Trunk logistic facility and arrangement method

Abstract

To provide a trunk logistic facility having a structure that is suitable as a facility which a truck serving as trunk transportation uses.SOLUTION: A trunk logistic facility according to the present invention comprises a cross docking area, a warehouse area and a vertically conveying machine. In the cross docking area, unloading and loading of cargoes from / on a trunk-transportation truck and a regional delivery truck and sorting of cargoes is performed for each pallet unit. The warehouse area, arranged above or below the cross docking area, stores cargoes. The vertically conveying machine conveys pallets in a vertical direction between the cross docking area and the warehouse area. The warehouse area is constituted of a plurality of continuous floors.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a core logistics facility used by trucks that carry out trunk line transportation, and a method for arranging tenants in the core logistics facility. [Background technology]

[0002] Various efforts are being made to realize Level 4 autonomous driving for large trucks (for example, Non-Patent Document 1). In addition, development has begun on next-generation core logistics facilities with dedicated ramps directly connected to highway interchanges (see Non-Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0003] [Non-Patent Document 1] Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, "Autonomous Driving Level 4 and Other Advanced Mobility Services Research, Development and Social Implementation Project (RoAD to the L4)", June 7, 2021, [Retrieved May 10, 2024], Internet <https: / / www.meti.go.jp / policy / mono_info_service / mono / automobile / Automated-driving / kenkyuukaihatsukeikaku.pdf> . [Non-patent document 2] Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd., "Japan's first "next-generation core logistics facility" directly connected to an expressway interchange development plan launched," February 3, 2022, [Retrieved May 10, 2024], Internet<https: / / www.mec.co.jp / news / archives / mec220203_logicross.pdf> . Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, no design guidelines have been disclosed that indicate how the structure of a core logistics facility should be designed. The present invention aims to provide a core logistics facility with a structure suitable for use by trucks that handle trunk line transportation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The core logistics facility of the present invention comprises a cross-dock area, a warehouse area, and a vertical conveyor. The cross-dock area unloads and loads trunk transport trucks and regional delivery trucks, and sorts cargo on a pallet-by-pallet basis. The warehouse area is located above or below the cross-dock area and stores cargo. The vertical conveyor transports pallets vertically between the cross-dock area and the warehouse area. The warehouse area includes a configuration of multiple consecutive floors. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] The core logistics facility of the present invention facilitates unloading and loading of cargo from main transport trucks to regional delivery trucks and sorting of cargo by pallet in the cross-dock area, and also enables storage of cargo by vertical transport using vertical conveyors in the warehouse area. In addition, warehouse areas are typically comprised of multiple floors, and each floor typically shares a common layout of roadways and berths where trucks park. Therefore, by arranging multiple floors in the warehouse area in a continuous fashion, the required height for each floor of the facility can be reduced. Therefore, many floors can be constructed within the allowable height range. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a core logistics facility of the present invention. [Figure 2] Schematic floor plan of the cross-dock area. [Figure 3] Schematic floor plan of the warehouse area. [Figure 4] A view from the Y direction of the warehouse area when three floors are arranged in succession. [Figure 5]View from the Y direction when placed as follows: Warehouse area floor, Cross dock area floor, Warehouse area floor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. Components having the same functions are given the same numbers, and duplicated explanations will be omitted. [Example]

[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a core logistics facility of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a cross-dock area floor, and FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of a warehouse area floor. The figures consistently show the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis. Directions will be indicated using axes as appropriate. The core logistics facility 10 includes a cross-dock area 100, a warehouse area 200, and a vertical conveyor 300. If the core logistics facility 10 has multiple floors, it also includes building ramps 501 and 502 for vehicles to travel between floors (in the Z-axis direction). For example, the building ramp 501 may be an indoor ramp for outbound traffic, and the building ramp 502 may be an indoor ramp for inbound traffic. The core logistics facility 10 also includes a mobility pool area 400 floor, which serves as a temporary pool for trunk transport trucks. A dedicated ramp 600 directly connected to a highway or highway interchange may be connected to the mobility pool area 400 floor.

[0010] In this specification, "floor" refers to a floor. "XX area" refers to a range of location, and an area may consist of multiple floors, or may include part of a single floor. In the example of FIG. 1, the core logistics facility 10 is eight stories tall, with the warehouse area 200 covering the first to fifth floors, the cross-dock area 100 covering the sixth to eighth floors, and the mobility pool area 400 on the rooftop. However, other arrangements are also possible. For example, the mobility pool area 400 may be on the first floor, outside the building, or part of a floor may be the mobility pool area 400. For example, half of the rooftop floor may be the mobility pool area 400, and the other half may be the cross-dock area 100. Furthermore, an area does not have to be composed of consecutive floors. For example, the floors above and below the mobility pool area 400 may be the cross-dock area 100.

[0011] The cross-dock area 100 unloads, loads, and sorts cargo from trunk transport trucks and regional delivery trucks in pallet units. A "truck transport truck" is a truck that transports cargo between trunk logistics facilities. It may be an autonomous truck or a manned truck. Trunk transport trucks also include articulated trucks and trucks capable of platooning. A "regional delivery truck" transports cargo between trunk logistics facilities and regional logistics facilities, or between a trunk logistics facility and its destination. These trucks are generally smaller than trunk transport trucks. A "pallet" is a unit of transport used by trunk transport trucks to bundle multiple packages. A pallet typically contains multiple packages, but may also contain only one package. Pallets can be shaped like boards, baskets, boxes, or containers, and may be equipped with wheels. Pallets do not need to have a special structure; existing ones can be used.

[0012] The cross dock area 100 has an outer perimeter lane 110 located along part or all of its perimeter. A berth 120 for trunk transport trucks and a berth 130 for regional delivery trucks are located inside the outer perimeter lane 110. Further inside is a space 140 where unloading, loading, and sorting of cargo are performed on a pallet-by-pallet basis (see FIG. 2). In the example of FIG. 2, the outer perimeter lane 110 is formed into a four-sided rectangle, but it may also be formed into three sides depending on the positions of the rampways 501 and 502 inside the building. Furthermore, if part of the floor is the cross dock area 100, the outer perimeter lane 110 may have three or two sides. The trunk transport truck berth 120 has a length and width that allows trunk transport trucks to stop there. It is sufficient to provide features that make the vehicle compartment easily recognizable not only for human-driven trunk transport trucks but also for autonomous trunk transport trucks (e.g., easily identifiable marks using cameras or sensors, electromagnetic features, etc.). The regional delivery truck berth 130 has a length and width that allows regional delivery trucks, which are intended to be driven by a person, to park there. In the example of Figure 2, the main transport truck berth 120 is located on one side of the outer track 110, and the regional delivery truck berth 130 is located on the side opposite the main transport truck berth 120. In this example, pallets are mainly transported in the X-axis direction in Figure 2. Naturally, they may also be transported somewhat in the Y-axis direction, but if a large movement in the Y-axis direction is required, it may be more efficient to transport them using a main transport truck or a regional delivery truck. Note that the arrangement of the main transport truck berth 120 and the regional delivery truck berth 130 is not limited to opposite sides. They may also be arranged on the same side. In this case, pallets are mainly transported in the Y-axis direction.

[0013] The warehouse area 200 is located above or below the cross dock area 100 and stores cargo in a portion of the space 240 (see FIG. 3). The vertical conveyor 300 transports pallets vertically (in the Z-axis direction) between the cross dock area 100 and the warehouse area 200. The vertical conveyor 300 is, for example, an elevator for transporting cargo. The warehouse area 200 has a central roadway 210 located in the center, and may include a floor on which a shared berth 220 for main transport trucks and regional delivery trucks or a berth 230 for regional delivery trucks is located along the central roadway 210. In principle, the transfer of cargo between the main transport truck and the regional delivery truck is carried out in pallet units in the cross dock area 100. However, when a main transport truck is loaded with cargo belonging to a single tenant, or when a main transport truck is loaded with cargo belonging to a single tenant, it is more efficient to unload, load, and sort the cargo in the warehouse area 200 used by that tenant. The term "tenant" refers to a lessor (user) of space in the warehouse area 200. The tenant may be the shipper of the cargo, or a transport company commissioned by the shipper. A tenant with a large volume of goods may equip the warehouse area 200 with a belt conveyor for transporting cargo in the Y-axis direction, or may provide an aisle for forklifts. In the example of FIG. 3, a shared berth 220 is located on one side of the central roadway 210, and a berth 230 for regional delivery trucks is located on the other side. The shared berth 220 is convenient for relatively large tenants who may use trunk transport trucks alone. On the other hand, the berth 230 for regional delivery trucks is convenient for tenants who find it difficult to use trunk transport trucks alone.

[0014] <Warehouse area floor layout> Figure 4 shows a view from the Y direction of the three warehouse floors arranged in a continuous fashion. Figure 5 shows a view from the Y direction of the warehouse floor, cross-dock floor, and warehouse floor arranged as follows. A is the required ceiling height for spaces 140 and 240, where unloading, loading, and sorting of goods are performed; T is the floor thickness (the thickness from the ceiling of the floor below to the floor of spaces 140 and 240); and B is the height of the step between the driveway and berth and spaces 140 and 240. Generally, A is approximately 5.5 m, and B is approximately 1.0 m. In the example of Figure 4, the height of one floor is A + T, while in the example of Figure 5, the height of one floor is A + B + T. Aligning the driveway allows for a lower design height for each floor, which is advantageous if the facility is subject to height restrictions under the Building Standards Act, etc., and potentially allows for more floors. Even if all floors of the warehouse area 200 are not continuous, making some floors continuous can still reduce the facility height. Therefore, the warehouse area 200 may include a configuration of multiple consecutive floors. As described above, it is considered efficient to configure the cross dock area 100 floor with the perimeter lane 110 on part or all of the perimeter, and the warehouse area 200 floor with the central lane 210. However, the effect obtained by configuring the warehouse area 200 with multiple consecutive floors (the effect of being able to lower the height by one floor) can also be obtained with other lane layouts as long as the lane layout is common to the warehouse area.

[0015] <Public areas, private areas> 2, the cross dock area 100 may be divided into a public area 141 where sorting is performed based on tenants and a dedicated area 142 where sorting is performed based on destinations. The warehouse area 200 connected to the public area 141 by a vertical conveyor 300 and the warehouse area 200 connected to the dedicated area 142 by a vertical conveyor 300 may include spaces 241 and 242 where pallets are disassembled and packages are sorted based on destinations.

[0016] As collaboration in joint transportation and delivery among multiple tenants progresses, it is conceivable that multiple tenants will share a single trunk transport truck. Pallets have a destination set. The "destination" of a pallet is one of the core logistics facilities 10 or a regional logistics facility to which it is transported by a regional delivery truck. When only pallets from one tenant are loaded onto a trunk transport truck, the pallets are sorted based on the destination. When pallets from multiple tenants are loaded onto a trunk transport truck, the pallets can be sorted first based on the tenant, and then based on the destination. For example, if the destination is the core logistics facility 10, this is because the location of the warehouse area 200 differs for each tenant. This is also because the regional logistics facilities often differ for each tenant.

[0017] When the destination of pallets belonging to multiple tenants loaded onto a trunk transport truck is the core logistics facility 10, the pallets are sorted by tenant in the public area 141 of the cross dock area 100 and transported to each tenant's warehouse area 200. This transport can be performed using a vertical conveyor 300. The warehouse area 200 connected to the public area 141 by the vertical conveyor 300 can include a space 241 where pallets are disassembled and sorted based on their destination. If the destination of the pallets is another core logistics facility, the pallets can be sorted so that they can be loaded onto a trunk transport truck bound for that core logistics facility. If the destination of the pallets is a regional logistics facility, the pallets can be sorted so that they can be loaded onto a regional delivery truck bound for that logistics facility. Because of this operation, the warehouse area 200 connected to the public area 141 by the vertical conveyor 300 can be assigned tenant locations in the warehouse area 200 so that tenants who frequently use the trunk transport truck are located.

[0018] If only pallets belonging to a single tenant are loaded onto a trunk transport truck, sorting based on destination can be performed in the dedicated area 142. Note that, as described above, if the tenant's warehouse area 200 has a shared berth 220 for trunk transport trucks and regional delivery trucks, the trunk transport truck may stop in the warehouse area 200. The dedicated area 142 is convenient for tenants whose logistics volume is not large enough to justify the provision of a shared berth 220 in the warehouse area 200 but who occasionally use the trunk transport truck independently. Furthermore, depending on the collaboration of joint transportation and delivery, a group of multiple tenants may be treated as a single tenant. In such cases, the warehouse area 200 connected to the dedicated area 142 by the vertical conveyor 300 may also include a space 242 for disassembling pallets and sorting the parcels based on destination. For example, even if a group of multiple tenants is treated as a single tenant within the core logistics facility 10, the parcels can be separated by tenant by specifying the destination of the parcel as a regional logistics facility managed by each tenant. Since this type of operation will be required, the locations of tenants in the warehouse area 200, which is connected to the dedicated area 142 by the vertical conveyor 300, can be allocated so that tenants who often use mainline transport trucks independently are placed in the warehouse area 200.

[0019] In other words, it is more efficient to allocate tenants so that the tenants located in the warehouse area 200 connected to the public area 141 by the vertical conveyor 300 use the trunk transport trucks more frequently than the tenants located in the warehouse area 200 connected to the private area 142 by the vertical conveyor 300. The determination of whether the trunk transport trucks are used by multiple tenants can be based on a predetermined calculation method. For example, it can be based on the number of times the trunk transport trucks are used by multiple tenants on a monthly or daily basis, or on the percentage of times the trunk transport trucks are used by multiple tenants. It can be determined taking into account the efficiency of each core logistics facility. It can also reduce the amount of movement of pallets in the Y-axis direction. The term "single use" also includes cases where a group of multiple tenants is treated as a single tenant.

[0020] The core logistics facility 10 facilitates unloading and loading of cargo from mainline transport trucks onto regional delivery trucks and sorting of cargo by pallet in the cross dock area 100, and also enables storage of cargo by vertically transporting it to the warehouse area 200 using a vertical conveyor 300. In addition, the core logistics facility 10 allows the warehouse area 200 to be composed of multiple floors, and each floor typically has a common layout of vehicle lanes and berths where trucks park. Therefore, by arranging multiple floors of the warehouse area 200 consecutively, the height required for each floor of the facility can be reduced. This allows for the construction of many floors within the allowable height range. [Explanation of symbols]

[0021] 10 Core logistics facilities 100 Cross-dock area 110 Outer perimeter lane 120 Trunk transport truck berth 130,230 Regional delivery truck berths 140,240,241,242 spaces 141 Public Areas 142 Private Areas 200 Warehouse Area 210 Central Road 220 Shared berth 300 Vertical conveyor 400 Mobility pool area 501,502 Rampway inside building 600 dedicated rampway

Claims

1. A cross-dock area where trunk transport trucks and regional delivery trucks are unloaded, loaded, and sorted by pallet, a warehouse area for storing cargo located above or below the cross-dock area; a vertical conveyor that conveys pallets vertically between the cross-dock area and the warehouse area; Equipped with The storage area includes a structure with multiple consecutive floors. A core logistics facility characterized by its

2. The core logistics facility according to claim 1, The cross dock area has an outer perimeter lane arranged over a part or the entire perimeter, and a berth for trunk transport trucks and a berth for regional delivery trucks are arranged inside the outer perimeter lane. A core logistics facility characterized by its

3. The core logistics facility according to claim 2, The warehouse area has a central roadway located in the center, and a floor on which a shared berth for trunk transport trucks and local delivery trucks or a berth for local delivery trucks is located along the central roadway. A core logistics facility characterized by its

4. The core logistics facility according to claim 2, The warehouse area has a central roadway located in the center, and a floor on which a berth for a local delivery truck is located along the central roadway. A core logistics facility characterized by its

5. The core logistics facility according to claim 1, The cross-dock area includes a public area where sorting is performed based on tenants and a dedicated area where sorting is performed based on destinations. A core logistics facility characterized by its

6. The core logistics facility according to claim 5, The warehouse area connected to the public area by the vertical conveyor is It has space to disassemble the pallets and sort the packages based on their destination. A core logistics facility characterized by its

7. The core logistics facility according to claim 5, The dedicated area and the warehouse area connected by the vertical conveyor are It has space to disassemble the pallets and sort the packages based on their destination. A core logistics facility characterized by its

8. A method for arranging tenants in a warehouse area of ​​a core logistics facility according to claim 5, The locations to be used by the tenants are allocated so that the tenants located in the warehouse area connected to the public area by the vertical conveyor will use the trunk transport trucks more frequently than the tenants located in the warehouse area connected to the exclusive area by the vertical conveyor.

10. A placement method comprising:

9. A method for arranging tenants in a warehouse area of ​​a core logistics facility according to claim 5, In the warehouse area connected to the public area by the vertical conveyor, a plurality of tenants are located who frequently use the trunk transport truck, The warehouse area connected to the dedicated area by the vertical conveyor is allocated to tenants who often use mainline transport trucks independently.

10. A placement method comprising:

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