Conveying system

Abstract

To provide a transport system that can shorten cycle time. [Solution] The transport system 100 according to the present invention is a transport system for transferring a load 108 from a transport trolley 104 to a receiving trolley 106, characterized in that the load is placed on the loading platform 116 of the transport trolley and driven, the receiving trolley is driven in a direction intersecting the direction of travel of the transport trolley, the load is released from the loading platform of the transport trolley and placed on the moving receiving trolley, and the transport of the load is continued by the receiving trolley.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveying system for automatically conveying luggage.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in logistics centers, warehouses, etc., in order to cope with labor shortages and improve work efficiency, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are used to automate the conveyance of luggage. In addition, in automating the conveyance of luggage, attempts have also been made to improve the running performance and loading capacity of the conveying robot itself to further improve work efficiency.

[0003] Furthermore, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 describe a technique for reducing wasted time such as the standby time of a conveying robot by operating a plurality of conveying robots in a planned manner.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004] [[ID=Z5]]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In a warehouse where the conveyance of luggage is automated, in order to maximize the number of stored luggage per unit area, it has a structure in which a large amount of luggage is stored in a plurality of huge shelves. For this reason, in the warehouse, a plurality of shelves may be arranged at a predetermined interval via narrow passages. When carrying out luggage from such a plurality of shelves, the conveying robot needs to turn in the passage.

[0006] When a transport robot turns a corner in a passageway, especially a 90° turn, it performs a series of actions: decelerating and stopping briefly, changing direction towards the predetermined direction, and then accelerating again. This process of changing direction takes time and contributes to an increased cycle time.

[0007] Therefore, even if the performance of the transport robot itself improves, or if multiple transport robots are operated systematically as in the technologies described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the cycle time will still increase as the transport robot changes direction.

[0008] The present invention aims to provide a transport system that can shorten the cycle time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To solve the above problems, a typical configuration of the transport system according to the present invention is a transport system for transferring goods from a transport trolley to a receiving trolley, characterized in that goods are placed on the platform of the transport trolley and driven, the receiving trolley is driven in a direction intersecting the direction of travel of the transport trolley, the goods are released from the platform of the transport trolley and placed on the moving receiving trolley, and the transport of goods is continued by the receiving trolley.

[0010] It is preferable to rapidly decelerate the above-mentioned transport trolley and allow the load to fly off the platform of the transport trolley due to inertia.

[0011] The above-mentioned transport trolley is preferably equipped with an ejection mechanism for ejecting loads, and the loads are ejected from the platform of the transport trolley by operating the ejection mechanism.

[0012] The above-mentioned transport trolley preferably has a friction-reducing member positioned on the loading platform to reduce the coefficient of friction between the load and the loading platform. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, a transport system that can shorten the cycle time can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This figure shows an overview of the transport system in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the operation of the transport system shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This diagram shows an overview of the transport system in the comparative example. [Figure 4] This figure shows a modified version of the transport system shown in Figure 1. [Figure 5] This figure shows modified versions of the feed trolley and support trolley from Figure 1. [Figure 6] This figure shows another modified example of the feed trolley shown in Figure 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific numerical values ​​shown in these embodiments are merely examples to facilitate understanding of the invention and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same function and configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant explanations, and elements not directly related to the present invention are omitted from the illustrations.

[0016] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an overview of the transport system 100 in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a diagram showing the operation of the transport system 100 in Figure 1. The transport system 100 is a system applied to a warehouse 102 or the like shown in Figure 1, and comprises a transfer cart 104 and a receiving cart 106, which transfers goods 108 from the transfer cart 104 to the receiving cart 106.

[0017] Warehouse 102 has a structure for storing a large amount of goods 108 in a plurality of huge shelves 110a, 110b, 110c, and 110d in order to maximize the number of stored goods per unit area. For this reason, in warehouse 102, a plurality of shelves 110a, 110b, 110c, and 110d are arranged at predetermined intervals via narrow passages 112a, 112b, 112c, and 112d. Also, passages 112a, 112b, 112c, and 112d intersect at crossroads 114.

[0018] The feeder cart 104 has a loading platform 116 for loading goods 108 and wheels 118 that movably support the loading platform 116. Also, the receiving cart 106 has a loading platform 120 for loading goods 108 and wheels 122 that movably support the loading platform 120.

[0019] Next, the operation of the conveying system 100 will be described. First, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2(a), the conveying system 100 places the goods 108 on the loading platform 116 of the feeder cart 104 and runs the feeder cart 104 toward the crossroads 114 along the passage 112a between the shelves 110a and 110d (see arrow A).

[0020] At this time, the conveying system 100 runs the receiving cart 106 toward the crossroads 114 along the passage 112b between the shelves 110a and 110b (see arrow B). That is, the receiving cart 106 runs in a direction (here, a perpendicular direction) intersecting the running direction of the feeder cart 104.

[0021] Next, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2(b), the conveying system 100 rapidly decelerates the feeder cart 104 at the crossroads 114 and causes the goods 108 to jump out of the loading platform 116 of the feeder cart 104 by inertial force (see arrow C).

[0022] Subsequently, the conveying system 100 places the goods 108 that have jumped out of the loading platform 116 of the feeder cart 104 on the loading platform 120 of the receiving cart 106 that is running at the crossroads 114 as shown in FIG. 2(c). At this time, the feeder cart 104 is in a stopped state. The receiving cart 106 may travel slowly, but continues to run without stopping.

[0023] Then, as shown in Figures 1 and 2(d), the transport system 100 continues transporting the cargo 108 by moving the receiving cart 106, which has the cargo 108 loaded on its platform 120, from the intersection 114 towards the passage 112d between shelves 110c and 110d. At this time, the transport system 100 moves the feeder cart 104 from the intersection 114 towards the passage 112a (see arrow D) in order to load new cargo onto the platform 116 of the feeder cart 104.

[0024] In this way, the transport system 100 can automatically transfer the cargo 108 from the transfer trolley 104 to the receiving trolley 106, and the receiving trolley 106 can continue to transport the cargo 108.

[0025] To receive the cargo 108 that has been ejected from the transport cart 104, the timing of the transport cart 104 and the receiving cart 106 must be synchronized so that the receiving cart 106 is in front of the transport cart 104 at the moment the cargo 108 is ejected. For example, the transport cart 104 and the receiving cart 106 can be connected to a management system (not shown) and their respective speeds can be controlled to synchronize the timing. As another example, the transport cart 104 and the receiving cart 106 can be equipped with control devices and autonomously controlled to detect each other and adjust their speeds. As yet another example, the daily transport schedule can be programmed into the transport cart 104 and the receiving cart 106, and the transfer can be performed by each operating according to the program.

[0026] Figure 3 shows an overview of a comparative example (prior art) transport system 200. The transport system 200 differs from the transport system 100 in that it includes a trolley 202 for changing direction, instead of a feed trolley 104 and a receiving trolley 106.

[0027] The transport system 200 loads the cargo 108 onto the loading platform 204 of the trolley 202 and drives the trolley 202 down the aisle 112a toward the intersection 114 (see arrow E). The transport system 200 then decelerates the trolley 202, stops it briefly at the intersection 114, changes direction toward the aisle 112d (see arrow F), and then accelerates it again (see arrow G).

[0028] Thus, the trolley 202 changes direction through a series of actions: decelerating and coming to a complete stop, then changing direction toward a predetermined direction, and finally accelerating again. Therefore, changing direction of the trolley 202 takes time. Consequently, the transport system 200's so-called cycle time becomes longer because it is required to allow the trolley 202 to change direction.

[0029] In contrast, in the transport system 100 of this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, when transporting the cargo 108, neither the transport trolley 104 nor the receiving trolley 106 needs to change direction while in motion, and furthermore, the receiving trolley 106 continues to move without needing to stop. Therefore, the transport system 100 can shorten the cycle time.

[0030] Figure 4 shows a modified example of the transport system 100 in Figure 1. In the transport system 100A shown in Figure 4(a), the loading platform 116A of the feed trolley 104A is set higher than the loading platform 120 of the receiving trolley 106. This makes it easier to load the cargo 108 that has been pushed out from the loading platform 116A of the feed trolley 104A onto the loading platform 120 of the receiving trolley 106.

[0031] In the transport system 100B shown in Figure 4(b), the loading platform 116B of the feed trolley 104B is tilted so that it is higher with the load 108 facing forward (in the direction from which it is launched). With the transport system 100B, the load 108 can be thrown high from the loading platform 116B of the feed trolley 104B, making it easier to place the load 108 onto the loading platform 120 of the receiving trolley 106.

[0032] In the transport system 100C shown in Figure 4(c), the feed trolley 104C and the support trolley 106A are devices of the same structure. The height of the loading platform 116C of the feed trolley 104C can be changed by a lifting mechanism 126, such as a jack, installed on the main body 124. Similarly, the height of the loading platform 120A of the support trolley 106A can be changed by a lifting mechanism 130 installed on the main body 128.

[0033] As a result, according to the transport system 100C, by changing the heights of the loading platforms 116C and 120A so that the loading platform 116C of the transport trolley 104C is higher than the loading platform 120A of the receiving trolley 106A, it becomes easier to transfer the cargo 108 from the transport trolley 104C to the receiving trolley 106A.

[0034] Furthermore, in the transport system 100C, after the receiving trolley 106A receives the cargo 108, it raises the loading platform 120A and then extends the cargo 108 towards another receiving trolley (not shown) for transfer. In this way, the transport of cargo 108 can be continued like a baton relay.

[0035] Figure 5 shows modified examples of the feed trolley 104 and support trolley 106 shown in Figure 1. The loading platform 116D of the feed trolley 104D shown in Figure 5(a) is equipped with a pair of rails 132 and a rib 134. The pair of rails 132 are friction-reducing members, positioned along the direction in which the load 108 is ejected, and reduce the coefficient of friction between the load 108 and the loading platform 116D. The rib 134 is positioned at the rear end 136 of the loading platform 116D and catches the load 108 to prevent it from falling off the loading platform 116D while the feed trolley 104D is in motion.

[0036] In this way, the feeder trolley 104D has a pair of rails 132, which are friction-reducing members, placed on the loading platform 116D, making it easier for the load 108 to fall off the loading platform 116D. In addition, the feeder trolley 104D has ribs 134 placed on the loading platform 116D, which prevents the load 108 from falling off the loading platform 116D while in motion.

[0037] The loading platform 116E of the transport trolley 104E shown in Figure 5(b) is equipped with multiple rollers 138 and ribs 134. The multiple rollers 138 are friction-reducing members and are arranged at predetermined intervals along the direction in which the load 108 is ejected, thereby reducing the coefficient of friction between the load 108 and the loading platform 116E. The direction in which the multiple rollers 138 roll is aligned with the direction in which the load 108 is ejected.

[0038] In this way, the transport trolley 104E has multiple rollers 138, which are friction-reducing members, arranged on the loading platform 116E, making it easier for the load 108 to fly off the loading platform 116E. In addition, the transport trolley 104E has ribs 134 arranged on the rear end 136 of the loading platform 116E, which prevents the load 108 from falling off the loading platform 116E while it is in motion.

[0039] The transport trolley 104F shown in Figure 5(c) has a collision plate 142 attached to the front end 140 of the loading platform 116F. Meanwhile, a braking plate 144, shown in Figure 5(c), is installed on the floor of the intersection 114 of the warehouse 102 (see Figure 1).

[0040] As a result, the transport trolley 104F can rapidly decelerate at the intersection 114 by causing its collision plate 142 to collide with the braking plate 144 installed on the floor of the intersection 114, and the inertial force will cause the cargo 108 to fly off the loading platform 116F.

[0041] Ribs 146 are positioned on the loading platform 120B of the receiving trolley 106B shown in Figure 5(d). The ribs 146 are positioned on the side edge 148 of the loading platform 120B and catch the cargo 108 that has been handed over from the transfer trolley 104 to prevent it from falling off the loading platform 120B.

[0042] In this way, the receiving trolley 106B has ribs 146 positioned on the side end 148 of the loading platform 120B, so that the load 108 that jumps out from the feed trolley 104 can be caught by the ribs 146 and the load 108 can be reliably placed on the loading platform 120B. In addition, each of the above-mentioned receiving trolleys 106, 106A, and 106B is not limited to loading platforms 120, 120A, and 120B, and may also have a basket capable of storing the load 108 so that the load 108 that jumps out from the feed trolley 104 can be placed in the basket.

[0043] Figure 6 shows another modified example of the feed trolley 104 in Figure 1. The other modified example, feed trolley 104G, is equipped with an ejection mechanism 150 for ejecting loads, and by operating the ejection mechanism 150, loads 108 are ejected from the loading platform 116G. Examples of power sources for the ejection mechanism 150 include an electric motor, a spring, and an air cylinder.

[0044] Therefore, the feed trolley 104G not only utilizes the inertial force resulting from the rapid deceleration of the feed trolley 104G, but also ejects the load 108 using the ejection mechanism 150, allowing the load 108 to fly further away from the feed trolley 104G.

[0045] Preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these examples. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications or alterations can be conceived within the scope of the claims, and these will naturally also fall within the technical scope of the present invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0046] This invention can be used as a transport system that automatically transports goods. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0047] 100, 100A, 100B, 100C, 200…Conveyor system, 102…Warehouse, 104, 104A, 104B, 104C, 104D, 104E, 104F, 104G…Feeding cart, 106, 106A, 106B…Receiving cart, 108…Luggage, 110a, 110b, 110c, 110d…Shelf, 112a, 112b, 112c, 112d…Aisle, 114…Crossroads, 116, 116A, 116B, 116C, 116D, 1 16E, 116F, 116G... Loading platform of the feed trolley; 118, 122... Wheels; 120, 120A, 120B... Loading platform of the support trolley; 124... Body of the feed trolley; 126, 130... Lifting mechanism; 128... Body of the support trolley; 132... Rail; 134... Rib of the feed trolley; 136... Rear end of the loading platform; 138... Roller; 140... Front end of the loading platform; 142... Collision plate; 144... Braking plate; 146... Rib of the support trolley; 148... Side end of the loading platform; 150... Injection mechanism

Claims

1. In a transport system for transferring goods from a transfer cart to a receiving cart, The cargo is placed on the platform of the transport trolley and driven along. The support trolley is moved in a direction intersecting the direction of travel of the aforementioned feed trolley. The load is released from the loading platform of the transport trolley and placed onto the moving support trolley. A transport system characterized by continuing the transport of the cargo using the aforementioned trolley.

2. The transport system according to claim 1, characterized in that the transport trolley is rapidly decelerated and the load is ejected from the loading platform of the transport trolley by inertial force.

3. The aforementioned transport trolley is equipped with an ejection mechanism for ejecting the load, The transport system according to claim 1, characterized in that the load is ejected from the loading platform of the transport trolley by operating the ejection mechanism.

4. The transport system according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the transport trolley has a friction-reducing member arranged on the loading platform to reduce the coefficient of friction between the load and the loading platform.

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