Article management system

Abstract

To provide an article management system capable of confirming the number of articles in a container.SOLUTION: This article management system is provided with a load measuring instrument 4 including a support arm 14 for supporting a vessel 46 and a measuring arm 16 arranged on the opposite side of the support arm 14 through a fulcrum 18 and having an action part 16a acting on a load sensor 20, and the weight of the vessel 46 is subtracted from the load measured by the load measuring instrument 4 to obtain the number of articles.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a management system for items contained in containers. [Background technology]

[0002] A wafer has a plurality of devices such as ICs and LSIs formed on its surface, separated by planned dividing lines. The back surface is ground by a grinding machine to form the wafer to the desired thickness, and then the wafer is divided into individual device chips by a cutting machine and a laser processing machine. Each of the divided device chips is used in electrical equipment such as mobile phones and personal computers.

[0003] The present applicant has also developed a transport system in which a travel path is arranged using the top plate of a processing device including processing devices such as grinding devices, cutting devices, and laser processing devices, and an item storage device that stores multiple wafers, and an automatic transport device travels between the processing devices to transport wafers from the item storage device to each processing device, or to transport consumables such as cutting blades (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] The cutting blades stored in the storage device are stored in containers by type, and when necessary, they are removed from the containers and transported to the corresponding cutting device by an automatic transport device. The type and number of removed cutting blades are managed by barcodes attached to the containers. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-013892 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, if there is an error in the number of cutting blades removed from the container, or if an operator randomly removes a cutting blade from the container and forgets to return it to the container, the shortage of cutting blades may go unnoticed, resulting in a decrease in productivity.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide an article management system that can confirm the number of articles in a container. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to the present invention, there is provided the following article management system that solves the above-mentioned problems: "A management system for items stored in containers, a load measuring instrument including a support arm that supports the container and a measuring arm that is disposed on the opposite side of the support arm via a fulcrum and has an acting portion that acts on a load sensor; The present invention provides an article management system that calculates the number of articles by subtracting the weight of the container from the load measured by the load measuring device.

[0009] Preferably, the measuring arm is set short relative to the length of the support arm, increasing the force acting on the load sensor and reducing measurement errors. A control mark is formed on the container, and a reading sensor is provided on the load measuring instrument to read the control mark. The number of items previously managed is compared with the number of items determined from the load measuring instrument's measurement value, and if they do not match, an inspection is recommended. The items may be cutting blades. A travel panel on which an automatic transport device travels is provided on the top plate of a processing device including an item storage device equipped with multiple processing devices and a management unit, and the automatic transport device can transport items received from the item storage device to the processing devices. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The article management system of the present invention comprises: A management system for items contained in containers, comprising: a load measuring instrument including a support arm that supports the container and a measuring arm that is disposed on the opposite side of the support arm via a fulcrum and has an acting portion that acts on a load sensor; The number of items in a container is calculated by subtracting the weight of the container from the load measured by the load measuring device, so the number of items in the container can be confirmed. This solves the problem of productivity being reduced due to not realizing that cutting blades are out of stock. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an article management system according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the load measuring device shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the arm member and the holding member shown in FIG. [Figure 4] (a) An oblique view of the container and cutting blade, (b) an oblique view showing the cutting blade housed in the container shown in (a), (c) an oblique view showing the container shown in (b) with a lid attached, and (d) a front view of the container shown in (c). [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the load on a container is being measured by the load measuring instrument shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] 2 is a schematic diagram of a transport system in which the management system shown in FIG. 1 can be installed. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the automatic transport device shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the main body of the automatic conveying device shown in FIG. 7 (with the belts fed out). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of an article management system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] (Load measuring device 4 of goods management system 2) As shown in Figure 1, an article management system 2 has a load measuring instrument 4 and a management unit 6. The load measuring instrument 4 is equipped with an arm member 8, a holding member 10 that holds the arm member 8, and a moving means 12 that moves the holding member 10. Note that the X, Y, and Z axis directions indicated by arrows X, Y, and Z in Figure 1 are perpendicular to one another. The XY plane defined by the X and Y axis directions is substantially horizontal, and the Z axis direction is substantially vertical.

[0014] (Arm member 8 of load measuring device 4) As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the arm member 8 includes a support arm 14 that supports the container, and a measurement arm 16 that is arranged on the opposite side of the support arm 14 via a fulcrum 18 and has an acting portion 16a that acts on the load sensor 20.

[0015] (Support arm 14 of arm member 8) The support arm 14 extends along the Y-axis direction, and one end (tip) of the support arm 14 in the Y-axis direction is bifurcated. That is, a pair of forks 14a extending in the Y-axis direction and spaced apart in the X-axis direction are provided at the tip of the support arm 14. The support arm 14 supports a container with the pair of forks 14a.

[0016] (Measuring arm 16 of arm member 8) The measurement arm 16 is disposed on the opposite side of the support arm 14 via a fulcrum 18. The fulcrum 18 is provided at the other end of the support arm 14 in the Y-axis direction, and the measurement arm 16 extends from the fulcrum 18 along the Y-axis direction. The length of the measurement arm 16 in this embodiment is set to be shorter than the length of the support arm 14. In addition, an acting portion 16a that protrudes upward is provided on the top surface of the tip of the measurement arm 16. The acting portion 16a acts (applies force) on a load sensor 20 that is disposed above the acting portion 16a when a container is supported by the pair of forks 14a of the support arm 14.

[0017] (Holding member 10 of load measuring instrument 4) The holding member 10 holds the arm member 8 via a fulcrum 18 so that it can swing freely. The holding member 10 has a main body 10a extending upward from the fulcrum 18. The main body 10a is provided with a first holding piece 10b that holds the load sensor 20 and a second holding piece 10c that holds a reading sensor 22. The first holding piece 10b is located above the measurement arm 16, and the second holding piece 10c is located above the support arm 14. The reading sensor 22 is configured to read a control mark formed on a container when the container is supported by the support arm 14.

[0018] (Means for moving the load measuring device 4 12) 1 and 2, the moving means 12 includes a Y-axis guide member 24 extending in the Y-axis direction, a Y-axis movable member 26 supported by the Y-axis guide member 24 for movement in the Y-axis direction, a Y-axis moving means 28 for moving the Y-axis movable member 26 in the Y-axis direction, a Z-axis movable member 30 supported by the Y-axis movable member 26 for movement in the Z-axis direction, a Z-axis moving means 32 for moving the Z-axis movable member 30 in the Z-axis direction, an X-axis movable member 34 supported by the Z-axis movable member 30 for movement in the X-axis direction, and an X-axis moving means (not shown) for moving the X-axis movable member 34 in the X-axis direction. The Y-axis moving means 28 includes a ball screw 36 connected to the Y-axis movable member 26 and extending in the Y-axis direction, and a motor 38 for rotating the ball screw 36. The Z-axis moving means 32 includes a ball screw 40 connected to the Z-axis movable member 30 and extending in the Z-axis direction, and a motor 42 for rotating the ball screw 40. The X-axis moving means may be of the ball screw type, similar to the Y- and Z-axis moving means 28, 32. The X-axis movable member 34 is connected to the main body 10a of the holding member 10.

[0019] (Management Department 6 of Goods Management System 2) The management unit 6 is composed of a computer having a processor and memory, and controls the operation of the load measuring device 4. Furthermore, the weight of each item managed by the management system 2, the weight of the container that holds the item (the weight of an empty container that does not contain any item), etc. are input in advance into the management unit 6.

[0020] (Item: Cutting blade 44) FIG. 4 shows a cutting blade 44, which is an example of an item managed by the management system 2. The cutting blade 44 has an annular base 44a and an annular cutting blade 44b that protrudes radially outward from the outer periphery of the base 44a. The base 44a may be made of an appropriate metal material such as an aluminum alloy. A circular opening 44c is provided in the center of the base 44a. The cutting blade 44b is formed to a predetermined thickness (for example, approximately 10 μm to 30 μm) from abrasive grains such as diamond and a binder such as metal or resin. The illustrated cutting blade 44 is a hub blade having the base 44a, but it may also be a hubless blade consisting only of the cutting blade 44b without the base 44a.

[0021] (Container 46) FIG. 4 also shows a container 46 that houses the cutting blades 44. The container 46 includes a circular backing plate 48, a cylindrical sidewall 50 extending upward from the periphery of the backing plate 48, a columnar support 52 extending upward from the center of the upper surface of the backing plate 48, columnar legs 54 extending downward from the center of the lower surface of the backing plate 48 (see FIG. 4(d)), and a circular bottom plate 56 attached to the lower ends of the legs 54. In the container 46, the upper surface of the backing plate 48 and the inner surfaces of the sidewall 50 define a storage space that houses the cutting blades 44. Multiple cutting blades 44 are stacked and stored in the storage space of the container 46 from above. When the cutting blades 44 are stored in the container 46, the openings 44c of the cutting blades 44 fit into the supports 52 of the container 46. The top of the storage space of the container 46 is closed by a circular lid 58. It is preferable that a control mark 60 is formed on the top surface of the lid 58 to control the number and type of cutting blades 44 stored in the container 46. The control mark 60 may be a one-dimensional code or a two-dimensional code.

[0022] (Load measurement) In the article management system 2 described above, the load of a container 46 is measured by the load measuring device 4. Specifically, the arm member 8 is moved by the movement means 12 of the load measuring device 4, and the pair of forks 14a of the support arm 14 are positioned on either side of the legs 54 of the container 46, which is supported on an appropriate support base (not shown) (see FIG. 5). Next, the Z-axis movement means 32 moves the arm member 8 in the Z-axis direction to move the container 46 away from the support base. Then, due to the load of the container 46, the tip of the support arm 14 descends and the tip of the measurement arm 16 ascends. As a result, a load corresponding to the entire weight of the container 46, including the cutting blade 44, acts on the load sensor 20 via the action portion 16a of the measurement arm 16. In this way, the container 46 is supported by the support arm 14 of the load measuring device 4, and the load of the container 46 is measured.

[0023] After measuring the load on the container 46 with the load measuring device 4, the management unit 6 subtracts the weight of the container 46 from the measured load to determine the number of cutting blades 44. As described above, the management unit 6 is previously input with information such as the weight of each item (cutting blade 44 in this embodiment) managed by the management system 2 and the weight of the container 46 that stores the item (weight including lid 58). Therefore, the management unit 6 can determine the number of cutting blades 44 stored in the container 46 from the measured value of the entire weight of the container 46 in which the cutting blades 44 are stored. In this embodiment, the measurement arm 16 is set to be short relative to the length of the support arm 14, which increases the force acting on the load sensor 20 and reduces measurement errors.

[0024] In this way, in the article management system 2 of this embodiment, the number of cutting blades 44 is determined by measuring the weight of the entire container 46, so even if there is an error in the number of cutting blades 44 taken out of the container 46 or if the operator arbitrarily removes a cutting blade 44 from the container 46 and then forgets to return the cutting blade 44 to the original container 46, it is possible to confirm the correct number of cutting blades 44 in the container 46. As a result, the problem of productivity being reduced due to not realizing that cutting blades 44 are out of stock is resolved.

[0025] It is also possible to determine the number of cutting blades 44 in the container 46 by removing the lid 58 from the container 46 and measuring the height of the top surface of the cutting blade 44 located at the top of the container 46. However, in this embodiment, the number of cutting blades 44 is determined by measuring the weight of the entire container 46, thereby eliminating the need to remove the lid 58 from the container 46 to check the number of cutting blades 44.

[0026] In this embodiment, when the forks 14a are positioned on both sides of the legs 54 of the container 46, the read sensor 22 of the load measuring device 4 reads the control mark 60 of the container 46. When the read sensor 22 of the load measuring device 4 reads the control mark 60 of the container 46, it is desirable to compare the number of cutting blades 44 previously managed (the number of cutting blades 44 recorded in the management unit 6) with the number of cutting blades 44 calculated from the measurement value of the load measuring device 4, and if the two do not match, to prompt the operator to inspect. This can eliminate any discrepancy between the number of cutting blades 44 in the container 46 managed by the item management system 2 and the number of cutting blades 44 actually stored in the container 46.

[0027] The management unit 6 is configured to input the initial number of cutting blades 44 in the container 46, as well as the number of cutting blades 44 removed from the container 46 and the number of cutting blades 44 returned to the container 46, linked to the management mark 60. Methods for prompting the operator to perform inspection include light or sound alerts, screen displays, etc.

[0028] (Transport System 62) From here, we will explain a transport system 62 that automatically transports cutting blades 44 to processing devices as an example of a system that can be equipped with the above-mentioned management system 2. As shown in Figure 6, in the transport system 62, a traveling panel 70 on which an automatic transport device 68 travels is arranged on a top plate 66 of a processing device 64 that includes an article storage device equipped with multiple processing devices and a management section.

[0029] (Processing device 64 of transport system 62) The processing equipment 64 includes an article storage device 64a that stores the cutting blade 44 (article), and first, second, and third processing devices 64b, 64c, and 64d to which the cutting blade 44 in the article storage device 64a is transported by an automatic transport device 68. The above-mentioned management system 2 is incorporated into the article storage device 64a, i.e., the load measuring device 4 and the management unit 6 are mounted. Note that the articles stored in the article storage device 64a are not limited to cutting blades 44, but also include, for example, workpieces such as semiconductor wafers that are processed in the first to third processing devices 64b to 64d, and grinding wheels with grinding stones used in grinding the workpieces to thin them. In addition, in this embodiment, one article storage device 64a and three processing devices 64b to 64d are provided as the processing equipment 64, but the number and combination of processing devices 64 can be set as desired.

[0030] A traveling panel 70 is disposed on the top plate 66 of the processing device 64, and a plurality of processing devices 64 are connected to one another by the traveling panel 70. A transfer opening 70a for the cutting blade 44 is formed in the traveling panel 70. Although not shown, a transfer opening corresponding in position and size to the transfer opening 70a of the traveling panel 70 is also formed in the top plate 66 of the processing device 64. The cutting blade 44 is transferred between the automatic transfer device 68 and the processing device 64 through the transfer opening 70a of the traveling panel 70 and the transfer opening in the top plate 66 of the processing device 64.

[0031] Furthermore, a travel guide line 72 for guiding the travel of the automatic transfer device 68 is formed on the upper surface of the travel panel 70. Therefore, the automatic transfer device 68 can travel on the travel panel 70 along the travel guide line 72 and transfer the cutting blade 44 received from the article storage device 64a to the first to third processing devices 64b to 64d. The travel panel 70 is provided with a fall prevention wall 74 for preventing the automatic transfer device 68 from falling off the travel panel 70.

[0032] (Main body 76 of automatic transport device 68) 7 and 8, the automatic transport device 68 includes a main body 76 and a cover 78 (see FIG. 7) that covers the main body 76. As shown in FIG. 8, the main body 76 includes a right tire drive unit 80 and a left tire drive unit 82 that are arranged to sandwich the travel guide line 72, a reading sensor 84 that reads the travel guide line 72, and control means 86. The front-rear and left-right directions of the automatic transport device 68 are indicated by arrows in FIG. 8.

[0033] (Right tire drive unit 80 and left tire drive unit 82 of the main body 76) The right tire drive unit 80 has a right tire 88 and a right motor 90 that drives the right tire 88. The right motor 90 is attached to the right side of a frame 92 of the main body 76. Similarly, the left tire drive unit 82 has a left tire 94 and a left motor 96 that drives the left tire 94. The left motor 96 is attached to the left side of the frame 92. A pair of front wheels 98 (only one side is shown) are disposed in front of the right tire drive unit 80 and the left tire drive unit 82, spaced apart in the left-right direction. Furthermore, a pair of rear wheels 100 are disposed behind the right tire drive unit 80 and the left tire drive unit 82, spaced apart in the left-right direction. Both the front wheels 98 and the rear wheels 100 are directional casters that are attached to the frame 92 so as to be swivel freely about an axis in the vertical direction. In the automatic conveying device 68, the rotational speed and direction of the right tire 88 and left tire 94 are adjusted by the right motor 90 and left motor 96, so that the automatic conveying device 68 can move forward, backward, turn right, turn left, or spin turn (turn on the spot around the vertical center axis of the automatic conveying device 68).

[0034] (Reading sensor 84 of main body 76) Although detailed illustration is omitted, the reading sensor 84 is configured such that a plurality of light-emitting elements and light-receiving elements are arranged across the travel guide line 72, and the light-receiving elements capture the reflected light of light emitted by the light-emitting elements to read the travel guide line 72. The reading results are sent to the control means 86. The reading sensors 84 in this embodiment are arranged in front of and behind the frame 92. However, FIG. 8 shows the reading sensor 84 arranged behind the frame 92.

[0035] (Control means 86 of main body 76) The control means 86 is composed of a computer having a processor and memory, and controls the operation of the automatic transport device 68. For example, the control means 86 controls the direction of travel of the automatic transport device 68 by controlling the right motor 90 and the left motor 96 via a driver 102 shown in Fig. 8 based on the reading results of the travel guide line 72 sent from the reading sensor 84. Note that power is supplied to the control means 86 and the driver 102 from a battery 104 shown in Fig. 8.

[0036] The main body 76 of the automatic conveying device 68 further includes an opening 106 formed in the central region surrounded by the right tire drive unit 80, the left tire drive unit 82, the front wheels 98, and the rear wheels 100, and a belt winding means 112 that winds a belt 110 attached to a cassette 108 that houses the cutting blade 44 through the opening 106 and raises and lowers the cassette 108.

[0037] (Opening 106 of main body 76) The opening 106 is rectangular and formed in the center of the frame 92 of the main body 76. A front support wall 114 extending upward is provided at the front end of the opening 106, and a rear support wall 116 extending upward is provided at the rear end of the opening 106.

[0038] (Main unit 76, cassette 108) The cassette 108 is formed in a box shape with a vertical dimension (thickness) that is smaller than the dimensions in the front-rear and left-right directions. The cassette 108 has a storage section 108a that stores the cutting blade 44, and a flip-up cover section 108b that opens and closes an opening (not shown) of the storage section 108a.

[0039] (Body 76, Belt 110) The belt 110 has two right-side belts 110a spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction and extending upward from the upper right surface of the storage section 108a of the cassette 108, and two left-side belts 110b spaced apart in the front-to-rear direction and extending upward from the upper left surface of the storage section 108a of the cassette 108.

[0040] (Belt winding means 112 of main body 76) The belt winding means 112 includes a right guide roller 118 that guides the two right belts 110a, a left guide roller 120 that guides the two left belts 110b, a winding roller 122 that winds up the right belt 110a and the left belt 110b, and a winding motor 124 that rotates the winding roller 122. The right guide roller 118, the left guide roller 120, and the winding roller 122 are rotatably supported by the front support wall 114 and the rear support wall 116 of the frame 92. The right guide roller 118 is disposed on the right side of the main body 76, and the left guide roller 120 is disposed on the left side of the main body 76. The winding roller 122 is disposed between the right guide roller 118 and the left guide roller 120, and the winding motor 124 is mounted on the upper rear surface of the frame 92. The drive current for the winding motor 124 is output from the driver 102.

[0041] In the belt winding means 112, the winding motor 124 is operated in the winding direction to wind the right belt 110a and the left belt 110b onto the winding roller 122, thereby lifting the cassette 108. In addition, the belt winding means 112 is configured to operate the winding motor 124 in the unwinding direction to unwind the right belt 110a and the left belt 110b from the winding roller 122, thereby lowering the cassette 108.

[0042] (Cover 78 of automatic transport device 68) 7, the cover 78 of the automatic transfer device 68 has a top plate 126 and side walls 128. The top plate 126 is formed in a rectangular shape with rounded corners. The top plate 126 is also provided with a pair of circular openings 126a. The side walls 128 are formed in a rectangular cylindrical shape extending downward from the outer periphery of the top plate 126.

[0043] Next, an example of transporting the cutting blade 44 in the transport system 62 will be described.

[0044] In the conveying system 62, first, the number of cutting blades 44 stored in the container 46 for the cutting blades 44 to be transported is confirmed. That is, the load of the container 46 storing the cutting blades 44 to be transported is measured using the load measuring device 4 of the management system 2 mounted on the item storage device 64a, and the number of cutting blades 44 is determined by subtracting the weight of the container 46 from the load measured by the load measuring device 4. Then, if the number of cutting blades 44 managed in advance does not match the number of cutting blades 44 determined from the measurement value of the load measuring device 4, the conveying system 62 prompts the operator to inspect. On the other hand, if the two match, the process of transporting the cutting blades 44 continues.

[0045] In this way, in the conveyance system 62, the number of cutting blades 44 is calculated by subtracting the weight of the container 46 from the load measured by the load sensor 20, so even if there is an error in the number of cutting blades 44 taken out of the container 46 or if the operator arbitrarily removes a cutting blade 44 from the container 46 and then forgets to return the cutting blade 44 to the original container 46, the correct number of cutting blades 44 in the container 46 can be confirmed. As a result, the problem of productivity being reduced because a cutting blade 44 is out of stock is not noticed is eliminated.

[0046] Once the management system 2 has confirmed the number of cutting blades 44 in the container 46, the cutting blades 44 are transferred from the article storage device 64a to the automatic conveying device 68. At this time, the automatic conveying device 68 stops at the delivery opening 70a of the traveling panel 70 installed above the article storage device 64a. Next, the winding motor 124 of the belt winding means 112 operates in the delivery direction, and the belt 110 is delivered from the winding roller 122. As a result, the cassette 108 is lowered from the automatic conveying device 68 through the delivery opening 70a of the traveling panel 70 and the delivery opening of the top plate 66 of the article storage device 64a, and the cassette 108 is delivered into the article storage device 64a. When the cassette 108 is positioned at a predetermined position within the article storage device 64a, the cutting blade 44 to be delivered is stored in the cassette 108 by the conveying means (e.g., a robot hand) of the article storage device 64a. Next, the winding motor 124 of the belt winding means 112 operates in the winding direction, and the belt 110 is wound around the winding roller 122. As a result, the cassette 108 containing the cutting blade 44 rises and is removed from the article storage device 64a. In this way, the cutting blade 44 is transferred from the article storage device 64a to the automatic conveying device 68.

[0047] After the cutting blade 44 is handed over from the article storage device 64a to the automatic conveying device 68, the automatic conveying device 68 conveys the cutting blade 44 to a predetermined processing device 64 (for example, the first processing device 64b). While traveling, the automatic conveying device 68 reads the travel guide lines 72 on the traveling panel 70 with the reading sensor 84. That is, the light-receiving element captures the reflected light (light reflected by the travel guide lines 72) of light emitted by the light-emitting element, thereby reading the travel guide lines 72. The automatic conveying device 68 then travels on the traveling panel 70 so that the read travel guide lines 72 are positioned between the right tire 88 and the left tire 94, and moves to the processing device 64 to which the cutting blade 44 should be conveyed (see FIG. 7).

[0048] When the automatic transport device 68 arrives at a predetermined position above the processing device 64 to which the cutting blade 44 is to be transported (a position where the delivery opening 70a of the traveling panel 70 is formed), the belt winding means 112 lowers the cassette 108, and the cassette 108 is fed into the processing device 64 through the delivery opening 70a of the traveling panel 70 and the delivery opening of the top plate 66 of the processing device 64. When the cassette 108 is positioned at a predetermined position within the processing device 64, the cutting blade 44 is removed from the cassette 108 by a blade attachment / detachment means (not shown) of the processing device 64. Then, the cutting blade 44 attached to the processing device 64 is removed by the blade attachment / detachment means, and a replacement cutting blade 44 removed from the cassette 108 is attached to the processing device 64 by the blade attachment / detachment means. The removed cutting blade 44 is stored in the cassette 108 of the same automatic transport device 68 or a different automatic transport device 68 by the blade attachment / detachment means. When the removed cutting blade 44 is stored in the cassette 108, the cassette 108 is raised by the belt winding means 112 and removed from the processing device 64. Thereafter, the cutting blade 44 is transported by the automatic transport device 68 to the item storage device 64a.

[0049] As described above, in the conveyance system 62 equipped with the management system 2, the number of cutting blades 44 is calculated by subtracting the weight of the container 46 from the load measured by the load sensor 20, so even if there is an error in the number of cutting blades 44 carried out from the container 46 or if the operator arbitrarily removes a cutting blade 44 from the container 46 and then forgets to return the cutting blade 44 to the original container 46, the correct number of cutting blades 44 in the container 46 can be confirmed. As a result, the problem of productivity being reduced because a cutting blade 44 is out of stock is not noticed is eliminated. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 2: Goods management system 4: Load measuring instrument 6: Management Department 8: Arm member 10: Holding member 12: Transportation 14: Support arm 16: Measuring arm 16a: Action part 18:Fulcrum 20: Load sensor 22: Reading sensor 44: Cutting blade 46: Container 60: Control mark 64: Processing unit 66: Top plate 68: Automatic transport device 70: Travel panel

Claims

1. A management system for items contained in containers, comprising: a load measuring instrument including a support arm that supports the container and a measuring arm that is disposed on the opposite side of the support arm via a fulcrum and has an acting portion that acts on a load sensor; An article management system in which the weight of the container is subtracted from the load measured by the load measuring device to obtain the number of articles.

2. 2. An article management system according to claim 1, wherein the measuring arm is set to be short relative to the length of the support arm, thereby increasing the force acting on the load sensor and reducing measurement errors.

3. 2. An article management system as described in claim 1, wherein a control mark is formed on the container, a reading sensor is provided on the load measuring instrument to read the control mark, and the number of articles previously managed is compared with the number of articles determined from the measurement value of the load measuring instrument, and if they do not match, an inspection is prompted.

4. 2. The article management system according to claim 1, wherein the article is a cutting blade.

5. A travel panel on which the automatic transport device travels is disposed on the top plate of a processing device including an article storage device having a plurality of processing devices and a management unit, 2. The article management system according to claim 1, wherein the automatic transport device transports the articles received from the article storage device to a processing device.

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