Goods handling equipment

Abstract

By appropriately distributing the moving objects, the travel efficiency, which is reduced by the concentration of moving objects, is improved, thereby improving the overall transport efficiency of the facility. [Solution] In an article transport facility where the entire movable path is divided and multiple areas E are set, the control device performs distributed control to reduce the density of mobile bodies 1 in high-density area F by changing the destination P of at least one mobile body 1 to an evacuation destination Q when there is a high-density area F among the multiple areas E where the density of mobile bodies 1 is higher than in other areas E. In distributed control, if a target mobile body 1T in high-density area F is a transporting mobile body 1D that is transporting article W toward a delivery destination D to which article W will be delivered, and the delivery destination D is set outside high-density area F, the control device sets the evacuation destination Q of the target mobile body 1T to another area E that is closer to the delivery destination D than high-density area F.

Claims

[Claim 1] Multiple mobile bodies that move along a movable path to transport goods, An article transporting system comprising: a control device that controls each of the aforementioned mobile bodies by setting a task for which a destination is specified for each of the aforementioned mobile bodies, The entire movable path is divided into multiple areas, The control device, when there is a high-density area among the multiple areas in which the density of the moving bodies is higher than in the other areas, performs distributed control to reduce the density of the moving bodies in the high-density area by changing the destination of at least one of the moving bodies to an evacuation destination. The control device, in the distributed control, is an article transporting facility in which, if the target mobile body, which is the mobile body in the high-density area, is a mobile body that is transporting the article toward a delivery destination to which the article is to be delivered, and the delivery destination is set outside the high-density area, the control device sets the evacuation destination of the target mobile body to another area that is closer to the delivery destination than the high-density area. [Claim 2] The article transport equipment according to claim 1, wherein the control device cancels the task set on the receiving moving body, which is the receiving moving body that is moving toward the receiving destination for receiving the article, in the distributed control. [Claim 3] The article transporting equipment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, after the completion of the distributed control, the control device causes the transporting body to continue the task and move toward the delivery destination, and sets a new task for the other transporting bodies. [Claim 4] The article transport equipment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control device, in the distributed control, prioritizes starting the movement of the target moving body located on the side furthest from the center of the high-density area among the plurality of target moving bodies. [Claim 5] The aforementioned moving object includes: The moving body, which is located within the high-density area and whose destination is set within the high-density area, A moving body located within the high-density area, with the destination set outside the high-density area, The article transport equipment according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising the moving body located within the high-density area and for which no destination has been set for movement. [Claim 6] The control device is For each of the aforementioned areas, a limit is set on the number of units that can exist in each of the aforementioned areas, which is the upper limit of the number of units that can exist in that area. For each of the aforementioned areas, if the ratio of the number of target units, which is the number of mobile units considered to exist in each of the aforementioned areas, to the number of units limited in that area is equal to or greater than a predetermined high-density determination value, then the area is determined to be a high-density area. The article transport equipment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the number of target units is the sum of the number of mobile units located within the area and having their destination set within that area, and the number of mobile units located outside the area and having their destination set within that area.

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