Picking System

Abstract

To continue efficiently picking operation.SOLUTION: A picking system 100 includes a picking station 110 including multiple container placement means 111 provided with multiple article containers 201 in which articles 203 are contained and an in-put container 202 in which articles 203 are put, a conveying device 120 which conveys the article containers 201 and a management device 130 that manages picking. The management device 130 includes a positioning part 131 which determines in-put positions and out-take positions, an out-take confirming part 132 that confirms the completion of out-taking of the article 203 regarding the article containers 201 which are positioned in the out-take positions, and a repositioning part 133 which changes out-take positions to the next in-put positions after the out-take confirming part 132 confirms the out-taking is complete.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a picking system that, in a picking station where a plurality of item containers and an input container are arranged, picks out items from item containers based on order information and inputs them into the input container. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a picking system has been proposed that includes a picking station in which multiple container mounting means are arranged side by side, and in which the positions of the container mounting means in which the item containers from which items are removed are placed and the positions of the container mounting means in which the input containers into which items are input are placed are switched depending on the mode (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-70369 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the conventional picking system, the positions of the container placement means from which the articles are taken out of the article container and the positions of the container placement means from which the articles are put into the putting container are fixed in any mode. The inventor of the present application has found that the efficiency of picking is restricted by the fact that the functions allocated to each of the container placement means are fixed.

[0005] The present invention has been made based on the findings of the present inventors, and aims to provide a picking system that can increase the processing volume per unit time in the picking system by effectively changing the functions of each of the container mounting means. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a picking system, which is one aspect of the present invention, comprises a picking station having a plurality of container mounting means in which a plurality of item containers containing items to be picked and an input container into which items removed from the item containers are inserted are respectively placed, a transport device for transporting the item containers to the container mounting means, and a management device for managing picking at the picking station, and the management device comprises a position determination unit that determines the container mounting means in which the input container is placed as an input position and determines the other container mounting means as a removal position from which items are removed, a removal grasping unit that grasps the completion of removal of items from the item containers placed at the removal position, and a position update unit that updates the removal position to the next input position when the removal grasping unit grasps the completion of removal. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, the next container can be prepared while an item is being dropped into a container at the picking station, thereby reducing the waiting time until the container arrives and enabling picking to continue efficiently. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the picking system together with the automated warehouse. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing functional units of a management device. [Diagram 3] 11 is a perspective view showing a state of a picking station determined by a position determination unit. FIG. [Figure 4] 11 is a perspective view showing a state of a picking station updated by a position update unit. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the picking system. [Figure 7] 13 is a perspective view showing a door for preventing the removal or insertion of an item in a picking system of another embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the picking system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiment is an example for explaining the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention. For example, the shapes, structures, materials, components, relative positional relationships, connection states, numerical values, mathematical expressions, contents of each step in the method, and the order of each step shown in the following embodiment are examples and may include contents not described below. In addition, geometric expressions such as parallel and orthogonal may be used, but these expressions do not indicate mathematical strictness, and include substantially permissible errors, deviations, etc. In addition, expressions such as simultaneous and identical also include substantially permissible ranges.

[0010] In addition, the drawings are schematic diagrams in which emphasis, omissions, or ratios have been appropriately adjusted in order to explain the present invention, and the shapes, positional relationships, and ratios are different from the actual ones.

[0011] In addition, in the following, a plurality of inventions may be collectively described as one embodiment, and some of the contents described below are described as optional components related to the present invention.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a picking system 100 together with an automated warehouse 200. The picking system 100 is a system for automatically transporting an article container 201 and an input container 202 to a picking station 110 where an operator, a robot, or the like performs picking, and for allowing an operator, or the like, to transfer an article 203 from the article container 201 to the input container 202 at the picking station 110, and includes a transport device 120 and a management device 130. In this embodiment, the picking system 100 further includes a weight measuring means 140 and a notification means 150. Note that the article container 201 and the input container 202 may be collectively referred to as a container.

[0013] The automated warehouse 200 is a warehouse that can store a plurality of article containers 201 and automatically store and retrieve the article containers 201. The configuration of the automated warehouse 200 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a rack that includes shelf sections that hold the article containers 201 in a row in a horizontal plane and includes a plurality of shelf sections arranged in the vertical direction, and a stacker crane that includes a transfer device that transfers the article containers 201 to the rack and moves the transfer device along the rack in a vertical plane.

[0014] In this embodiment, the automated warehouse 200 also stores an input container 202, and the automated warehouse 200 can automatically store and retrieve the input container 202. In addition, the automated warehouse 200 can automatically transfer the article container 201 and the input container 202 to and from the conveying device 120 of the picking system 100.

[0015] Although FIG. 1 shows one picking system 100 for the schematic automated warehouse 200, a plurality of picking systems 100 may be connected to the automated warehouse.

[0016] The article container 201 is a container that contains a plurality of articles 203 of the same type. Articles of the same type are contained in one article container 201, and different article containers 201 contain different types of articles 203 or the same type of articles 203. The shape, material, etc. of the article container 201 are not particularly limited, and article containers 201 of different shapes and article containers 201 made of different materials may be used in the picking system 100.

[0017] The input container 202 is a container into which different types of items 203 taken out from multiple item containers 201 are input by an operator, a robot, etc. The shape, material, etc. of the input container 202 are not particularly limited, and input containers 202 of different shapes and different materials may be used in the picking system 100. In the case of this embodiment, the item containers 201 used in the picking system 100 have the same shape and the same material, and the input container 202 has the same shape and the same material as the item container 201.

[0018] The picking station 110 is an area where picking is performed in which a worker or the like removes an item 203 from an item container 201 containing the item 203 and places the item 203 in an insertion container 202, and multiple container mounting means 111 are arranged in a row.

[0019] The container mounting means 111 is a platform on which one article container 201 or one input container 202 is placed. The number of container mounting means 111 arranged in the picking station 110 is not particularly limited as long as it is three or more. In the case of this embodiment, six container mounting means 111 are arranged in a row (Y-axis direction in the figure) in the picking station 110. In other words, a total of six article containers 201 and input containers 202 are arranged in the picking station 110. The container mounting means 111 are individually recognized by the management device 130.

[0020] The conveying device 120 is a device that conveys at least the article container 201 to the container placement means 111. The type of the conveying device 120 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a trackless vehicle, a tracked vehicle, a conveyor, and a crane. In the case of this embodiment, the conveying device 120 includes a forward conveyor 121 and a return conveyor 122 that are connected to the automated warehouse 200, and a lifter 123 that vertically connects the outer ends of the forward conveyor 121 and the return conveyor 122 that are arranged in the vertical direction. Note that the lifter 123 may be provided with a transfer device that transfers the container between the container placement means 111. Also, the conveying device 120 may not be provided with a transfer device, and an operator or the like may transfer the container from the conveying device 120. Also, the input container 202 may be placed on the container placement means 111 by an operator or the like, without being transported by the conveying device 120.

[0021] The weight measuring means 140 is provided at the upper end of each container mounting means 111, and is a device for measuring the weight of each container mounted on the container mounting means 111. The type of weight measuring means 140 is not particularly limited, and a load cell or the like can be exemplified. It is preferable that the weight measuring means 140 be capable of detecting an increase or decrease in the weight of one of the lightest items 203 used for picking.

[0022] The notification means 150 is provided corresponding to each container placing means 111, and is a device for notifying an operator that a container placed on the container placing means 111 is an article container 201 or an input container 202. In the case of this embodiment, the notification means 150 is a display, and notifies an operator that the corresponding container is an article container 201 by displaying an upward arrow, and notifies an operator that the corresponding container is an input container 202 by displaying a downward arrow. The notification means 150 may notify an operator of the type of container by using color or video (animation). In addition, the notification means 150 may display the quantity (remaining number) of articles 203 to be taken out.

[0023] In addition, the notification means 150 may not only notify the type of container visually and audibly, but may also notify the type of container by changing the opening direction of a flap provided near the opening of the container, such as opening toward the front or toward the back.

[0024] 2 is a block diagram showing the functional units of the management device. The management device 130 is a device equipped with a processor that manages picking in the picking station 110, and includes a position determination unit 131, a removal grasping unit 132, and a position update unit 133 as processing units realized by causing the processor to execute a program. In the case of this embodiment, the management device 130 includes a transport grasping unit 134, a container change unit 135, an input grasping unit 136, and an information notification unit 137 as processing units.

[0025] 3, the position determination unit 131 determines the container placement means 111 on which the input container 202 is placed as the previous input position 101, and determines the other container placement means 111 as the take-out position 109 from which the article 203 is taken out. For example, the position determination unit 131 determines the input position 101 to be placed at a position where the sum of the distances between the input position 101 and the take-out position 109 is the smallest, that is, the input position 101 to be at or near the center of the row of take-out positions 109. Note that determining the container placement means 111 on which the input container 202 is placed as the previous input position 101 also includes the case where the input container 202 is placed at the previous input position 101 determined by the position determination unit 131.

[0026] The removal grasping unit 132 grasps the completion of removal of the items 203 from the item container 201 arranged at the removal position 109. An example of the completion of removal is a case where the items 203 in the item container 201 are gone. Note that removal may also be completed when the number of items 203 remaining in the item container 201 that contains the items 203 of the type included in the order information corresponding to the next input container 202 that is scheduled to be input after the input container 202 currently being input becomes equal to or less than the number indicated in the order information. In other words, the item container 201 is used as the next input container 202 with a small amount remaining in the item container 201. The order information corresponding to the next input container 202 includes the items 203 remaining in the container. The order information is information indicating how many items 203 of what type are to be input into one input container 202. The order information is obtained from a higher-level computer or the like.

[0027] The method by which the removal grasping unit 132 grasps the information of the removal of the item 203 is not particularly limited. In the case of this embodiment, information is individually carried on the item 203, and every time an item 203 is removed from the item container 201, an operator or the like reads the information using the reading device 210 provided in the picking system 100. The removal grasping unit 132 grasps the removal of the item 203 and the type of the removed item 203 based on the information read by the reading device 210. The medium that carries the information is not particularly limited, and examples include a one-dimensional code, a two-dimensional code, and an IC tag.

[0028] The transport grasping unit 134 grasps the completion of transport of the article container 201 in the order information for one input container 202 to the container mounting means 111. Completion of transport means a state in which the last article container 201, which is an article container arranged on the container mounting means 111 of the picking station 110, has been transported by the transport device 120 and which results in all of the articles 203 included in the order information being put into the input container 202 by putting the articles 203 from the article container 201 arranged on the container mounting means 111 of the picking station 110 into the input container 202.

[0029] The position update unit 133 acquires information indicating completion of removal from the removal grasping unit 132, and in this embodiment, on the premise that it also acquires information indicating completion of transportation from the transportation grasping unit 134, updates at least one of the multiple removal positions 109 determined by the position determination unit 131 to the next putting-in position 102, as shown in Fig. 4. At the stage where it has been updated to the next putting-in position 102, two putting-in positions, the previous putting-in position 101 and the next putting-in position 102, exist in the picking station 110.

[0030] When the container change unit 135 acquires information indicating completion of removal from the removal grasping unit 132, it changes the setting of the article container 201 placed at the next input position 102 to the next input container 202. In other words, after the container change unit 135 changes the setting, the management device 130 recognizes and treats the container that was recognized as the article container 201 as the input container 202. Note that the container change unit 135 may transmit information on the change setting or information indicating the result of the change to a higher-level computer or the like.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 5, the article container 201 and the input container 202 are containers of the same shape, and article container information 221 indicating the article container 201 and input container information 222 indicating the input container 202 may be displayed on the surface of the container. The container may be provided with a concealing means 230 for selectively covering the article container information 221 and the input container information 222. Specifically, the article container information 221 and the input container information 222 are one-dimensional codes and are provided on the edge of the upper end surface of the container. The concealing means 230 is a member that slides along the edge of the container and can cover and conceal one of the article container information 221 and the input container information 222.

[0032] When the article container information 221 and the input container information 222 are displayed on the container, the container change unit 135 notifies the worker of information indicating the container change using the notification means 150 or the like when setting a change in the type of container. The worker is prompted by the notification information to have the article container information 221 read by the reading device 210, then hide it with the concealing means 230, move the concealing means 230 so that the input container information 222 can be seen, and have the input container information 222 read by the reading device. In this way, the container change unit 135 may set a change to the article container 201 as the next input container 202.

[0033] The input grasping unit 136 grasps the completion of input of the items 203 into the input container 202 arranged at the previous input position 101. Input completion means that all of the items 203 included in the order information have been input into the input container 202. The method by which the input grasping unit 136 grasps the information on the items 203 input into the input container 202 is not particularly limited. For example, an example of a method is that an operator or the like inputs input information for each item 203 by pressing a push button indicating input completion every time an item 203 is input into the input container 202, and the input grasping unit 136 grasps the completion of input based on the information of the items 203 read by the removal grasping unit 132 and the order information.

[0034] The information notification unit 137 notifies prohibition information that prohibits the insertion of the item 203 into the container located at the next insertion position 102 and the removal of the item 203, until information indicating the completion of insertion is obtained from the insertion grasping unit 136. In the case of this embodiment, the information notification unit 137 displays a symbol to attract the worker's attention on the notification means 150 at a position corresponding to the next insertion position 102, as shown in Fig. 4.

[0035] In addition, the information notification unit 137 acquires an increase or decrease in the weight of the container to be placed at the next insertion position 102 from the weight measurement means 140, and notifies the mispicking information when an increase or decrease in weight occurs. In this case, the method of notifying the mispicking information is not particularly limited. For example, the display of the notification means 150 can be flashed, or a sound (warning sound) can be generated from a speaker or the like. This makes it possible to warn when an operator mistakenly inserts an item 203 that should be inserted into an insertion container 202 placed at the previous insertion position 101 into an insertion container 202 placed at the next insertion position 102. It is also possible to warn when an operator mistakenly removes an item 203 remaining in an insertion container 202 placed at the next insertion position 102. It is also possible to warn when an item 203 is inserted into an item container 201.

[0036] According to the picking system 100 described above, in the picking station 110 where a picking operation is being performed on an input container 202 placed at a previous input position 101, the container placing means 111 which becomes the next input position 102 is secured, and the article container 201 placed there is changed to an input container 202. Therefore, when the previous picking operation is completed, it is possible to immediately move to the next picking operation, and the picking operation can be continued efficiently.

[0037] In addition, by changing the position to the next insertion position 102 after the transportation of the item container 201 in the previous picking operation is completed, the maximum number of item containers 201 can be placed in the picking station 110 up to the final stage in the previous picking operation, and the efficiency of the picking operation can be prevented from decreasing, and the next picking operation can be efficiently transitioned to.

[0038] Furthermore, by changing the article container 201 into the input container 202 while leaving the container in its original position, the need to switch containers can be eliminated, allowing the picking operation to continue more efficiently.

[0039] In addition, by changing the item container 201 in which the item 203 to be dropped in the next picking operation remains to the drop container 202, one step in the transfer of the item 203 in the next picking operation can be omitted, thereby making the picking operation more efficient.

[0040] Also, two input containers 202 are placed in the picking station 110, and by using the notification means 150 to notify prohibition information, it is possible to prevent the worker from making an input mistake in the item 203. Furthermore, by monitoring the increase or decrease in weight of the input container 202, it is possible to notify mispicking information that makes the worker aware of the occurrence of an input mistake, and recovery or the like can be performed based on the mispicking information.

[0041] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the components described in this specification may be combined in any manner, or some of the components may be removed to create another embodiment of the present invention. In addition, the present invention also includes modifications that are made to the above-described embodiment by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention, i.e., the meaning of the words in the claims.

[0042] In the above embodiment, the case where the article container 201 is changed to the input container 202 has been described, but the article container 201 may be replaced with the next input container 202. Specifically, when the container change unit 135 acquires information indicating completion of removal from the removal grasping unit 132, it notifies the replacement information of replacing the article container 201 arranged at the next input position 102 with the next input container 202 using the notification means 150 or the like. The worker who recognizes the replacement information transports the completed article container 201 to the automated warehouse 200 using the transport device 120, and places the next input container 202 in the vacant container placement means 111. This also makes it possible to achieve the same effect as above. In this case, the input container information 222 attached to the newly placed next input container 202 may be read by a reading device, and the management device 130 or the like may recognize the identification information of the next input container 202.

[0043] Furthermore, the conveying device 120 is not limited to devices that convey the article container 201 from the automated warehouse 200 to the container placement means 111. When the container placement means 111 and the automated warehouse 200 are adjacent to each other, and a stacker crane or the like that puts and takes out cargo from the racks of the automated warehouse 200 places the article container 201 directly on the container placement means 111, the stacker crane or the like is also included in the conveying device 120.

[0044] Also, although the case has been described in which the conveying device 120 and the picking station 110 are separate entities and containers are transferred between the picking station 110 and the conveying device 120, the picking station 110 may be a part of the conveying device 120 as shown in Fig. 6. According to this, the management device 130 operates the conveying device 120 based on the replacement information, so that the completed article container 201 can be conveyed to the automated warehouse 200 using the conveying device 120, and the next container 202 to be inserted can be placed on the vacant container placement means 111 using the conveying device 120.

[0045] 7, when the information notification unit 137 notifies prohibition information, the opening of the next input container 202 may be covered with a door 151 to prohibit the input of the item 203 into the container to be placed at the next input position 102 and the removal of the item 203 until information indicating the completion of input is obtained from the input grasping unit 136. This makes it possible to prevent erroneous input to and removal of the item 203 from the input container 202 to be placed at the next input position 102.

[0046] Although the above embodiment illustrates an example in which picking is performed by a worker, the picking system 100 may be equipped with a picking robot capable of picking, and the robot may perform the picking.

[0047] There may also be cases where multiple types of articles 203 are stored in the article container 201. In such cases, the inside of the article container 201 may be partitioned to form spaces according to the number of types, and the same type of article 203 may be stored in each space. [Industrial Applicability]

[0048] The present invention can be used in a picking system. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 100 Picking System 101 Previous insertion position 102 Next insertion position 109 position 110 Picking Station 111 Container mounting means 120 Transport Equipment 121 Outgoing conveyor 122 Back conveyor 123 Lifter 130 Management device 131 Positioning section 132 Grasping part 133 Location update section 134 Conveyor Grasp Section 135 Container Change Department 136 Injection grasping part 137 Information and Notification Department 140 Means of weight measurement 150 Notification means 151 Door 200 Automated Warehouse 201 Goods containers 202 Input container 203 Goods 210 Equipment 221 Goods container information 222 Input container information 230 Concealment

Claims

1. a picking station including a plurality of container placement means for respectively arranging a plurality of article containers containing articles to be picked and input containers into which the articles removed from the article containers are input; A transport device that transports the article container to the container placement means; A management device that manages picking at the picking station, The management device includes: a position determination unit that determines the container placement means on which a loading container is placed as a loading position and determines another container placement means as a removal position from which an article is removed; a removal grasping unit that grasps completion of removal of the article from the article container disposed at the removal position; and a position update unit that updates the removal position to a next insertion position when the removal determination unit determines that removal has been completed. Picking system.

2. The management device includes: a transport grasping unit configured to grasp completion of transport of an article container to the container placement means in order information for one input container, The location update unit is When the conveyance grasping unit grasps the completion of conveyance, the take-out position is updated to the next put-in position. The picking system according to claim 1 .

3. The management device includes: and a container change unit that sets the article container located at the next insertion position as the next insertion container when the removal determination unit determines that removal has been completed. The picking system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the article container and the input container are containers of the same shape, article container information indicating the article container and input container information indicating the input container are displayed on the surface of the container, and a concealing means is provided for selectively covering the article container information and the input container information; The picking system includes: A reading device is provided for reading the item container information and the input container information. A picking system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The management device includes: and a container change unit that notifies replacement information for replacing the article container arranged at the next insertion position with a next insertion container when the removal recognition unit recognizes completion of removal. The picking system according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The management device includes: A loading grasping unit that grasps completion of loading of the article into the loading container; and an information notification unit that notifies prohibition information that prohibits the insertion of an article into a container to be disposed at a next insertion position and the removal of an article until the insertion recognition unit recognizes the completion of insertion. A picking system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. a weight measuring means for measuring the weight of the container placed on the container placing means, The information notification unit is When an increase or decrease in the weight of the container to be placed in the next insertion position occurs, mispicking information is notified. The picking system according to claim 6.

Images