Load-handling control system

Abstract

To provide a load-handling control system that is able to perform proper load handling even when a loaded form of a loaded pallet is anomalous.SOLUTION: A load-handling control system 1 includes: a loaded form sensor 11 that detects a loaded form of a loaded pallet 7; an interfering detection unit 18b that, based on the loaded form of the loaded pallet 7, detects whether or not there is an interfering load pallet 7A in which a load 5 of the loaded pallet 7 interferes with a laterally adjacent loaded pallet 7; a load-handling order determination unit 20 that determines a load-handling order of a plurality of rows of loaded pallets 7 so that, when it is detected that there is the interfering load pallet 7A, load-handling of the interfering load pallet 7A is performed prior to load-handling of an interfered load pallet 7B that is the loaded pallet 7 interfered with the interfering load pallet 7A; and a load-handling control unit 21 that controls a forklift 2 so as to perform the load-handling of the plurality of rows of loaded pallets 7 according to the load-handling order.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cargo handling control system. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technology in which an autonomous forklift equipped with sensors and cameras unloads goods loaded on a truck and loads them onto an autonomous unmanned guided vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-62964 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In actual logistics operations, if the loading condition of the pallet and cargo (the packing condition of the loaded pallet) is abnormal, unloading (removal) of the cargo may not be possible using normal cargo handling control. For this reason, it is necessary to detect whether the packing condition of the loaded pallet is abnormal, and if so, to carry out appropriate cargo handling according to the packing condition. If appropriate measures are not taken to deal with abnormal packing conditions of the loaded pallet, the forklift will be stopped more frequently, leading to a decrease in the forklift's operating rate.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a cargo handling control system that can perform appropriate cargo handling even when the packaging state of a pallet carrying cargo is abnormal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) One aspect of the present invention is a cargo handling control system for using a forklift to load multiple rows of loaded pallets arranged side by side, the system comprising: a loading state detection unit that detects the loading state of the loaded pallets; an interference detection unit that detects whether there is an interfering loaded pallet where cargo on the loaded pallet is interfering with a laterally adjacent loaded pallet based on the loading state of the loaded pallet detected by the loading state detection unit; a loading order determination unit that, when the interference detection unit detects the presence of an interfering loaded pallet, determines the loading order of the multiple rows of loaded pallets so that the interfering loaded pallet is loaded before the interfered loaded pallet, which is a loaded pallet that is interfering with the interfering loaded pallet; and a cargo handling control unit that controls the forklift to load the multiple rows of loaded pallets in accordance with the loading order determined by the loading order determination unit.

[0007] In this type of cargo handling control system, the packaging state of multiple rows of loaded pallets arranged side by side is detected. Then, based on the packaging state of the loaded pallets, it is detected whether there is an interfering loaded pallet, in which cargo on a loaded pallet is interfering with a laterally adjacent loaded pallet. When the presence of an interfering loaded pallet is detected, a loading order for the multiple rows of loaded pallets is determined so that the interfering loaded pallet is removed before the interfered loaded pallet. Then, a forklift is controlled to remove the multiple rows of loaded pallets according to the determined loading order. In this way, when an interfering loaded pallet is present, the interfering loaded pallet is removed before the interfered loaded pallet. This allows appropriate loading even when the loading state of a loaded pallet is abnormal.

[0008] (2) In (1) above, the cargo handling control system further includes an information acquisition unit that acquires information about loaded pallets, and the information about loaded pallets includes information about a pre-set loading order for multiple rows of loaded pallets, and when an interfering cargo pallet is detected, the loading order determination unit may change the pre-set loading order so that the interfering cargo pallet is unloaded before the interfered cargo pallet is unloaded.

[0009] In this configuration, the loading order for multiple rows of loaded pallets is set in advance, and when an interfering pallet is detected, the pre-set loading order for loaded pallets is changed so that the interfering pallet is unloaded before the interfered pallet is unloaded. Therefore, since there is no need to determine the loading order for multiple rows of loaded pallets from scratch, the process of determining the loading order for loaded pallets is simplified.

[0010] (3) In (2) above, the pre-set loading order is an order along one horizontal side of the multiple rows of loaded pallets, and when the loading order determination unit detects the presence of an interfering cargo pallet, it may change the pre-set loading order so that the loading order of the laterally adjacent interfering cargo pallet and the interfered cargo pallet is swapped.

[0011] In this configuration, when an interfering pallet is present, the order of picking up the laterally adjacent interfering pallets and interfered pallets is reversed, thereby reducing the travel distance of the forklift when picking up multiple rows of loaded pallets, thereby shortening the operating time of the forklift.

[0012] (4) In (2) above, the pre-set loading order is an order along one horizontal side of the multiple rows of loaded pallets, and when the loading order determination unit detects the presence of an interfering loaded pallet, the pre-set loading order may be changed so that the interfering loaded pallet is first loaded and then the other loaded pallets are loaded in order along one side.

[0013] In this configuration, when an interfering cargo pallet is present, priority is given to removing the interfering cargo pallet, so that the interfering cargo pallet is removed first, making it easier to remove the cargo-carrying pallet thereafter.

[0014] (5) In any of (1) to (4) above, the cargo handling control system further includes a cargo handling target determination unit that determines a group of loaded pallets including the loaded pallets to be handled based on the packaging state of the loaded pallet detected by the packaging state detection unit and the information about the loaded pallet acquired by the information acquisition unit, and the loaded pallet group is made up of multiple rows of loaded pallets, and the interference detection unit may detect whether the loaded pallet in the loaded pallet group determined by the cargo handling target determination unit is an interfering loaded pallet.

[0015] In this configuration, a loaded pallet group containing the loaded pallets to be unloaded is determined. Then, the loading order of the loaded pallets is determined for each loaded pallet group, and unloading of the loaded pallets is performed for each loaded pallet group. Therefore, unloading of the loaded pallets can be performed smoothly.

[0016] (6) In (5) above, the information regarding the loaded pallet includes information regarding a loading order that has been set in advance for a group of loaded pallets, and the loading target determination unit may determine the loading order for the group of loaded pallets that includes the loaded pallet that is the loading target, in accordance with the loading order that has been set in advance for the group of loaded pallets.

[0017] In this configuration, the loading order for multiple loaded pallet groups is set in advance, eliminating the need to determine the loading order for loaded pallet groups from scratch, thereby simplifying the process of determining the loading order for loaded pallet groups.

[0018] (7) In (5) above, the loading target determination unit may determine the loading order of the loaded pallet group including the loaded pallet to be loaded, based on the distance between the starting point of the forklift and the loaded pallet group, or the distance between the loading area of ​​the loaded pallet and the loaded pallet group.

[0019] In this configuration, the loading order of loaded pallets is determined so that loaded pallets are loaded from the loaded pallet group that is closer to the starting point of the forklift or the loading area of ​​the loaded pallets, thereby enabling the loading of loaded pallets to be carried out efficiently. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the present invention, even if the packaging state of a pallet carrying cargo is abnormal, proper cargo handling can be performed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a cargo handling control system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a side view of a forklift truck on which the cargo handling control system shown in FIG. 1 is mounted. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a top view showing a state in which a pallet with a load is loaded on the bed of a truck. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a state in which a pallet and a load interfere with an adjacent pallet or load, and a state in which a load placed on a lower pallet or an upper pallet protrudes from the lower pallet. [Figure 5] 1A and 1B are top and front views showing a state in which a pallet with cargo is loaded on the floor or a shelf. [Figure 6] 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a loaded pallet group determination process executed by a loaded pallet group determination unit shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 7] 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a packaging abnormality detection process executed by a packaging abnormality detection unit shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 8] 2 is a front view showing how a protrusion abnormality is detected by the protrusion detection unit shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 9] 2 is a front view showing how an interference abnormality is detected by the interference detection unit shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 10] 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a loading and unloading order determination process executed by a loading and unloading order determination unit shown in FIG. [Figure 11] This is a front view showing a state in which, in a group of loaded pallets in which multiple loaded pallets are arranged side by side, the cargo on some loaded pallets is interfering with the pallets on adjacent loaded pallets. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0023] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a cargo handling control system according to one embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 1, the cargo handling control system 1 of this embodiment is mounted on a forklift 2 as shown in Fig. 2. The forklift 2 is, for example, a counter-load forklift.

[0024] The forklift 2 has a body 31, a pair of left and right front wheels 32 which are drive wheels arranged at the front of the body 31, a pair of left and right rear wheels 33 which are steering wheels arranged at the rear of the body 31, a mast 34 attached to the front end of the body 31, a pair of left and right forks 36 (see Figure 3) attached to the mast 34 via lift brackets 35 so that they can be raised and lowered, a lift cylinder 37 which raises and lowers the forks 36 via the lift brackets 35, and a tilt cylinder 38 which tilts the mast 34.

[0025] The cargo handling control system 1 is a system that automatically performs cargo handling using a forklift 2. Specifically, the cargo handling control system 1 is a system that uses the forklift 2 to pick up multiple rows of loaded pallets 7 that are arranged side by side. Here, as shown in FIG. 3, the cargo handling control system 1 controls the forklift 2 when picking up the loaded pallets 7 that are loaded onto the loading platform 3a of a truck 3.

[0026] The loaded pallet 7 is a pallet 4 on which cargo 5 is placed. The pallet 4 is, for example, a flat pallet made of plastic or wood. The pallet 4 has a square or approximately square shape in plan view. The pallet 4 is provided with two fork holes 6 (see Figure 4) into which forks 36 are inserted. The fork holes 6 extend from the front (front) of the pallet 4 to the rear.

[0027] Pallets 7 loaded with loads are loaded in multiple rows along the front-to-rear direction of the truck 3 on the loading platform 3a of the truck 3. The loaded pallets 7 are arranged so that the front of the pallets 4 faces the side of the truck 3. Therefore, the forklift 2 picks up the load from the side of the truck 3. At this time, the multiple rows of loaded pallets 7 are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction (left and right direction) as viewed from the forklift 2.

[0028] The forklift 2 handles a loaded pallet 7 having one or more upper and lower tiers of pallets 4 on which cargo 5 is placed (see FIG. 4(c) etc.). For example, when the forklift 2 is used to load a loaded pallet 7 having two tiers of pallets 4, the forks 36 are inserted into the fork holes 6 of the lower tier of pallet 4.

[0029] As shown in Figure 3, when the packaging state of the loaded pallet 7 (the packaging state of the pallet 4 and the cargo 5) is normal, the loaded pallet 7 can be smoothly unloaded by the forklift 2. The packaging state refers to the way the pallet 4 and the cargo 5 are placed.

[0030] However, as shown in FIG. 4, if the state of packaging of the loaded pallet 7 is abnormal, there is a possibility that the forklift 2 will not be able to unload the loaded pallet 7 .

[0031] For example, as shown in Figure 4(a), if laterally adjacent pallets 4 interfere with each other in the width direction of the truck 3 (the direction in which the pallets 4 are pulled out from the loading platform 3a to the side of the truck 3), the load may collapse when the loaded pallet 7 is unloaded. Note that the load 5 is not shown in Figure 4(a) for convenience.

[0032] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4(b), if a load 5 placed on a pallet 4 interferes with a load 5 placed on a laterally adjacent pallet 4, or if a load 5 placed on a pallet 4 interferes with a laterally adjacent pallet 4, the load may collapse when unloading the loaded pallet 7. Here, interference refers to a state in which a load 5 placed on a pallet 4 rests on top of a laterally adjacent pallet 4 or load 5.

[0033] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4(c), due to vibrations during transport by truck 3, cargo 5 may protrude significantly laterally from pallet 4, or an upper pallet 4 may protrude significantly laterally from a lower pallet 4. In this case, too, there is a possibility that cargo may collapse when unloading pallet 7 with cargo.

[0034] To solve such problems, the cargo handling control system 1 detects whether the packing state of multiple rows of loaded pallets 7 is normal or abnormal, and if the packing state of the loaded pallets 7 is abnormal, performs appropriate control according to the packing state.

[0035] The cargo handling control system 1 includes a package style sensor 11, an information storage unit 12, a drive unit 13, a display unit 14, and a controller 15. The package style sensor 11, the information storage unit 12, the drive unit 13, and the controller 15 are mounted on the forklift 2.

[0036] The packaging style sensor 11 is a packaging style detection unit that detects the packaging state of the loaded pallet 7. As the packaging style sensor 11, for example, an image sensor such as a camera may be used, or a laser sensor such as a LiDAR or a laser range finder may be used.

[0037] The image sensor captures an image of the loaded pallet 7 and acquires image data of the loaded pallet 7. The image sensor captures an image of a range including the front of the loaded pallet 7.

[0038] The laser sensor emits a laser beam toward the loaded pallet 7 and receives the reflected laser light to detect the distance to the loaded pallet 7 and obtain point cloud data of the loaded pallet 7. The laser sensor emits a laser beam toward an area that includes the front of the loaded pallet 7. The point cloud is a collection of laser reflection points.

[0039] The information storage unit 12 stores information about the loaded pallet 7. The information storage unit 12 constitutes an information acquisition unit that acquires information about the loaded pallet 7. The information about the loaded pallet 7 is acquired, for example, from a higher-level system management device (not shown).

[0040] The information related to the loaded pallets 7 includes information on the position of the loaded pallets 7, information on the loaded pallets 7 that are the loading targets for unloading, information on the loading order (initial loading order) of the loaded pallets 7, information on the position of a loaded pallet group G (see FIG. 3 ) described below, and information on the loading order of the loaded pallet group G. The positions of the loaded pallets 7 and the loaded pallet group G are expressed, for example, by three-dimensional coordinates. The loading order of the loaded pallets 7 and the loaded pallet group G is set in advance.

[0041] The luggage 5 on the luggage-loaded pallet 7 is provided with an RFID, QR code (registered trademark), barcode, or the like that holds information about the luggage-loaded pallet 7 and enables the luggage 5 to be individually identified.

[0042] The drive unit 13 has the above-mentioned lift cylinder 37 and tilt cylinder 38, a travel motor (not shown) that rotates the front wheels 32 of the forklift 2, and a steering motor (not shown) that steers the rear wheels 33 of the forklift 2.

[0043] The display unit 14 may be installed at the work site or in a higher-level system management device, or may be a mobile terminal used by a worker. The display unit 14 displays on a screen whether or not there is an abnormality in the packaging state of the loaded pallet 7.

[0044] The controller 15 is composed of a CPU, RAM, ROM, an input / output interface, etc. The controller 15 has a loaded pallet group detection unit 16, a loaded pallet group determination unit 17, a packaging abnormality detection unit 18, a notification unit 19, a loading order determination unit 20, and a loading control unit 21.

[0045] The loaded pallet group detection unit 16 detects loaded pallet groups G consisting of multiple rows of loaded pallets 7 based on the packaging state of the loaded pallets 7 detected by the packaging style sensor 11. A loaded pallet group G is a group for continuously unloading multiple loaded pallets 7 that are lined up side by side. The loaded pallet group detection unit 16 determines the position of each loaded pallet 7 from the detection data of the packaging style sensor 11, and sets multiple loaded pallets 7 that exist within a specified distance in the horizontal direction (left and right direction) as one loaded pallet group G.

[0046] As shown in Figures 3 and 5, a loaded pallet group G is made up of multiple rows of loaded pallets 7 arranged side by side. In Figure 3, two loaded pallet groups G, each consisting of six rows of loaded pallets 7, are arranged on both the left and right sides of the loading platform 3a of the truck 3. In Figure 5(a), three loaded pallet groups G, each consisting of four rows of loaded pallets 7 placed in a roughly U-shape on the floor, are arranged. In Figure 5(b), three loaded pallet groups G, each consisting of five rows of loaded pallets 7 placed on a shelf P with a three-tier structure, are arranged.

[0047] In addition, if a group of loaded pallets G is set in advance and the information on the loaded pallets 7 includes information on the loaded pallets G, the loaded pallets G may be detected based on the information on the loaded pallets 7 stored in the information storage unit 12.

[0048] The loaded pallet group determination unit 17 determines a loaded pallet group G including a loaded pallet 7 to be unloaded from among the loaded pallet groups G detected by the loaded pallet group detection unit 16, based on information about the loaded pallets 7 stored in the information storage unit 12. Furthermore, the loaded pallet group determination unit 17 determines the loading order of the loaded pallet groups G including the loaded pallets 7 to be unloaded, based on information about the loading order of the loaded pallet groups G.

[0049] The loaded pallet group detection unit 16 and the loaded pallet group determination unit 17 constitute a loading target determination unit that determines a loaded pallet group G including a loaded pallet 7 to be unloaded, based on the packaging state of the loaded pallet 7 detected by the packaging style sensor 11 and information about the loaded pallet 7 stored in the information storage unit 12. The loading target determination unit determines the loading order of the loaded pallet group G including the loaded pallet 7 to be unloaded, in accordance with a loading order for the loaded pallet group G that has been set in advance.

[0050] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the loaded pallet group determination process executed by the loaded pallet group determination unit 17.

[0051] 6, the loaded pallet group determination unit 17 first acquires information about loaded pallets 7 stored in the information storage unit 12 (step S101). Next, the loaded pallet group determination unit 17 determines whether the information about loaded pallets 7 includes a loaded pallet 7 to be handled (step S102).

[0052] When the loaded pallet group determination unit 17 determines that the information regarding the loaded pallet 7 includes the loaded pallet 7 to be handled, it selects the loaded pallet group G that includes the loaded pallet 7 to be handled from the loaded pallet groups G detected by the loaded pallet group detection unit 16 (step S103).

[0053] When the loaded pallet group determination unit 17 determines that the information regarding the loaded pallet 7 does not include the loaded pallet 7 to be handled, it selects all loaded pallet groups G detected by the loaded pallet group detection unit 16 (step S104).

[0054] After executing step S103 or step S104, the loaded pallet group determination unit 17 determines the loading order of the loaded pallet group G based on the information on the loading order of the loaded pallet group G included in the information on the loaded pallet 7 (step S105).

[0055] Returning to Figure 1, the packaging style abnormality detection unit 18 detects whether the packaging style of the loaded pallet 7 is abnormal based on the packaging style of the loaded pallet 7 included in the loaded pallet group G determined by the loaded pallet group determination unit 17. In other words, the packaging style abnormality detection unit 18 detects whether the packaging style of the loaded pallet 7 is abnormal based on the packaging style of the loaded pallet 7 detected by the packaging style sensor 11. The packaging style abnormality detection unit 18 has an overhang detection unit 18a and an interference detection unit 18b.

[0056] The protrusion detection unit 18a detects whether or not a cargo 5 loaded on the bottommost pallet 4 in the loaded pallet 7 or another pallet 4 protrudes laterally from the bottommost pallet 4, based on the packaging state of the loaded pallet 7 included in the loaded pallet group G determined by the loaded pallet group determination unit 17.

[0057] The interference detection unit 18b detects whether the cargo 5 on the loaded pallet 7 is an interfering cargo pallet 7A (see Figure 9) that is interfering with a laterally adjacent loaded pallet 7, based on the packaging state of the loaded pallet 7 included in the loaded pallet group G determined by the loaded pallet group determination unit 17.

[0058] An interfering cargo pallet 7A is a cargo-carrying pallet 7 in which cargo 5 of the cargo-carrying pallet 7 rides on top of the pallet 4 or cargo 5 of a laterally adjacent cargo-carrying pallet 7. A cargo-carrying pallet 7 that is interfered with by an interfering cargo pallet 7A is an interfered cargo pallet 7B (see Figure 9).

[0059] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the packaging abnormality detection process executed by the packaging abnormality detection unit 18.

[0060] 7, the packaging abnormality detection unit 18 first acquires information on the packaging state of the loaded pallets 7 included in the loaded pallet group G determined by the loaded pallet group determination unit 17 (step S111). Then, the packaging abnormality detection unit 18 determines whether or not an overflow abnormality has occurred based on the information on the packaging state of the loaded pallets 7 included in the loaded pallet group G (step S112).

[0061] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 8, the packaging abnormality detection unit 18 determines that an abnormality in protrusion has occurred when the amount of lateral protrusion M of a package 5 or another pallet 4 from the bottommost pallet 4 in a package-loaded pallet 7 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. The threshold is set to a value that does not affect the package unloading operation even if the package 5 or another pallet 4 protrudes from the bottommost pallet 4, for example, a value that does not cause the package 5 to collapse.

[0062] When the packaging abnormality detection unit 18 determines that a protrusion abnormality has occurred, it outputs protrusion abnormality information to the notification unit 19 (step S113). When the packaging abnormality detection unit 18 determines that a protrusion abnormality has not occurred, it determines whether an interference abnormality has occurred based on information about the packaging state of the loaded pallets 7 included in the loaded pallet group G (step S114).

[0063] Specifically, the packaging abnormality detection unit 18 determines that an interference abnormality has occurred when a piece of cargo 5 on a loaded pallet 7 is riding on top of a pallet 4 or a piece of cargo 5 on a laterally adjacent loaded pallet 7, as shown in Figure 9(a).

[0064] 9(b), the packaging abnormality detection unit 18 may determine that an interference abnormality has occurred when a piece of luggage 5 on a loaded pallet 7 rides up on a pallet 4 or piece of luggage 5 on a laterally adjacent loaded pallet 7 and the amount of riding up N of the piece of luggage 5 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. The threshold is set to a value that does not affect the loading operation even if a piece of luggage 5 rides up on a laterally adjacent pallet 4 or piece of luggage 5, for example, a value that does not cause the piece of luggage 5 to collapse.

[0065] When the packaging abnormality detection unit 18 determines that an interference abnormality has occurred, it outputs interference abnormality information to the notification unit 19 and the loading and unloading order determination unit 20 (step S115). When the packaging abnormality detection unit 18 determines that an interference abnormality has not occurred, it outputs normal information to the notification unit 19 (step S116).

[0066] Here, the protrusion detection unit 18a executes steps S111 to S113 and S116, and the interference detection unit 18b executes steps S111 and S114 to S116.

[0067] Returning to Figure 1, the notification unit 19 notifies the display unit 14 of the detection result by the packaging style abnormality detection unit 18 and causes it to be displayed. When the packaging style abnormality detection unit 18 detects that a protrusion abnormality has occurred, the notification unit 19 causes the display unit 14 to display information about the loaded pallet 7 in which the protrusion abnormality has occurred. When the packaging style abnormality detection unit 18 detects that an interference abnormality has occurred, the notification unit 19 causes the display unit 14 to display information about the loaded pallet 7 in which the interference abnormality has occurred.

[0068] When the interference detection unit 18b detects the presence of an interfering luggage pallet 7A, the loading order determination unit 20 determines the loading order of the multiple rows of luggage-carrying pallets 7 so that the interfering luggage pallet 7A is unloaded before the interfered luggage pallet 7B is unloaded.

[0069] When the interference detection unit 18b detects the presence of an interfering luggage pallet 7A, the loading order determination unit 20 changes the loading order of the luggage-carrying pallets 7 stored in the information storage unit 12 so that the interfering luggage pallet 7A is unloaded before the interfered luggage pallet 7B is unloaded.

[0070] The loading order of the loaded pallets 7 stored in the information storage unit 12 is preset to be an order from the loaded pallet 7 located at one left or right end of the loaded pallet group G to the loaded pallet 7 located at the other left or right end. In other words, the loading order of the loaded pallets 7 is an order along one side of the arrangement direction (horizontal direction) of the loaded pallets 7.

[0071] When the interference detection unit 18b detects the presence of an interfering luggage pallet 7A, the loading order determination unit 20 changes the loading order of the luggage-carrying pallets 7 stored in the information storage unit 12 so that the loading orders of the laterally adjacent interfering luggage pallet 7A and interfered luggage pallet 7B are swapped.

[0072] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the loading and unloading order determination process executed by the loading and unloading order determination unit 20.

[0073] 10, the loading order determination unit 20 first determines whether or not an interference abnormality has been detected by the packaging style abnormality detection unit 18 (step S121). If the loading order determination unit 20 determines that an interference abnormality has not been detected, it determines the initial loading order stored in the information storage unit 12 as the loading order for the loaded pallets 7 (step S122).

[0074] When the loading order determination unit 20 determines that an interference abnormality has been detected, it changes the initial loading order stored in the information storage unit 12 and determines the changed loading order as the loading order for the loaded pallet 7 (step S123).

[0075] For example, as shown in Figure 11, in a loaded pallet group G in which six loaded pallets 7a to 7f are arranged horizontally, the initial loading order stored in the information memory unit 12 is loaded pallet 7a → loaded pallet 7b → loaded pallet 7c → loaded pallet 7d → loaded pallet 7e → loaded pallet 7f from left to right.

[0076] However, the cargo 5 on loaded pallet 7b is interfering with the pallet 4 on loaded pallet 7a, which is adjacent to it on the left, and the cargo 5 on loaded pallet 7e is interfering with the pallet 4 on loaded pallet 7d, which is adjacent to it on the left. In other words, loaded pallets 7b and 7e correspond to interfering cargo pallets 7A. Loaded pallets 7a and 7d correspond to interfered cargo pallets 7B. As a result, the loading order is changed to loaded pallet 7b → loaded pallet 7a → loaded pallet 7c → loaded pallet 7e → loaded pallet 7d → loaded pallet 7f.

[0077] Returning to Figure 1, the loading control unit 21 controls the drive unit 13 to unload the loaded pallets 7 in accordance with the loading order determined by the loading order determination unit 20. For example, in the loaded pallet group G shown in Figure 11, unloading is performed in the order of loaded pallet 7b → loaded pallet 7a → loaded pallet 7c → loaded pallet 7e → loaded pallet 7d → loaded pallet 7f.

[0078] When unloading the loaded pallet 7, first the forks 36 of the forklift 2 are inserted into the fork holes 6 of the pallet 4, and then the forks 36 are raised in this state to lift the loaded pallet 7.

[0079] In the above process, first, the forklift 2 travels toward the truck 3. Then, when the forklift 2 reaches a starting point A (see FIG. 3) on the side of the truck 3, the forklift 2 stops. Then, the packaging state of the pallet 7 with the load loaded on the loading platform 3a of the truck 3 is detected by the packaging state sensor 11.

[0080] Then, based on the detection data of the packaging style sensor 11 and the information about the loaded pallet 7 stored in the information storage unit 12, a loaded pallet group G containing the loaded pallet 7 to be unloaded is determined, and the loading order of the loaded pallet group G is determined.

[0081] Then, it is detected whether the packaging of a loaded pallet 7 in the loaded pallet group G is abnormal. Specifically, it is first detected whether a load 5 or another pallet 4 loaded on the lowest pallet 4 in the loaded pallet 7 protrudes laterally from the lowest pallet 4, that is, whether a protrusion abnormality has occurred. If a protrusion abnormality has occurred, a message to that effect is displayed on the display unit 14. In this case, the protrusion abnormality can be resolved, for example, by a worker at the work site manually picking up and moving the load 5 or other pallet 4 protruding from the lowest pallet 4.

[0082] It is also detected whether or not a load 5 on a loaded pallet 7 is interfering with a pallet 4 or load 5 on a laterally adjacent loaded pallet 7, i.e., whether or not an interference abnormality has occurred. If an interference abnormality has occurred, the loading order of loaded pallets 7, which has been set in advance and stored in the information storage unit 12, is changed so that the loading orders of the laterally adjacent interfering load pallet 7A and interfered load pallet 7B are swapped.

[0083] The loaded pallet 7 is then unloaded according to the changed loading order. Specifically, the forks 36 of the forklift 2 are inserted into the fork holes 6 of the pallet 4 to lift up the loaded pallet 7, and the forklift 2 is then moved backward. The forklift 2, holding the loaded pallet 7, is then driven to storage area B (see Figure 3), and the loaded pallet 7 is placed there.

[0084] As described above, in this embodiment, the packaging state of multiple rows of loaded pallets 7 arranged side by side is detected. Then, based on the packaging state of the loaded pallets 7, it is detected whether there is an interfering loaded pallet 7A, in which the packages 5 on the loaded pallet 7 are interfering with a laterally adjacent loaded pallet 7. When the presence of an interfering loaded pallet 7A is detected, the loading order of the multiple rows of loaded pallets 7 is determined so that the interfering loaded pallet 7A is removed before the interfered loaded pallet 7B. Then, the forklift 2 is controlled to remove the multiple rows of loaded pallets 7 according to the determined loading order. In this way, when an interfering loaded pallet 7A is present, the interfering loaded pallet 7A is removed before the interfered loaded pallet 7B. This allows for appropriate loading even when the loading state of the loaded pallets 7 is abnormal. Therefore, the collapse of the packages 5 when removing the loaded pallets 7 is suppressed. As a result, the number of times the forklift 2 is stopped can be reduced, improving the operating rate of the forklift 2.

[0085] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the loading order for multiple rows of loaded pallets 7 is set in advance, and when the presence of an interfering load pallet 7A is detected, the pre-set loading order for the loaded pallets 7 is changed so that the interfering load pallet 7A is unloaded before the interfered load pallet 7B. Therefore, there is no need to determine the loading order for multiple rows of loaded pallets 7 from scratch, and the process of determining the loading order for the loaded pallets 7 is simplified.

[0086] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when an interfering cargo pallet 7A is present, the order of picking up cargo from the laterally adjacent interfering cargo pallet 7A and interfered cargo pallet 7B is reversed, thereby reducing the travel distance of the forklift 2 when picking up cargo from multiple rows of loaded pallets 7. Therefore, the operating time of the forklift 2 can be shortened.

[0087] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a loaded pallet group G is determined, which includes the loaded pallets 7 to be unloaded. Then, the loading order of the loaded pallets 7 is determined for each loaded pallet group G, and unloading of the loaded pallets 7 is performed for each loaded pallet group G. Therefore, unloading of the loaded pallets 7 is carried out smoothly.

[0088] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the loading order of the multiple loaded pallet groups G is set in advance, so there is no need to determine the loading order of the loaded pallet groups G from scratch. Therefore, the process of determining the loading order of the loaded pallet groups G is simplified.

[0089] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the above embodiment, when an interfering cargo pallet 7A is present, the loading sequence determination unit 20 changes the pre-set loading sequence of the cargo-carrying pallets 7 by swapping the loading sequence of the laterally adjacent interfering cargo pallet 7A and the interfered cargo pallet 7B, but the present invention is not particularly limited to such an embodiment.

[0090] The loading sequence determination unit 20 may change the pre-set loading sequence of loaded pallets 7 so that the interfering loaded pallet 7A is first loaded, and then the other loaded pallets 7 are loaded in order along one lateral side. For example, in the group G of loaded pallets shown in Figure 11, the loading sequence may be changed to loaded pallet 7b → loaded pallet 7e → loaded pallet 7a → loaded pallet 7c → loaded pallet 7d → loaded pallet 7f.

[0091] In this way, when an interfering cargo pallet 7A is present, priority is given to removing the cargo from the interfering cargo pallet 7A, so that the interfering cargo pallet 7A is removed first, making it easier to remove the cargo from the subsequent pallet 7 with cargo.

[0092] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the loaded pallet group determination unit 17 determines the loading order of the loaded pallet group G including the loaded pallet 7 to be loaded in accordance with the loading order of the loaded pallet group G that has been set in advance, but is not limited to such a form.

[0093] The loaded pallet group determination unit 17 may determine the loading order of the loaded pallet group G including the loaded pallet 7 to be loaded, based on the distance between the starting point A of the forklift 2 (see FIG. 3) and the loaded pallet group G. In this case, loading is performed starting from the loaded pallet group G with the shortest distance between the starting point A of the forklift 2 and the loaded pallet 7 located at the right end or left end of the loaded pallet group G.

[0094] Furthermore, the loaded pallet group determination unit 17 may determine the loading order of the loaded pallet group G including the loaded pallet 7 to be loaded, based on the distance between the loading area B (see FIG. 3) of the loaded pallet 7 and the loaded pallet group G. In this case, loading is performed starting from the loaded pallet group G with the shortest distance between the loading area B of the loaded pallet 7 and the loaded pallet 7 located at the right end or left end of the loaded pallet group G.

[0095] In this way, by determining the loading order of the loaded pallet groups G so that the loaded pallets 7 are loaded from the loaded pallet group G that is closer to the starting point A of the forklift 2 or the loading area B of the loaded pallets 7, the loading of the loaded pallets 7 can be performed efficiently.

[0096] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the pre-set loading order of the loaded pallets 7 is an order along one side in the horizontal direction, but this is not limited to this particular form, and for example, the loading order of the loaded pallets 7 may be set randomly.

[0097] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the loading order of loaded pallets 7 is set in advance, and when the presence of an interfering load pallet 7A is detected, the pre-set loading order of loaded pallets 7 is changed so that the interfering load pallet 7A is unloaded before the interfered load pallet 7B is unloaded, but this is not a particular limitation. For example, the loading order of loaded pallets 7 may not be set in advance, but may instead be set based on the detection results of interference detection unit 18b.

[0098] In the above embodiment, the packaging style sensor 11 and the information storage unit 12 are mounted on the forklift 2, but the present invention is not limited to this particular configuration. The packaging style sensor 11 may be installed at a work site, for example. The information storage unit 12 may be provided in a host system management device, for example. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] 1...load handling control system, 2...forklift, 4...pallet, 5...luggage, 7...pallet with luggage, 7A...interfering luggage pallet, 7B...interfered luggage pallet, 11...packing shape sensor (packing shape detection unit), 12...information storage unit (information acquisition unit), 16...loaded pallet group detection unit (loading object determination unit), 17...loaded pallet group determination unit (loading object determination unit), 18b...interference detection unit, 20...loading order determination unit, 21...load handling control unit, A...starting point, B...luggage storage area, G...group of loaded pallets.

Claims

1. A cargo handling control system for handling multiple rows of pallets with cargo arranged side by side by a forklift, comprising: a packaging style detection unit that detects the packaging style of the pallet with luggage; an interference detection unit that detects whether there is an interfering loaded pallet in which the loaded pallet is interfering with a laterally adjacent loaded pallet based on the loaded state of the loaded pallet detected by the loading state detection unit; a loading order determination unit that, when the interference detection unit detects the presence of an interfering luggage pallet, determines a loading order for the plurality of rows of luggage-laden pallets so that the interfering luggage pallet is unloaded before the interfering luggage pallet, which is a luggage-laden pallet that is interfering with the interfering luggage pallet, is unloaded; a loading control unit that controls the forklift to unload the multiple rows of loaded pallets in accordance with the loading order determined by the loading order determination unit.

2. An information acquisition unit that acquires information about the loaded pallet, the information about the loaded pallets includes information about a loading sequence that has been preset for the plurality of rows of loaded pallets; 2. The cargo handling control system according to claim 1, wherein when the presence of an interfering cargo pallet is detected, the cargo handling order determination unit changes the pre-set cargo handling order so that the interfering cargo pallet is unloaded before the interfered cargo pallet is unloaded.

3. the predetermined loading order is an order along one side in the lateral direction of the plurality of rows of loaded pallets, 3. The cargo handling control system of claim 2, wherein when the presence of an interfering cargo pallet is detected, the cargo handling order determination unit changes the pre-set cargo handling order so that the orders of loading of the laterally adjacent interfering cargo pallet and the interfered cargo pallet are swapped.

4. the predetermined loading order is an order along one side in the lateral direction of the plurality of rows of loaded pallets, 3. The loading control system of claim 2, wherein when the presence of an interfering cargo pallet is detected, the loading order determination unit changes the pre-set loading order so that the interfering cargo pallet is first picked up, and then other pallets with cargo are picked up in order along the one side.

5. a loading target determination unit that determines a loaded pallet group including a loaded pallet that is a loading target to be unloaded, based on the packing state of the loaded pallet detected by the packing style detection unit and the information about the loaded pallet acquired by the information acquisition unit, the group of loaded pallets is made up of the plurality of rows of loaded pallets, 3. The cargo handling control system according to claim 2, wherein the interference detection unit detects whether the loaded pallet in the group of loaded pallets determined by the cargo handling object determination unit is an interfering loaded pallet.

6. The information about the loaded pallets includes information about a loading sequence that is set in advance for the plurality of loaded pallet groups, The cargo handling control system according to claim 5, wherein the cargo handling target determination unit determines the loading order of the loaded pallet group including the loaded pallet to be handled in accordance with the predetermined loading order of the loaded pallet group.

7. 6. The cargo handling control system according to claim 5, wherein the cargo handling target determination unit determines the loading order of the loaded pallet group including the loaded pallet to be handled based on the distance between the starting point of the forklift and the loaded pallet group, or the distance between the loading area of ​​the loaded pallet and the loaded pallet group.

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