Warehouse

Abstract

To provide a technology that can, with a simple configuration, detect whether or not items protrude from multiple storage parts in a warehouse provided with storage shelves capable of storing the items in each of the storage parts.SOLUTION: A warehouse equipped with storage shelves 10 in which multiple storage parts 2 are arranged in a row includes a laser sensor 3, a drive device that moves the direction of laser light irradiation, and a control system, a surface where the articles W are put into and taken out of the storage parts 2 of the storage shelf 10 is defined as a shelf front surface S, and the drive device rotates the direction of laser light irradiation around a rotation axis 9 along the shelf depth direction while maintaining the same parallel to the shelf front surface S, causing the laser light to scan a detection surface E set along the shelf front surface S, and when the control system detects an item W intersecting the detection surface E with the laser sensor, it is determined that the item W protrudes from the shelf front surface S.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a warehouse. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2007-269460 (Patent Document 1) discloses a technology relating to warehouses. In the following description of the background art, the reference numerals in parentheses refer to those in Patent Document 1.

[0003] The warehouse (item storage facility) of Patent Document 1 includes a storage shelf (storage shelf 1) with multiple storage sections (item storage sections 4) that store items (items 9) lined up vertically and in the shelf width direction (horizontally), a stacker crane (3) that travels along the front of the storage shelf, and a control system (crane control device 27) that controls the operation of the conveyor. The stacker crane (3) transfers items between the multiple storage sections.

[0004] The stacker crane (3) is provided with a detector (28) for detecting an item protruding from the storage section toward the conveying device (protruding state). The control system executes an inspection mode in which the detector detects a protruding item while traveling the stacker crane (3). When the control system detects a protruding item, it stops the traveling of the stacker crane (3) and executes a notification process to notify the detection of a protruding item.

[0005] The detection device (28) includes a light projector (30) and a light receiver (32). The light projector (30) is mounted on the support arm (29) on the upper side of the stacker crane (3). The light receiver (32) is mounted on the support arm (30) on the lower side of the stacker crane (3). The light projector (30) projects detection light parallel to the front surface (1A) of the storage shelf. The light receiver (32) is disposed directly below the light projector (30) and receives the detection light projected from the light projector (30). The control system detects the protrusion of an article when the detection light is blocked. A plurality of such light projectors (30) and light receivers (32) are disposed on both outer sides of the stacker crane (3) in the traveling direction. This makes it possible to properly detect protruding objects while avoiding interference between the stacker crane (3) traveling in the travel direction and objects that have already protruded due to an earthquake or other factors. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-269460 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In the warehouse of Patent Document 1, as described above, in order to avoid interference between the traveling stacker crane and a protruding article, a light projector and a light receiver are provided on both outer sides of the stacker crane in the traveling direction, and support members for supporting these light projectors and light receivers are provided on the stacker crane. As a result, the configuration for detecting protruding articles tends to become complicated, which is a factor in increasing costs.

[0008] Therefore, in a warehouse equipped with storage shelves capable of storing items in each of multiple storage sections, it is desirable to provide technology that can detect whether an item is protruding from a storage section using a simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The warehouse according to the present disclosure is a warehouse equipped with storage shelves in which a plurality of storage sections are arranged in a vertical direction and in a shelf width direction intersecting the vertical direction, and each of the storage sections is capable of storing an item, The laser sensor detects an object that has reflected the laser light by irradiating the laser light and receiving the reflected light, and the laser sensor also includes a drive device that moves the direction of irradiation of the laser light, and a control system. a surface along the vertical direction and the shelf width direction, through which the articles are put into and taken out of the plurality of storage sections in the storage shelf, is defined as a shelf front surface, and a direction perpendicular to the shelf front surface is defined as a shelf depth direction, The driving device rotates the irradiation direction of the laser light around a rotation axis along the shelf depth direction while maintaining the irradiation direction of the laser light parallel to the front surface of the shelf, thereby causing the laser light to scan a detection surface set along the front surface of the shelf, When the laser sensor detects the item intersecting the detection plane, the control system determines that the item protrudes from the front surface of the shelf.

[0010] With this configuration, the laser sensor can detect whether or not an item is protruding from the front of the shelf. Therefore, even if an earthquake or other factor causes a displacement of the items stored in the storage section, it is possible to properly detect the presence of an item protruding from the front of the shelf due to the displacement. Furthermore, with this configuration, by rotating the direction of the laser light around the pivot axis, it is possible to detect whether or not an object is protruding from the entire detection surface set along the front surface of the shelf with a single laser light emitted from the laser sensor. This allows the number of laser sensors to be kept to a minimum, making it easier to simplify the configuration for detecting an object protruding from the front surface of the shelf.

[0011] Further features and advantages of the warehouse will become apparent from the following description of exemplary, non-limiting embodiments, which are given with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] Side view of storage shelf [Figure 2] Front view of storage shelf [Figure 3] Perspective view of the detection device [Figure 4] A side view schematically showing the front of the shelf and the detection surface. [Figure 5] Control Block Diagram [Figure 6] Control Flow Diagram [Figure 7] Control Flow Diagram DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] An embodiment of the warehouse will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the warehouse 1 includes a storage shelf 10 in which multiple storage sections 2 are arranged in a vertical direction and in a shelf width direction X intersecting the vertical direction, and each storage section 2 is capable of storing an item W. Also, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the warehouse 1 includes a laser sensor 3 that detects an object that reflects the laser light by emitting laser light and receiving reflected light, a drive device 4 that controls the direction of the laser light, and a control system 100. In this embodiment, the warehouse 1 further includes a conveying device 5 that transports the item W. The conveying device 5 transports the item W between the storage shelf 10 and the outside of the warehouse 1 and also takes the item W in and out of the multiple storage sections 2. The shelf width direction X is a direction along a horizontal plane, in other words, a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. In the following description, the surface along the vertical direction and the shelf width direction X, through which the item W is taken in and out of the multiple storage sections 2 in the storage shelf 10, is referred to as the shelf front surface S, and the direction perpendicular to the shelf front surface S is referred to as the shelf depth direction Y. In this embodiment, the laser sensor 3 and the drive device 4 are collectively referred to as the detection device 8. The articles W stored in the storage section 2 may be containers such as pallets and cartons stacked on the pallets, or may be containers such as cartons stored without being placed on a pallet. The articles W are not limited to containers.

[0015] In this example, the warehouse 1 is equipped with a pair of storage shelves 10. The pair of storage shelves 10 are arranged side by side in the shelf depth direction Y with a conveying device 5 sandwiched between them (FIG. 1). The conveying device 5 moves along the shelf width direction X between the shelf front faces S of the pair of storage shelves 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the shelf front face S is an imaginary plane in which the openings of the multiple storage sections 2 (here, the openings formed on the conveying device 5 side) are lined up in the vertical direction and in the shelf width direction X when viewed in the shelf depth direction Y, and is a rectangular surface.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the conveying device 5 includes a traveling carriage 51 that travels along the shelf width direction X, a mast 52 that stands upright from the traveling carriage 51, a lifting platform 53 that rises and falls along the mast 52, and a transfer device 54 that transfers items W between each storage section 2. That is, the conveying device 5 is a stacker crane. In this example, as shown in FIG. 1, rails R are provided on the travel path of the conveying device 5. The traveling carriage 51 is guided by the rails R and travels in front of the storage shelves 10. The transfer device 54 is provided on the lifting platform 53. When an item W is to be carried in from outside the warehouse 1, for example, the transfer device 54 receives the item W placed in an inlet port or the like. The traveling carriage 51 moves to the row of the storage section 2 designated as the storage destination, and the lifting platform 53 moves up and down to move to the row of the designated storage section 2. The transfer device 54 then transfers the item W into the storage section 2. When the item W stored in the storage section 2 is to be transported outside the warehouse 1, the conveying device 5 operates in the reverse order. Here, the transfer device 54 is of a fork type, but is not limited to this and may be of a conveyor type, for example. The transfer device 54 is capable of loading and unloading the item W into and from each storage section 2 of the pair of storage shelves 10. Furthermore, the conveying device 5 is not limited to a stacker crane. The conveying device 5 may be, for example, an unmanned guided vehicle that autonomously travels on the floor or the like to transport the item W, or an unmanned guided vehicle that travels along a guide rail or the like to transport the item W, or may be a ceiling-mounted guided vehicle that travels along a guide rail or the like suspended from the ceiling to transport the item W.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the storage shelf 10 includes a plurality of support columns 13 aligned in the shelf width direction X and the shelf depth direction Y, a plurality of connecting members 12 connecting the support columns 13 aligned in the shelf depth direction Y, and a plurality of mounting members 11 on which items W are placed. In this example, the connecting members 12 connect two support columns 13 aligned in the shelf depth direction Y and are arranged at equal intervals (here, an interval greater than the length of the items W in the vertical direction) in the vertical direction. In this manner, a plurality of pairs of two support columns 13 connected by the connecting members 12 are provided so as to be aligned in multiple rows in the shelf width direction X. The mounting members 11 are fixed to the connecting members 12. Here, each of the plurality of mounting members 11 is arranged so as to protrude inward in the shelf width direction X (toward the side on which the items W are placed) from each of a pair of connecting members 12 arranged at the same height and adjacent to each other in the shelf width direction X. The storage section 2 is formed by a pair of mounting members 11 arranged to protrude inward in the shelf width direction X from a pair of connecting members 12, and a space above the pair of mounting members 11. When an article W is stored in the storage section 2, it is supported from below by the pair of mounting members 11. In this way, each of the multiple storage sections 2 is formed as a so-called fixed location.

[0018] Each of the multiple storage sections 2 is not limited to a fixed location as described above, and may be formed as a free location. In this case, for example, a configuration may be adopted in which a plurality of rectangular shelf boards that are long in the shelf width direction X and along a horizontal plane are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction, and the multiple shelf boards are supported by supports 13. In this case, it is preferable that an item W can be placed at any location in the shelf width direction X on the shelf board of each level. Then, each space on each shelf level where an item W can be placed can be used as a storage section 2. In this case, the area occupied by each storage section 2 may change from time to time depending on the size of each item W actually placed on the shelf, etc.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, in this example, the storage shelf 10 is formed with a storage area R1 in which multiple storage units 2 are arranged, and a non-storage area R2 in which no storage units 2 are arranged. Here, the non-storage area R2 is formed below the storage area R1. More specifically, the non-storage area R2 is formed between the lowest mounting member 11 and the floor. Here, the shelf front surface S includes both the storage area R1 and the non-storage area R2, but it may also be formed, for example, to include only the storage area R1 and not include the non-storage area R2. In this way, the range of the shelf front surface S can be changed depending on the arrangement of the storage units 2 on the storage shelf 10. The specific configuration of the detection device 8 (laser sensor 3, drive device 4) will be described below.

[0020] The laser sensor 3 is configured to measure the distance to an object that reflects the laser light. That is, in this embodiment, the laser sensor 3 is a laser distance meter. In this example, the laser sensor 3 is configured to measure the distance to an object that reflects the laser light on a detection plane E set along the shelf front surface S. The laser light is irradiated along the detection plane E. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the detection plane E is set in an area that overlaps with the shelf front surface S when viewed in the shelf depth direction Y. In this example, the detection plane E is set at a position that is spaced a specified distance inward from the shelf front surface S in the shelf depth direction Y (here, toward the conveying device 5) (FIG. 1). This specified distance is set so that the detection plane E does not interfere with the conveying device 5 on the travel path. The detection plane E is formed to correspond to the shape of the shelf front surface S. Specifically, the detection plane E is formed in a rectangular shape. On the other hand, the detection plane E is not set in an area that does not overlap with the shelf front surface S when viewed in the shelf depth direction. Here, the detection surface E is set in an area of ​​the shelf front surface S that overlaps with the storage area R1 when viewed in the shelf depth direction. In other words, the detection surface E is set to include the entire storage area R1 and not include the non-storage area R2. On the other hand, the detection surface E is not set outside the storage area R1. Therefore, the detection surface E is not set outside the shelf front surface S either. Note that the detection surface E may be set to include an area outside the shelf front surface S. Furthermore, the detection surface E may be set to include the non-storage area R2. A method for setting the detection surface E will be explained in detail later.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the drive unit 4 rotates the laser beam around a rotation axis 9 along the shelf depth direction Y while maintaining the irradiation direction of the laser beam parallel to the shelf front surface S, thereby scanning the detection surface E set along the shelf front surface S with the laser beam. In this embodiment, the drive unit 4 rotates the entire laser sensor 3, thereby changing the irradiation direction of the emitted laser beam. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2 , the rotation axis 9 is set at one of the four corners of the rectangular shelf front surface S when viewed from the shelf depth direction Y. This allows the entire detection surface E to be scanned simply by rotating the laser beam by 90°. That is, in this example, the rotation angle θ of the laser beam (here, the rotation angle θ of the laser sensor 3) is set to be greater than or equal to 0° and less than or equal to 90°. Note that the rotation angle θ may be set to exceed 90°. Naturally, the rotation angle θ can be changed as appropriate depending on the shape of the detection surface E, etc. In this example, the pivot axis 9 of the laser sensor 3 is located at a position (hereinafter referred to as the "first position P1") corresponding to one of the four corners of the shelf front surface S on the lower side (floor side) when viewed in the shelf depth direction. Note that the "four corners of the shelf front surface S" do not include only the four vertices of the rectangular shelf front surface S. In this example, the "four corners of the shelf front surface S" are defined as an area with some extent of space. The "four corners" may be offset inward from the corresponding vertices of the shelf front surface S by a specified amount. For example, in the "four corners" area, a deviation less than the vertical dimension of the article W with the smallest vertical dimension from each vertex is permitted. In the shelf width direction X, a deviation of less than half the dimension of one storage section 2 in the shelf width direction X is permitted. The "four corners" may also be offset outward from the corresponding vertex of the shelf front surface S by a specified amount. For example, in the "four corner" area, the amount by which the drive unit 4 and the laser sensor 3 extend beyond the front surface S of the shelf is acceptable as long as it does not interfere with surrounding components, including the floor (for example, the support pillars 13, which are components of the storage shelf 10).

[0022] In this example, the drive unit 4 is configured to rotate the entire laser sensor 3 around a rotation axis 9 along the shelf depth direction Y. Here, the drive unit 4 is provided at a position where the rotation axis 9 of the laser sensor 3 is located at a first position P1. As shown in FIG. 3 , the drive unit 4 is attached to, for example, a support member on a support column 13 of the storage shelf 10. Here, the drive unit 4 is located in the non-storage area R2. The detection device 8 may include a support member that supports the drive unit 4. The detection device 8 may also be provided directly on the floor instead of on the support column 13. The drive unit 4 may also be provided inside the laser sensor 3. For example, the drive unit 4 may be provided with a mechanism that rotates the light source and light receiving element inside the laser sensor 3.

[0023] 4, the position where the laser sensor 3 is provided (specifically, the position where the rotation axis 9 of the laser sensor 3 is located) is not limited to the first position P1 described above. For example, the rotation axis 9 of the laser sensor 3 may be located at a position (second position P2) corresponding to one of the upper two corners of the four corners of the shelf front surface S. In this embodiment, the second position P2 is further set to a position corresponding to one of the upper two vertices of the four vertices of the rectangular detection surface E.

[0024] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the position where the laser sensor 3 is provided (specifically, the position where the rotation axis 9 of the laser sensor 3 is disposed) may be a position (third position Q1) on each side of the rectangular detection surface E. When the rotation axis 9 of the laser sensor 3 is disposed at the third position Q1 in this manner, the maximum value of the rotation angle θ of the laser light is set to be larger than the maximum values ​​of the rotation angles θ at the first position P1 and the second position P2. In the illustrated example, the maximum value of the rotation angle θ may be set to 180°. Furthermore, the position where the rotation axis 9 of the laser sensor 3 is disposed may be a position (fourth position Q2) on the surface excluding the four peripheral sides of the detection surface E (in the illustrated example, the central region of the detection surface E). When the rotation axis 9 of the laser sensor 3 is disposed at the fourth position Q2 in this manner, the maximum value of the rotation angle θ of the laser light is set to be larger than the maximum value of the rotation angle θ at the third position Q1. In the illustrated example, the maximum value of the rotation angle θ needs to be set to 360°.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 5, the control system 100 has a function of controlling the detection device 8 (laser sensor 3, drive device 4) and the conveyance device 5. In this embodiment, the warehouse 1 has a control device H as the control system 100. The control device H has, for example, a processor such as a microcomputer, peripheral circuits such as a memory, etc. Then, each function of the control system 100 is realized by cooperation between this hardware and a program executed on the processor of a computer, etc. In this example, the control device H has a memory unit 101, an arithmetic processing unit 102, and a determination unit 103.

[0026] When the laser sensor 3 detects an article W intersecting the detection surface E, the control system 100 determines that the article W protrudes from the shelf front surface S. In this embodiment, the determination unit 103 performs this determination. When the detection device 8 detects an article W intersecting the detection surface E (hereinafter referred to as a "protruding article Wt"), it transmits detection information to the control device H. The detection information includes at least the distance to the object (here, the protruding article Wt) measured by the laser sensor 3 and the rotation angle θ of the laser sensor 3. The control system 100 identifies the position of the article W protruding from the shelf front surface S in the up-down direction and the shelf width direction X based on the rotation angle θ of the irradiation direction around the rotation axis 9 of the laser sensor 3 when the laser sensor 3 detected the article W and the distance to the object (protruding article Wt) measured by the laser sensor 3. In this embodiment, the memory unit 101 pre-stores position information indicating the position of each storage section 2 (such as the coordinates of each storage section 2 identified using a Cartesian coordinate system set on the detection surface E). The calculation processing unit 102 identifies the position of the protruding object Wt (here, the storage unit 2 in which the protruding object Wt is stored) based on the detection information received from the detection device 8 and the above-mentioned position information. In this example, the range of the detection surface E is preset in the control device H (e.g., the memory unit 101) using the above-mentioned Cartesian coordinate system. Therefore, for example, if the detection information acquired from the detection device 8 includes information that the laser sensor 3 has detected an object outside the detection surface E, calculation processing to identify the position of the object is not performed. Note that the detection surface E may also be set in the detection device 8. In this case, the detection information transmitted from the detection device 8 to the control device H does not include detection information of an object outside the detection surface E. Note that, as described above, the detection surface E is separated from the shelf front surface S by a specified distance (FIG. 1). Therefore, for the object W in the storage unit 2, protrusion from the shelf front surface S to just in front of the detection surface E is not detected by the laser sensor 3 and is therefore permitted.

[0027] In this example, it is preferable that the warehouse 1 further includes an output device 6, as shown in Fig. 5. When the control device H identifies the position of the protruding object Wt, it outputs to the output device 6 output information indicating that the protruding object Wt has been detected and indicating the storage section 2 in which the protruding object Wt is stored. The output device 6 may be, for example, a display device that displays the output information on a monitor, or an alarm device that uses sound or light to indicate that the protruding object Wt has been detected, or a combination of these.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 6, the control system 100 (here, the control device H) is configured to be able to execute a first rotation process (S01). The first rotation process is executed, for example, after the occurrence of an earthquake, in response to input from an operator or the like. In the first rotation process, the control device H rotates the laser sensor 3 and controls the detection device 8 to scan the detection surface E with laser light. Here, in the first rotation process, the detection device 8 scans the entire detection surface E. After executing the first rotation process, the control system 100 determines whether a protruding object Wt has been detected (S02). If the control system 100 determines that a protruding object Wt has been detected (S02: Yes), it executes a position identification process (S03). In the position identification process, the control device H identifies the storage section 2 in which the protruding object Wt is stored. In this example, if multiple protruding objects Wt are detected, the storage section 2 in which each of the protruding objects Wt is stored is identified. The control system 100 further executes an output process that outputs each identified storage section 2 to the output device 6. A worker or the like performs work to correct the position of the protruding object Wt according to the output information output to the output device 6. Note that in the first rotation process, the operation may be performed multiple times on the entire detection surface E. Also, the work to correct the position of the protruding object Wt may be performed by the conveying device 5. In that case, it is necessary to confirm that the protruding object Wt, fallen objects, etc. do not interfere with the traveling trajectory of the conveying device 5.

[0029] The first rotation process may be performed, for example, at predetermined intervals (for example, every few hours, every few days, etc.). In this case, the first rotation process may be performed automatically by the control system 100. In this way, when the first rotation process is performed periodically, the detection device 8 can be permanently installed on each storage shelf 10. On the other hand, when the first rotation process is performed in an emergency such as after an earthquake, the detection device 8 can also be installed on the storage shelf 10 as needed. In this case, the detection device 8 can be shared by multiple storage shelves 10, thereby reducing costs.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 7 , after correcting the position of a protruding object Wt, which is an object W determined to protrude from the shelf front surface S, the control system 100 executes a confirmation process in which a laser beam is used to scan an area that was shaded by the protruding object Wt as viewed from the pivot axis 9. In this example, the control system 100 (here, the control device H) is configured to execute a second rotation process during the confirmation process (S11). In the second rotation process, the control device H controls the detection device 8 to scan an area on the detection surface E that was shaded by the protruding object Wt and therefore could not be scanned (an unscanned area E1). The second rotation process may be executed by an operator or the like inputting the control system 100, or may be executed automatically after the conveyance device 5 has corrected the position of the protruding object Wt. The control device H may control the detection device 8 to scan only the unscanned area E1. Alternatively, if there are multiple unscanned areas E1, the control device H may control the detection device 8 to scan the entire detection surface E. After executing the second rotation process, the control system 100 determines whether or not the protruding object Wt has been detected (S12). If the control system 100 determines that the protruding object Wt has been detected (S12: Yes), it executes a position identification process (S13). The control system 100 outputs each identified storage section 2 to the output device 6. A worker or the like corrects the position of the protruding object Wt according to the output information output to the output device 6. Note that, in the position identification process, naturally, if only the unscanned area E1 is scanned, the storage section 2 in which the protruding object Wt is stored in the unscanned area E1 is identified, and if the entire detection surface E is scanned, the storage section 2 in which the protruding object Wt is stored is identified regardless of whether the position of the protruding object Wt is in the unscanned area E1.

[0031] Other Embodiments (1) In the above embodiment, the warehouse 1 is described as having a configuration including a conveying device 5, but this is not limited to this. The warehouse 1 does not have to have a conveying device 5. In this case, for example, the items W may be placed in and removed from the storage section 2 directly by hand, or the items W may be placed in and removed from the storage section 2 by a forklift or the like operated by a worker or the like.

[0032] (2) In the above embodiment, the driving device 4 is configured to rotate the irradiation direction of the laser light about the rotation axis 9 along the shelf depth direction Y while maintaining the direction parallel to the shelf front surface S, thereby scanning the detection surface E with the laser light. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The driving device 4 may also be configured to scan the detection surface E with the laser light without rotating the irradiation direction of the laser light. In this case, for example, the driving device 4 may fix the irradiation direction of the laser light in the up-down direction or along the shelf width direction X, and move the laser sensor 3 itself along the up-down direction or along the shelf width direction X.

[0033] (3) In the above embodiment, the detection surface E is set at a position a specified distance inward (toward the conveying device 5) in the shelf depth direction Y from the shelf front surface S. However, this is not limited to this. The detection surface E may be set on the shelf front surface S. For example, the entire shelf front surface S may be set as the detection surface E, or a partial area of ​​the shelf front surface S (such as the storage area R1) may be set as the detection surface E.

[0034] (4) In the above embodiment, the pivot axis 9 is set at one of the four corners of the rectangular shelf front surface S when viewed in the shelf depth direction Y, but this is not limited to this. The pivot axis 9 may be set at multiple corners of the rectangular shelf front surface S when viewed in the shelf depth direction Y. In this case, it is possible to arrange multiple laser sensors 3 for one storage shelf 10.

[0035] (5) In the above embodiment, the control system 100 is described as being configured to perform a confirmation process in which the laser beam is scanned over the area that was in the shadow of the protruding object Wt as viewed from the rotation axis 9 after the position of the protruding object Wt has been corrected, but this is not limiting. The control system 100 does not necessarily have to perform the confirmation process. In this case, for example, it is preferable that the control system 100 repeatedly performs the first rotation process and executes the position identification process and the output process each time a protruding object Wt is detected. It is also preferable that these processes be performed while the position of the protruding object Wt is being corrected, and that these processes be repeated until the protruding object Wt is no longer detected across the entire detection surface E.

[0036] (6) Note that the configurations disclosed in the above-described embodiments can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments (including combinations of embodiments described as other embodiments) as long as no contradictions arise. Regarding other configurations, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples in all respects. Therefore, various modifications can be made as appropriate within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0037] Summary of the above embodiment Below, we will explain the summary of the warehouse explained above.

[0038] The warehouse according to the present disclosure is a warehouse equipped with storage shelves in which a plurality of storage sections are arranged in a vertical direction and in a shelf width direction intersecting the vertical direction, and each of the storage sections is capable of storing an item, The laser sensor detects an object that has reflected the laser light by irradiating the laser light and receiving the reflected light, and the laser sensor also includes a drive device that moves the direction of irradiation of the laser light, and a control system. a surface along the vertical direction and the shelf width direction, through which the articles are put into and taken out of the plurality of storage sections in the storage shelf, is defined as a shelf front surface, and a direction perpendicular to the shelf front surface is defined as a shelf depth direction, The driving device rotates the irradiation direction of the laser light around a rotation axis along the shelf depth direction while maintaining the irradiation direction of the laser light parallel to the front surface of the shelf, thereby causing the laser light to scan a detection surface set along the front surface of the shelf, When the laser sensor detects the item intersecting the detection plane, the control system determines that the item protrudes from the front surface of the shelf.

[0039] With this configuration, the laser sensor can detect whether or not an item is protruding from the front of the shelf. Therefore, even if an earthquake or other factor causes a displacement of the items stored in the storage section, it is possible to properly detect the presence of an item protruding from the front of the shelf due to the displacement. Furthermore, with this configuration, by rotating the direction of the laser light around the pivot axis, it is possible to detect whether or not an object is protruding from the entire detection surface set along the front surface of the shelf with a single laser light emitted from the laser sensor. This allows the number of laser sensors to be kept to a minimum, making it easier to simplify the configuration for detecting an object protruding from the front surface of the shelf.

[0040] wherein the laser sensor is configured to measure a distance to the object that has reflected the laser light; It is preferable that the control system determines the position of the item protruding from the front of the shelf in the vertical direction and the shelf width direction based on the rotation angle around the rotation axis of the irradiation direction when the laser sensor detects the item and the distance to the object measured by the laser sensor.

[0041] According to this configuration, the position of an item protruding from the front of the shelf can be identified in the vertical direction and the shelf width direction, making it easy to take measures such as correcting the position of the item.

[0042] Furthermore, it is preferable that the detection surface be set in an area that overlaps with the front of the shelf when viewed in the shelf depth direction along the shelf depth direction, and not be set in an area that does not overlap with the front of the shelf when viewed in the shelf depth direction.

[0043] This configuration limits the detection of objects by the laser sensor to an area that overlaps with the front of the shelf when viewed from the depth direction, thereby reducing the possibility of mistakenly detecting objects other than those stored in the storage section as items.

[0044] It is also preferable that the pivot axis is set at one of the four corners of the front surface of the shelf formed in a rectangular shape when viewed along the shelf depth direction.

[0045] With this configuration, the rotation angle of the irradiation direction of the laser light for scanning the entire detection surface can be set to approximately 90°, which makes it easy to simplify the configuration of the drive device.

[0046] Furthermore, after correcting the position of the protruding item that is determined to be protruding from the front of the shelf, the control system preferably executes a confirmation process in which the laser light scans the area that was in the shadow of the protruding item when viewed from the rotation axis.

[0047] According to this configuration, even if there is an area that has not been scanned with laser light because it is in the shadow of a protruding object, after the position of the protruding object is corrected, the area can be scanned with laser light to check for the presence or absence of other protruding objects.

[0048] The warehouse according to the present disclosure may have at least one of the above-described effects. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1: Warehouse 2: Storage section 3: Laser sensor 4: Drive unit 9: Rotation axis center 10: Storage shelf 100: Control System E: Detection surface S: Shelf front Wt:Protruding article X:Shelf width direction Y: Shelf depth direction θ: Turning angle

Claims

1. A warehouse equipped with storage shelves in which a plurality of storage sections are arranged in a vertical direction and in a shelf width direction intersecting the vertical direction, and each of the storage sections is capable of storing an item, The laser sensor detects an object that has reflected the laser light by irradiating the laser light and receiving the reflected light, and the laser sensor also includes a drive device that moves the direction of irradiation of the laser light, and a control system. a surface along the vertical direction and the shelf width direction, through which the articles are put into and taken out of the plurality of storage sections in the storage shelf, is defined as a shelf front surface, and a direction perpendicular to the shelf front surface is defined as a shelf depth direction, The driving device rotates the irradiation direction of the laser light around a rotation axis along the shelf depth direction while maintaining the irradiation direction of the laser light parallel to the front surface of the shelf, thereby causing the laser light to scan a detection surface set along the front surface of the shelf, In a warehouse, when the control system detects the item intersecting the detection plane using the laser sensor, it determines that the item protrudes from the front of the shelf.

2. the laser sensor is configured to measure a distance to the object that has reflected the laser light; 2. The warehouse according to claim 1, wherein the control system identifies the position of the item protruding from the front surface of the shelf in the vertical direction and the shelf width direction based on the rotation angle of the irradiation direction around the rotation axis when the laser sensor detects the item and the distance to the object measured by the laser sensor.

3. The warehouse of claim 1 or 2, wherein the detection surface is set in an area that overlaps with the front of the shelf when viewed in the shelf depth direction along the shelf depth direction, and is not set in an area that does not overlap with the front of the shelf when viewed in the shelf depth direction.

4. The warehouse according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pivot axis is set at one of the four corners of the front of the rectangular shelf when viewed in the shelf depth direction along the shelf depth direction.

5. The warehouse described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the control system performs a confirmation process in which the laser light scans an area that was in the shadow of the protruding item as viewed from the rotation axis center after correcting the position of the protruding item that is determined to be protruding from the front of the shelf.

Images