Article conveyance facility

Abstract

To realize an article conveyance facility capable of efficiently charging an automatic guided vehicle and easily reducing the size.SOLUTION: An article conveyance facility 100 includes: an automatic warehouse 1; a storage station 4 where an article 9 is input into the automatic warehouse 1; a plurality of automatic guided vehicles 5 which convey the article 9 to the storage station 4; and a control system. The automated guided vehicle 5 includes: a power storage device 532; and a drive source 531 that operates with an electric power. A charging device 6 for charging the power storage device 532 of the automatic guided vehicle 5 is disposed in the storage station 4. The control system treats the automatic guided vehicle 5 at the storage station 4 as a target guided vehicle 703, stops the target guided vehicle 703 at the storage station 4, and performs a charging processing by using a charging device 6 until it becomes necessary to have the target guided vehicle 703 exit the storage station 4 to allow the automatic guided vehicle 5 other than the target guided vehicle 703 to enter the storage station 4.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to article conveyance equipment.

Background Art

[0002] Article conveyance equipment equipped with an automated guided vehicle that unmannedly conveys articles to be conveyed to a required location is in use. An example of such article conveyance equipment is disclosed in Patent Document 1 below. In the following description of this background art, the reference signs and names in Patent Document 1 are cited within parentheses.

[0003] The article conveyance equipment (automated guided vehicle charging system) of Patent Document 1 includes an automated guided vehicle (20) that automatically travels by power supply from a power storage device (battery 26), and a charging device (18) that charges the power storage device. Charging of the power storage device of the automated guided vehicle by the charging device is performed at a charging position. And the charging position is at a shipping station (unloading station N2) where articles (the pallet 14 loaded with the pallet 12 containing the article 10) are shipped out from an automated warehouse (stacking station 16).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, at the shipping station where items are shipped out from the automated warehouse, since it is necessary for the automated guided vehicle to quickly transport the items received from the automated warehouse to the destination, it has been difficult to ensure sufficient charging time by the charging device. For this reason, it has been difficult to sufficiently charge the power storage device of the automated guided vehicle only with the charging device arranged at the shipping station. Further, due to this, when a charging station equipped with a charging device is provided at a location other than the shipping station, the floor area needs to be correspondingly larger, which tends to be a factor in the enlargement of the item transport facility.

[0006] Therefore, it is desired to efficiently charge the automated guided vehicle and to realize an item transport facility that is easy to miniaturize.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0007] In view of the above, the characteristic configuration of the item transport facility is an automated warehouse for storing items, a receiving station where the items are received into the automated warehouse, a plurality of automated guided vehicles for transporting the items into the receiving station, a control system for controlling the plurality of automated guided vehicles, and an item transport facility comprising wherein the automated guided vehicle includes a power storage device for storing power and a drive source that operates by the power stored in the power storage device, a charging device for charging the power storage device of the automated guided vehicle is arranged at the receiving station, and the control system performs a charging process of stopping the target transport vehicle at the receiving station and charging the power storage device by the charging device until it becomes necessary to withdraw the target transport vehicle from the receiving station in order to allow another automated guided vehicle different from the target transport vehicle to enter the receiving station, with the automated guided vehicle at the receiving station being the target transport vehicle.

[0008] According to this characteristic configuration, after the article is carried into the storage station, the charging of the power storage device of the automated guided vehicle can be performed until the next article is carried into the storage station. Therefore, compared with the case where the automated guided vehicle is moved to a charging station set in another location for charging, the movement of the automated guided vehicle for charging can be reduced, and the charging of the automated guided vehicle can be performed efficiently. In addition, at the shipping station where the article is shipped out from the automated warehouse, since it is highly necessary for the automated guided vehicle to quickly transport the article received from the automated warehouse to the destination, it is difficult to ensure sufficient charging time even if a charging device is arranged at the shipping station. However, since the automated guided vehicle that has entered the storage station may not need to move to another location immediately after storing the article in the automated warehouse, there is an advantage that it is easy to ensure the charging time. Furthermore, according to this configuration, by arranging a charging device at the storage station, the storage station can also serve as a charging station. Therefore, since the number of dedicated charging stations can be reduced or eliminated, it is easy to reduce the size of the article transportation equipment.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

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Figure 8

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Figure 10

Figure 11

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] The article conveying facility 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The article conveying facility 100 includes facilities for conveying the article 9 to be conveyed to various conveying destinations. Such conveying destinations include, in addition to the storage station 4 of the automatic warehouse 1 described later, for example, manufacturing facilities that require the article 9, a shipping work area where work for shipping the article 9 is performed, a sorting work area where sorting work of the article 9 is performed, and the like.

[0011] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the article 9 conveyed by the article conveying facility 100 includes a pallet 91 and an object 92 to be conveyed. The pallet 91 with the object 92 to be conveyed placed thereon is conveyed as the article 9. Also, only the pallet 91 without the object 92 to be conveyed placed thereon may be conveyed as the article 9. Note that the pallet 91 is not an essential component of the article 9. The necessity of the pallet 91 is appropriately determined according to the shape of the object 92 to be conveyed and the like. Further, various containers for accommodating the object 92 to be conveyed may be used instead of the pallet 91.

[0012] 1. Configuration of Article Conveying Facility The article conveying facility 100 illustrated in Fig. 1 includes an automated warehouse 1 for storing articles 9, a shipping station 2 for shipping the articles 9 from the automated warehouse 1, and a receiving station 4 for receiving the articles 9 into the automated warehouse 1. The article conveying facility 100 of the present embodiment includes a traveling area 3 including the shipping station 2 and the receiving station 4. Further, the article conveying facility 100 includes a plurality of automated guided vehicles 5, a charging device 6 capable of charging the automated guided vehicles 5, and a control system 7 (see Fig. 5) for controlling the plurality of automated guided vehicles 5. The plurality of automated guided vehicles 5 of the present embodiment travel in the traveling area 3 and move to the shipping station 2, the receiving station 4, or an area designated by the control system 7.

[0013] 1-1. Automated Warehouse As shown in Fig. 1, the automated warehouse 1 of the present embodiment includes a storage shelf 11 having a plurality of storage portions for storing articles 9, an in-warehouse conveying device 14, a shipping portion 12 that serves as a place for temporarily storing the article 9 to be shipped out from the storage shelf 11 by the in-warehouse conveying device 14, and a receiving portion 13 that serves as a place for temporarily storing the article 9 to be received into the storage shelf 11 by the in-warehouse conveying device 14. Note that the in-warehouse conveying device 14 includes a device for conveying the article 9 between the storage shelf 11 and the receiving portion 13 and between the storage shelf 11 and the shipping portion 12.

[0014] In this embodiment, the shipping department 12 and the receiving department 13 are equipped with conveyors that support the article 9 from below. The article 9 to be shipped is conveyed from the storage shelf 11 to the shipping department 12 by the in-warehouse conveyor device 14. The article 9 to be received and carried into the receiving department 13 is handed over to the in-warehouse conveyor device 14 and conveyed to the storage shelf 11 by the in-warehouse conveyor device 14. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the in-warehouse conveyor device 14 is arranged in the area sandwiched between a pair of storage shelves 11. In this embodiment, the in-warehouse conveyor device 14 includes a stacker crane having a transfer device for transferring the article 9 between the storage sections provided in the storage shelf 11 and a moving mechanism for moving the transfer device in the vertical and horizontal directions. Note that the in-warehouse conveyor device 14 may be any device that can convey the article 9 between the storage section provided in the storage shelf 11 and the shipping department 12 or the receiving department 13. For example, the in-warehouse conveyor device 14 may have a configuration including transfer carts arranged on each stage of the storage shelf 11, and a lifting device and a conveyor for receiving the article 9 from the transfer carts on each stage and conveying it to the shipping department 12 or the receiving department 13.

[0015] 1-2. Shipping Station At the shipping station 2, the article 9 is shipped from the automated warehouse 1. Here, the shipping station 2 is a place where the automated guided vehicle 5 for shipping the article 9 from the automated warehouse 1 enters. The article 9 to be shipped is handed over from the shipping department 12 to the automated guided vehicle 5 that has entered the shipping station 2. Various mechanisms are used for handing over the article 9 from the shipping department 12 to the automated guided vehicle 5. In this embodiment, the automated guided vehicle 5 with the support part 521 in the lowered state enters between the conveyors provided in the shipping department 12, and the support part 521 is raised with the automated guided vehicle 5 positioned under the article 9, so that the automated guided vehicle 5 receives the article 9 from the shipping department 12. Thereby, the article 9 is handed over from the shipping department 12 to the automated guided vehicle 5. Note that a mounting table on which the article 9 is placed may be provided in the shipping department 12 instead of the conveyor. Alternatively, a fork-type transfer device or the like may be provided in the shipping department 12, and the article 9 may be handed over from the shipping department 12 to the automated guided vehicle 5 using the transfer device.

[0016] 1-3. Receiving Station At the storage station 4, the article 9 is stored in the automated warehouse 1. Here, the storage station 4 is a place where the automated guided vehicle 5 for storing the article 9 in the automated warehouse 1 enters. In this embodiment, the automated guided vehicle 5 that has entered the storage station 4 delivers the article 9 to be stored to the storage section 13.

[0017] The storage station 4 is provided with a placement section 41 on which the article 9 is placed. In this embodiment, the placement section 41 is a part where the article 9 to be stored is temporarily placed in order to deliver the article 9 to be stored from the storage station 4 to the storage section 13 of the automated warehouse 1. Also, in this embodiment, the storage section 13 is provided with a conveyor, and this conveyor functions as the placement section 41. That is, the article 9 transported to the storage station 4 by the automated guided vehicle 5 is placed on the conveyor that serves as the placement section 41 and thus delivered to the storage section 13. In this embodiment, the automated guided vehicle 5 with the article 9 placed on the support section 521 (see FIG. 2) described later and in a state where the support section 521 is raised enters between the conveyors provided in the storage section 13, and by lowering the support section 521, the automated guided vehicle 5 delivers the article 9 to the storage section 13. Note that a mounting table on which the article 9 is placed may be provided in the storage section 13 instead of the conveyor. For example, the placement section 41 may be divided and arranged at four locations around the automated guided vehicle 5 that has entered the storage station 4, or may be arranged in a comb shape avoiding the support section 521 of the automated guided vehicle 5. Also, the placement section 41 may be a fixed load receiving base that simply supports the article 9 from below, or may be a movable load receiving base that can be raised and lowered, etc. Alternatively, a fork-type transfer device or the like may be provided in the storage section 13, and the article 9 may be delivered from the automated guided vehicle 5 to the storage section 13 using the transfer device.

[0018] 1-4. Automated Guided Vehicle A plurality of automated guided vehicles 5 move to the shipping station 2 and carry out the shipping of the article 9 from the shipping station 2. Also, a plurality of automated guided vehicles 5 transport the article 9 to be stored to the storage station 4 and carry out the loading of the article 9 into the storage station 4. To exhibit this function, as shown in FIG. 2, the automated guided vehicle 5 has a traveling device 51, a transfer device 52, and a drive device 53.

[0019] The traveling device 51 is a device for causing the unmanned carrier 5 to travel. In the present embodiment, the traveling device 51 travels in the traveling area 3 shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the traveling device 51 of the present embodiment includes a carriage body 511 and a plurality of traveling wheels 512. Various devices for transporting the article 9 are mounted on the carriage body 511. The plurality of traveling wheels 512 are rotatably supported with respect to the carriage body 511. Some or all of the plurality of traveling wheels 512 are rotationally driven by a driving source for traveling (for example, a motor). The carriage body 511 is supported on the floor 31 of the traveling area 3 by the plurality of traveling wheels 512.

[0020] The transfer device 52 is a device for supporting the article 9 and transferring the article 9 between the placement unit 41. The direction in which the transfer device 52 moves the article 9 for the transfer operation can be one or both of the lifting direction and a direction intersecting the lifting direction (for example, the horizontal direction). For example, the transfer device 52 may include a lifting mechanism (lifter) for lifting the article 9. Further, the transfer device 52 may include a conveyor-type transport mechanism or a pressing mechanism (pusher) for moving the article 9 in a direction intersecting the lifting direction. Alternatively, the transfer device 52 may include a mechanism for moving the article 9 in both a direction intersecting the lifting direction and the lifting direction, for example, a fork-type transfer machine.

[0021] The transfer device 52 includes a support portion 521 for supporting the article 9 and a lifting mechanism 523 for lifting the support portion 521 in order to place the article 9 on the placement portion 41 of the storage station 4. As shown in FIG. 2, in the transfer device 52 of the present embodiment, the support portion 521 has a support surface 522 on which the article 9 can be placed. The lifting mechanism 523 supports the support portion 521 and lifts the support portion 521. For example, the lifting mechanism 523 includes a mechanism (such as a ball screw mechanism) capable of lifting the support portion 521 and a drive portion such as a motor for driving the lifting mechanism 523. Note that the drive portion may be, in addition to a motor, a cylinder such as a hydraulic cylinder or an air cylinder, and a hydraulic pump or an air pump for operating the cylinder.

[0022] The automated guided vehicle 5 stops at a stop position to be described later at the warehousing station 4. Then, the placement part 41 of the warehousing station 4 is arranged so as not to interfere with the lifting trajectory of the support part 521 of the automated guided vehicle 5 stopped at a predetermined stop position, and it is preferable that the placement part 41 is configured such that the article 9 can be transferred between the placement part 41 and the support part 521 in accordance with the lifting of the support part 521. With such a placement part 41, when the automated guided vehicle 5 on which the article 9 to be warehoused is placed on the support surface 522 raises or lowers the support part 521 at the warehousing station 4, the article 9 is placed on the placement part 41. As described above, the warehousing part 13 illustrated in FIG. 2 includes a pair of conveyors arranged at intervals larger than the widths of the support part 521 and the lifting mechanism 523 of the automated guided vehicle 5 in a specific direction (hereinafter referred to as the “width direction”) along the surface of the floor 31 of the travel area 3. The article 9 can be placed on the conveying surfaces of these pair of conveyors, and these pair of conveyors function as the placement part 41. Therefore, the automated guided vehicle 5 enters the warehousing station 4 with the article 9 supported by the support surface 522 placed at a position higher than the placement part 41. Then, at the warehousing station 4, the automated guided vehicle 5 can place the article 9 on the placement part 41 by lowering the support surface 522 to a position lower than the placement part 41.

[0023] The drive device 53 includes a device for driving various devices mounted on the automated guided vehicle 5. In order to exhibit this function, in the present embodiment, the drive device 53 includes a power storage device 532 and a drive source 531.

[0024] The power storage device 532 includes a device for storing electric power. In the present embodiment, the power storage device 532 has a storage battery or a capacitor (not shown) for storing electric power and a power receiving part 533 for receiving electric power from the charging device 6. As shown in FIG. 2, the power receiving part 533 of the present embodiment is provided on the front surface of the carriage main body 511 when the direction in which the automated guided vehicle 5 travels is the front side, and includes a connection terminal connected to the charging plug of the charging device 6. Note that the location where the power receiving part 533 is provided is appropriately determined according to the structure of the power storage device 532, the arrangement location of the charging device 6, etc., and is not limited to the front surface of the carriage main body 511.

[0025] The drive source 531 operates by the electric power stored in the power storage device 532. When the drive source 531 operates, various devices or mechanisms provided in the automated guided vehicle 5 for transporting the article 9 operate. For example, the drive source 531 includes a motor that drives the traveling wheels 512 to make the automated guided vehicle 5 travel. Further, in the present embodiment, the drive source 531 includes a motor that operates the transfer device 52 and various actuators. Note that the drive source 531 is not limited thereto and may be a drive source for all the operating mechanisms provided in the automated guided vehicle 5. Note that the drive source 531 may include, in addition to the motor, a pump for generating hydraulic pressure or pneumatic pressure, an electromagnetic actuator such as a solenoid, and the like.

[0026] 1-5. Charging Device The charging device 6 includes a device for charging the power storage device 532 of the automated guided vehicle 5. The charging device 6 is disposed at the warehousing station 4. At the warehousing station 4, the position where the charging device 6 is disposed only needs to be such that the charging device 6 can charge the automated guided vehicle 5 that has entered the warehousing station 4. Therefore, the charging device 6 is disposed in accordance with the position of the automated guided vehicle 5 stopped at the stop position. Conversely, the stop position of the automated guided vehicle 5 at the warehousing station 4 is a position where the power receiving portion 533 of the automated guided vehicle 5 can receive the power from the charging device 6. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the charging device 6 of the present embodiment is disposed at a position facing the side surface of the carriage main body 511 from a direction (here, a direction perpendicular thereto) that intersects in the vertical direction view with respect to the front-rear direction (traveling direction) of the carriage main body 511 of the automated guided vehicle 5 in a state where the automated guided vehicle 5 has entered the warehousing station 4.

[0027] The charging device 6 includes a charging device main body 61 and a power supply unit 62 that supplies power to the power receiving unit 533 of the automated guided vehicle 5. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the power supply unit 62 of the present embodiment is provided with charging terminals. Further, in the present embodiment, the power supply unit 62 is configured to expand and contract along the direction of approaching and separating from the automated guided vehicle 5 stopped at the stop position of the warehousing station 4. As the expansion and contraction mechanism for expanding and contracting the power supply unit 62, for example, a cylinder such as a hydraulic cylinder or an air cylinder may be used, a ball screw and a motor or the like may be used, or an electromagnetic actuator such as a solenoid may be used. As will be described later, in the present embodiment, the power receiving unit 533 of the automated guided vehicle 5 does not face the power supply unit 62 of the charging device 6 in the approaching posture when entering the warehousing station 4. Therefore, the automated guided vehicle 5 of the present embodiment turns at the stop position of the automated guided vehicle 5 to be in a charging posture, so that the power receiving unit 533 and the power supply unit 62 of the charging device 6 are in a facing positional relationship.

[0028] 1-6. Control System The control system 7 shown in FIG. 5 controls a plurality of automated guided vehicles 5. Specifically, the control system 7 moves the automated guided vehicle 5 to a designated location including the shipping station 2 or the warehousing station 4, and at the designated location, causes the automated guided vehicle 5 to perform operations for delivering the article 9 by the automated guided vehicle 5. The operations performed by the automated guided vehicle 5 at each designated location include, for example, when the designated location is the warehousing station 4, the operation of the automated guided vehicle 5 placing the article 9 on the placement unit 41 of the warehousing station 4 for carrying the article 9 to be warehoused into the warehousing station 4.

[0029] In order to move the automated guided vehicle 5 to a designated location, the control system 7 sets a movement path 701 through which the automated guided vehicle 5 moves, as shown in FIG. 1. The automated guided vehicle 5 moves to the designated location through the movement path 701.

[0030] The article conveying facility 100 of this embodiment is provided with a detected part 32 serving as a reference for setting a movement path 701 in a traveling area 3. And the automated guided vehicle 5 is provided with a detection part 513 for detecting the detected part 32. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the control system 7 sets the movement path 701 so as to connect a plurality of detected parts 32. In the article conveying facility 100 of this embodiment, the automated guided vehicle 5 travels while detecting the detected parts 32 regularly arranged at intervals on the floor 31 of the traveling area 3 by the detection part 513, and thereby moves along the set movement path 701.

[0031] The detected part 32 includes, for example, a magnetic body, or an identification code such as a one-dimensional code or a two-dimensional code. If the detected part 32 is a magnetic body, the detection part 513 is composed of a detector or the like for detecting the magnetic body. If the detected part 32 is an identification code, the detection part 513 is composed of a code reader or the like for reading the identification code. However, as long as the detection part 513 can detect the detected part 32, the detection part 513 and the detected part 32 are not limited to such a configuration. For example, the detected part 32 may be configured using an IC tag, and the detection part 513 may be configured using an IC tag reader. Alternatively, the detected part 32 may be configured using a mark that is detected by being imaged by the detection part 513.

[0032] The control system 7 assigns a conveyance task for conveying the article 9 to each of the plurality of automated guided vehicles 5. The conveyance task includes an instruction to convey the article 9 from a conveyance source to a conveyance destination. Each automated guided vehicle 5 to which the conveyance task is assigned from the control system 7 conveys the article 9 from the conveyance source to the conveyance destination according to the conveyance task. The conveyance task also includes an instruction for the movement path 701 (conveyance path 702) of the automated guided vehicle 5 to which the conveyance task is assigned. Thereby, each automated guided vehicle 5 moves according to the movement path 701 (conveyance path 702) set by the control system 7 (see FIG. 6).

[0033] As shown in FIG. 5, the control system 7 of the present embodiment includes a host control device 71 that manages the entire article conveyance facility 100, and a vehicle control device 72 that controls each automated guided vehicle 5. The host control device 71 and the vehicle control device 72 are configured to communicate with each other. The host control device 71 assigns a conveyance task to the vehicle control device 72 (automated guided vehicle 5). The vehicle control device 72 to which the conveyance task is assigned controls various devices and the like provided in itself according to the conveyance task. The host control device 71 and the vehicle control device 72 include, for example, a processor such as a microcomputer, and peripheral circuits such as a memory. Then, each process or each function is realized by the cooperation of these hardware and a program executed on a processor such as a computer.

[0034] 2. Processing of the Control System The control system 7 controls the charging device 6 and a plurality of automated guided vehicles 5 to charge the power storage device 532 of the automated guided vehicle 5 with the charging device 6. Hereinafter, a plurality of examples will be given to describe the processing of the control system 7 when the charging device 6 charges the power storage device 532 of the automated guided vehicle 5.

[0035] [Example 1] With reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, the processing of the control system 7 from when the automated guided vehicle 5 transports the article 9 to be stored to the storage station 4 until the automated guided vehicle 5 exits from the storage station 4 will be described.

[0036] First, the control system 7 assigns a conveyance task (warehousing task) for warehousing the article 9 into the automated warehouse 1 shown in FIG. 1 to the automated guided vehicle 5. The automated guided vehicle 5 assigned with the warehousing task travels along the movement path 701, transfers the article 9 to be warehoused to the support portion 521 at a designated location including the shipping station 2 and other delivery stations (not shown), and then moves toward the target warehousing station 4. After the control system 7 causes the automated guided vehicle 5 that conveys the article 9 to be warehoused to enter the warehousing station 4, it stops the vehicle at the stop position of the warehousing station 4. As shown in FIG. 2, in the present embodiment, the automated guided vehicle 5 supporting the article 9 enters the warehousing station 4 with the support portion 521 raised to a position higher than the placement portion 41. The automated guided vehicle 5 that has entered the warehousing station 4 stops at the warehousing station 4. The control system 7 stops the automated guided vehicle 5, for example, on the detection target portion 32 provided at the warehousing station 4. That is, the position of this detection target portion 32 becomes the stop position of the warehousing station 4.

[0037] The control system 7 uses the automated guided vehicle 5 at the warehousing station 4 as the target conveyance vehicle 703, and performs a charging process of charging the power storage device 532 by the charging device 6 on the target conveyance vehicle 703. In the charging process, the control system 7 controls the devices including the target conveyance vehicle 703 and the charging device 6 so that the charging device 6 charges the power storage device 532 of the target conveyance vehicle 703. In the case of the target conveyance vehicle 703 and the charging device 6 of the present embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the power receiving part 533 of the target conveyance vehicle 703 that has entered the warehousing station 4 does not face the power feeding part 62. For this reason, even if the charging device 6 approaches the power feeding part 62 to the carriage body 511, the power receiving part 533 cannot be connected to the power feeding part 62. Therefore, the control system 7 sets the posture of the target conveyance vehicle 703 when entering the warehousing station 4 as the entering posture, and causes the target conveyance vehicle 703 to change its posture from the entering posture to a charging posture in which the power receiving part 533 faces the power feeding part 62. In the present embodiment, the target conveyance vehicle 703 changes its posture from the entering posture to the charging posture by turning 90° around the turning axis along the vertical direction. Then, in the state where the target conveyance vehicle 703 is in the charging posture, the control system 7 controls the charging device 6 so that the power feeding part 62 is connected to the power receiving part 533. The charging device 6 of the present embodiment connects the power feeding part 62 to the power receiving part 533 by approaching the power feeding part 62 to the power receiving part 533 in a state where the target conveyance vehicle 703 is in the charging posture and the power receiving part 533 faces the power feeding part 62. After that, the control system 7 causes the charging device 6 to start charging the power storage device 532 of the target conveyance vehicle 703.

[0038] The target transport vehicle 703 places the article 9 placed on its support portion 521 on the placement portion 41 of the warehousing station 4 by raising and lowering the lifting mechanism 523. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the target transport vehicle 703 of the present embodiment enters the warehousing station 4 with the article 9 supported by the support portion 521 at a position higher than the placement portion 41. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4, the target transport vehicle 703 lowers the support portion 521 to a position lower than the placement portion 41 by the lifting mechanism 523. Thereby, the target transport vehicle 703 places the article 9 placed on the support surface 522 of the support portion 521 on the placement portion 41. In the present embodiment, the charging device 6 charges the power storage device 532 even during the lifting and lowering operation of the support portion 521 for transferring the article 9. Thereby, compared with the case where charging is not performed during the lifting and lowering operation of the support portion 521, it becomes easier to secure a longer charging time, and thus the charging efficiency can be increased accordingly. As described above, in the present embodiment, the charging of the power storage device 532 by the charging device 6 cannot be started unless the target transport vehicle 703 is changed from the entering posture to the charging posture. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the target transport vehicle 703 changes its posture from the entering posture to the charging posture in parallel during the lifting and lowering operation of the support portion 521 for transferring the article 9. The control system 7 starts the charging process after the target transport vehicle 703 assumes the charging posture.

[0039] In this article conveying facility 100, until it becomes necessary to cause the target conveyance vehicle 703 to exit from the warehousing station 4 in order to allow an automated guided vehicle 5 different from the target conveyance vehicle 703 to enter the warehousing station 4, the control system 7 stops the target conveyance vehicle 703 at the warehousing station 4 and performs a charging process. The control system 7 starts the charging process and ends the charging process at an appropriate time within the period until it becomes necessary for the target conveyance vehicle 703 to exit from the warehousing station 4. The time when the control system 7 starts the charging process and the time when the control system 7 ends the charging process are determined according to the operating status of the automated guided vehicle 5 and the like. In the present embodiment, the control system 7 performs a charging process on the target conveyance vehicle 703 from when the target conveyance vehicle 703 assumes a charging posture until it becomes necessary for the target conveyance vehicle 703 to exit from the warehousing station 4. When the control system 7 performs such a charging process, the target conveyance vehicle 703 can ensure a long charging time by the charging device 6.

[0040] The timing (necessary timing) when it becomes necessary to cause the target conveyance vehicle 703 to exit from the warehousing station 4 in order to allow an automated guided vehicle 5 different from the target conveyance vehicle 703 to enter the warehousing station 4 is determined according to the operating status of the automated guided vehicle 5 that attempts to enter the warehousing station 4 and the like.

[0041] An example of such a required timing will be described with reference to FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 6, the automated guided vehicle 5 assigned with the warehousing task approaches the warehousing station 4 while traveling along a preset movement route 701 (transport route 702) by the control system 7. In this case, the required timing is at least the time before the automated guided vehicle 5 reaches the position of the detection unit 32 immediately before entering the warehousing station 4. This is because when the automated guided vehicle 5 reaches the position of the detection unit 32 immediately before the warehousing station 4, the movement route 701 (exit route 704) for the target transport vehicle 703 to exit outside the warehousing station 4 is blocked by the automated guided vehicle 5. In the present embodiment, in addition to the required timing, the target transport vehicle 703 may also exit the warehousing station 4. For example, the target transport vehicle 703 assigned with the transport task may also exit the warehousing station 4 before the required timing in order to execute its transport task.

[0042] Further, it is preferable that the control system 7 continuously performs the charging process while the target transport vehicle 703 is stopped at the warehousing station 4. When the control system 7 performs the charging process in this way, it is easier to ensure a longer charging period compared to the case where the charging process is intermittently performed while the target transport vehicle 703 is stopped at the warehousing station 4, so that the charging of the automated guided vehicle 5 can be efficiently performed.

[0043] Furthermore, when the power storage device 532 of the target transport vehicle 703 is in a fully charged state, as illustrated in FIG. 6, it is preferable that the control system 7 causes the target transport vehicle 703 to exit the warehousing station 4 even before the above-described required timing. Here, the fully charged state includes not only the state in which the maximum amount of electric power that can be charged in the power storage device 532 is charged, but also the state in which a predetermined amount of electric power is charged in the power storage device 532. By doing so, the target transport vehicle 703 is not restricted more than necessary at the warehousing station 4, so that the target transport vehicle 703 can be easily used for transporting other articles 9. Therefore, it becomes easier to efficiently use the automated guided vehicle 5.

[0044] [Example 2] While referring to FIG. 6, an example of a process (Example 2) for determining the timing at which the control system 7 causes the target carrier vehicle 703 to exit the storage station 4 in relation to the above-described necessary timing and the amount of electric power stored in the power storage device 532 will be described. Hereinafter, the differences between the process of Example 2 and the process of Example 1 will be mainly described.

[0045] In this example, even when a transport task is assigned to the target carrier vehicle 703, if the amount of electric power stored in the power storage device 532 of the target carrier vehicle 703 is less than a predetermined reference value, the control system 7 continues the charging process of the target carrier vehicle 703 at the storage station 4. The reference value may be a fixed value or a variable value that is appropriately changed. When the reference value is a variable value, it is preferable that the reference value is determined in consideration of the content of the transport task. For example, it is preferable that the reference value is an estimated value of the amount of electric power required for the execution of the transport task assigned to the target carrier vehicle 703. In this way, when the amount of electric power required according to the content of the transport task is charged to the target carrier vehicle 703, the target carrier vehicle 703 starts moving. As a result, it becomes difficult for the target carrier vehicle 703 to encounter a situation where it runs out of power during the execution of the transport task and has to perform a charging process again, regardless of what transport task is assigned.

[0046] [Example 3] While referring to FIG. 6, an example of a process (Example 3) for determining the timing at which the control system 7 causes the target carrier vehicle 703 to exit the storage station 4 in relation to the above-described necessary timing, the urgency of the transport task, and the amount of electric power stored in the power storage device 532 will be described. Hereinafter, the differences between the process of Example 3 and the process of Example 2 will be mainly described.

[0047] In this example, when the control system 7 assigns a transport task to the automated guided vehicle 5, it performs a process of setting an urgency level indicating the degree of urgency of each transport task. The urgency level is determined according to, for example, the time when the article 9 to be transported by the transport task must reach the destination or the importance of the article 9 to be transported. As an example, the urgency level increases as the length of the period until the time when the article 9 must reach the destination becomes shorter. Also, the urgency level increases as the importance of the article 9 increases. Specifically, for example, in the case where the article 9 is a part or tool used in a manufacturing apparatus, the urgency level increases as the length of the period from the current time until the time when the work using the article 9 is performed at the destination becomes shorter. Also, for example, when other work can proceed at the destination even without the article 9, the urgency level is low, but when the absence of the article 9 leads to a delay in other work, the urgency level is high. Also, for example, in the case where the article 9 is a product to be shipped to a customer, the urgency level increases as the length of the period from the current time until the time when it is necessary to arrive at the destination by the automated guided vehicle 5 based on the shipping schedule becomes shorter. For example, the urgency level is set in five levels from 1 to 5 in descending order of highness.

[0048] In this example, even when the control system 7 assigns a transport task to the target transport vehicle 703 and the amount of power stored in the power storage device 532 of the target transport vehicle 703 is less than a predetermined reference value, if the urgency level of the transport task is equal to or higher than a predetermined level, the charging process is aborted and the target transport vehicle 703 is made to execute the transport task. Here, the reference value may be a fixed value as in Example 2, or a variable value that is appropriately changed. When the reference value is a variable value, it is preferable that the reference value is determined in consideration of the content of the transport task. Note that the reference value in this example may be the same as the reference value described in Example 2, or a different value. The process of this example is particularly suitable when the reference value is a fixed value and is set to a value with sufficient margin, but it is also applicable when the reference value is a variable value. Specifically, for example, a case will be described where the reference value is a fixed value and the level predetermined as the threshold for aborting the charging process is "2". In this case, if the urgency level is 1 or 2, the control system 7 aborts the charging process and causes the target transport vehicle 703 to execute the transport task even if the reference value is less than the predetermined fixed value. That is, the control system 7 causes the target transport vehicle 703 to exit the storage station 4 in order to execute the transport task on the target transport vehicle 703.

[0049] [Example 4] In the above Example 3, when the urgency level of the transport task is equal to or higher than a predetermined level, regardless of the amount of power stored in the power storage device 532 of the target transport vehicle 703, the charging process is aborted and the target transport vehicle 703 is made to execute the transport task. However, in reality, there may be cases where it is preferable to control the target transport vehicle 703 in consideration of both the urgency level of the transport task and the amount of power stored in the power storage device 532 of the target transport vehicle 703. Therefore, in this example, the control system 7 determines whether to abort the charging process by using a variable reference value that changes according to the urgency level with respect to the amount of power stored in the power storage device 532. That is, when a transport task is assigned to the target transport vehicle 703 and the amount of power stored in the power storage device 532 of the target transport vehicle 703 is equal to or higher than the variable reference value, the control system 7 aborts the charging process and causes the target transport vehicle 703 to execute the transport task. The variable reference value is set to decrease as the urgency level increases, as illustrated in FIG. 7. FIG. 7 shows an example of a map indicating the relationship between the urgency level and the variable reference value in the present embodiment. The map shown in FIG. 7 is set such that the variable reference value decreases stepwise as the urgency level increases. Note that as long as the variable reference value decreases as the urgency level increases, the relationship between the urgency level and the variable reference value is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 7. For example, a relationship may be set such that the variable reference value decreases continuously as the urgency level increases. In this case, the relationship between the urgency level and the variable reference value may be a linear relationship represented by a linear function, or a non-linear relationship represented by, for example, a quadratic function. Alternatively, up to a specific urgency level, the variable reference value may be set to a constant value, and a relationship may be set such that the variable reference value decreases as the urgency level increases at an urgency level higher than the specific urgency level.

[0050] In this way, as the urgency level of the transport task assigned to the target transport vehicle 703 increases, the amount of power stored in the power storage device 532 decreases when the charging process is aborted. Conversely, as the urgency level of the transport task decreases, the amount of power stored in the power storage device 532 increases when the charging process is aborted. That is, according to the configuration of this example, when the urgency of the transport task is extremely high, the execution of the transport task is prioritized even if the amount of power in the power storage device 532 is low. Conversely, when the urgency of the transport task is low, the charging of the power storage device 532 is prioritized.

[0051] Also, as shown in FIG. 8, the variation reference value may have a correlation with parameters other than the urgency level. In the example shown in FIG. 8, on the premise that the drive source 531 of the automated guided vehicle 5 is a motor for driving the automated guided vehicle 5, it is shown that there is also a correlation with the urgency level and the moving distance of the automated guided vehicle 5 due to the transport task (the moving distance when moving from the storage station 4 to the destination via the source of transport). The hatched portion 710 shown in FIG. 8 shows a map of the variation reference value that changes in relation to the urgency level and the moving distance. In the example shown in FIG. 8, since the power consumed by the drive source 531 increases as the moving distance increases, the variation reference value is set to increase as the moving distance increases. By setting the variation reference value in this way, it is possible to reduce the possibility of power shortage while the automated guided vehicle 5 assigned with the transport task is executing the transport task. Also, in the example shown in FIG. 8, similar to the above, the variation reference value is set to decrease as the urgency level increases. By setting the variation reference value that changes according to a plurality of parameters in this way, it is possible to further enhance the appropriateness of the determination as to whether to continue charging the target transport vehicle 703 at the storage station 4. Note that the parameter to be correlated with the variation reference value is not limited to the moving distance and is appropriately determined according to the use of the article transport facility 100 and the like. For example, the parameter may be the moving distance of the automated guided vehicle 5 from the storage station 4 to the nearest charging device 6.

[0052] [Example 5] In the above Example 1, it was explained that the control system 7 performs a charging process on the target carrier vehicle 703 until it is necessary to withdraw the target carrier vehicle 703 from the warehousing station 4 in order to allow another automated guided vehicle 5, separate from the target carrier vehicle 703, to enter the warehousing station 4. However, in reality, there may be a situation where it is necessary to withdraw the target carrier vehicle 703 from the warehousing station 4 when the charging of the power storage device 532 of the target carrier vehicle 703 is insufficient. Similarly, in the above Example 2, it was explained that when the amount of electric power stored in the power storage device 532 is less than the reference value, the control system 7 continues the charging process. Further, in the above Example 4, it was explained that when the amount of electric power stored in the power storage device 532 is equal to or greater than the variation reference value, the control system 7 stops the charging process and causes the target carrier vehicle 703 to execute a transportation task. However, in reality, there may also be a situation where it is necessary to allow another automated guided vehicle 5, separate from the target carrier vehicle 703, to enter the warehousing station 4 before the amount of electric power of the reference value or the variation reference value is stored in the power storage device 532. When the above situation occurs, it is preferable for the target carrier vehicle 703 to which no transportation task is assigned to temporarily retreat from the warehousing station 4 in a situation where another automated guided vehicle 5 enters the warehousing station 4. Then, after the automated guided vehicle 5 exits from the warehousing station 4, it is preferable for the control system 7 to resume the charging process for the target carrier vehicle 703. In this example, with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, an example of the process in which the control system 7 temporarily retreats the target carrier vehicle 703 outside the warehousing station 4 will be described. Hereinafter, the differences between the process of Example 5 and the processes of Example 1, Example 2, or Example 4 will be mainly described.

[0053] In this example, as shown in FIG. 9, when the control system 7 needs to cause the target carrier vehicle 703 to exit the warehousing station 4 in order to allow another automated guided vehicle 5, which is different from the target carrier vehicle 703, to enter the warehousing station 4, and when no transportation task is assigned to the target carrier vehicle 703, the control system 7 executes a retraction process of moving the target carrier vehicle 703 to a standby position 706 set outside the warehousing station 4. When this retraction process is executed, the target carrier vehicle 703 moves along a retraction path 705 towards the standby position 706 and reaches the standby position 706. When the amount of electric power stored in the power storage device 532 of the automated guided vehicle 5 (the automated guided vehicle 5 that was the target carrier vehicle 703) that has executed the retraction process is less than a predetermined reference value, as shown in FIG. 10, after another automated guided vehicle 5 has left the warehousing station 4, the control system 7 causes the automated guided vehicle 5 that has executed the retraction process to enter the warehousing station 4 from the standby position 706. Then, the control system 7 executes a charging restart process of restarting the charging process for the target carrier vehicle 703 that has entered the warehousing station 4. Here, the reference value can be set in the same manner as the reference value or the variable reference value described in the above Example 2 or Example 4.

[0054] In this way, when another automated guided vehicle 5 different from the target carrier vehicle 703 needs to enter the warehousing station 4, it is possible to avoid the entry of the other automated guided vehicle 5 into the warehousing station 4 being blocked by the target carrier vehicle 703 that is being charged. Also, when the amount of electric power stored in the power storage device 532 of the target carrier vehicle 703 that has executed the retraction process is less than the reference value, the charging restart process is executed, so that the charging process of the target carrier vehicle 703 that has executed the retraction process can also be appropriately completed.

[0055] 3. Other Embodiments Next, other embodiments of the article transportation facility 100 will be described.

[0056] (1) In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the charging device 6 is provided at the storage station 4 has been described as an example. However, the embodiment of the article conveying facility 100 is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the charging device 6 may also be provided at the loading / unloading station 81 where both the loading of the article 9 into the automated warehouse 1 and the unloading of the article 9 from the automated warehouse 1 are performed. Further, while the charging device 6 is provided at the storage station 4, the charging device 6 may also be provided at the unloading station 2.

[0057] (2) In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the unmanned carrier vehicle 5 also performs the unloading of the article 9 from the automated warehouse 1 has been illustrated, but it is not limited to this. The unloading of the article 9 from the automated warehouse 1 may be performed not by the unmanned carrier vehicle 5 but by another conveying device such as a conveyor. Such a conveying device includes, for example, a conveying device such as a conveyor that connects the unloading station 2 of the automated warehouse 1 and the work area that requires the article 9.

[0058] (3) In the above-described embodiment, in the case where the article conveying facility 100 includes a plurality of storage stations 4, the configuration in which the charging device 6 is provided at all the storage stations 4 has been described as an example. However, the embodiment of the article conveying facility 100 is not limited to such a configuration, and the charging device 6 may be provided at a part of the plurality of storage stations 4 included in the article conveying facility 100, and the charging device 6 may not be provided at the remaining storage stations 4.

[0059] (4) In the above-described embodiment, the configuration of the control system 7 including the host control device 71 and the vehicle control device 72 has been described as an example. However, without being limited to such a configuration, for example, the control system 7 may be configured without the host control device 71 and with the vehicle control devices 72 of a plurality of unmanned carrier vehicles 5 connected to each other by communication.

[0060] (5) In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the power supply unit 62 is physically connected to the power receiving unit 533 to charge the storage battery has been described as an example. However, the embodiment of the article conveying facility 100 is not limited to such a configuration. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 11, the charging device 6 may be a non-contact charging device that can charge without contacting the power storage device 532. In this case, for example, each of the power supply unit 62 and the power receiving unit 533 may be configured to include an electromagnetic induction coil.

[0061] (6) In the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the automated guided vehicle 5 moves along the movement path 701 set so as to connect a plurality of detected portions 32 has been described as an example. However, the embodiment of the article conveying facility 100 is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the automated guided vehicle 5 may be configured to move along a guiding member composed of a magnetic tape or the like installed on the floor surface of the traveling area 3. Alternatively, the automated guided vehicle 5 may be configured to autonomously set the movement path 701 using various sensors for peripheral detection mounted on the automated guided vehicle 5 and move. The specific configuration of the automated guided vehicle 5 is not particularly limited.

[0062] (7) In the above-described embodiment, the power receiving unit 533 is provided on the front surface of the carriage body 511 of the automated guided vehicle 5, and the charging device 6 is provided at a position facing the side surface of the carriage body 511 of the automated guided vehicle 5 that has entered the storage station 4 as an example. However, the embodiment of the article conveying facility 100 is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the power receiving unit 533 may be provided on the side surface or the rear surface of the carriage body 511. Further, in the case of a configuration in which the automated guided vehicle 5 can travel in an arbitrary direction, there is no distinction between the front surface and the rear surface, and it may be provided at any position on the side circumferential surface of the carriage body 511. Further, the power receiving unit 533 may be provided on the bottom surface or the upper surface of the carriage body 511. Further, the power receiving unit 533 and the charging device 6 may be provided at positions facing each other in the target conveyance vehicle 703 in the entering posture. As a specific example, the power receiving unit 533 may be provided on the front surface of the carriage body 511, and the charging device 6 may be provided at a position facing the front surface of the carriage body 511 of the automated guided vehicle 5 that has entered the storage station 4. With such a configuration, the control system 7 can perform a charging process on the target conveyance vehicle 703 in the entering posture. Therefore, the control system 7 can efficiently perform a charging process on the target conveyance vehicle 703.

[0063] (8) In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the control system 7 is configured to perform a charging process on the target conveyance vehicle 703 by the charging device 6 even during the lifting operation of the support portion 521 for transferring the article 9 has been described. However, the embodiment of the article conveying facility 100 is not limited to such a configuration. The control system 7 may be configured to start the charging process of the target conveyance vehicle 703 after the article 9 carried into the storage station 4 by the target conveyance vehicle 703 is placed on the placement portion 41.

[0064] (9) In addition, the configurations disclosed in the above-described embodiments can be applied in combination with the configurations disclosed in other embodiments as long as there is no contradiction. Regarding other configurations as well, all the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples in all respects. Therefore, various modifications can be made as appropriate within the scope not departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0065] 4. Summary of this Embodiment The summary of the embodiment of the article conveying facility described above is described below.

[0066] The article conveying facility is an automated warehouse for storing articles, a warehousing station where the articles are warehoused in the automated warehouse, a plurality of automated guided vehicles for carrying the articles into the warehousing station, a control system for controlling the plurality of automated guided vehicles, and is an article conveying facility comprising the automated guided vehicle includes a power storage device for storing power and a drive source that operates by the power stored in the power storage device, a charging device for charging the power storage device of the automated guided vehicle is arranged at the warehousing station, the control system uses the automated guided vehicle at the warehousing station as a target conveyance vehicle, and stops the target conveyance vehicle at the warehousing station until it is necessary to withdraw the target conveyance vehicle from the warehousing station in order to allow another automated guided vehicle different from the target conveyance vehicle to enter the warehousing station, and performs a charging process of charging the power storage device by the charging device.

[0067] According to this characteristic configuration, after the goods are carried into the storage station, the charging device of the automated guided vehicle can be charged while waiting for the next goods to be carried into the storage station. Therefore, compared with the case of moving the automated guided vehicle to a charging station set at another location for charging, the movement of the automated guided vehicle for charging can be reduced, and the charging of the automated guided vehicle can be performed efficiently. Also, at the shipping station where goods are shipped out of the automated warehouse, since the automated guided vehicle needs to quickly transport the goods received from the automated warehouse to the destination, it is difficult to ensure sufficient charging time even if a charging device is arranged at the shipping station. However, the automated guided vehicle that enters the storage station may not need to move to another location immediately after storing the goods in the automated warehouse, so there is an advantage that it is easy to ensure the charging time. Furthermore, according to this configuration, by arranging a charging device at the storage station, the storage station can also serve as a charging station. Therefore, the number of dedicated charging stations can be reduced or eliminated, making it easier to miniaturize the goods transportation equipment.

[0068] Also, it is preferable that when the power storage device of the target transport vehicle is fully charged, the control system causes the target transport vehicle to leave the storage station even before the need arises.

[0069] According to this configuration, it is avoided to stop the automated guided vehicle at the storage station until the charging of the power storage device is completed. Therefore, it is easy to make efficient use of the automated guided vehicle.

[0070] Also, the control system is configured to assign a transport task for transporting the goods to each of the plurality of automated guided vehicles. It is preferable that even when the transport task is assigned to the target transport vehicle, if the amount of power stored in the power storage device of the target transport vehicle is less than a predetermined reference value, the control system continues the charging process of the target transport vehicle at the storage station.

[0071] According to this configuration, even when a transport task is assigned to the target transport vehicle, the charging process is not immediately aborted, but rather the charging process continues until the amount of power stored in the power storage device reaches or exceeds a reference value. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the likelihood that an automated guided vehicle that has started moving to execute a transport task will run out of power during the execution of the transport task and have to perform the charging process again.

[0072] Also, when the control system assigns the transport task to the automated guided vehicle, the control system is configured to set a criticality level indicating the degree of criticality of each transport task. Even when the control system assigns the transport task to the target transport vehicle and the amount of power stored in the power storage device of the target transport vehicle is less than a predetermined reference value, it is preferable that the control system aborts the charging process and causes the target transport vehicle to execute the transport task when the criticality level of the transport task is equal to or higher than a predetermined level.

[0073] According to this configuration, when the criticality level of the transport task assigned to the target transport vehicle is equal to or higher than a predetermined level, even if the amount of power stored in the power storage device of the target transport vehicle is less than the reference value, the charging process is aborted and the target transport vehicle is caused to execute the transport task. Therefore, it becomes possible to quickly execute a highly critical transport task.

[0074] Also, when the control system assigns the transport task to the automated guided vehicle, the control system is configured to set a criticality level indicating the degree of criticality of each transport task. When the control system assigns the transport task to the target transport vehicle and the amount of power stored in the power storage device of the target transport vehicle is equal to or higher than a variation reference value, the control system aborts the charging process and causes the target transport vehicle to execute the transport task. It is preferable that the variation reference value is set to decrease as the criticality level increases.

[0075] According to this configuration, as the urgency level of the transport task assigned to the target transport vehicle increases, the amount of power in the power storage device that ends the charging process decreases. Conversely, as the urgency level of the transport task decreases, the amount of power in the power storage device that ends the charging process increases. Therefore, it is easy to make an appropriate balance between the urgency of the transport task and the charging of the power storage device.

[0076] Also, the control system is configured to assign a transport task for transporting the article to each of the plurality of the automated guided vehicles. When the need arises and the transport task is not assigned to the target transport vehicle, the control system executes a retraction process of moving the target transport vehicle to a standby position set outside the warehousing station. When the amount of power stored in the power storage device of the automated guided vehicle that has executed the retraction process is less than a predetermined reference value, after no other automated guided vehicle remains at the warehousing station, the control system executes a charge restart process of allowing the automated guided vehicle that has executed the retraction process to enter the warehousing station and resume the charging process. This is preferable.

[0077] According to this configuration, when an automated guided vehicle other than the target transport vehicle enters the warehousing station, it is possible to avoid the entry into the warehousing station being obstructed by the target transport vehicle being charged. Therefore, the warehousing of articles at the warehousing station by a plurality of automated guided vehicles can be efficiently performed. Also, when the amount of power stored in the power storage device of the automated guided vehicle that has executed the retraction process is less than the reference value, the charge restart process is executed, so that the charging process of the automated guided vehicle that has executed the retraction process can also be appropriately completed.

[0078] Also, the automated guided vehicle includes a support portion that supports the article and a lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the support portion. The warehousing station includes a placement portion on which the article is placed. The placement part is arranged so as not to interfere with the lifting trajectory of the support part of the automated guided vehicle stopped at a predetermined stop position, and is configured to transfer the article to and from the support part in accordance with the lifting of the support part. It is preferable that the charging device is arranged according to the position of the automated guided vehicle stopped at the stop position.

[0079] According to this configuration, it is possible to appropriately receive the article from the transport vehicle at the warehousing station, and it is also possible to charge the power storage device during the lifting operation of the support part for receiving the article. Therefore, the charging of the automated guided vehicle can be performed efficiently.

[0080] Here, the warehousing station includes a placement part on which the article is placed. It is preferable that the control system starts the charging process of the target transport vehicle after placing the article carried into the warehousing station by the target transport vehicle on the placement part.

[0081] According to this configuration, it is possible to make it difficult to perform the charging process while the target transport vehicle is moving, so that the charging process can be stably executed easily.

Industrial Applicability

[0082] The technology according to the present disclosure can be used in an article transport facility including an automated guided vehicle having a drive source driven by electric power stored in a rechargeable power storage device and operating the drive source to transport an article.

Explanation of Signs

[0083] 1: Automated Warehouse 4: Warehousing Station 5: Automated Guided Vehicle 6: Charging Device 7: Control System 9: Article 41: Placement Part 100: Article Transport Facility 521: Support Part 522: Support surface 523: Lifting mechanism 531: Drive source 532: Energy storage device 703: Target transport vehicle

Claims

1. An automated warehouse for storing articles, An inbound station where the articles are received into the automated warehouse, A plurality of automated guided vehicles for transporting the articles to the inbound station, A control system for controlling the plurality of automated guided vehicles, An article transport facility comprising: The automated guided vehicle includes a power storage device for storing power and a drive source that operates by the power stored in the power storage device. A charging device for charging the power storage device of the automated guided vehicle is arranged at the inbound station. The control system uses the automated guided vehicle at the inbound station as a target transport vehicle, and stops the target transport vehicle at the inbound station until it is necessary to withdraw the target transport vehicle from the inbound station in order to allow another automated guided vehicle, different from the target transport vehicle, to enter the inbound station, and performs a charging process of charging the power storage device by the charging device. An article transport facility.

2. The control system withdraws the target transport vehicle from the inbound station even before the necessity arises when the power storage device of the target transport vehicle is in a fully charged state. The article transport facility according to Claim 1.

3. The control system is configured to assign a transport task for transporting the articles to each of the plurality of automated guided vehicles. Even when the transport task is assigned to the target transport vehicle, if the amount of power stored in the power storage device of the target transport vehicle is less than a predetermined reference value, the control system continues the charging process of the target transport vehicle at the inbound station. The article transport facility according to Claim 1 or 2.

4. When assigning the transport task to the automated guided vehicle, the control system is configured to set an urgency level indicating the degree of urgency of each transport task. Even when the transport task is assigned to the target transport vehicle and the amount of power stored in the power storage device of the target transport vehicle is less than a predetermined reference value, if the urgency level of the transport task is equal to or higher than a predetermined level, the control system aborts the charging process and causes the target transport vehicle to execute the transport task. The article transport facility according to Claim 3.

5. When the control system assigns the transport task to the automated guided vehicle, it is configured to set an urgency level indicating the degree of urgency of each transport task. When the control system assigns the transport task to the target transport vehicle and the amount of power stored in the power storage device of the target transport vehicle is equal to or greater than the fluctuation reference value, the charging process is aborted and the target transport vehicle is made to execute the transport task. The article transport facility according to claim 3, wherein the fluctuation reference value is set to decrease as the urgency level increases.

6. The control system is configured to assign a transport task for transporting the article to each of the plurality of automated guided vehicles. When the need arises and the transport task has not been assigned to the target transport vehicle, the control system executes a retraction process of moving the target transport vehicle to a standby position set outside the storage station. When the amount of power stored in the power storage device of the automated guided vehicle that has executed the retraction process is less than a predetermined reference value, after no other automated guided vehicle remains at the storage station, a charge restart process is executed to cause the automated guided vehicle that has executed the retraction process to enter the storage station and resume the charging process. The article transport facility according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The automated guided vehicle includes a support portion that supports the article and a lifting mechanism that raises and lowers the support portion. The storage station includes a placement portion on which the article is placed. The placement portion is arranged so as not to interfere with the lifting trajectory of the support portion of the automated guided vehicle stopped at a predetermined stop position, and is configured such that the article is transferred between the placement portion and the support portion in accordance with the lifting of the support portion. The charging device is arranged in accordance with the position of the automated guided vehicle stopped at the stop position. The article transport facility according to claim 1 or 2.

8. The storage station includes a placement portion on which the article is placed. The control system starts the charging process of the target transport vehicle after placing the article carried into the storage station by the target transport vehicle on the placement portion. The article transport facility according to claim 1 or 2.

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