Vehicle loading / unloading system, stacker, and method for transferring / delivering luggage

Abstract

To provide an on-vehicle cargo handling system that can further improve an efficiency of using space inside a vehicle.SOLUTION: An on-vehicle cargo handling system 10 includes: a storage conveyor 12 that circularly transports a cargo 300 along a single-stroke transport route Rt; and a stacker 50 that transfers the cargo 300 between a first transfer position Pf provided in the middle of the transport route Rt and a second transfer position Ps horizontally separated from the first transfer position Pf, the stacker 50 being fixedly installed inside a vehicle and rotating the cargo 300 at least around an axis parallel to a vertical direction of the vehicle. The stacker 50 transfers the cargo 300 to and from the storage conveyor 12 at the first transfer position Pf.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This specification discloses an on-vehicle loading and unloading system that treats the interior of a vehicle as a storage location for luggage and that handles loading and unloading of luggage, a stacker used in the on-vehicle loading and unloading system, and a method for delivering luggage. [Background technology]

[0002] Vehicles such as trucks have been used for delivering packages. Packages to be delivered are stored inside the vehicles. In order to efficiently deliver the packages, it has been proposed to equip the vehicles with a loading and unloading system that automatically performs at least one of the following operations: unloading the packages from the vehicles and loading the packages into the vehicles.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle equipped with a rack on which packages are placed, a conveyor provided under the rack, a stacker crane that moves the packages on the rack up, down, back and forth to transfer them to the conveyor, and a robot arm that transfers the packages from the conveyor to a traveling robot. According to this technology, the packages are automatically taken out of the rack and handed over to the traveling robot, making delivery relatively efficient. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-090151 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In such a conventional vehicle loading and unloading system, a mobile stacker that moves within the vehicle is used to take out luggage from a shelf and load luggage onto the shelf. For example, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, a stacker crane that moves up, down, forward and backward is used to take in and out luggage.

[0006] When such a mobile stacker is used, there is a problem that the efficiency of the space inside the vehicle is reduced. In other words, when a mobile stacker is used, it is necessary to secure a space for the mobile stacker to move inside the vehicle. And this space cannot store luggage. Securing such a space inside the vehicle where space is limited is wasteful, and the efficiency of the space inside the vehicle is greatly reduced.

[0007] Therefore, this specification discloses an on-vehicle loading and unloading system that can further improve the utilization efficiency of the space inside the vehicle, a stacker used in the on-vehicle loading and unloading system, and a method for delivering and receiving luggage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The vehicle loading and unloading system disclosed in this specification comprises a storage conveyor that cyclically transports luggage along a single-stroke transport route, and a stacker that is fixedly installed inside the vehicle and rotates the luggage at least around an axis parallel to the vertical direction of the vehicle, and transfers luggage between a first transfer position located midway along the transport route and a second transfer position horizontally spaced apart from the first transfer position, and is characterized in that the stacker transfers luggage to and from the storage conveyor at the first transfer position.

[0009] In this configuration, the storage conveyor transports luggage in a cyclical manner, so that luggage at any position in the storage conveyor can be transported to the first transfer position, and luggage received at the first transfer position can be transported to any position in the storage conveyor. In this case, the stacker only needs to access the first transfer position in order to transfer luggage to and from the storage conveyor. In other words, according to the above configuration, the storage conveyor does not need to move within the vehicle and can be fixedly installed within the vehicle. Therefore, there is no need to secure a space for the storage conveyor to move within the vehicle, and a large storage space for luggage can be secured accordingly. As a result, according to the above configuration, the utilization efficiency of the space within the vehicle can be improved.

[0010] In this case, the stacker may include a main pillar extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle, a hand configured to support the luggage and move the luggage forward and backward horizontally, a lifting mechanism configured to raise and lower the hand along the main pillar, and a rotation mechanism configured to rotate the hand together with the main pillar.

[0011] With this configuration, the load supported by the hand can be rotated, elevated, and moved horizontally forward and backward, allowing the load to be moved with a high degree of freedom.

[0012] The stacker may further include a base fixed to the floor surface of the vehicle, the rotation mechanism being a rotating table attached to the base so as to be rotatable around an axis parallel to the vertical direction of the vehicle, the rotating table having the main pillar fixed thereto, and a rotating motor fixed near the base and driven to rotate the rotating table, and the lifting mechanism may include a lifting motor arranged inside the base and fixed to the rotating table, and a belt hung along the main pillar and moving in a circulating manner as the lifting motor is driven, the belt having the hand attached thereto.

[0013] With this configuration, the large rotary motor and lift motor for raising and lowering and rotating the hand can both be located near the bottom of the vehicle, which allows the center of gravity of the stacker to be lowered and the stability of the stacker to be improved.

[0014] Furthermore, the second transfer position may further include an unmanned ground vehicle that receives the luggage from the stacker, the unmanned ground vehicle having a container for storing luggage, and a slope that is provided within the container and inclines downward toward the rear in the fore-and-aft direction of the unmanned ground vehicle, allowing the luggage to slide down into the container, the hand having a fork plate that is a plate on which the luggage is placed and that moves back and forth horizontally and has one or more notches formed at its tip, and when transferring the luggage from the stacker to the unmanned ground vehicle, the stacker, with the luggage placed on the fork plate, positions the notches of the fork plate on the slope, then lowers the fork plate to bring the top of the slope into contact with the bottom of the luggage, and then retracts the fork plate horizontally to allow the luggage to slide down along the slope.

[0015] With this configuration, luggage can be smoothly handed over from the stacker to the unmanned ground vehicle without providing the unmanned ground vehicle with complex mechanisms such as a hand or lifter.

[0016] In this case, the friction force between the top of the ramp and the bottom surface of the load may be greater than the friction force between the fork plate and the bottom surface of the load.

[0017] With this configuration, when the fork plate is retracted horizontally to the rearward side, the cargo can be prevented from moving backward together with the fork plate, and the cargo can be smoothly handed over to the unmanned ground vehicle.

[0018] In addition, a protrusion protruding upward is provided at the tip of the fork plate, and when the stacker places the luggage on the fork plate, a portion of the luggage may extend beyond the tip of the fork plate and the luggage may be placed on top of the protrusion.

[0019] With this configuration, the load can be kept approximately horizontal when it is lifted from the top.

[0020] The vehicle may further include a roof opening formed in the ceiling through which the luggage can pass, and a relay device that transports the luggage received from either the drone that lands on the ceiling of the vehicle or the stacker through the roof opening and hands it over to the other of the drone and the stacker.

[0021] By providing such a relay device, the height of the stacker can be reduced, and the stability of the stacker can be further improved.

[0022] Also, a stacker that transports luggage between a first and a second transfer position inside a vehicle comprises: a main pillar extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle; a hand configured to support the luggage and move the luggage forward and backward horizontally; a lifting mechanism configured to raise and lower the hand along the main pillar; a rotation mechanism configured to rotate the hand together with the main pillar about an axis parallel to the vertical direction of the vehicle; and a base fixed to a floor surface of the vehicle, wherein the rotation mechanism is a rotating table attached to the base so as to be rotatable about an axis parallel to the vertical direction of the vehicle, the rotating table to which the main pillar is fixed, and a rotation motor fixed near the base and driven to rotate the rotating table, and the lifting mechanism is arranged inside the base and comprises a lifting motor fixed to the rotating table, and a belt that is stretched along the main pillar and moves in a circulating manner as the lifting motor is driven, the belt to which the hand is attached.

[0023] With this configuration, the load supported by the hand can be rotated, raised, lowered, and moved horizontally, allowing the load to be moved with a high degree of freedom. Also, the large rotary motor and lift motor for raising, lowering, and rotating the hand can both be located near the bottom of the vehicle. This allows the center of gravity of the stacker to be lowered, improving the stability of the stacker.

[0024] The method of transferring luggage disclosed in this specification is a luggage transfer method for transferring luggage from a stacker fixedly installed inside a vehicle to an unmanned ground vehicle that has entered the vehicle, wherein the stacker has a fork plate which is a plate on which the luggage is placed and which moves back and forth horizontally and has one or more notches formed at its tip, the unmanned ground vehicle is equipped with a container for storing the luggage, and a slope which is provided inside the container and inclines downward toward the rear with respect to the fore-and-aft direction of the unmanned ground vehicle and allows the luggage to slide down into the container, and the stacker, with the luggage placed on the fork plate, positions the notch of the fork plate on top of the slope, then lowers the fork plate to bring the top of the slope into contact with the bottom of the luggage, and then retracts the fork plate horizontally to allow the luggage to slide down along the slope.

[0025] With this configuration, luggage can be smoothly handed over from the stacker to the unmanned ground vehicle without providing the unmanned ground vehicle with complex mechanisms such as a hand or lifter. Effect of the Invention

[0026] According to the technology disclosed in this specification, the utilization efficiency of the space inside the vehicle can be further improved. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a cargo handling system. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a storage conveyor. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a straight-travel unit and a lifter. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a right-angle turn unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a right-angle turn unit, with some components not shown. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the reason for changing the traveling direction of the luggage at a right angle. [Figure 10] FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. [Figure 12] 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a hand. [Figure 14A] 13 is a diagram showing a state in which the hand has entered a first transfer position. FIG. [Figure 14B] 13 is a diagram showing a state in which the hand has entered a second transfer position. FIG. [Figure 15A] 13 is a view showing the periphery of the relay device when the lifting plate is raised. FIG. [Figure 15B] FIG. [Figure 16] 10 is a diagram illustrating the flow of delivery of packages from a storage conveyor to a stacker. FIG. [Figure 17] 11 is a diagram illustrating a flow of handing over a package from a stacker to a relay device. FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a UGV. [Figure 19] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a flow of baggage delivery. [Figure 20A] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining state S42 in more detail. [Figure 20B] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining state S42 in more detail. [Figure 21A] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of a transport route. [Figure 21B] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of a transport route. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] The configuration of the loading / unloading system 10 will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the loading / unloading system 10, and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the loading / unloading system 10. Furthermore, Fig. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 3. In the following drawings, "Fr", "Up", and "Rh" respectively indicate the front, upper, and right side of the vehicle.

[0029] The cargo handling system 10 of this example is mounted on a vehicle. This vehicle transports the luggage 300 in cooperation with an unmanned transport aircraft. The unmanned transport aircraft includes, for example, an unmanned ground vehicle (hereinafter referred to as "UGV") 220 that travels on the ground to transport the luggage 300, and a drone 210 that flies to transport the luggage 300. In the following, when there is no distinction between the UGV 220 and the drone 210, they are called "unmanned transport aircraft." Normally, such unmanned transport aircraft are smaller than vehicles, so they can enter the grounds and indoors of private homes and have excellent mobility. On the other hand, the unmanned transport aircraft has a shorter cruising range than vehicles. Therefore, the unmanned transport aircraft is only responsible for transportation from the vicinity of the delivery destination to the delivery destination. The vehicle transports the luggage 300 from the departure position to the vicinity of the delivery destination.

[0030] The cargo handling system 10 stores the luggage 300 in the vehicle, picks up the luggage 300 requested by the unmanned transport aircraft, and delivers it to the unmanned transport aircraft. In other words, the delivery of the luggage 300 from the vehicle to the unmanned transport aircraft is automatically performed by the cargo handling system 10 without human intervention. Note that the following description focuses on the case where the luggage 300 is delivered from the cargo handling system 10 to the unmanned transport aircraft, but the luggage 300 may also be delivered from the unmanned transport aircraft to the vehicle. In other words, after receiving the luggage 300 from the sender, the unmanned transport aircraft may move to the vehicle and deliver the luggage 300 to the cargo handling system 10.

[0031] [Overall configuration of the cargo handling system] Next, the overall configuration of the cargo handling system 10 will be briefly described. As described above, the cargo handling system 10 is mounted on a vehicle. The configuration of the vehicle on which the cargo handling system 10 is mounted is not particularly limited, but a box-type or truck-type vehicle capable of loading a large number of luggage 300 is usually selected. The vehicle in this example is a box-type vehicle with a rear surface that rises almost vertically. A door opening 150 (see Figs. 2 and 3) is formed on the side of the vehicle, which is used for getting on and off the worker or the UGV 220. When the UGV 220 gets on and off, a slope (not shown) is hung from the lower end of the door opening 150 toward the road surface. In addition, a back door opening (not shown) is formed on the rear surface of the vehicle, which is used for loading the luggage 300.

[0032] The loading and unloading system 10 comprises a storage conveyor 12 (not shown in FIG. 3) that stores multiple pieces of luggage 300, a stacker 50 that receives the luggage 300 from the storage conveyor 12 and hands it over to an unmanned transport vehicle, a relay device 100 that relays between the stacker 50 and the drone 210 (only the lifting plate 102 of the relay device 100 is shown in FIG. 1, and is not shown in FIGS. 2 and 4), and a controller 130 that manages the operation of these devices.

[0033] The storage conveyor 12 is disposed at the rear of the vehicle, and has a horizontal upper surface on which a plurality of luggage 300 can be placed. In this example, as shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of storage conveyors 12 (four in the illustrated example) are stacked vertically. Note that in FIG. 1, the second and subsequent storage conveyors 12 are not shown in order to make it easier to see the configuration of other components. A plurality of luggage 300 is placed on each storage conveyor 12. Thus, the plurality of storage conveyors 12 function as shelves for storing a large number of luggage 300.

[0034] The storage conveyor 12 cyclically conveys the luggage 300 along a one-stroke conveying route Rt (see FIG. 2). As is clear from FIG. 2, the conveying route Rt alternates between a route going to the rear of the vehicle and a route going to the front of the vehicle, turns around an odd number of times (three times in this example) in a zigzag manner, and then proceeds in the vehicle width direction to return to the starting point in a one-stroke shape.

[0035] A first transfer position Pf (see FIGS. 2 and 4) for transferring and receiving luggage 300 between the stacker 50 and the storage conveyor 12 is set in the middle of the transport route Rt and adjacent to the stacker 50. When a luggage 300 is requested by the stacker 50, the storage conveyor 12 moves the requested luggage 300 along the transport route Rt to the first transfer position Pf. A lifter 20 (see FIG. 2) for transferring and receiving the luggage 300 is provided in the first transfer position Pf. The target luggage 300 is delivered to the stacker 50 by the lifter 20.

[0036] The stacker 50 is a device that transfers the baggage 300 between a first transfer position Pf and a second transfer position Ps (see Figs. 2 to 4). The second transfer position Ps is provided at a position horizontally separated from the first transfer position Pf, and is a position where the baggage 300 is transferred between the stacker 50 and the unmanned transport vehicle. In this example, the unmanned transport vehicle includes a UGV 220 that gets into the vehicle and a drone 210 that lands on the roof of the vehicle. Note that the UGV 220 is not illustrated in Fig. 4, and the drone 210 is not illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4.

[0037] The second transfer position Ps includes a UGV transfer position Psv for transferring the luggage 300 between the stacker 50 and the UGV 220, and a drone transfer position Psd for transferring the luggage 300 between the stacker 50 and the drone 210. However, when transferring the luggage 300 from the stacker 50 to the drone 210, or from the drone 210 to the stacker 50, the relay device 100 is interposed between the two. Therefore, the drone transfer position Psd is, to be precise, a position for transferring the luggage 300 between the stacker 50 and the relay device 100.

[0038] 2 to 4, the UGV transfer position Psv is a position between the stacker 50 and the door opening 150, and is set at approximately the same height as the container 224 of the UGV 220. The drone transfer position Psd is set near the ceiling of the vehicle compartment, directly above the UGV transfer position Psv. Therefore, the UGV transfer position Psv and the drone transfer position Psd are approximately in the same horizontal position.

[0039] The stacker 50 is fixed in a position inside the vehicle adjacent to the front side of the first transfer position Pf and adjacent to the right side of the UGV transfer position Psv in the vehicle width direction. The stacker 50 has a hand 58 that holds the luggage 300. The hand 58 can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction and can rotate in a horizontal plane. Furthermore, the hand 58 can be extended and retracted in the horizontal direction. With the luggage 300 placed on the hand 58, the hand 58 can be raised and lowered, rotated, and extended to transport the luggage 300 between the first transfer position Pf and the second transfer positions Psv, Psd.

[0040] The drone 210 lands on the roof 120 of the vehicle as shown in Fig. 3. A roof opening 122 is formed in the roof 120 to allow the luggage 300 to pass through. The relay device 100 is provided directly below the roof opening 122 and directly above the UGV transfer position Psv. Note that in order to make other members easier to see, the relay device 100 is omitted from Figs. 1, 2, and 4.

[0041] The relay device 100 delivers the luggage 300 received from the stacker 50 to the drone 210, or delivers the luggage 300 received from the drone 210 to the stacker 50. More specifically, the relay device 100 has a lifting plate 102 configured to be movable inside and outside the vehicle through the roof opening 122. When delivering the luggage 300 from the stacker 50 to the drone 210, the relay device 100 moves the lifting plate 102 to the upper side of the roof 120 with the luggage 300 received from the stacker 50 placed on the lifting plate 102. The drone 210 holds the luggage 300 placed on the lifting plate 102 with a hand mechanism (not shown) mounted on the drone 210. When delivering the luggage 300 from the drone 210 to the stacker 50, the reverse procedure to the above is taken.

[0042] The controller 130 controls the driving of the storage conveyor 12, the stacker 50, and the relay device 100. The controller 130 is physically a computer having a processor 132 and a memory 134. The "computer" also includes a microcontroller in which a computer system is incorporated into a single integrated circuit. The processor 132 refers to a processor in a broad sense, and includes a general-purpose processor (e.g., a CPU: Central Processing Unit, etc.) and a dedicated processor (e.g., a GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, an ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, an FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, a programmable logic device, etc.). The memory 134 may include at least one of a semiconductor memory (e.g., a RAM, a ROM, a solid state drive, etc.) and a magnetic disk (e.g., a hard disk drive, etc.). The controller 130 does not need to be a single physical element, and may be a combination of multiple computers that are physically separated from one another.

[0043] [Luggage flow] Next, a flow of handing over a specific baggage 300 stored on the storage conveyor 12 to the UGV 220 and the drone 210 will be briefly described. The controller 130 determines the position of the target baggage 300 in the storage conveyor 12. If the target baggage 300 is not located at the first transfer position Pf, the storage conveyor 12 transports the baggage 300 to the first transfer position Pf along the transport route Rt. In addition, the stacker 50 moves the hand 58 up and down, rotates, and expands and contracts to move it to the first transfer position Pf. Thereafter, the baggage 300 transported to the first transfer position Pf by the storage conveyor 12 is handed over to the hand 58 that has moved to the first transfer position Pf. The procedure of this handover will be described in detail later.

[0044] When the luggage 300 is placed on the hand 58 at the first transfer position Pf, the stacker 50 raises and lowers, rotates, and extends the hand 58 to move the hand 58 to the UGV transfer position Psv or the drone transfer position Psd.

[0045] When transferring the cargo 300 to the UGV 220, the stacker 50 moves the hand 58 to the UGV transfer position Psv. Then, the stacker 50 transfers the cargo 300 placed on the hand 58 to the container 224 of the UGV 220. The procedure for transferring the cargo 300 to the UGV 220 will be described in detail later.

[0046] When transferring the luggage 300 to the drone 210, the stacker 50 moves the hand 58 to the drone transfer position Psd. The relay device 100 also moves the lifting plate 102 to the drone transfer position Psd. When both the hand 58 and the lifting plate 102 reach the drone transfer position Psd, the luggage 300 is transferred from the hand 58 to the lifting plate 102. The procedure for transferring the luggage 300 here will also be described in detail later. When the relay device 100 receives the luggage 300, it raises the lifting plate 102 and moves it to the upper side of the roof 120. The drone 210 receives the luggage 300 placed on the lifting plate 102 with the hand mechanism.

[0047] In a typical warehouse system, luggage is stored on fixed shelves, and when a specific luggage is to be taken out of the shelves, a stacker often moves within the warehouse to a position close to the luggage. In such a configuration, it is naturally necessary to secure space for the stacker to move within the warehouse. This is not a big problem if the warehouse system is installed outside the vehicle and has a large area. However, since space is limited in a vehicle, if space for the stacker to move is secured, the luggage storage space will be smaller by that amount, and the number of luggage that can be stored within the vehicle will be reduced. This leads to a decrease in the efficiency of luggage transportation.

[0048] On the other hand, as is clear from the above description, in this example, the luggage 300 is moved along the one-stroke transport route Rt in the storage conveyor 12, but the stacker 50 itself is not moved inside the vehicle. Therefore, there is no need to secure a space for moving the stacker 50. As a result, according to this example, a large storage space for the luggage 300 can be secured, and the transport efficiency of the luggage 300 can be improved.

[0049] Next, the configurations of the storage conveyor 12, the stacker 50, and the relay device 100 will be described in detail.

[0050] [Storage conveyor configuration] First, the configuration of the storage conveyor 12 will be described in detail. FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of the storage conveyor 12. As described above, the storage conveyor 12 cyclically transports the luggage 300 along the one-stroke transport route Rt. In this example, the transport route Rt is a one-stroke route that turns around an odd number of times (three times in the illustrated example) in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, moves in the vehicle width direction, and returns to the starting point. In addition, in the transport route Rt of this example, the direction is turned around twice at right angles to turn around in the opposite direction. By making the transport route Rt have such a shape, the luggage can be transported cyclically while keeping the dead space small. However, the shape of the transport route Rt described here is only an example, and other shapes may be used as long as the luggage can be transported cyclically. For example, the transport route Rt may be a substantially rectangular shape as shown in FIG. 21A, or a track shape as shown in FIG. 21B.

[0051] Such a storage conveyor 12 is configured by combining a plurality of conveying units. As shown in FIG. 5, the conveying unit includes a straight-line unit 16 that conveys the luggage 300 in a straight line, and a right-angle turn unit 18 that conveys the luggage 300 by bending the traveling direction of the luggage 300 at a right angle. As will be described in detail later, each of the straight-line unit 16 and the right-angle turn unit 18 has a plurality of rollers and a motor that drives the rollers. The upper surfaces of the straight-line unit 16 and the right-angle turn unit 18 function as a conveying path along which the luggage 300 is conveyed. The straight-line unit 16 and the right-angle turn unit 18 have external shapes of approximately the same size. Therefore, the straight-line unit 16 and the right-angle turn unit 18 can be arranged in a matrix shape without interfering with each other and without leaving a large gap. And, by configuring the storage conveyor 12 with such straight-line units 16 and right-angle turn units 18, the size of the entire storage conveyor 12 and the conveying route Rt can be easily changed just by changing the number and arrangement of the conveying units 16, 18.

[0052] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the straight-line unit 16 and the lifter 20. The straight-line unit 16 has a plurality of (five in the illustrated example) conveying rollers 22 arranged in parallel. The axial direction of each conveying roller 22 is parallel to the horizontal direction and perpendicular to the conveying direction of the luggage 300. Hereinafter, the axial direction of the conveying roller 22 is referred to as the "conveying path width direction." The plurality of conveying rollers 22 are linked in a chain manner by a plurality of belts 26. Each belt 26 is stretched between two adjacent conveying rollers 22, and transmits the rotational power of one conveying roller 22 to the other conveying roller 22. Therefore, the plurality of conveying rollers 22 rotate in synchronization with each other.

[0053] A conveyor motor 24 is disposed below the conveyor roller 22. A belt 26 for transmitting rotational power is also stretched between the output shaft of the conveyor motor 24 and one of the conveyor rollers 22. When the conveyor motor 24 rotates in the forward direction, the plurality of conveyor rollers 22 rotate in a direction for sending the luggage 300 downstream in the conveying direction. When the conveyor motor 24 rotates in the reverse direction, the plurality of conveyor rollers 22 rotate in a direction for sending the luggage 300 upstream in the conveying direction.

[0054] On both sides of the straight-line unit 16, partition walls 38 are provided to define the boundaries of the transport path for the luggage 300. Slide rails 40 are attached to the partition walls 38. The slide rails 40 are long members in the transport direction and protrude inward in the width direction of the transport path from the partition walls 38. Therefore, the luggage 300 abuts against the slide rails 40 but does not abut against the partition walls 38. The surface of the slide rails 40 is made of a material with low friction, such as polytetrafluoroethylene or fluororesin. By providing such slide rails 40, it is possible to prevent the luggage 300 from being rubbed against the partition walls 38 and deteriorating.

[0055] Of the multiple straight-movement units 16, a lifter 20 is provided below the straight-movement unit 16 disposed at the first transfer position Pf. The lifter 20 has a pair of lifting bars 42. Each lifting bar 42 is long in the width direction of the conveying path and is narrower than the gap between two adjacent conveying rollers 22. In a plan view, the lifting bar 42 is located in the gap between two adjacent conveying rollers 22. The lifting bar 42 can be raised and lowered between a retracted position below the straight-movement unit 16 and a lift position above the straight-movement unit 16. The lifting bar 42 may be raised and lowered by a straight-movement mechanism powered by a motor, or by an extension mechanism having a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder.

[0056] When the pair of lifting bars 42 rise from the retracted position to the lift position while the cargo 300 is placed on the straight-advance unit 16, the cargo 300 is supported by the pair of lifting bars 42 and lifted from the straight-advance unit 16. In this state, the cargo 300 is delivered from the lifting bars 42 to the hand 58 of the stacker 50, which will be described later.

[0057] Next, the configuration of the right-angle turn unit 18 will be described with reference to Fig. 7 and Fig. 8. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the right-angle turn unit 18, and Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the right-angle turn unit 18 with some components omitted. The right-angle turn unit 18 conveys the luggage 300 by changing the conveying direction of the luggage 300 at a right angle from a first direction to a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

[0058] The right-angle turn unit 18 is substantially rectangular in plan view. Hereinafter, a corner portion of the rectangle that is the downstream end in the first direction and the upstream end in the second direction is referred to as a "corner portion Pc". The right-angle turn unit 18 can be roughly divided into two areas Af and As with a diagonal line Ld passing through the corner portion Pc of the rectangle as a boundary. A plurality of first conveying rollers 30f are arranged in the first area Af on the upstream side in the second direction from the diagonal line Ld. The first conveying rollers 30f are rollers that rotate around an axis parallel to the second direction and rotate forward to send the luggage 300 downstream in the first direction. A plurality of the first conveying rollers 30f are arranged at intervals in the first direction. In order to fit the plurality of first conveying rollers 30f almost within the first area Af, the axial length of the first conveying rollers 30f closer to the downstream end in the first direction is shorter.

[0059] A plurality of second conveying rollers 30s are arranged in the second area As on the upstream side in the second direction from the diagonal line Ld. The second conveying rollers 30s are rollers that rotate around an axis parallel to the first direction and rotate forward to send the luggage 300 downstream in the second direction. The second conveying rollers 30s are arranged at intervals in the second direction. In addition, the second conveying rollers 30s closer to the upstream end in the second direction have shorter axial lengths so that the plurality of second conveying rollers 30s are almost contained within the second area As. The diameter of the second conveying rollers 30s is equal to the diameter of the first conveying rollers 30f, and the height of the top of the second conveying rollers 30s (i.e., the part that contacts the bottom surface of the luggage 300) is equal to the height of the top of the first conveying rollers 30f.

[0060] A plurality of second assist rollers 32s (two in the illustrated example) are further arranged in the first area Af. The second assist rollers 32s are rollers that rotate around an axis parallel to the first direction, i.e., around an axis parallel to the second conveyor rollers 30s. The axial dimension of the second assist rollers 32s is sufficiently smaller than the gap between the two adjacent first conveyor rollers 30f, and the second assist rollers 32s are arranged in the gap. The diameter of the second assist rollers 32s is sufficiently larger than the diameter of the first conveyor rollers 30f, while the height of the top of the second assist rollers 32s is equal to the height of the top of the first conveyor rollers 30f. By arranging the second assist rollers 32s in the first area Af in this way, the luggage 300 can be sent in the second direction by the second assist rollers 32s immediately after the luggage 300 enters the right-angle turn unit 18, in other words, even at the timing when the contact area between the luggage 300 and the second conveyor rollers 30s is small.

[0061] In the second area As, a plurality of first assist rollers 32f (two in the illustrated example) are further arranged. The first assist rollers 32f are rollers that rotate around an axis parallel to the second direction, i.e., around an axis parallel to the first conveying rollers 30f. The axial dimension of the first assist rollers 32f is sufficiently smaller than the gap between two adjacent second conveying rollers 30s, and the first assist rollers 32f are arranged in the gap. In addition, the diameter of the first assist rollers 32f is sufficiently larger than the diameter of the second conveying rollers 30s, while the height of the top of the first assist rollers 32f is equal to the height of the top of the second conveying rollers 30s. By providing such first assist rollers 32f, even when the contact area between the luggage 300 and the first conveying rollers 30f is small, the first assist rollers 32f can send the luggage 300 in the first direction.

[0062] A first conveyor motor 34f is disposed below the first conveyor roller 30f. As shown in FIG. 8, the rotational power output from the first conveyor motor 34f is transmitted to the first conveyor rollers 30f and the first assist rollers 32f via the belt 36. As a result, the first conveyor rollers 30f and the first assist rollers 32f rotate synchronously with each other. As described above, the first assist roller 32f has a larger diameter than the second conveyor roller 30s, and the rotation center of the first assist roller 32f is located below the lower end of the second conveyor roller 30s. With this configuration, interference between the power transmission member (belt 36, etc.) connecting the first conveyor motor 34f and the first assist roller 32f and the second conveyor roller 30s is unlikely to occur. As a result, the configuration of the power transmission member can be simplified.

[0063] As shown in Fig. 7, a second conveyor motor 34s is disposed below the second conveyor roller 30s. Although detailed illustration is omitted in Figs. 7 and 8, similarly to the first conveyor motor 34f, the rotational power output from the second conveyor motor 34s is transmitted to the second conveyor rollers 30s and the second assist rollers 32s via the belt 36. This second conveyor motor 34s can be driven independently of the first conveyor motor 34f. Therefore, while the first conveyor motor 34f is rotating in the forward direction, the second conveyor motor 34s may rotate in the forward direction, rotate in the reverse direction, or may be stopped.

[0064] In this example, the rotational power of the conveyor motors 34f, 34s ​​is transmitted to the rollers 30f, 32f, 30s, 32s without being decelerated. However, in some cases, the rotational power may be decelerated and transmitted to some or all of the rollers 30f, 32f, 30s, 32s. For example, since the first assist roller 32f has a larger diameter than the first transport roller 30f, when the rotational speeds of the two rollers are the same, the circumferential speed of the first assist roller 32f is greater than that of the first transport roller 30f. The rotational power of the first conveyor motor 34f may be decelerated and transmitted to the first assist roller 32f so that the circumferential speeds of the two rollers match, that is, so that the rotational speed of the first assist roller 32f is smaller than that of the first transport roller 30f. Also, the rotational speeds of the multiple first transport rollers 30f may be changed to be smaller or larger as they approach the downstream side in the first direction.

[0065] When changing the traveling direction of the luggage 300 at a right angle, the controller 130 first rotates the first conveyor roller 30f and the first assist roller 32f in the forward direction to send the luggage 300 downstream in the first direction, and then rotates the second conveyor roller 30s and the second assist roller 32s in the forward direction to send the luggage 300 downstream in the second direction. The second conveyor roller 30s and the second assist roller 32s may be rotated in the reverse direction in parallel with the forward rotation of the first conveyor roller 30f and the first assist roller 32f. The first conveyor roller 30f and the first assist roller 32f may be rotated in the reverse direction in parallel with the forward rotation of the second conveyor roller 30s and the second assist roller 32s.

[0066] 7, a partition wall 38 that defines the boundary of the conveying path stands at the downstream end in the first direction and the upstream end in the second direction of the right-angle turn unit 18. A sliding rail 40 is also provided on this partition wall 38. By providing such a sliding rail 40, it is possible to prevent the luggage 300 from being rubbed against the partition wall 38 and being deteriorated.

[0067] The right-angle turn unit 18 changes the traveling direction of the luggage 300 at a right angle by adjusting the rotation directions and drive timings of the two types of conveying rollers 30f, 30s and the two types of assist rollers 32f, 32s. The reason for changing the traveling direction of the luggage 300 at a right angle in this manner will be described with reference to FIG. 9.

[0068] Consider a case where the luggage 300 is transported by turning back approximately 180 degrees as shown in FIG. 9. In this case, it is also possible to move the luggage 300 in an arc and turn it back as shown in the lower part of FIG. 9. However, in this case, a large gap is created between the outward and return routes of the luggage 300. Such a gap becomes a dead space that cannot be used for transporting or storing the luggage 300. On the other hand, as shown in the upper part of FIG. 9, if the luggage 300 is configured to turn at right angles twice, the gap between the outward and return routes can theoretically be eliminated. Therefore, if the luggage 300 is configured to change direction at right angles, the occurrence of dead space can be effectively prevented and the space utilization efficiency can be improved.

[0069] Here, a label (not shown) on which luggage information is recorded is attached to each luggage 300. The storage conveyor 12 is provided with a label reader 44 (see FIG. 2 and FIG. 4) that reads the luggage information recorded on the label. The luggage information includes identification information of the luggage 300, information on the sender of the luggage 300, information on the destination of the luggage 300, and the like. By providing such a label reader 44, the luggage 300 can be appropriately identified. The number and installation positions of the label readers 44 are not particularly limited. For example, the label reader 44 may be provided at the first transfer position Pf. By providing the label reader 44 at such a position, the luggage 300 to be delivered to the stacker 50 can be clearly identified, and it is possible to reliably prevent another luggage 300 not requested by the stacker 50 from being erroneously delivered.

[0070] The label attached to the luggage 300 may be a print medium on which luggage information is printed in the form of characters or barcodes, or may be an IC tag on which luggage information is recorded as electronic information. If the luggage information is printed in the form of characters, the label reader 44 includes a camera and an OCR device that capture and read the character information. If the luggage information is printed in the form of a barcode, the label reader 44 includes a barcode reader that reads the barcode. If the label is an IC tag, the label reader 44 includes an IC reader that communicates with the IC tag and reads the information.

[0071] [Stacker 50 configuration] Next, the configuration of the stacker 50 will be described. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the stacker 50. FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the stacker 50, and FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 11. The stacker 50 is fixed to the floor of the vehicle. The stacker 50 has a first main pillar 56f and a second main pillar 56s (hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the two, they will be referred to as "main pillars 56") extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and a hand 58 that moves up and down along the main pillars 56 and rotates in a horizontal plane. The mechanism for moving the hand 58 up and down and rotating is not particularly limited. In this example, as shown in FIG. 11, the hand 58 is moved up and down by a linear motion mechanism that converts the rotational power of the lifting motor 66 into linear motion by a pair of pulleys 68u, 68l and a belt 70. In this example, the main pillar 56 is fixed to a rotary table 54 that rotates as the rotary motor 60 is driven, and the hand 58 is rotated together with the main pillar 56. The configuration of this stacker 50 will be described in detail below.

[0072] As shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the stacker 50 has a base 52 fixed to the floor surface of the vehicle. The base 52 is hollow and can accommodate a lower pulley 68l and a lifting motor 66. A rotating table 54 is attached to the upper surface of the base 52 via a bearing 53 so as to be rotatable in a plane parallel to the upper surface of the base 52. A gear 54a (see Fig. 10) is formed on the periphery of the rotating table 54. A gear 62 that meshes with the gear 54a of the rotating table 54 and a rotating motor 60 that rotates the gear 62 are further attached to the upper surface of the base 52. The rotating table 54 rotates when the rotating motor 60 is driven.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 11, a support bracket 64 is fixed to the bottom surface of the rotary table 54. A main pillar 56 stands from the upper surface of the support bracket 64. A hole that allows the main pillar 56 to pass through is formed in the center of the rotary table 54. A lift motor 66 is connected and fixed to the bottom surface of the support bracket 64. Furthermore, a lower pulley 68l is connected to the output shaft of the lift motor 66. Here, the support bracket 64 is fixed to the rotary table 54 and rotates together with the rotary table 54. The main pillar 56 and the lift motor 66 fixed to the support bracket 64 also rotate together with the rotary table 54.

[0074] The first main pillar 56f and the second main pillar 56s are disposed opposite each other with a belt 70 therebetween. An upper pulley 68u rotatable about an axis parallel to the vehicle front-rear direction is attached near the upper ends of the first main pillar 56f and the second main pillar 56s. As described above, the lift motor 66 is disposed below the main pillar 56, and the lower pulley 68l is connected to the output shaft of the lift motor 66. Furthermore, a belt 70 is stretched between the upper pulley 68u and the lower pulley 68l.

[0075] As shown in Fig. 12, the hand 58 is connected to the middle of the belt 70 via a support arm 76 and a connecting plate 74. The connecting plate 74 is a plate that is fixed to the middle of the belt 70 and moves up and down together with the belt 70. A pair of support arms 76 are fixed to both ends of the connecting plate 74. The hand 58 is fixed to the upper surfaces of the pair of support arms 76. A sliding nut 78 is also fixed to the support arm 76. The sliding nut 78 has claws that are inserted into guide rails 72 formed on the first main pillar 56f and the second main pillar 56s, and slides along the guide rails 72.

[0076] When the lower pulley 68l is rotated by the lifting motor 66, the belt 70 moves cyclically, whereby the connecting plate 74, and therefore the hand 58, moves up and down along the main pillar 56. In addition, since the hand 58 is connected to the main pillar 56 via the support arm 76, when the rotary table 54 rotates as the rotary motor 60 is driven, the hand 58 also rotates together with the main pillar 56.

[0077] Here, in order to raise, lower and rotate the hand 58, it is necessary to provide a relatively large and heavy lifting motor 66 and rotation motor 60. In this example, both the lifting motor 66 and the rotation motor 60 are provided under the stacker 50. This lowers the center of gravity of the stacker 50, improving the stability of the stacker 50. In particular, in this example, since the hand 58 is rotated together with the main pillar 56, it is possible to install the rotation motor 60 away from the hand 58, and the rotation motor 60 can be easily installed under the stacker 50.

[0078] However, if the rigidity of the stacker 50 can be appropriately ensured, only the hand 58 may be rotated without rotating the main pillars 56. For example, an annular plate surrounding the two main pillars 56f, 56s may be attached to the support arm 76, the rotary table 54, the gear 62, and the rotary motor 60 may be attached to this annular plate, and the hand 58 may be attached to the rotary table 54.

[0079] The rotation mechanism and lifting mechanism of the hand 58 may be changed as appropriate. For example, a linear motion mechanism using a ball screw may be used instead of the linear motion mechanism using the belt 70 and pulleys 68u, 68l to lift the hand 58. Also, instead of the lifting motor 66, a hydraulic cylinder, a pneumatic cylinder, or a linear motor may be used to lift the hand 58.

[0080] Next, the configuration of the hand 58 will be described with reference to Figs. 10 and 13. Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the hand 58. As shown in Figs. 10 and 13, the hand 58 has a base end plate 86, an intermediate plate 84, and a fork plate 80, and the three plates 80, 84, and 86 slide relative to each other to extend and retract the entire hand 58. The upper part of Fig. 13 shows the hand 58 in an extended state, and the lower part of Fig. 13 shows the hand 58 in a contracted state. Hereinafter, the direction in which the fork plate 80 moves when transitioning from the contracted state to the extended state is referred to as the "advance direction," and the direction in which the fork plate 80 moves when transitioning from the extended state to the contracted state is referred to as the "retraction direction."

[0081] As shown in FIG. 10, the fork plate 80 has a central portion 80c and a pair of side portions 80s provided on both sides of the central portion 80c. The side portions 80s protrude from the central portion 80c in the advancing direction, and the fork plate 80 has a shape similar to a fork as a whole. From another perspective, the fork plate 80 has a substantially rectangular cutout 82 formed at its leading end in the advancing direction. The width Dh of the cutout 82 is smaller than the width of the smallest piece of luggage 300 among the pieces of luggage 300 handled by the cargo handling system 10. The width Dh of the cutout 82 is also larger than the width Db (see FIG. 6) of the lifter 20 composed of the two lifting bars 42. A protrusion 80a protruding upward is formed at the leading end of the side portion 80s in the advancing direction.

[0082] 13, a pair of first pulleys 90f are attached to the base end plate 86 near both ends in the forward and backward direction. A hand motor 88 is disposed below the base end plate 86. The hand motor 88 is fixed to the base end plate 86. A third pulley 90t is connected to the output shaft of the hand motor 88. A first belt 92f is stretched across the pair of first pulley 90f and third pulley 90t. The first belt 92f moves in a circular motion as the hand motor 88 is driven.

[0083] The intermediate plate 84 is a plate that is placed on the upper side of the base end plate 86. A pair of second pulleys 90s is attached to both ends of the intermediate plate 84 in the forward and backward direction. A second belt 92s is stretched around the pair of second pulleys 90s. In addition, the fork plate 80 is placed on the upper side of the intermediate plate 84.

[0084] Here, a predetermined first fixing point P1 of the first belt 92f is fixed to the rearward end of the intermediate plate 84. The first fixing point P1 is a position of the first belt 92f near the first pulley 90f on the forward direction side and above the rotation axis of the first pulley 90f in the stretched state.

[0085] In addition, the second belt 92s has a second fixing point P2 fixed to the end of the base end plate 86 on the forward direction side. In the extended state, the second fixing point P2 is located near the second pulley 90s on the backward direction side of the second belt 92s and below the rotation axis of the second pulley 90s. In addition, the second belt 92s has a third fixing point P3 fixed to the end of the fork plate 80 on the backward direction side. In the extended state, the third fixing point P3 is located near the second pulley 90s on the backward direction side of the second belt 92s and above the rotation axis of the second pulley 90s. From another perspective, the third fixing point P3 is located at a position that is approximately 180 degrees out of phase with the second fixing point P2.

[0086] With the above configuration, the movement stroke Sb of the fork plate 80 becomes twice the circular movement distance Sa of the first pulley 90f, and the extension stroke of the hand 58 becomes large. For example, in the extended state, the hand motor 88 is driven to circularly move the first belt 92f so that the first fixing point P1 approaches the base end side by the distance Sa. In this case, the intermediate plate 84 fixed to the first fixing point P1 of the first belt 92f and the fork plate 80 connected to the intermediate plate 84 move in the backward direction by the distance Sa. In addition, the second belt 92s is fixed to the base end plate 86 at the second fixing point P2. Therefore, when the intermediate plate 84 moves in the backward direction, the second belt 92s circularly moves by the distance Sa to maintain the absolute position of the second fixing point P2. As a result, the second fixing point P2 moves forward by the distance Sa relative to the intermediate plate 84, and the third fixing point P3, which is located on the opposite side of the second fixing point P2 across the second pulley 90s, moves backward by the distance Sa relative to the intermediate plate 84. As a result, the fork plate 80, which is fixed to the second belt 92s at the third fixing point P3, moves backward by the distance Sa relative to the intermediate plate 84. As a result, the fork plate 80 can move a distance Sb=2×Sa, which is twice the circulating movement amount Sa of the first belt 92f.

[0087] The stacker 50 can move the fork plate 80 to the first transfer position Pf and the second transfer position Ps by combining the rotation, elevation, and extension of the hand 58. Fig. 14A shows a state in which the hand 58 has entered the first transfer position Pf, and Fig. 14B shows a state in which the hand 58 has entered the second transfer position Ps.

[0088] When the fork plate 80 is advanced to the first transfer position Pf, as shown in Fig. 14A, the hand 58 is rotated to an angle where the extension direction of the hand 58 is parallel to the vehicle front-rear direction, and the hand 58 is raised and lowered to the same height as the first transfer position Pf, and the hand 58 is extended. When the fork plate 80 is advanced to the second transfer position Ps (i.e., the UGV transfer position Psv or the drone transfer position Psd), as shown in Fig. 14B, the hand 58 is rotated to an angle where the extension direction of the hand 58 is parallel to the vehicle width direction, and the hand 58 is raised and lowered to the same height as the second transfer position Ps, and the hand 58 is extended.

[0089] As is clear from the above description, according to this example, the stacker 50 transfers the luggage 300 between the first transfer position Pf and the second transfer position Ps while being fixed to the vehicle. Therefore, there is no need to secure a separate space for moving the stacker 50, and the space inside the vehicle can be effectively utilized. Note that the configuration of the stacker 50 described above is one example. The stacker 50 may be modified as appropriate as long as it is fixed inside the vehicle and can transfer the luggage 300 between the first transfer position Pf and the second transfer position Ps.

[0090] [Configuration of relay device 100] Next, the configuration of the relay device 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 3, Fig. 15A, and Fig. 15B. Fig. 15A is a diagram of the relay device 100 and its surroundings when the lifting plate 102 is lifted. Fig. 15B is a perspective view of the lifting plate 102. As described above, the relay device 100 is a device that mediates between the stacker 50 and the drone 210. As shown in Figs. 3 and 15A, the relay device 100 has a lifting plate 102 that rises and falls along an axis that is parallel to the vehicle vertical direction and passes through the roof opening 122. The relay device 100 lifts and lowers the luggage 300 by placing the luggage 300 on the lifting plate 102.

[0091] The lifting plate 102 is a flat plate of a size that can pass through the roof opening 122. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 15B, the lifting plate 102 has a central portion 102c in the vehicle front-rear direction that protrudes significantly toward the stacker 50, and has a generally T-shaped outer shape in a plan view. Of the lifting plate 102, the central portion 102c that protrudes toward the stacker 50 is sized to fit into the cutout 82 of the fork plate 80. In other words, the width Dd of the central portion 102c is smaller than the width Dh of the cutout 82 of the fork plate 80.

[0092] The relay device 100 is provided with a lifting mechanism for lifting and lowering the lifting plate 102. The configuration of the lifting mechanism is not particularly limited as long as it can lift and lower the lifting plate 102 between a drone transfer position Psd below the roof 120 and a predetermined position above the roof 120. In this example, the lifting mechanism has a fixed guide 106 fixed to the roof 120, a first frame 108 that lifts and lowers along the fixed guide 106, and a second frame 110 that lifts and lowers relative to the first frame 108.

[0093] The first frame 108 is raised and lowered by, for example, a belt-type linear motion mechanism similar to that of the support arm 76 of the stacker 50. That is, pulleys (not shown) are attached near the upper and lower ends of the fixed guide 106, and a belt (not shown) is stretched between these two pulleys. The first frame 108 is mechanically connected to a part of the belt, and rises and falls as the belt moves in a circular motion. In addition, a motor (not shown) is connected to one of the pulleys, and the first frame 108 rises and falls as the motor is driven.

[0094] The lift plate 102 is fixed to the upper end of the second frame 110. Various linear motion mechanisms can be used for lifting and lowering the second frame 110. For example, the second frame 110 may be lifted and lowered by a belt-type linear motion mechanism, similar to the support arm 76 and the first frame 108. In another embodiment, the second frame 110 may be lifted and lowered by a linear motion mechanism that converts the rotational power of a motor into linear motion using a ball screw, a rack and pinion, or a linear motion mechanism that uses a hydraulic cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder. In any case, by adopting a two-stage lifting method in which the first frame 108 and the second frame 110 are lifted and lowered, respectively, it is possible to ensure a large lifting stroke while preventing the relay device 100 from becoming large in size as a whole.

[0095] [Delivery of luggage from storage conveyor to stacker] Next, the delivery of the baggage 300 from the storage conveyor 12 to the stacker 50 will be described with reference to Fig. 16. As described above, the straight-line unit 16 and the lifter 20 are disposed at the first transfer position Pf. The lifter 20 has a pair of lifting bars 42 that can move up and down through the gap between the adjacent transport rollers 22.

[0096] When transferring the luggage 300 to the stacker 50, the controller 130 transfers the luggage 300 to the straight-line unit 16 at the first transfer position Pf, as shown in state S20 of FIG. 16. Next, the controller 130 raises the pair of lifting bars 42 to a lift position above the conveying rollers 22, as shown in state S22. This causes the luggage 300 to be lifted from the straight-line unit 16.

[0097] In this state, the controller 130 inserts the fork plate 80 of the hand 58 of the stacker 50 between the straight-line unit 16 and the luggage 300. Specifically, the controller 130 raises and lowers the hand 58, while keeping it in the contracted state, to a position at an intermediate height between the straight-line unit 16 and the luggage 300. The controller 130 also rotates the hand 58 to a position in which the extension and contraction direction is parallel to the vehicle front-rear direction. Thereafter, the controller 130 extends the hand 58. As a result, the fork plate 80 of the hand 58 is inserted between the straight-line unit 16 and the luggage 300. State S24 in FIG. 16 shows this state.

[0098] Thereafter, as shown in state S26, the controller 130 lowers the lifting bars 42 to a retracted position below the transport rollers 22. During the process of lowering the pair of lifting bars 42, the cargo 300 supported by the pair of lifting bars 42 gets caught on the fork plate 80 and is left behind on the fork plate 80. In other words, the cargo 300 is transferred from the lifting bars 42 to the fork plate 80. This completes the transfer of the cargo 300 from the storage conveyor 12 to the stacker 50.

[0099] When loading the cargo 300 on the fork plate 80, a part of the cargo 300 is made to protrude outward from the tip of the fork plate 80 as shown in state S40 of Fig. 19. That is, the bottom surface of the cargo 300 is hung between the center portion 80c and the protrusion 80a of the fork plate 80, so that the area of ​​direct contact between the cargo 300 and the fork plate 80 is reduced. This configuration is used to facilitate the delivery of the cargo 300 to the UGV 220, which will be described later.

[0100] When transferring the cargo 300 from the stacker 50 to the storage conveyor 12, the above steps are reversed. That is, in this case, the fork plate 80 carrying the cargo 300 moves to the upper side of the straight-line unit 16 (S26), and then the pair of lifting bars 42 rise to lift the cargo 300 (S24). Furthermore, after that, the fork plate 80 retreats from the first transfer position Pf (S22), and the lifting bars 42 descend to a position below the straight-line unit 16 (S20).

[0101] [Delivery of luggage from stacker to relay device] Next, the process of handing over the cargo 300 from the stacker 50 to the relay device 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 17. In this case, as in the case of the delivery of the cargo 300 to the storage conveyor 12 described above, the cargo 300 is delivered by having the fork plate 80 and the lifting plate 102 pass each other vertically. Specifically, first, the hand 58 on which the cargo 300 is placed is contracted, and in this state, is raised to a position higher than the lifting plate 102. Thereafter, the hand 58 is rotated and extended to position the fork plate 80 above the lifting plate 102 as shown in state S30.

[0102] Next, the controller 130 raises the lifting plate 102 above the fork plate 80. At this time, the center portion 102c of the lifting plate 102 slips through the notch 82 of the fork plate 80. Meanwhile, the luggage 300 is caught by the lifting plate 102 and lifted up from the fork plate 80, as shown in state S34. This completes the handover of the luggage 300 from the stacker 50 to the relay device 100. The relay device 100 then further raises the lifting plate 102 and carries the luggage 300 to the upper side of the roof 120. Then, finally, the luggage 300 is handed over to the drone 210. When the luggage 300 is handed over from the relay device 100 to the stacker 50, the above procedure is reversed.

[0103] In this way, in this example, when the luggage 300 is handed over from the stacker 50 to the drone 210, or from the drone 210 to the stacker 50, the relay device 100 acts as an intermediary. This allows the maximum lift position of the hand 58 to be kept below the roof 120, making it possible to reduce the height of the stacker 50. Furthermore, by reducing the height of the stacker 50, the center of gravity of the stacker 50 is lowered, and the stability of the stacker 50 inside the vehicle is further improved.

[0104] [Handing over luggage from stacker to UGV] Next, the handover of the luggage 300 from the stacker 50 to the UGV 220 will be described. First, the UGV 220 used in this example will be briefly described. FIG.

[0105] The UGV 220 has a traveling unit 222 and a container 224 that stores the cargo 300. The traveling unit 222 is a unit that can travel autonomously with the container 224 mounted thereon. The configuration of the traveling unit 222 is not particularly limited, but for example, the traveling unit 222 may have wheels, a motor that powers the wheels, a battery that supplies power to the motor, a steering mechanism that steers the wheels, and a control device that drives and controls these.

[0106] The container 224 is fixed to the upper side of the traveling unit 222 and is a container for accommodating the luggage 300. The container 224 can be roughly divided into a box-shaped main body 226 and a lid 228. The box-shaped main body 226 is a box-shaped container with a large opening at the top end. A pair of slope plates 230 stand upright from the bottom wall 226b of the box-shaped main body 226. The slope plate 230 is a right-angled triangular plate with a hypotenuse that slopes downward toward the rear. The apex of the front upper part of the slope plate 230 protrudes upward from the top end of the front wall 226f of the box-shaped main body 226. This apex functions as a contact part 232 that first comes into contact with the bottom surface of the luggage 300 when receiving the luggage 300. The surface of the contact part 232 has a non-slip function that exerts a high frictional force between the bottom surface of the luggage 300 and the surface of the contact part 232. In order to provide anti-slip functionality, the surface or the entirety of contact portion 232 may be made of a soft or elastic material such as rubber or urethane gel, or the surface of contact portion 232 may be formed with irregularities to increase friction.

[0107] The lid 228 opens and closes the upper end opening of the box-shaped main body 226. The configuration of the lid 228 is not particularly limited. In this example, the lid 228 is connected to the rear wall 226r of the box-shaped main body 226 via a hinge (not shown), and opens and closes the box-shaped main body 226 by rotating about the hinge. The opening and closing operation of the lid 228 is performed electrically using a motor or the like.

[0108] Next, the process of handing over the luggage 300 from the stacker 50 to the UGV 220 will be described with reference to Fig. 19, Fig. 20A, and Fig. 20B. Fig. 19 is a diagram showing the flow of handing over the luggage 300, and Fig. 20A and Fig. 20B are diagrams explaining state S42 in more detail. Note that in Fig. 19 and Fig. 20, the left-right direction on the paper is the extension / retraction direction of the hand 58 and the front-rear direction of the UGV 220.

[0109] When handing over the baggage 300 to the UGV 220, the UGV 220 moves to a predetermined position inside the vehicle and then opens the lid 228 as shown in state S40. Meanwhile, the controller 130 rotates, raises and lowers, and extends the hand 58 to position the fork plate 80 directly above the slope plate 230. At this time, the UGV 220 adjusts its own position so that the contact portion 232 of the slope plate 230 is located directly below the notch 82 of the fork plate 80 and in the vicinity of the end of the baggage 300 on the backward direction side.

[0110] Next, as shown in state S42, the controller 130 lowers the hand 58 until the bottom surface of the luggage 300 contacts the contact portion 232 of the slope plate 230. Here, as described above, the luggage 300 straddles between the central portion 80c and the protrusion 80a of the fork plate 80. In this state, when the contact point contacts the bottom surface of the luggage 300, the luggage 300 is lifted from the central portion 80c and straddles between the slope plate 230 and the protrusion 80a of the fork plate 80, as shown in FIG. 20A.

[0111] In this state, the controller 130 retracts the hand 58. At this time, the luggage 300 is in contact with the contact portion 232 of the slope plate 230. The frictional force between the contact portion 232 and the luggage 300 is sufficiently larger than the frictional force between the protrusion 80a and the luggage 300. Therefore, when the hand 58 is retracted, the luggage 300 does not slide against the slope plate 230 and tends to stay in place. As a result, the fork plate 80 retracts toward the base end side in the extension direction while sliding on the bottom surface of the luggage 300. FIG. 20B shows the state at this time.

[0112] As the contraction of the hand 58 progresses, the contact between the protrusion 80a of the fork plate 80 and the load 300 is finally released as shown in state S44 of FIG. 19, and the load 300 is supported only by the contact portion 232 of the slope plate 230. However, it is difficult to keep the load 300 horizontal with only the contact portion 232. Therefore, the load 300 falls toward the slope plate 230 as shown in state S44. Thereafter, as shown in state S46, the load 300 falls while sliding down the slope plate 230 due to gravity, and is accommodated in the box-shaped main body 226. Finally, when the lid 228 is closed, the delivery of the load 300 to the UGV 220 is completed.

[0113] As is clear from the above description, in this example, a slope plate 230 is provided on the container 224 of the UGV 220, and the cargo 300 is handed over to the UGV 220 by sliding down the slope plate 230. In other words, according to this example, the UGV 220 does not need a complex mechanism such as a lifter or a hand mechanism. As a result, the configuration of the UGV 220 can be simplified, and the price of the UGV 220 can be kept low.

[0114] In this example, a protrusion 80a is provided at the tip of the fork plate 80. As a result, as shown in FIG. 20A and FIG. 20B, the luggage 300 can be lifted at the contact portion 232 in a substantially horizontal manner. This prevents the luggage 300 from falling off the fork plate 80. In other words, without the protrusion 80a, when the luggage 300 is lifted at the contact portion 232, the luggage 300 is inclined downward toward the rear with respect to the front-rear direction of the UGV 220. This inclination angle becomes steeper as the fork plate 80 moves backward and the distance between the tip of the fork plate 80 and the contact portion 232 becomes closer. The two-dot chain line in FIG. 20B shows the luggage 300 without the protrusion 80a. Therefore, without the protrusion 80a, the inclination of the luggage 300 becomes steeper before the fork plate 80 moves backward sufficiently, and there is a risk that the luggage 300 will fall off the fork plate 80. In this case, the impact on the luggage 300 becomes larger. On the other hand, when the protrusion 80a is provided and the luggage 300 is lifted horizontally at the contact portion 232 as in this example, the horizontal state can be maintained until the fork plate 80 is sufficiently retracted. Then, when the protrusion 80a is positioned very close to the contact portion 232, the luggage 300 tilts toward the slope plate 230 with the contact portion 232 or the protrusion 80a positioned very close to the contact portion 232 as a fulcrum. In this case, the impact on the luggage 300 can be kept small.

[0115] The configurations described above are all merely examples, and other configurations may be changed as long as the UGV 220 includes at least the storage conveyor 12 that circulates the luggage 300 and the stacker 50 that is fixedly installed in the vehicle and transfers the luggage 300 between the first transfer position Pf and the second transfer position Ps. For example, the specific configurations of the storage conveyor 12 and the stacker 50 may be changed. Therefore, the storage conveyor 12 may be a belt conveyor. The storage conveyor 12 may be configured not to change the direction of the luggage 300 at a right angle. The stacker 50 may be configured to directly deliver the luggage 300 to the drone 210 without going through the relay device 100. Furthermore, the configuration of the UGV 220 may also be changed as appropriate. Therefore, the UGV 220 may be provided with a lifter or a hand mechanism, and the luggage 300 may be delivered to and from the stacker 50 using this. [Explanation of symbols]

[0116] 10 cargo handling system, 12 storage conveyor, 16 straight unit, 18 right angle turn unit, 20 lifter, 22 conveyor roller, 24 conveyor motor, 26, 36 belt, 30f first conveyor roller, 30s second conveyor roller, 32f first assist roller, 32s second assist roller, 34f first conveyor motor, 34s ​​second conveyor motor, 38 partition wall, 40 slide rail, 42 lift bar, 44 label reader, 50 stacker, 52 base, 53 bearing, 54 rotating table, 54a gear, 56f first main pillar, 56s second main pillar, 58 hand, 60 rotating motor, 62 gear, 64 support bracket, 66 lift motor, 68l lower pulley, 68u upper pulley, 70 belt, 72 guide rail, 74 connecting plate, 76 Support arm, 78 slide nut, 80 fork plate, 80a protrusion, 80c center portion, 80s side portion, 82 notch, 84 intermediate plate, 86 base end plate, 88 hand motor, 90f first pulley, 90s second pulley, 90t third pulley, 92f first belt, 92s second belt, 100 relay device, 102 lift plate, 102c center portion, 106 fixed guide, 108 first frame, 110 second frame, 120 roof, 122 roof opening, 130 controller, 132 processor, 134 memory, 150 door opening, 210 drone, 220 UGV, 222 running unit, 224 container, 226 box-shaped main body, 228 lid, 230 slope plate, 232 contact portion, 300 luggage, Pf First transfer position, Ps second transfer position, Psd transfer position for drone, Psv transfer position for UGV, Rt transport route.

Claims

1. A storage conveyor that transports luggage in a circular manner along a single-stroke transport route; a stacker that is fixedly installed inside the vehicle and rotates the luggage at least around an axis parallel to the vehicle vertical direction, and transfers the luggage between a first transfer position provided in the middle of the conveying route and a second transfer position horizontally spaced apart from the first transfer position; an unmanned ground vehicle that receives the package from the stacker at the second transfer location; The stacker transfers the luggage between the stacker and the storage conveyor at the first transfer position, The unmanned ground vehicle includes: A container for accommodating the cargo; A slope is provided in the container, inclined rearward and downward with respect to the front-rear direction of the unmanned ground vehicle, and allows the cargo to slide down into the container; having the stacker includes a hand configured to support the baggage and to move the baggage forward and backward in a horizontal direction; The hand includes a fork plate that is a plate on which the load is placed and that moves back and forth horizontally and has one or more notches formed at a tip thereof, When transferring the cargo from the stacker to the unmanned ground vehicle, the stacker places the cargo on the fork plate, positions the notch of the fork plate on the slope, and then lowers the fork plate to bring the top of the slope into contact with the bottom of the cargo, and then retracts the fork plate to the horizontal retreat side, thereby causing the cargo to slide down the slope. A vehicle loading and unloading system.

2. 2. The vehicle loading and unloading system according to claim 1, The stacker includes: A main pillar extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle; a lifting mechanism configured to lift and lower the hand along the main pillar; A rotation mechanism configured to rotate the hand together with the main pillar; A vehicle loading and unloading system comprising:

3. 3. The vehicle loading and unloading system according to claim 2, The stacker further includes a base fixed to a floor surface of the vehicle; The rotation mechanism includes: a rotary table attached to the base so as to be rotatable about an axis parallel to a vehicle vertical direction, the rotary table having the main pillar fixed thereto; a rotary motor that is fixed near the base and that rotates the rotary table when driven; The lifting mechanism includes: a lifting motor disposed inside the base and fixed to the rotary table; a belt that is stretched along the main column and moves in a circulating manner in response to the driving of the lifting motor, the belt having the hand attached thereto; A vehicle loading and unloading system comprising:

4. 2. The vehicle loading and unloading system according to claim 1, A vehicle loading and unloading system, characterized in that the frictional force between the top of the ramp and the bottom of the cargo is greater than the frictional force between the fork plate and the bottom of the cargo.

5. 5. The vehicle loading and unloading system according to claim 4, The fork plate has a protrusion at the tip thereof, the protrusion protruding upward. When placing the article on the fork plate, the stacker causes a part of the article to protrude from the tip of the fork plate and places the article on the protrusion. A vehicle loading and unloading system.

6. The vehicle loading and unloading system according to claim 1, further comprising: a roof opening formed in a roof of a vehicle and through which the luggage can pass; A relay device that transports the luggage received from one of the drone landing on the ceiling and the stacker through the roof opening and delivers it to the other of the drone and the stacker; A vehicle loading and unloading system comprising:

7. A method for transferring luggage from a stacker fixedly installed in a vehicle to an unmanned ground vehicle that has entered the vehicle, comprising the steps of: The stacker has a fork plate which is a plate on which the load is placed and which moves back and forth horizontally and has one or more notches formed at its tip, The unmanned ground vehicle includes: A container for accommodating the cargo; A slope is provided in the container, inclined rearward and downward with respect to the front-rear direction of the unmanned ground vehicle, and allows the cargo to slide down into the container; The stacker comprises: With the load placed on the fork plate, the notch of the fork plate is positioned above the slope, the fork plate is lowered so that the top of the slope comes into contact with the bottom surface of the load, and then the fork plate is retracted to the horizontal retreat side, thereby causing the load to slide down along the slope. A method for delivering luggage, comprising the steps of:

Images