Article arrangement determination system and article stacking system

Abstract

To provide an article arrangement determination system capable of appropriately determining arrangement of a plurality of articles when the plurality of articles are stuck on a support body so that a plurality of layer article groups composed of the plurality of articles planarly arranged are arranged in layers in a vertical direction.SOLUTION: An article arrangement determination system comprises: a determination processing part which acquires lower layer arrangement information indicating a lower layer article arrangement being the arrangement of articles constituting a lower layer article group and upper layer arrangement information indicating an upper layer article arrangement being the arrangement of articles constituting an upper layer article group, and, when a gap area exists in the lower layer article arrangement, determines presence of dropping possibility that is possibility of dropping the article constituting the upper layer article group to the gap area; and a correction processing part for correcting the upper layer arrangement information when there is the dropping possibility. The correction processing part, when there is no dropping possibility about the upper layer article arrangement indicated in after-correction arrangement information in which the upper layer article arrangement is corrected, the after-correction arrangement information is determined as new upper layer arrangement information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an item placement determination system and an item stowage system. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 5-105234 (Patent Document 1) discloses a technology relating to an article placement determination system. In the following description of the background art, the reference numerals in parentheses refer to those in Patent Document 1.

[0003] In the system described in Patent Document 1, in order to stack multiple types of items of different sizes in multiple layers (multiple stages) on a support (pallet P), an arrangement pattern for each type of item is set in advance. Specifically, multiple arrangement patterns for one layer (one stage) of items are set for each type of item. The item arrangement determination system efficiently determines the arrangement of multiple items on the support by combining some of the multiple predetermined arrangement patterns according to order information (the type of item to be stacked on the support and the number of items of each type). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-105234 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When stacking multiple items on a support as described above, depending on the type of items, the arrangement of the multiple items may be determined so that an area (void area) where no items are placed is formed in at least one layer. When the multiple items are actually stacked on the support according to the determined arrangement, there is a risk that an item placed directly above the void area may fall into the void area. In this case, for example, the item that fell into the void area or surrounding items may be damaged, or the load may collapse.

[0006] Therefore, when stacking multiple items on a support, such as stacking multiple layers of layered items consisting of multiple items arranged in a plane in the vertical direction, an item placement determination system is desired that can appropriately determine the placement of multiple items. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present disclosure provides an item placement determination system that determines the placement of a plurality of items when stacking the items on a support such that a layer item group consisting of a plurality of items arranged in a plane is arranged in multiple layers in a vertical direction, the system comprising: Of the two layer article groups adjacent in the vertical direction, the lower layer article group is referred to as a lower layer article group, and the upper layer article group is referred to as an upper layer article group, a determination processing unit that acquires lower layer arrangement information indicating the arrangement of lower layer items, which is the arrangement of the multiple items that make up the lower layer item group, and upper layer arrangement information indicating the arrangement of upper layer items, which is the arrangement of the multiple items that make up the upper layer item group, and when the lower layer item arrangement indicated in the lower layer arrangement information includes a gap area, which is an area where no items are present when viewed from above and below, determines whether or not there is a possibility of the items that make up the upper layer item group falling into the gap area; a correction processing unit that corrects the upper layer arrangement information when the determination processing unit determines that there is a possibility of the device falling off, The correction processing unit generates corrected placement information by correcting the upper layer item placement indicated in the upper layer placement information, and has the judgment processing unit determine whether or not there is a possibility of the item falling off based on the upper layer item placement indicated in the corrected placement information, and if it is determined that there is no possibility of the item falling off, determines the corrected placement information as the new upper layer placement information.

[0008] According to this configuration, when stacking layer groups consisting of multiple items in multiple layers stacked vertically on a support, the arrangement of the items on the support can be determined so that items constituting the upper layer group do not fall into void areas present in the arrangement of the lower layer group. Furthermore, according to this configuration, when determining the placement of such items, if it is determined that there is a possibility that an item may fall out of the void area, the upper layer item placement indicated in the upper layer placement information is corrected to generate corrected placement information, and the presence or absence of a possibility of falling out is determined again, thereby making it possible to determine with high reliability an appropriate placement of items that will not fall out of the void area. In this manner, with this configuration, the placement of multiple items can be determined appropriately.

[0009] Further features and advantages of the item location determination system and the item stowage system will become apparent from the following description of exemplary, non-limiting embodiments that refer to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] Plan view showing the entire article transport facility [Figure 2] Control Block Diagram [Figure 3] Side view of the layered article group transfer device [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a side view schematically showing the transfer of a group of articles. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a side view schematically showing the transfer of a group of articles. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a side view schematically showing the transfer of a group of articles. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a side view schematically showing the transfer of a group of articles. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a side view schematically illustrating an example of processing by a layer order determination processing unit. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a side view schematically illustrating an example of processing by an insertion determination processing unit. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a plan view schematically illustrating an example of processing by a determination processing unit. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a plan view schematically illustrating an example of a turning process. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a plan view schematically illustrating an example of a movement process; [Figure 13] Control Flow Diagram DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] An example in which an article stowage system (article placement determination system, layer article group transfer device) is applied to an article transport facility will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the article conveying facility 90 includes an automated warehouse 91, a first conveying device 92, and an article stowing system 100. The automated warehouse 91 is configured to be able to store a plurality of articles W. In this example, the automated warehouse 91 stores articles W supported by a support body P. Furthermore, the article conveying facility 90 has a plurality of automated warehouses 91 arranged side by side.

[0013] In this example, the support P is a pallet on which the item W can be stacked. The item W is rectangular when viewed from above. Specifically, the item W is generally rectangular shaped. More specifically, the item W is a carton container (cardboard box) here. This carton container contains, for example, products sold in a store. The automated warehouse 91 contains multiple groups of items W stacked on the support P (here, pallets) (hereinafter referred to as "stacked item groups"). Note that here, an item where only one layer of items W (for example, only one item W) is stacked on the support P is also included in the stacked item group. The item W may be generally cubic shaped. The multiple items W stacked on the support P may be a combination of rectangular shaped and cubic shaped.

[0014] The first conveying device 92 conveys the article W. Specifically, the first conveying device 92 is configured to be able to convey the stacked article group together with the support body P. In this example, the first conveying device 92 is a transport vehicle that travels along a travel path 93. Here, rails (not shown) are provided on the floor surface along the travel path 93. The first conveying device 92 travels while being guided by the rails. The first conveying device 92 also includes a transfer device (not shown). The transfer device is configured to be able to place the support body P supporting the stacked article group on it. The transfer device is also configured to be able to transfer such a stacked article group together with the support body P. Here, the transfer device is of the fork type, but it may also be of the conveyor type, for example.

[0015] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the item stowage system 100 includes an item placement determination system 1 and a layer item group transfer device 4. The item stowage system 100 also includes a layer item group supply device 20, a shipping item supply device 7, and a support supply device 6. In this example, the layer item group transfer device 4 and the layer item group supply device 20 are arranged adjacent to each other. In the following, the direction in which the layer item group transfer device 4 and the layer item group supply device 20 are aligned is referred to as the first direction X, the side of the layer item group supply device 20 relative to the layer item group transfer device 4 is referred to as the first direction first side X1, and the opposite side is referred to as the first direction second side X2. In addition, the direction perpendicular to the first direction X when viewed in the up-down direction along the up-down direction is referred to as the second direction Y.

[0016] In the illustrated example, the travel path 93 is set to connect the automated warehouse 91 and the shipping item supply device 7. Therefore, the first conveying device 92 can, for example, transport items W (here, stacked item groups) between the automated warehouse 91 and the shipping item supply device 7. The first conveying device 92 can also move along the travel path 93 to, for example, transport items W outside the item conveying facility 90. The layer item group supply device 20 is connected to the shipping item supply device 7. The layer item group supply device 20 is adjacent to the shipping item supply device 7 in the second direction Y. The layer item group transfer device 4 is connected to the layer item group supply device 20. The support supply device 6 is also connected to the layer item group transfer device 4.

[0017] In this example, the automated warehouse 91 stores a plurality of different types of goods W, but only goods W of the same type are placed on one support P. Here, goods W (carton containers) that store the same product and are the same size are referred to as goods W of the same type. In this goods conveying equipment 90, for example, multiple types of goods W are shipped out from the automated warehouse 91 in order to deliver the products to destination stores. Then, the shipped multiple types of goods W are loaded onto supports P assigned to each destination store and shipped to the destination store by truck or the like.

[0018] The shipping item supply device 7 receives stacked item groups unloaded from the automated warehouse 91 as outgoing item groups 81 and transports them to the layer item group supply device 20. The shipping item supply device 7 includes a plurality of first conveyors 71, a second conveyor 73, and a second transport device 72 connecting the first conveyors 71 and the second conveyors 73. The second conveyor 73 connects the second transport device 72 to the layer item group supply device 20. The plurality of first conveyors 71 are arranged parallel to each other and connected to the travel path 93 of the first transport device 92. The plurality of first conveyors 71 are also connected to the second transport device 72. Each first conveyor 71 receives a different type of stacked item group from the automated warehouse 91 via the first transport device 92. Then, each first conveyor 71 transports the received stacked item group as an outgoing item group 81 toward the second transport device 72. The second conveying device 72 receives the outgoing item groups 81 from each first conveyor 71 and sequentially hands them over to the second conveyor 73. The second conveyor 73 transports the multiple outgoing item groups 81 to the layer item group supplying device 20 in the order received from the second conveying device 72. Here, the second conveying device 72 is a transport vehicle that moves along rails, but is not limited to this. The second conveying device 72 may be, for example, a conveyor or the like.

[0019] The support supply device 6 is a device that supplies empty supports P (empty pallets) on which no items W are placed to the layer item group transfer device 4. The support supply device 6 is connected to the layer item group transfer device 4. In the illustrated example, the support supply device 6 is equipped with a third conveyor 6a and a storage section 6b. One end of the third conveyor 6a is connected to the layer item group transfer device 4. The storage section 6b is located at the other end of the third conveyor 6a. The storage section 6b is configured to be able to store multiple empty supports P. Then, as needed, the empty support P is transported from the storage section 6b to the layer item group transfer device 4 by the third conveyor 6a.

[0020] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the layer item group supplying device 20 is a device that separates the item group in the top layer of the outgoing item group 81 from the outgoing item groups 81 below it, and transports the separated item group as layer item group 2 to the layer item group transfer device 4. Layer item group 2 is a general term for an item group consisting of a plurality of items W arranged in a plane. In this example, as shown in Figure 3, the layer item group supplying device 20 is connected to the shipping item supplying device 7 and the layer item group transfer device 4. The layer item group supplying device 20 includes a first lifting device 22 and a first gripping device 21. The first lifting device 22 includes a lifting platform 62 and a support portion 63 that guides the vertical movement of the lifting platform 62. The outgoing item group 81 transported from the shipping item supplying device 7 (here, the second conveyor 73) is placed on the lifting platform 62 together with a support P. The first gripping device 21 is a device that grips the uppermost layer of the outgoing goods group 81 stacked on the support body P. The first gripping device 21 is equipped with a plurality of (here, four) pressing members 42 and a drive mechanism (not shown) that moves the pressing members 42 back and forth. Here, two pressing members 42 arranged separately in the first direction X and two pressing members 42 arranged separately in the second direction Y are arranged above the first lifting device 22.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 4, when the lifting platform 62 is raised and the outgoing item group 81 is positioned at a position corresponding to the first gripping device 21 (here, the first position P1 where the item group in the top layer is surrounded by four pressing members 42), each pressing member 42 moves toward the item group in the top layer (top layer item group 2). As a result, the item group in the top layer is pressed by different pressing members 42 from both outer sides in the first direction X and both outer sides in the second direction Y. Thereafter, the lifting platform 62 is lowered, and the pressed item group in the top layer is separated from the outgoing item group 81 below it (FIG. 4). Note that the first gripping device 21 may be provided with two pressing members 42. In that case, the first gripping device 21 grips the item group in the top layer from either the first direction X or the second direction Y.

[0022] In this example, the layer item group supply device 20 further includes a supply conveying device 35. The supply conveying device 35 is a device that conveys the layer item group 2 separated from the outgoing item group 81 from the first position P1 to the second position P2. The second position P2 is a position where the layer item group 2 is surrounded by four pressing members 42 of the second gripping device 41 described below. The supply conveying device 35 includes a conveying section 37 and a guide rail 36 that guides the movement of the conveying section 37. The guide rail 36 is arranged to connect the first position P1 and the second position P2. The guide rail 36 is also arranged in a position where it does not interfere with the outgoing item group 81 or the layer item group 2. The layer item group 2 separated from the outgoing item group 81 is placed on the plate-shaped conveying section 37 when the pressure from the pressing members 42 is released. Then, as the conveying section 37 moves along the guide rail 36 from the first side X1 in the first direction to the second side X2 in the first direction, the layer article group 2 moves from the first position P1 to the second position P2 (Figures 3 and 5).

[0023] The layer article group transfer device 4 includes a holding unit 3 and a turning mechanism 5 that turns the holding unit 3 around a turning axis. The layer article group transfer device 4 also includes a second gripping device 41 and a second lifting device 61. The second gripping device 41 is a device that grips the layer article group 2 arranged at the second position P2. The second lifting device 61 is arranged below the second gripping device 41 and overlaps with the layer article group 2 arranged at the second position P2 when viewed in the up-down direction. In this example, the structure of the second gripping device 41 is the same as the structure of the first gripping device 21, so a detailed description of the structure will be omitted. In addition, the structure of the second lifting device 61 is the same as the structure of the first lifting device 22, so a detailed description of the structure will be omitted. In this example, the second lifting device 61 is connected to the support supply device 6 (here, the third conveyor 6a). Then, an empty support P (empty pallet) supplied from the support supply device 6 is placed on the lifting platform 62 of the second lifting device 61.

[0024] The holding unit 3 holds the layer article group 2 held by the second gripping device 41 from above. In this example, the holding unit 3 is an adsorption device. The holding unit 3 includes a plurality of adsorption units 32 and a support plate unit 31 that supports the plurality of adsorption units 32. The adsorption units 32 are arranged side by side on the downward-facing surface of the support plate unit 31. In this example, the adsorption units 32 are adsorption pads. The plurality of adsorption units 32 adsorb the upward-facing surface of the layer article group 2.

[0025] In this example, the layer article group transfer device 4 is equipped with a moving device 50 as a turning mechanism 5. This allows the holding unit 3 to turn around an axis along the vertical direction. In the example of FIG. 1, the moving device 50 is provided in the ceiling portion and supports the holding unit 3 from above. The moving device 50 is equipped with a support member 53 and a shaft member 54. The support plate portion 31 of the holding unit 3 is attached to the tip of the shaft member 54. The shaft member 54 is also supported so as to be rotatable relative to the support member 53. Here, the support member 53 has a hollow structure and supports the shaft member 54 so that it can be accommodated in the hollow portion. In this example, the layer article group transfer device 4 is also equipped with a lifting mechanism 51. This allows the holding unit 3 to move in the vertical direction. The function of the lifting mechanism 51 is realized by the moving device 50. Here, the shaft member 54 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction relative to the support member 53, and the holding unit 3 can also be lifted and lowered together with the shaft member 54.

[0026] In this example, the article group transfer device 4 is also provided with a horizontal movement mechanism 52 that moves the holder 3 in a horizontal direction (here, the first direction X). Here, the horizontal movement mechanism 52 is provided with a horizontal guide 52a that guides the holder 3 in the first direction X. In the example of FIG. 1, the horizontal guide 52a is a rail provided on the ceiling, and is arranged along the first direction X. The horizontal guide 52a supports the movement device 50 from above. Naturally, the turning mechanism 5, the lifting mechanism 51, and the horizontal movement mechanism 52 each have a drive unit (such as an electric motor) for moving the holder 3.

[0027] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 to 7, in this embodiment, the layer product group transfer device 4 moves the layer products 2 vertically and horizontally while holding the layer products 2 together with the holding unit 3, and stacks the layer products 2 on the support P so that multiple layers are stacked vertically. In this example, as shown in FIG. 5, the layer products 2 separated at the first position P1 are transported to the second position P2 by the supply conveying device 35. At the second position P2, the layer products 2 are pressed by the pressing member 42 of the second gripping device 41. In this way, even if the products constituting the layer products 2 move during movement from the first position P1 to the second position P2, causing the overall shape of the layer products 2 to be distorted, the pressing by the pressing member 42 will keep the overall outer shape of the layer products 2. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the holding unit 3 descends and holds the layer products 2 while they are pressed (held) by the pressing member 42. In this example, the plurality of suction units 32 suction and hold the upper surface of the layer goods group 2. The second lifting device 61 raises the lifting platform 62 and moves it to a position corresponding to the second position P2. Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the holder 3 stacks the held layer goods group 2 onto the support P of the lifting platform 62 (or onto a different layer goods group 2 placed on the support P). When the layer goods group 2 is stacked onto the support P, each suction unit 32 changes its state from a suction state to a non-suction state. Note that the support P onto which the layer goods group 2 is stacked is a pallet in this example, but is not limited thereto and may be, for example, a container or other vessel, or a conveyor. For example, the stacking destination of the layer goods group 2 by the holder 3 may be the conveying surface of a shipping conveyor 48, which will be described later. In this case, the support P becomes the shipping conveyor 48.

[0028] In this example, the layered article group transfer device 4 further includes a shipping conveyor 48. The shipping conveyor 48 connects the second lifting device 61 and the travel path 93. On the lifting platform 62 of the second lifting device 61, the plurality of layered article groups 2 stacked on the support P are transferred by the shipping conveyor 48 to the first conveying device 92 on the travel path 93 as an article group 82 for shipment. The first conveying device 92 transports the article group 82 for shipment, for example, to the outside of the article conveying equipment 90.

[0029] Here, the arrangement pattern (arrangement of the items W) of the layer item group 2 (plural items arranged in a plane) stacked on the support P by the layer item group transfer device 4 is predetermined for each type of item W. For example, there is an arrangement pattern in which the items W are arranged in a flat pattern so that the overall shape is rectangular or square when viewed from above, or an arrangement pattern (FIG. 10) in which the items W are arranged so that a gap area 10 is formed in the center when viewed from above. In this example, an arrangement pattern is generated so that the same type of items W are arranged in one layer item group 2. Therefore, an arrangement pattern is determined for each type of item W. In this example, in the automated warehouse 91, stacked item groups are stored for each type of item W. The items W in each layer (each tier) of these stacked item groups are arranged according to an arrangement pattern set for each type.

[0030] The item placement determination system 1 determines the placement of multiple items W when stacking multiple items on a support P so that layer item groups 2 consisting of multiple items W arranged in a plane are arranged in multiple layers in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the item placement determination system 1 includes a judgment processing unit 11 and a correction processing unit 12. The item placement determination system 1 also includes a layer order determination processing unit 13, an insertion determination processing unit 14, and a memory unit 15. In the following description, of two layer item groups 2 adjacent in the vertical direction, the lower layer item group 2 is referred to as the lower layer item group 2b, and the upper layer item group 2 is referred to as the upper layer item group 2a.

[0031] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the item stowage system 100 includes a control device H that controls each of the layer item group transfer device 4, the layer item group supply device 20, the support supply device 6, and the shipping item supply device 7. The functions of the item placement determination system 1 are realized by the control device H. Therefore, the judgment processing unit 11, the correction processing unit 12, the layer order determination processing unit 13, the insertion determination processing unit 14, and the memory unit 15 are provided in the control device H. In this example, a host controller C that controls the entire item conveying facility 90 is provided. The control device H is further configured to be able to communicate with the host controller C. The control device H and the host controller C include, for example, a processor such as a microcomputer, peripheral circuits such as a memory, etc. Each function is realized by cooperation between this hardware and a program executed on a processor such as a computer. The memory unit 15 stores the arrangement patterns for each type of item W described above.

[0032] 8, the layer order determination processing unit 13 performs processing to determine the vertical arrangement order of multiple layer item groups 2. Specifically, when the control device H acquires order information from the upper controller C, the layer order determination processing unit 13 determines the vertical arrangement order of multiple layer item groups 2 to be stacked on the support body P based on the order information. The order information includes, for example, information on the shipping destination store, the type of item W to be shipped for each store, and the quantity of each type of item W.

[0033] The layer order determination processing unit 13 is configured to execute basic processing and exception processing. The basic processing is a processing for determining the arrangement order so that the layer area, which is the area inside the outer edge of the layer item group 2 when viewed in the vertical direction, gradually decreases from the bottom layer to the top. In addition to the arrangement patterns for each type of item W, the memory unit 15 also stores the layer areas of the layer item groups 2 constituting each arrangement pattern and the weights (total weights) of the layer item groups 2 in an associated state. Note that the layer area is the area including the void area 10. The layer order determination processing unit 13 acquires the arrangement patterns for each type of item W and the layer area data for each arrangement pattern from the memory unit 15 according to the type of item W to be stacked on one support P and the quantity of each type of item W included in the order information. The layer order determination processing unit 13 then determines the arrangement order of the arrangement patterns so that the layer item groups 2 are stacked on the support P in order from the largest layer area. This makes it possible to create a shipping item group 82 that is less likely to collapse. In the example of FIG. 8, the layer item group 2 on the top row through the layer item group 2 on the third row from the top row show the arrangement order of the layer item groups 2 determined by the principle process.

[0034] Exceptional processing is a process in which the arrangement order of the lower layer item group 2b and the upper layer item group 2a is swapped when the total weight of the upper layer item group 2a is greater than the total weight of the lower layer item group 2b and the ratio of the layer area of ​​the upper layer item group 2a to the layer area of ​​the lower layer item group 2b is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Regarding the arrangement of multiple layer item groups 2 determined according to the standard processing, for example, when the ratio of the layer area of ​​the upper layer item group 2a to the layer area of ​​the lower layer item group 2b is equal to or greater than 95%, the layer order determination processing unit 13 swaps the arrangement order of the lower layer item group 2b and the upper layer item group 2a. In the example of Fig. 8, exception processing is performed for the layer item group 2 in the lowest layer and the layer item group 2 one layer above it. In the above example, an example was described in which exceptional processing is performed when the ratio of the layer area of ​​the upper layer item group 2a to the layer area of ​​the lower layer item group 2b is 95% or more, but this is not limited to this, and exceptional processing may also be performed, for example, when the ratio is 90% or more.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 9, the insertion determination processing unit 14 performs an insertion determination process to determine whether to insert a plate-like member 24 between the lower item group 2b and the upper item group 2a when the difference between the highest and lowest points on the upper surface of the lower item group 2b is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. In this example, the insertion determination process is preferably performed when the difference (step t) between the highest and lowest points on the upper surface of the lower item group 2b is, for example, 3 cm or greater (t≧3). The timing of the insertion determination process can be changed as appropriate. In exceptional cases where an arrangement pattern is generated by combining items W with different vertical dimensions, it is preferable to perform the insertion determination process at the same time as (or immediately after) the basic process. This allows the upper surface of the layer item group 2 to be flattened before the layer item group 2 is stacked on the support P. The insertion determination process can also be performed when the layer item group 2 is separated from the shipping item group 82 in the layer item group supply device 20. In this case, it is preferable to provide a camera in the layer item group supply device 20. It is preferable to calculate the step based on image information obtained by capturing an image of the top surface of the layer goods group 2 with a camera. This makes it possible to flatten the entire top surface of the layer goods group 2 before stacking the layer goods group 2 on the support P, even if the top surface of the layer goods group 2 becomes concave for some reason. In this example, the plate-like member 24 is a cardboard sheet, but it may also be, for example, a synthetic resin sheet, a synthetic resin board, a wooden board, or the like. The plate-like member 24 may be inserted by a worker or a robot. Naturally, the insertion determination process is not performed for the layer goods group 2 that is scheduled to be placed in the top layer.

[0036] The determination processing unit 11 acquires lower layer arrangement information indicating the lower layer item arrangement, which is the arrangement of the multiple items that make up the lower layer item group 2b, and upper layer arrangement information indicating the upper layer item arrangement, which is the arrangement of the multiple items that make up the upper layer item group 2a, and if the lower layer item arrangement indicated in the lower layer arrangement information includes a gap area 10, which is an area where no items W are present when viewed from the top, the determination processing unit 11 determines whether there is a possibility of items W that make up the upper layer item group 2a falling into the gap area 10. In this embodiment, once the arrangement of the multiple items W to be stacked on the support P is tentatively determined by basic processing or exception processing, processing is performed by the determination processing unit 11. As shown in Figures 8 and 13, the determination processing unit 11 performs a setting confirmation process to confirm the positions of the lower layer item group 2b set in any one layer other than the top layer of the multiple-layered item group 2, and the upper layer item group 2a set in the layer one layer above the lower layer item group 2b (S01). The determination processing unit 11 then acquires the lower layer arrangement information of the set lower layer item group 2b and the upper layer arrangement information of the upper layer item group 2a from the layer order determination processing unit 13 (S02). The upper layer arrangement information includes the arrangement pattern of the items W arranged in the upper layer item group 2a (upper layer item arrangement). The lower layer arrangement information includes the arrangement pattern of the items W arranged in the lower layer item group 2b (lower layer item arrangement). The determination processing unit 11 determines whether or not there is a gap area 10 in the lower layer item arrangement by referring to the acquired lower layer item arrangement (S03). If the determination processing unit 11 determines that there is a gap area 10 in the lower layer item arrangement (S03: Yes), it determines whether or not there is a possibility of falling off (S04).

[0037] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the determination processing unit 11 determines whether or not there is a possibility of falling off based on the proportion of the area overlapping with the gap region 10 to the total area of ​​one of the multiple articles W constituting the upper article group 2a when viewed in the vertical direction. In this example, the determination processing unit 11 determines whether or not there is a possibility of falling off for all articles W (articles W of the upper article group 2a) that overlap with the gap region 10 when viewed in the vertical direction. The examples of FIGS. 10 to 12 show plan views in which the lower article arrangement (solid lines) of the lower article group 2b and the upper article arrangement (two-dot chain lines) of the upper article group 2a are superimposed. In each figure, the gap region 10 is indicated by diagonal lines. In the example of FIG. 10, there are four articles W of the upper article group 2a that overlap with the gap region 10 when viewed in the vertical direction. The determination processing unit 11 determines whether or not there is a possibility of falling off by designating the two articles W that have the largest proportion of overlap with the gap region 10 as the first overlapping article W1 and the second overlapping article W2, respectively. Specifically, the determination processing unit 11 calculates the ratio of the area of ​​the first overlapping region E1, where the first overlapping item W1 and the gap region 10 overlap, to the area of ​​the top surface of the first overlapping item W1. Similarly, the determination processing unit 11 calculates the ratio of the area of ​​the second overlapping region E2, where the second overlapping item W2 and the gap region 10 overlap, to the area of ​​the top surface of the second overlapping item W2. The determination processing unit 11 can determine that there is a possibility of falling off if the calculated ratio exceeds, for example, 40%. In this example, when multiple items W overlap with the gap region 10, the determination processing unit 11 is configured to determine the possibility of falling off for two items W with particularly large overlapping areas, but not for two items W with clearly small overlapping areas. However, the determination processing unit 11 can naturally determine the possibility of falling off for all items W that overlap even slightly with the gap region 10. The ratio at which it is determined that there is a possibility of falling off may be, for example, 30% or more, and can be set and changed as appropriate. The determination processing unit 11 can also determine whether there is a possibility of falling off based on different conditions. For example, the determination processing unit 11 may determine whether there is a possibility of falling off based on the weight or shape of the top surface of the item W that overlaps with the gap area 10 when viewed from the up-down direction. The determination processing unit 11 may also determine whether there is a possibility of falling off by combining different conditions with the above ratio.In the illustrated example, the void region 10 is formed in the central portion of the lower article group 2b, but it may also be formed in the peripheral portion, for example.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 13, the correction processing unit 12 corrects the upper layer arrangement information when the determination processing unit 11 determines that there is a possibility of falling off. In this embodiment, when the determination processing unit 11 determines that there is a possibility that an item W of the upper layer item group 2a may fall off into the gap area 10 of the lower layer item group 2b (S04: Yes), the correction processing unit 12 performs a correction process to correct the arrangement pattern (upper layer item arrangement) of the upper layer item group 2a (S05). The correction processing unit 12 then generates corrected arrangement information by correcting the upper layer item arrangement indicated in the upper layer arrangement information, and has the determination processing unit 11 determine whether there is a possibility of falling off based on the upper layer item arrangement indicated in the corrected arrangement information. If it is determined that there is no possibility of falling off, the correction information is determined to be the new upper layer arrangement information. In this embodiment, after the correction processing is performed by the correction processing unit 12, the determination processing unit 11 again determines whether there is a possibility of falling off based on the upper layer item arrangement (corrected arrangement pattern) indicated in the corrected arrangement information (S06). If it is determined that there is a possibility of dropping out (S06: Yes), the correction processing unit 12 performs the correction processing again (S05). In this example, the correction processing by the correction processing unit 12 and the processing by the determination processing unit 11 (determination of the possibility of dropping out) are repeated until it is determined that there is no possibility of dropping out.

[0039] In this embodiment, the correction processing unit 12 generates corrected arrangement information by performing at least one of a rotation process, which rotates the upper layer item arrangement indicated in the upper layer arrangement information around a rotation axis along the vertical direction, and a movement process, which moves the upper layer item arrangement in a horizontal direction. The correction processing unit 12 may perform only one of a rotation process and a movement process for the arrangement pattern (upper layer item arrangement) of the upper layer item group 2a, or may perform both a rotation process and a movement process. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the correction processing unit 12 rotates the upper layer item arrangement around the rotation axis by an angle that is an integer multiple of 90°. The example in FIG. 11 shows the upper layer item arrangement shown in FIG. 10 rotated 90° around an axis along the vertical direction. Thus, in this example, if the determination processing unit 11 determines that there is a possibility of falling off in FIG. 10, the upper layer item arrangement is rotated 90°. The determination processing unit 11 then uses the upper layer item arrangement after the rotation to determine the possibility of falling off again. The correction processing unit 12 can also rotate the upper layer article arrangement around the rotation axis at an angle other than 90° (for example, 180° or 270°) as long as the angle is an integer multiple of 90°. The position of the rotation axis is the center (the intersection of two diagonals) of the upper layer article group 2a, which is rectangular when viewed from the up-down direction.

[0040] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, in the movement process, the correction processing unit 12 moves the upper layer item arrangement horizontally within a range in which the horizontal protrusion amount S of the outer edge of the upper layer item group 2a relative to the outer edge of the lower layer item group 2b in a vertical view is equal to or less than a set value. In this example, in the movement process, the correction processing unit 12 moves the upper layer item arrangement in the first direction X. The example in FIG. 12 shows the upper layer item arrangement (dashed line) shown in FIG. 10 moved in the first direction X. As such, in this example, if the determination processing unit 11 determines in FIG. 10 that there is a possibility of falling off, the upper layer item arrangement is moved horizontally (here, in the first direction X). The determination processing unit 11 then uses the moved upper layer item arrangement to again determine the possibility of falling off. In FIG. 12, as a result of the movement process, the outer edge of the upper layer item group 2a protrudes to one side in the first direction X relative to the outer edge of the lower layer item group 2b. It is preferable that the set value can be changed as appropriate depending on the dimension of the protruding item W (here, the dimension in the first direction X). For example, the set value can be set to 30% of the dimension of the protruding item W in the first direction X. The set value can also be a fixed value (e.g., 3 cm). The set value may also be set depending on the weight of the protruding item W, etc. Note that when correcting the upper layer item arrangement by moving it in the second direction Y, it is preferable to modify the layer item group transfer device 4 so that the holder 3 can move in the second direction Y.

[0041] The determination processing unit 11 determines whether or not there is a possibility of falling off based on the corrected placement information generated by at least one of the rotation processing and the movement processing. In this example, the correction processing unit 12 performs both the rotation processing and the movement processing. The determination processing unit 11 then determines whether or not there is a possibility of falling off for the upper item placement in each processing. The correction processing unit 12 generates corrected placement information based on the upper item placement determined to have no possibility of falling off. Note that, if the correction processing unit 12 determines that there is no possibility of falling off for the upper item placement in each of the rotation processing and the movement processing, it generates corrected placement information, for example, based on the upper item placement with the lower ratio calculated by the determination processing unit 11. Note that the correction processing unit 12 may first perform either the rotation processing or the movement processing, and then, if the determination processing unit 11 determines that there is a possibility of falling off, perform the other processing again. Also, the correction processing unit 12 may, for example, alternately repeat the movement processing and the rotation processing until the determination processing unit 11 determines that there is no possibility of falling off.

[0042] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 8, the item placement determination system 1 executes a layer-by-layer placement determination process. In the layer-by-layer placement determination process, first, of the multiple layer item groups 2 placed on the support P, the layer item group 2 in the lowest layer is set as the lower layer item group 2b, and the layer item group 2 adjacent to the upper side of the lower layer item group 2b is set as the upper layer item group 2a, and then processing by the determination processing unit 11 and, if necessary, processing by the correction processing unit 12 is performed to determine upper layer placement information. Thereafter, the item placement determination system 1 sets the layer item group 2 set as the upper layer item group 2a in the previous layer-by-layer placement determination process as the current lower layer item group 2b, and sets the layer item group 2 adjacent to the upper side of the lower layer item group 2b as the upper layer item group 2a, and repeatedly executes the layer-by-layer placement determination process to determine the overall placement of the multiple items W stacked on the support P. The item placement determination system 1 repeatedly executes the layer-by-layer placement determination process when three or more layers of layer item groups 2 are stacked on the support P.

[0043] In this example, as described above, the order in which multiple layer item groups 2 are stacked on the support P is tentatively determined by performing general processing and, if necessary, exception processing based on the order information. The arrangement of the items W in each layer item group 2 is also determined by a pre-stored arrangement pattern. In other words, the arrangement of the multiple items W to be stacked on the support P is tentatively determined when general processing and, if necessary, exception processing are performed. Then, the layer-by-layer arrangement determination process is executed once or multiple times for the provisionally determined arrangement of the multiple items W. When three or more layer item groups 2 are stacked on the support P, the top layer item group 2 is set as the upper layer item group 2a, and the layer item group 2 one layer below it is set as the lower layer item group 2b. The layer-by-layer arrangement determination process is repeatedly executed until the upper layer item arrangement of the top layer item group 2 is determined. This modifies the arrangement pattern (upper layer arrangement information) of the items W in the layer item group 2 determined to have the possibility of falling off, and the overall arrangement of the multiple items W to be stacked on the support P is determined. The layer item group transfer device 4 stacks the layer item group 2 arranged on the support P in order from the layer item group 2 arranged on the lowest layer to the layer item group 2 arranged on the top layer in accordance with the confirmed overall arrangement of the items W on the support P (hereinafter referred to as "confirmed arrangement information"). Furthermore, when the corrected arrangement information generated by performing the turning process is determined as new upper layer arrangement information, the layer item group transfer device 4 turns the layer item group 2 held by the holding unit 3 around the turning axis in accordance with the new upper layer arrangement information, and then stacks it on the support P. Furthermore, when the corrected arrangement information generated by performing the moving process is determined as new upper layer arrangement information, the layer item group transfer device 4 moves the layer item group 2 held by the holding unit 3 in the horizontal direction (here, the first direction X) in accordance with the new upper layer arrangement information, and then stacks it on the support P. Furthermore, when the corrected placement information generated by performing both the rotation process and the movement process is determined to be the new upper layer placement information, the layer item group transfer device 4 rotates the layer item group 2 held by the holding unit 3 around the rotation axis in accordance with the new upper layer placement information and moves it horizontally (here, the first direction X), and then stacks it on the support P.

[0044] Based on the confirmed placement information, the control device H controls the second conveying device 72 and the second conveyor 73 so as to transport the plurality of outgoing item groups 81, which have been removed from the automated warehouse 91 and transported to the shipping item supply device 7, to the layer item group supply device 20 in an appropriate order (the order in which they will be stacked on the support body P). This allows the control device H to separate the layer item groups 2 from the outgoing item groups 81 in the layer item group supply device 20 in the order in which they will be stacked on the support body P, and transport the separated layer item groups 2 to the layer item group transfer device 4. Note that the control of removing the plurality of stacked item groups (outgoing item groups 81) from the automated warehouse 91 based on order information and transporting the removed plurality of stacked item groups to the shipping item supply device 7 by the first conveying device 92 is performed by the upper controller C. Furthermore, if there is a remainder (a number less than the number of items required to form a predetermined arrangement pattern) of items W to be loaded onto the support P, after all layer item groups 2 have been loaded, the remaining remainder of items W can be further loaded, for example, on the shipping conveyor 48, using a robot or the like.

[0045] Other Embodiments (1) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the arrangement (arrangement pattern) of multiple items W in the layer item group 2 stacked on the support P is predetermined for each type of item W, but this is not limiting. For example, an arrangement pattern may not be predetermined for each type of item W, and the item arrangement determination system 1 may determine the arrangement of multiple items W in each layer item group 2 for each order information. In addition, in the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the processing by the determination processing unit 11 and the processing by the correction processing unit 12 are performed based on the stacking order of the layer item group 2 determined by the basic processing or exception processing, but this is not limiting. The processing by the determination processing unit 11 and the processing by the correction processing unit 12 may be performed based on the state of the layer item group 2 actually stacked on the support P. For example, a camera may be provided that photographs the support P from above. The shape of the layer item group 2 most recently stacked on the support P as viewed from the top may be obtained from image information captured by the camera, and the processing by the determination processing unit 11 and the processing by the correction processing unit 12 may be performed on the layer item group 2 to be stacked next based on this shape.

[0046] (2) In the above embodiment, the correction processor 12 generates corrected placement information by performing at least one of a rotation process for rotating the upper layer item placement indicated in the upper layer placement information about a rotation axis along the vertical direction and a movement process for moving the upper layer item placement indicated in the upper layer placement information, but this is not limited to this. For example, when a layer item group 2 having a void region 10 is present, the correction processor 12 may determine the placement of multiple items W to be stacked on the support P so that the layer item group 2 not having the void region 10 is preferentially stacked on the support P, and the layer item group 2 having the void region 10 is stacked on the support P subordinately. This allows the layer item group 2 having the void region 10 to be placed on an upper layer than the layer item group 2 not having the void region 10.

[0047] (3) In the above embodiment, the layer placement determination process is described as an example in which the layer item group 2 of the top layer is set as the upper layer item group 2a, and is repeatedly executed until the upper layer placement information of the layer item group 2 of the top layer is determined. However, this is not limited to this. The layer placement determination process may be executed as needed. Specifically, after performing basic processing and, if necessary, exception processing, the layer placement determination process may be executed only for the layer item group 2 in which the void area 10 is formed and the layer item group 2 one layer above it. Furthermore, if there is no layer item group 2 in which the void area 10 is formed, the placement of all items W to be stacked on the support P may be determined at the stage when the basic processing and exception processing are executed, without executing the layer placement determination process.

[0048] (4) In the above embodiment, the correction processing unit 12 has been described as an example of a configuration in which the upper layer item arrangement is rotated around the rotation axis by an angle that is an integer multiple of 90° during the rotation process, but this is not limited to this. The correction processing unit 12 may also rotate the upper layer item arrangement around the rotation axis by an angle other than an integer multiple of 90° during the rotation process. For example, the correction processing unit 12 may rotate around the rotation axis by an angle that is an integer multiple of 45°. In this way, it is preferable to be able to change the rotation angle as appropriate depending on the shape of the layer item group 2, etc.

[0049] (5) In the above embodiment, the correction processing unit 12 is configured to move the upper layer item arrangement horizontally within a range in which the horizontal protrusion amount S of the outer edge of the upper layer item group 2a relative to the outer edge of the lower layer item group 2b in a vertical view is equal to or less than a set value during the movement process, but this is not limited to this. The correction processing unit 12 may also move the upper layer item arrangement within a range in which the upper layer item group 2a does not protrude horizontally relative to the lower layer item group 2b during the movement process. On the other hand, for the upper layer item group 2a for which exception processing has been performed, it is preferable to move the upper layer item arrangement horizontally within a range in which the protrusion amount S is equal to or less than a set value, as described above.

[0050] (6) In the above embodiment, the determination processing unit 11 determines whether or not there is a possibility of falling off based on the proportion of the area that overlaps with the gap region 10 in the total area of ​​one of the multiple articles W that make up the upper article group 2a when viewed in the vertical direction, but this is not limited to this. The determination processing unit 11 can also determine that there is no possibility of falling off when an article W that overlaps with the gap region 10 when viewed in the vertical direction (an article W that makes up the upper article group 2a) is arranged so as to completely cover at least one of the first direction X and the second direction Y of the gap region 10, regardless of the proportion of the area that overlaps with the gap region 10.

[0051] (7) In the above embodiment, the layer item group transfer device 4 is described as being configured to move the layer item group 2 in the vertical and horizontal directions while holding the layer item group 2 together with the holding unit 3, and stack the layer item group 2 so that multiple layers are stacked vertically on the support P, but this is not limited to this. The layer item group transfer device 4 may also be configured as a picking robot or the like that stacks the items W that make up the layer item group 2, for example, one by one, onto the support P.

[0052] (8) 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.

[0053] Summary of the above embodiment Below, a summary of the above-described item placement determination system and item stowage system will be described.

[0054] The present disclosure provides an item placement determination system that determines the placement of a plurality of items when stacking the items on a support such that a layer item group consisting of a plurality of items arranged in a plane is arranged in multiple layers in a vertical direction, the system comprising: Of the two layer article groups adjacent in the vertical direction, the lower layer article group is referred to as a lower layer article group, and the upper layer article group is referred to as an upper layer article group, a determination processing unit that acquires lower layer arrangement information indicating the arrangement of lower layer items, which is the arrangement of the multiple items that make up the lower layer item group, and upper layer arrangement information indicating the arrangement of upper layer items, which is the arrangement of the multiple items that make up the upper layer item group, and when the lower layer item arrangement indicated in the lower layer arrangement information includes a gap area, which is an area where no items are present when viewed from above and below, determines whether or not there is a possibility of the items that make up the upper layer item group falling into the gap area; a correction processing unit that corrects the upper layer arrangement information when the determination processing unit determines that there is a possibility of the device falling off, The correction processing unit generates corrected placement information by correcting the upper layer item placement indicated in the upper layer placement information, and has the judgment processing unit determine whether or not there is a possibility of the item falling off based on the upper layer item placement indicated in the corrected placement information, and if it is determined that there is no possibility of the item falling off, determines the corrected placement information as the new upper layer placement information.

[0055] According to this configuration, when stacking layer groups consisting of multiple items in multiple layers stacked vertically on a support, the arrangement of the items on the support can be determined so that items constituting the upper layer group do not fall into void areas present in the arrangement of the lower layer group. Furthermore, according to this configuration, when determining the placement of such items, if it is determined that there is a possibility that an item may fall out of the void area, the upper layer item placement indicated in the upper layer placement information is corrected to generate corrected placement information, and the presence or absence of a possibility of falling out is determined again, thereby making it possible to determine with high reliability an appropriate placement of items that will not fall out of the void area. In this manner, with this configuration, the placement of multiple items can be determined appropriately.

[0056] Here, it is preferable that the correction processing unit generates the corrected placement information by performing at least one of a rotation process that rotates the upper layer item placement indicated in the upper layer placement information around a rotation axis along the vertical direction, and a movement process that moves it horizontally.

[0057] According to this configuration, the correction processing unit generates corrected placement information by performing at least one of a rotation process and a movement process on the upper layer item placement indicated in the upper layer placement information, so that the corrected placement information can be generated through relatively simple processing.

[0058] Furthermore, first, among the plurality of layer item groups arranged on the support, the layer item group of the lowest layer is set as the lower layer item group, and the layer item group adjacent to the upper side of the lower layer item group is set as the upper layer item group, and a layer-by-layer arrangement determination process is executed to determine the upper layer arrangement information by performing processing by the determination processing unit and, if necessary, processing by the correction processing unit; Thereafter, it is preferable to set the layer item group that was set as the upper layer item group in the previous layer placement determination process as the lower layer item group this time, and set the layer item group adjacent to the upper side of the lower layer item group as the upper layer item group, and to repeatedly execute the layer placement determination process to determine the overall placement of the multiple items to be stacked on the support.

[0059] According to this configuration, even when three or more layers of layered goods are stacked on the support, the overall arrangement of multiple goods on the support can be appropriately determined so that goods constituting the upper layered goods do not fall into gap areas present in the arrangement of the lower layered goods.

[0060] The article has a rectangular shape when viewed from above, The layer article group is arranged so that its outer shape is rectangular when viewed from above and below, In the turning process, the correction processing unit preferably turns the upper layer article arrangement around the turning axis by an angle that is an integral multiple of 90°.

[0061] According to this configuration, modified placement information that is a candidate for placement of items that are unlikely to fall off can be generated by a simple process of simply rotating the upper layer item placement shown in the upper layer placement information by an integer multiple of 90° around a rotation axis along the vertical direction.

[0062] Furthermore, it is preferable that, during the movement process, the correction processing unit moves the upper layer item arrangement horizontally within a range in which the horizontal protrusion of the outer edge of the upper layer item group relative to the outer edge of the lower layer item group when viewed in the vertical direction is less than a set value.

[0063] According to this configuration, modified placement information can be generated so that the upper layer item placement shown in the upper layer placement information is moved horizontally, and as a result, items in the upper layer item group do not fall below the outer edge of the lower layer item group.

[0064] It is also preferable that the judgment processing unit judges whether or not there is a possibility of falling off based on the proportion of the area that overlaps with the void area to the total area of ​​one of the multiple items that make up the upper layer item group when viewed from the top to bottom.

[0065] According to this configuration, the determination processing unit can appropriately determine whether or not there is a possibility that an article will fall into the gap area through relatively simple processing.

[0066] Also, an item stowage system including the item placement determination system and a layer item group transfer device that moves the layer item groups in vertical and horizontal directions while holding the layer item groups together with a holding unit, and stacks the layer item groups on the support body so that they are stacked in multiple layers in the vertical direction, The layer item group transfer device is a rotation mechanism that rotates the holding portion around the rotation axis, When the corrected placement information generated by the rotation process is determined to be the new upper layer placement information, it is preferable to rotate the layer item group held by the holding unit around the rotation axis in accordance with the new upper layer placement information, and then stack it on the support.

[0067] According to this configuration, the correction processing unit generates corrected placement information in which the initial upper layer item placement has been rotated, and when the corrected placement information is determined to be the new upper layer placement information, the layer item group transfer device rotates the holding unit using its rotation mechanism, so that the held layer item group can be stacked on the support in a position that matches the new upper layer placement information. Therefore, multiple items can be stacked on the support in an appropriate item placement that is unlikely to fall off.

[0068] The item placement determination system and the item stowage system according to the present disclosure may achieve at least one of the above-described effects. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 1: Product placement decision system 2: Layer article group 2a: Upper layer goods group 2b: Lower layer goods group 3: Holding part 4: Layer article group transfer device 5: Swivel mechanism 10:Void area 11: Judgment processing unit 12: Correction processing section 100: Cargo stowage system P:Support S: Amount of overhang

Claims

1. An article arrangement determination system that determines an arrangement of a plurality of articles when stacking the articles on a support so that a layer article group consisting of a plurality of articles arranged in a plane is arranged in a vertical direction, the system comprising: Of the two layer article groups adjacent in the vertical direction, the lower layer article group is referred to as a lower layer article group, and the upper layer article group is referred to as an upper layer article group, a determination processing unit that acquires lower layer arrangement information indicating the arrangement of lower layer items, which is the arrangement of the multiple items that make up the lower layer item group, and upper layer arrangement information indicating the arrangement of upper layer items, which is the arrangement of the multiple items that make up the upper layer item group, and when the lower layer item arrangement indicated in the lower layer arrangement information includes a gap area, which is an area where no items are present when viewed from above and below, determines whether or not there is a possibility of the items that make up the upper layer item group falling into the gap area; a correction processing unit that corrects the upper layer arrangement information when the determination processing unit determines that there is a possibility of the device falling off, The correction processing unit generates corrected placement information by correcting the upper layer item placement indicated in the upper layer placement information, and has the judgment processing unit determine whether or not there is a possibility of the item falling off based on the upper layer item placement indicated in the corrected placement information, and if it is determined that there is no possibility of the item falling off, the corrected placement information is determined to be the new upper layer placement information.

2. The item placement determination system of claim 1, wherein the correction processing unit generates the corrected placement information by performing at least one of a rotation process that rotates the upper layer item placement indicated in the upper layer placement information around a rotation axis along the vertical direction and a movement process that moves it horizontally.

3. First, among the plurality of layer item groups arranged on the support, the layer item group of the lowest layer is set as the lower layer item group, and the layer item group adjacent to the upper side of the lower layer item group is set as the upper layer item group, and a layer-by-layer arrangement determination process is executed to determine the upper layer arrangement information by performing processing by the determination processing unit and, if necessary, processing by the correction processing unit; The item placement determination system of claim 2 then sets the layer item group that was set as the upper layer item group in the previous layer placement determination process to the current lower layer item group, and sets the layer item group adjacent to the upper side of the lower layer item group to the upper layer item group, and repeatedly executes the layer placement determination process to determine the overall placement of the multiple items stacked on the support body.

4. The article has a rectangular shape when viewed from above, The layer article group is arranged so that its outer shape is rectangular when viewed from above and below, The article placement determination system according to claim 2 , wherein the correction processing unit rotates the upper article placement around the rotation axis by an angle that is an integral multiple of 90° in the rotation process.

5. The item placement determination system of claim 2, wherein the correction processing unit, in the movement processing, moves the upper layer item placement horizontally within a range in which the horizontal extension of the outer edge of the upper layer item group relative to the outer edge of the lower layer item group when viewed in the vertical direction is less than a set value.

6. The item placement determination system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the determination processing unit determines whether or not there is a possibility of falling off based on the proportion of the area that overlaps with the gap area to the total area of ​​one of the multiple items that make up the upper layer item group when viewed from above and below.

7. 6. An article stowage system comprising: an article placement determination system according to any one of claims 2 to 5; and a layer article group transfer device that moves the layer article groups in vertical and horizontal directions while holding the layer article groups together with a holding unit, and stacks the layer article groups on the support body so that they are stacked in multiple layers in the vertical direction, The layer item group transfer device is a rotation mechanism that rotates the holding portion around the rotation axis, When the corrected placement information generated by the rotation process is determined to be the new upper layer placement information, the layer goods held by the holding unit are rotated around the rotation axis in accordance with the new upper layer placement information, and then stacked onto the support body, in this goods loading system.

Images