of the winding device) The configuration of the winding device 4 will be described with reference to Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 4 is a schematic plan view of the winding device 4 mounted on the trolley 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a schematic connection state between the lower end of the hanging member 43 and the hand unit 5. For ease of understanding, the movement direction (x-axis direction) of the trolley 3 is also referred to as the front-rear direction, and the extension direction (y-axis direction) of the rotation shaft 32 perpendicular to the x-axis direction on a horizontal plane is also referred to as the left-right direction. Also, the left side of the paper in Fig. 4 is referred to as the front of the trolley 3.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 4, the winding device 4 includes rotating shafts 42a, 42b arranged at a distance from each other in the front-rear direction, reels 45a, 45b connected and fixed to both ends of the front rotating shaft 42a (left side of the drawing), reels 46a, 46b connected and fixed to both ends of the rear rotating shaft 42b (right side of the drawing), and a lifting and lowering drive means for driving the rotating shafts 42a, 42b. Two hanging members 43a, 43b are wound around the front reels 45a, 45b, respectively. Two hanging members 43c, 43d are wound around the rear reels 46a, 46b, respectively.

[0031] The lifting / lowering drive means preferably includes two motors (hereinafter referred to as "lifting / lowering motors") 41a, 41b that individually drive the rotating shafts 42a, 42b. The lifting / lowering motors 41a, 41b are typically servo motors. The lifting / lowering drive means preferably includes a speed reducing mechanism that reduces the rotation of the servo motors. The lifting / lowering motor 41a is located forward of the moving motor 31, and the lifting / lowering motor 41b is located rearward of the moving motor 31. The rotating shafts 42a, 42b of the winding device 4 are not limited to being parallel to the rotating shaft 32 of the moving motor 31, but may be perpendicular to the rotating shaft 32.

[0032] The winding device 4 simultaneously rotates (forward and reverse) the front and rear reels 45a, 45b, 46a, 46b by simultaneously driving the two lifting motors 41a, 41b, and winds up and down the four (two pairs) hanging members 43a, 43b, 43c, 43d. In this manner, the lifting motor 41a for rotating the front reels 45a, 45b and the lifting motor 41b for rotating the rear reels 46a, 46b are separately provided, thereby enabling stable lifting and lowering of the four hanging members 43a, 43b, 43c, 43d. As shown in FIG. 4, in plan view, the total of four reels 45a, 45b, 46a, 46b are aligned in both the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction.

[0033] In this embodiment, suspension members 43a, 43b, 43c, and 43d are not made of typical wires but are made of belt members (metal belts) which are thin metal plates (see FIG. 5). The belt members are typically steel belts. In the following description, suspension members 43 (43a, 43b, 43c, and 43d) are referred to as steel belt 43. Steel belt 43 has a constant width W. Steel belt 43 has a thickness which is 1 / 10 or less of width W.

[0034] Steel belt 43 is wound cylindrically around each of reels 45a, 45b, 46a, 46b. This makes it possible to prevent irregular winding or collapse of the winding that can occur when a general wire rope is used as a suspension member. This makes it possible to prevent deviation or inclination of the position height (z coordinate) of hand unit 5. In addition, since lubricating oil, which is necessary when using a wire rope, is not required, it is possible to eliminate the problem of the flexible container bag 90 becoming dirty due to dripping of lubricating oil. In addition, the pulley diameter for winding steel belt 43 can be made compact.

[0035] Each of the reels 45a, 45b, 46a, and 46b has a winding portion 47 around which the steel belt 43 is wound, and annular flange portions 48 located at both ends of the winding portion 47. The width W of the steel belt 43 is approximately equal to the winding width of each of the reels 45a, 45b, 46a, and 46b. This makes it possible to maintain the winding state of the steel belt 43 in a better condition. Therefore, the hand unit 5 can be raised and lowered while being kept straight and horizontal.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 2, when the hand unit 5 is lowered, i.e., when the steel belt 43 is wound down, the front reels 45a, 45b and the rear reels 46a, 46b rotate in a direction facing each other as viewed from the side (as viewed in the x-axis direction). In the example of Fig. 2, the insertion holes 350 through which the front steel belts 43a, 43b pass are provided on the rear side (center side) of the rotation shaft 42a of the reels 45a, 45b, and the insertion holes 350 through which the rear steel belts 43c, 43d pass are provided on the front side (center side) of the rotation shaft 42b of the reels 46a, 46b.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 5, the lower ends of the four steel belts 43 are fixed to the upper end of the hand unit 5 via a connecting member 6. The connecting members 6 are provided at a plurality of locations (four locations) corresponding to the arrangement positions of the four reels 45a, 45b, 46a, and 46b. Specifically, the connecting members 6 are provided directly below the positions where the steel belts 43 are pulled out from each reel (the positions of the insertion holes 350). This allows each of the steel belts 43 lowered downward from the trolley 3 to be maintained in a straight state (vertical state). In other words, the four steel belts 43a, 43b, 44a, and 44b can be raised and lowered while maintaining a parallel state in both the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction.

[0038] (Hand section configuration) The configuration of the hand unit 5 will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 5. The hand unit 5 has a main body 50 that holds the entire FIBC storage rack 91 from above, and multiple pairs of clamp pins 53 that are provided at the lower end of the main body 50 and support the bottom surface 911 of the FIBC storage rack 91 from below.

[0039] The main body 50 is formed in an inverted U-shape (C-shape) when viewed from the front side (for example, one side in the x-axis direction) and is composed of an upper end frame 51 assembled in a rectangular shape when viewed from above, and a pair of side frames 52 hanging down from both sides of the upper end frame 51. The clamp pin 53 advances and retreats in the horizontal direction (for example, the y-axis direction) between a protruding position where it protrudes inward from the lower end 52a of the side frame 52, and a concealed position where it does not protrude from the lower end 53a.

[0040] The clamp pins 53 are located in a concealed position in a free state (a state in which the FIBC storage rack 91 is not being gripped), and are placed in a protruding position when gripping the FIBC storage rack 91. As shown in Fig. 6, the multiple pairs of clamp pins 53 come into contact with the lower surface of the bottom surface portion 911 of the FIBC storage rack 91. This makes it possible to support the FIBC storage rack 91 from below. For example, two pairs of clamp pins 53 are provided.

[0041] In order for the hand unit 5 to stably hold the FIBC storage rack 91, it is desirable that the pair of side frames 52 of the main body unit 50 contact or are close to both side surfaces (e.g., horizontal bars 913) of the FIBC storage rack 91. It is also desirable that the upper end frame 51 of the main body unit 50 contact or are close to the upper end portion (e.g., square pillars 912 or horizontal bars 913 on the upper side) of the FIBC storage rack 91. The main body unit 50 may have a fitting portion that fits into the square pillars 912 or horizontal bars 913 of the FIBC storage rack 91 from the side or above (not shown). This makes it possible to reduce the risk that the FIBC storage rack 91 will fall off the hand unit 5 even when the FIBC storage rack 91 held by the hand unit 5 is raised or lowered.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 5, the hand unit 5 has a centering mechanism 54 that absorbs horizontal positional deviation with respect to the FIBC storage rack 91 to be gripped. The centering mechanism 54 is provided on both of the pair of side frames 52, and has an inward groove 540 that receives the square pillar 912 of the FIBC storage rack 91. The groove 540 has an upper groove with a constant groove width and a lower groove whose groove width becomes wider toward the bottom. As a result, even if the position of the FIBC storage rack 91 and the position of the hand unit 5 in a plan view are slightly deviated in the x-axis direction (or y-axis direction), the positional deviation can be corrected during the descent of the hand unit 5 by lowering the steel belt 43. In other words, the hand unit 5 can center the FIBC storage rack 91 and grip it accurately.

[0043] The upper frame 51 of the hand unit 5 is provided with a lock pin (convex portion) 55 that protrudes upward. A plurality of lock pins 55 (for example, four) are provided on the upper frame 51. The lock pins 55 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 7(A), the carriage body 35 of the trolley 3 is provided with a pin receiver holder 36 corresponding to the arrangement position of the lock pin 55. The pin receiver holder 36 has a through hole that extends in the vertical direction or a recessed portion that is recessed upward.

[0044] The lock pin 55 and the pin receiver holder 36 constitute a fixing means for fixing the hand unit 5, which has been raised to the upper end by winding up the steel belt 43, to the trolley 3. As shown in FIG. 7(B), when the hand unit 5 is raised to the upper end, the lock pin 55 fits into the pin receiver holder 36. This causes the hand unit 5 to be integrated with the trolley 3 (locked state). As will be described in detail later, horizontal movement of the trolley 3 is possible only when the hand unit 5 is fixed to the trolley 3, and horizontal movement of the trolley 3 is not possible when the hand unit 5 is not fixed to the trolley 3 (when the hand unit 5 is suspended by the steel belt 43).

[0045] 7, the outer peripheral surface 550 of the lock pin 55 is a tapered surface. Also, the inner peripheral surface 360 ​​of the through hole or recess of the pin receiver holder 36 is a tapered surface with a larger diameter on the lower side. This allows the lock pin 55 to be pushed into the pin receiver holder 36 to a position where the outer peripheral surface 550 of the lock pin 55 tightly contacts the inner peripheral surface 360 ​​of the pin receiver holder 36, so that the hand unit 5 can be securely fixed to the trolley 3.

[0046] The configuration of the fixing means is not limited to the configuration shown in Fig. 7, as long as the hand unit 5 is fixed to a predetermined position on the trolley 3 at the raised end. For example, a recess may be provided on the hand unit 5 side, and the fitting portion on the trolley 3 side may be a protrusion such as a lock pin.

[0047] (Configuration of connecting members) The configuration of the connecting member 6 that connects the lower end of the steel belt 43 to the hand unit 5 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0048] The connecting member 6 includes, for example, a belt side member 61 fixed to the lower end of the steel belt 43, a hand side member 62 fixed to the hand unit 5, and a vibration absorbing means 63 provided between the two members 61, 62. The belt side member 61 has, for example, a rod member 61a whose upper end is connected to the lower end of the steel belt 43, and an annular flange portion 61b provided at the lower end of the rod member 61a. The hand side member 62 is, for example, formed of an annular member that protrudes laterally from the upper end frame 51 of the hand unit 5 and through which the longitudinal center portion of the rod member 61a passes.

[0049] The vibration absorbing means 63 is composed of a spring that can expand and contract in the vertical direction, and is provided between the annular member serving as the hand side member 62 and the flange portion 61b. This makes it possible to absorb vibrations (shocks) applied to the hand portion 5 when winding up of the steel belt 43 is completed (when the hand portion 5 reaches the raised end). As a result, it is possible to prevent the FIBC storage rack 91 held by the hand portion 5 from shifting position due to shock, or to prevent the FIBC storage rack 91 from falling off. Alternatively, it is possible to prevent the FIBC bags 90 from falling off the FIBC storage rack 91.

[0050] (Trolley drive mechanism) The drive mechanism 30 of the trolley 3 will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 9. Figure 9 is a diagram showing a schematic view of the drive mechanism 30 of the trolley 3. As shown in Figure 4, a chain 24 extending in the front-rear direction (y-axis direction) is disposed on each traverse rail 22. Both ends of the chain 24 are fixed in a tensioned state.

[0051] The drive mechanism 30 includes a travel motor 31 mounted on the cart body 35, and power transmission means 33, 33 provided on both the left and right sides of the cart body 35. The power transmission means 33 includes a drive sprocket 33a and two driven sprockets 33b that are coaxially coupled to a rotating shaft 32 that is rotated (forward and reverse) by the travel motor 31, and these sprockets 33a, 33b are configured to mesh with the chain 24. In this way, the drive mechanism 30 includes the sprockets 33a, 33b that mesh with the chain 24, and the travel motor 31 that drives one sprocket 33a.

[0052] The trolley 3 moves in the forward and backward directions (y-axis direction) by itself while pulling the chain 24. This makes it less likely for slippage to occur than in a drive method in which the wheels 34 are directly rotated by the travel motor 31, and therefore prevents positional deviation when stopped. In other words, by providing the trolley 3 with the power transmission means 33, the trolley 3 can be stopped at an accurate position in the y-axis direction.

[0053] (Saddle drive mechanism) The drive mechanism 20 of the saddle 2 also has a power transmission means similar to that of the drive mechanism 30 of the trolley 3. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 10, the drive mechanism 20 includes a travel motor 24 mounted on the carriage body 21, and a power transmission means 25 provided on a side (one side) of the carriage body 21. The power transmission means 25 includes a drive sprocket 25a and two driven sprockets 25b that are coaxially coupled to a rotating shaft 24a that is rotated (forward and reverse) by the travel motor 24, and these sprockets 25a, 25b are configured to mesh with a chain 12 arranged on the traveling rail 11.

[0054] As a result, the saddle 2 also moves by itself in the left-right direction (x-axis direction) while pulling the chain 12, so that the saddle 2 can be stopped at an accurate position in the x-axis direction.

[0055] Since the saddle 2 and the trolley 3 are provided with the above-mentioned drive mechanisms 20, 30, the trolley 3 can be stopped at a desired planar position (xy coordinates). As a result, the hand unit 5, which moves integrally with the trolley 3, can be transported to a desired planar position (xy coordinates).

[0056] (Position detection means) In order to improve the accuracy of the stopping position of the trolley 3, it is desirable that the saddle 2 and the trolley 3 are equipped with a position detection means for detecting their own positions. Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the position detection means 37 mounted on the trolley 3.

[0057] As shown in Fig. 11, the position detection means 37 includes a camera provided facing the code tape 26 attached along the longitudinal direction (y-axis direction) of the lateral rail 22. The position detection means 37 reads the code information (e.g., QR code (registered trademark)) represented on the code tape 26 with the camera to detect its own position. The detected position information is sent to the control device and used for feedback control of the movement motor 31 by the control device. A similar position detection means is also provided in the saddle 2. This makes it possible to stop the trolley 3 at a desired position easily and with high accuracy.

[0058] (Overview of overhead crane operation) Next, an overview of the operation of the ceiling crane device 1 when the flexible container bag 90 is brought into and taken out of storage will be described.

[0059] When a FIBC bag 90 is stored, the control device of the overhead crane device 1 picks up the FIBC storage rack 91 placed on the loading / unloading station AR1 and controls its transportation to a specified storage location in the storage area AR2. The storage address is information indicating a three-dimensional position and is expressed, for example, by a number in the x-axis direction, a number in the y-axis direction, and a number in the z-axis direction (tier number). The "number" is not limited to numbers and may include letters and symbols.

[0060] The control device of the overhead crane device 1 first controls the movement of the saddle 2 and the trolley 3, and moves the trolley 3 (hand unit 5) onto the loading / unloading station AR1. It is desirable for the control device to operate the saddle 2 and the trolley 3 simultaneously (in parallel) and move the trolley 3 diagonally.

[0061] With the trolley 3 stopped directly above the FIBC storage rack 91 to be picked up, the steel belt 43 is slowly wound down and the hand unit 5 is lowered to the position height of the FIBC storage rack 91 to be picked up. It is desirable that the hand unit 5 is provided with a detection means for checking the FIBC storage rack 91 when it is lowered (not shown). When the control device projects the multiple pairs of clamp pins 53 and grips the FIBC storage rack 91 with the hand unit 5, it slowly winds up the steel belt 43, raises the hand unit 5 to the upper end, and fixes it to the trolley 3.

[0062] After the hand unit 5 is locked, the control device again controls the movement of the saddle 2 and the trolley 3 so that the hand unit 5 (trolley 3) arrives at a horizontal position (xy coordinates) corresponding to the specified storage address. Since the FIBC storage rack 91 is huge and heavy, the movement speed of the saddle 2 and the trolley 3 is set to a slow speed.

[0063] After the trolley 3 is stopped at the correct horizontal position (xy coordinates), the steel belt 43 is slowly wound down. Specifically, the hand unit 5 is lowered to a position height (z coordinate) corresponding to the specified storage address. After the hand unit 5 has stopped at the correct position height, the clamp pin 53 is retracted to the concealed position, and the FIBC storage rack 91 is released. This allows the FIBC storage rack 91 to be placed at the desired storage address in the storage area AR2. The FIBC storage rack 91 is placed on the floor of the storage area AR2, or is stacked on top of an already placed FIBC storage rack 91.

[0064] When the FIBC bag 90 is to be unloaded, the control device of the overhead crane device 1 picks up the FIBC storage rack 91 placed in the designated storage location in the storage area AR2 and controls its transportation to the loading / unloading station AR1. When unloading, the overhead crane device 1 performs the reverse operation from that when it was loaded into the warehouse.

[0065] Specifically, the control device of the overhead crane device 1 controls the movement of the saddle 2 and the trolley 3 so that the empty hand unit 5 (trolley 3) arrives at a horizontal position (xy coordinates) corresponding to the specified storage address. In the empty hand unit 5, the clamp pin 53 is located in the concealed position. The hand unit 5 is fixed to the trolley 3 even when the empty hand unit 5 is transported.

[0066] After the trolley 3 is stopped at the correct planar position (xy coordinates), the steel belt 43 is slowly wound down. Specifically, the hand unit 5 is lowered to a position height (z coordinate) corresponding to the specified storage address. After the hand unit 5 has stopped at the correct position height, the multiple pairs of clamp pins 53 protrude inward and grip the FIBC storage rack 91. Once the hand unit 5 has gripped the FIBC storage rack 91, the steel belt 43 is slowly wound up, and the hand unit 5 is raised to the raised end and fixed to the trolley 3.

[0067] In addition, if there is another FIBC storage rack 91 stacked on top of the FIBC storage rack 91 to be picked up, the upper FIBC storage rack 91 is moved to an evacuation area near the storage area AR2 before the target FIBC storage rack 91 is picked up.

[0068] After the hand unit 5 is locked, the control device again controls the movement of the saddle 2 and the trolley 3 to move the trolley 3 (hand unit 5) from the storage area AR2 to the carry-in / out station AR1 at a low speed. When the trolley 3 arrives at the carry-in / out station AR1, the steel belt 43 is slowly wound down to release the FIBC storage rack 91. At the carry-in / out station AR1, FIBC storage racks 91 may also be stacked on top of FIBC storage racks 91 that have already been placed.

[0069] In this way, the control device of the ceiling crane device 1 controls the movement of the saddle 2 and the trolley 3 (only) when the hand unit 5 is fixed at the raised end by winding up the steel belt 43. In other words, when the hand unit 5 is suspended by the steel belt 43 (when not fixed by the lock pin 55), the saddle 2 and the trolley 3 are not moved. This makes it possible to prevent the hand unit 5 from swinging when the saddle 2 or the trolley 3 moves. It also makes it possible to prevent the hand unit 5 from colliding with the FIBC storage racks 91 stacked high in the storage area AR2. Therefore, the FIBC bags 90 can be transported safely.

[0070] <About the management device> Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing a schematic functional configuration of a management device provided in the FIBC transport system according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 11, in this embodiment, the FIBC transport system includes a management device 100, a calculation device 200, and a control device (hereinafter referred to as "crane control device") 300 for the overhead crane device 1. The management device 100 and the calculation device 200 are information processing devices having a processor and a memory unit. The memory unit of the management device 100 stores a warehousing program, a warehousing program, inventory master information, and control data for the operation of the overhead crane device 1. The memory unit of the calculation device 200 stores a calculation program for calculating machine coordinates for the operation of the overhead crane device 1.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 11, a calculation device 200 is interposed between the management device 100 and the crane control device 300, and these devices 100, 200, 300 are independent subsystems, so that when a problem occurs, it can be quickly isolated.

[0072] The management device 100 executes a warehousing program when a warehousing schedule for the FIBC bag 90 is input via the operation panel 9. The warehousing schedule information includes item information and the number of items to be warehousing for the FIBC bag 90. The item information includes at least content specification information for specifying the manufacturer and item name, and may include manufacturing information for specifying the manufacturing date and lot number (production unit). The management device 100 determines the storage address (storage location in three-dimensional space) of the FIBC bag 90 according to a "storage address optimization algorithm" defined in the warehousing program. The storage address optimization algorithm is an address determination algorithm defined in consideration of optimal shipping (for example, calculated based on the experience of past shipping operations and the characteristics of the stored items).

[0073] For example, when multiple FIBC bags 90 of the same item are stored, the management device 100 assigns storage addresses to store them together in the same location according to a storage address optimization algorithm. Desirably, storage addresses in the same tower (addresses differing only in the row number) are assigned. By preventing FIBC bags 90 of different items from being stored in the same tower (same horizontal position), it is possible to eliminate the need for extra operations such as reloading FIBC storage racks 91 when retrieving items.

[0074] The storage address of each FIBC bag 90 is stored in an inventory master storage unit and a control data storage unit. The inventory master storage unit stores the storage address, the warehousing date, and item information in association with the identification number of the FIBC bag 90. The inventory master storage unit further stores quality control information for identifying the quality of each item (for example, whether or not it is a defective item).

[0075] The management device 100 executes the outgoing program when an outgoing schedule for FIBC bags 90 is input via the operation panel 9. The shipping schedule information includes the item and outgoing number of FIBC bags 90. It may also include the scheduled outgoing date. The management device 100 determines which FIBC bags 90 are to be outgoing, and determines the outgoing order of the FIBC bags 90 that are to be outgoing on the same day, according to an "outgoing optimization algorithm" defined in the outgoing program. The outgoing optimization algorithm is an algorithm for realizing first-in, first-out, prevention of erroneous shipping (item), and prevention of erroneous shipping based on quality control information of the FIBC bags 90. The identification numbers and outgoing order of the FIBC bags 90 to be outgoing are stored in the control data storage unit.

[0076] The management device 100 automatically determines the operation method of the overhead crane device 1 on an operating day based on the information stored in the control data storage unit. When only control data for warehousing is stored, it determines the operation as "warehousing-entry only operation", and when only control data for warehousing is stored, it determines the operation as "warehousing-exit only operation". When both control data for warehousing and warehousing are stored, it determines the operation as "warehousing-entry and warehousing simultaneous operation".

[0077] "Simultaneous loading and unloading operation" means that, on the way back from a loading operation (the operation of transporting (loading) the FIBC bag 90 picked up at the loading / unloading station AR1 to the storage area AR2), the overhead crane device 1 is moved so as to pick up the FIBC bag 90 to be unloaded in the storage area AR2 and return to the loading / unloading station AR1. By enabling such simultaneous loading and unloading operations, it is possible to compensate for the slow transport speed.

[0078] The management device 100 transmits the determined operation method to the arithmetic device 200 together with the control data stored in the control data storage unit.

[0079] The arithmetic device 200 calculates machine coordinates for operating the overhead crane system 1 based on the received information. The arithmetic device 200 provides the calculated machine coordinates to the crane control device 300. The crane control device 300 includes a servo amplifier that operates the above-mentioned travel motor 31 and lift motors 41a, 41b. The crane control device 300 drives the travel motor 31 and the lift motors 41a, 41b based on the received machine coordinates.

[0080] In the storing operation, the ceiling crane device 1 transports the FIBC bag 90 to the optimal storage address determined according to the storage address optimization algorithm. Since the storage address is determined in consideration of the optimal retrieval as described above, it is possible to (as much as possible) eliminate the need to reload the stacked FIBC bags 90 during the retrieval operation.

[0081] Furthermore, the arithmetic device 200 calculates the operation time of the overhead crane device 1 based on the calculated machine coordinates. This allows the operator to accurately know the operation time of the overhead crane device 1, allowing the operator to perform other tasks during automatic operation.

[0082] It is desirable for the management device 100 to receive the calculation results of the machine coordinates and the operation time from the arithmetic device 200, and to store the movement history of the contents (stored items) packed in the flexi-con bag 90 as an inventory history. By enabling the user who has entrusted the stored items to check the inventory history, the reliability of the stored items can be improved.

[0083] As described above, in this embodiment, the management device 100 manages (at least) the storage address and item information of each FIBC bag 90, making it possible to prevent erroneous shipping of the FIBC bag 90. Furthermore, when the FIBC bag 90 is received, the management device 100 determines the storage address using a storage address optimization algorithm based on the empirical value of the order of shipment, making it possible to transport the FIBC bag 90 efficiently when it is shipped out.

[0084] The storage address optimization algorithm can be determined according to the type of contents of the FIBC bag 90 (for example, agricultural products such as rice, industrial products such as resin pellets, civil engineering and construction materials such as sand, etc.). In order to achieve more efficient loading and unloading, it is desirable to have an AI learn the shipping history of the FIBC bag 90 and update the storage address optimization algorithm.

[0085] In this embodiment, an example has been shown in which the stored item to be transported by the ceiling crane device 1 is a flexi-con bag, but the above-mentioned technology can also be applied to cases in which items other than flexi-con bags (heavy items) are transported and stacked.

[0086] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 1 overhead crane device, 2 travel device (saddle), 3 traverse device (trolley), 4 winding device, 5 hand section, 6 connecting member, 9 operation panel, 11 travel rail, 12, 24 chain, 20, 30 drive mechanism, 22 traverse rail, 24, 31 movement motor, 25, 33 power transmission means, 25a, 25b, 33a, 33b sprocket, 26 cord tape, 34 wheel, 36 pin receiving holder, 37 position detection means, 41a, 41b lifting motor, 43, 43a, 43b, 43c, 43d, 44a, 44b suspension member (steel belt), 45a, 45b, 46a, 46b reel, 53 clamp pin, 54 centering mechanism, 55 lock pin, 61 belt side member, 62 hand side member, 63 Vibration absorbing means, 90 FIBC bag, 91 rack (FIBC storage rack), 100 management device, 200 calculation device, 300 crane control device (PLC), AR1 loading / unloading station, AR2 storage area, AR3 operation area, W width.

Claims

1. A storage item transport system that automatically stores and retrieves stored items, a ceiling crane device having a hand unit that grips a storage rack that contains storage items, and transports the storage rack gripped by the hand unit to a storage area and stacks the storage rack; A storage item transport system comprising: a management device that manages, for each storage item, a storage address and item information in the storage area.

2. The overhead crane device includes a pair of traveling devices that are movable in the x-axis direction along a traveling rail inside a building, a traverse device that is movable in the y-axis direction along a traverse rail that is stretched between the pair of traveling devices, and a winding device that is mounted on the traverse device and winds up and down a suspended member having a lower end connected and fixed to the hand unit, The management device determines a storage address indicating a three-dimensional position when the storage item is stored, The stored item transport system of claim 1, wherein the ceiling crane device further includes a control device that controls the traveling device, the traverse device, and the winding device so that the hand section arrives at a storage address determined by the management device.

3. A chain having both ends fixed is provided along the traveling rail or the traverse rail, 3. The stored item transport system according to claim 2, wherein the traveling device or the traverse device is provided with a drive mechanism including a sprocket that meshes with the chain and a travel motor that drives the sprocket.

4. 3. The stored item transport system according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the traveling device and the traversing device is provided with a position detection means for detecting its own position.

5. 3. The stored item transportation system according to claim 2, wherein the management device determines the storage address when the stored item is received using an algorithm based on an empirical value of the order of items being shipped out.

6. The stored item transport system of claim 2, further comprising an arithmetic unit that calculates machine coordinates for operation of the ceiling crane device based on the storage address of each stored item determined by the management device, and transmits the calculated machine coordinates to the control device.

Images