Method and apparatus for storing products stored in cardboard boxes in a warehouse

Abstract

Provided are a method and an apparatus for safely and efficiently storing, in a warehouse, a product stored in a received cardboard box without converting the container. 【Solution means】By a conveying means, a cardboard box with its top surface cut or opened is conveyed from upstream to a loading zone and stationary, and by a lifting means, the stationary cardboard box is supported and lifted upward. Then, by the conveying means, a tray is conveyed from upstream to the loading zone and stationary directly below the lifted cardboard box. By lowering the lifting means, or by releasing the support of the cardboard box by the lifting means, or by supporting the cardboard box with a support means different from the lifting means and then releasing the support of the cardboard box by the lifting means and lowering the support means, the cardboard box is placed inside the tray, and by the conveying means, a step of conveying the tray with the cardboard box placed thereon toward the warehouse downstream of the loading zone, and an apparatus for implementing the same.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for storing goods stored in cardboard boxes received at a logistics facility in a warehouse without converting the containers.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in the logistics industry, GTP (Goods to Person) has been introduced for the purpose of improving storage efficiency, work efficiency, labor saving, and the like (see Patent Documents 1 and 2). In conventional goods picking, workers walked around the shelves where the goods were located to search for the goods, but in GTP, the goods are automatically transported to the picking worker, and the worker can take out the necessary goods on the spot.

[0003] In a GTP system for storing goods in an automated warehouse, in order to stably carry out the incoming and outgoing of goods by a conveying machine, instead of storing the goods in the cardboard boxes as they are, after cutting or opening the top surface of the cardboard box, the goods are taken out from there and "container conversion" is performed by replacing them with buckets or Orihons for storage (see FIG. 1). This is because when the cardboard box containing the goods is handled with the top surface cut or opened as shown in FIG. 2, the strength of the cardboard box decreases, and the cardboard box deforms due to the force received during conveyance, preventing conveyance failures in an automated warehouse, a conveyor, or the like.

[0004] However, this container conversion work runs counter to the trend of labor saving and labor reduction in the logistics industry, and there is a need for a method and an apparatus that can safely and efficiently store goods in a warehouse without performing container conversion from cardboard boxes.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0006] The present invention was devised in view of the above-described state of the prior art, and its object is to provide a method and an apparatus capable of safely and efficiently storing goods stored in a corrugated box received in a warehouse without converting the container.

MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0007] As a result of intensive studies on a method of placing a corrugated box containing goods on a tray and transporting it without relying on manual labor in order to achieve the above object, after transporting the corrugated box to the loading zone, the corrugated box is lifted upward, and then the tray is transported to the loading zone directly below the lifted corrugated box and then the corrugated box is lowered and placed inside the tray, and the tray with the corrugated box is transported toward the downstream warehouse. Thus, the inventors have found that even if the top surface of the corrugated box is cut or opened, the corrugated box containing goods can be safely and efficiently stored in the warehouse without deformation, leading to the completion of the present invention.

[0008] That is, the present invention has the following configurations (1) to (15). (1) A method for storing goods in a warehouse, the method comprising the following steps (i) to (vii): (i) Prepare a corrugated box containing goods and having its top surface cut or opened; (ii) Transport the corrugated box from upstream to the loading zone by a transport means and stop it; (iii) Support the corrugated box stationary in the loading zone by a lifting means and lift it upward; (iv) Prepare a tray with a rim capable of placing the bottom surface of the corrugated box inside; (v) Transport the tray from upstream to the loading zone by the transport means and stop it directly below the lifted corrugated box; (vi) By lowering the lifting means, or by releasing the support of the cardboard box by the lifting means, or after supporting the cardboard box with a support means different from the lifting means or bringing it into a supportable state, and then releasing the support of the cardboard box by the lifting means and lowering the support means, the lifted cardboard box is lowered and placed inside the tray; (vii) By the conveying means, the tray with the cardboard box placed thereon is conveyed toward a warehouse downstream from the loading zone. (2) The method according to (1), characterized in that the conveying means is a roller conveyor. (3) The stationary state of the cardboard box in the step (ii) is achieved by the upward protrusion of a first movable stopper from between adjacent rollers of the roller conveyor, and the stationary state of the tray in the step (v) is achieved by the upward protrusion of a second movable stopper from between adjacent rollers of the roller conveyor. The method according to (2), characterized in that the protruding position of the second movable stopper is downstream of the protruding position of the first movable stopper. (4) The lifting means has comb teeth composed of a plurality of teeth extending laterally between adjacent rollers of the roller conveyor in the loading zone. The cardboard box is supported from below by the comb teeth, and the cardboard box is lifted upward by lifting the comb teeth. The method according to ( 2 ) (5) In the step (ii), the roller conveyor conveys the cardboard box while offsetting it to one side, and in the step (v), the roller conveyor conveys the tray while offsetting it to one side. The method according to (2), characterized in that. (6) After the step (iii), the lifted cardboard box in the loading zone is pushed by a movable guide provided on one side toward a fixed guide provided on the other side so that the bottom of the cardboard box in the width direction fits inside the tray directly below. The method according to (5), characterized in that. (7) In the step of (vi), the supporting means has a protruding portion that can protrude upward through a through portion provided at the bottom inside the tray from below the tray, supports the raised cardboard box from below by the protruding portion, and then slides the comb teeth of the lifting means laterally to release the support of the cardboard box by the comb teeth of the lifting means, and lowers the protruding portion to below the tray to lower the cardboard box and place it inside the tray. The method according to (4), characterized in that. (8) An apparatus for storing goods in a warehouse, The apparatus has a conveyance path from upstream through a loading zone to downstream, and includes a conveyance means capable of conveying a cardboard box in which goods are stored and a tray with an edge along these paths. The conveyance means includes a first stationary means for conveying the cardboard box from upstream to the loading zone and then stationary there, a lifting means for supporting and lifting the stationary cardboard box upward, and a second stationary means for conveying the tray from upstream to the loading zone and then stationary directly below the lifted cardboard box. The conveyance means is configured to lower the lifted cardboard box and place it inside the tray by lowering the lifting means, or by releasing the support of the cardboard box by the lifting means, or after supporting the cardboard box by a support means different from the lifting means or bringing it into a state where it can be supported and then releasing the support of the cardboard box by the lifting means and lowering the support means. Furthermore, the conveyance means is configured to convey the tray with the cardboard box placed thereon toward a warehouse downstream of the loading zone. An apparatus characterized by that. (9) The apparatus according to (8), characterized in that the top surface of the cardboard box is cut or open. (10) The apparatus according to (8) or (9), characterized in that the conveyance means is a roller conveyor. (11) The first stationary means includes a first movable stopper that can project upward from between adjacent rollers of the roller conveyor, and is configured such that the cardboard box is stationary when the first movable stopper projects upward. The second stationary means includes a second movable stopper that can project upward from between adjacent rollers of the roller conveyor, and the tray is stationary when the second movable stopper projects upward. The protruding position of the second movable stopper is configured to be downstream of the protruding position of the first movable stopper. The device according to (10), characterized in that. (12) The lifting means has a comb tooth composed of a plurality of teeth extending laterally between adjacent rollers of the roller conveyor in the loading zone, and is configured to support the cardboard box from below by the comb teeth and lift the comb teeth to lift the cardboard box upward. The device according to (10), characterized in that. (13) The roller conveyor is configured to convey the cardboard box while shifting it to one side, and the roller conveyor is configured to convey the tray while shifting it to one side. The device according to (10), characterized in that. (14) The raised cardboard box in the loading zone is pushed by a movable guide provided on one side toward a fixed guide provided on the other side so that the bottom of the cardboard box in the width direction fits inside the tray directly below. The device according to (13), characterized in that. (15) The supporting means has a protruding portion that can project upward through a through portion provided at the bottom inside the tray from below the tray. The raised cardboard box is supported from below by the protruding portion, and then the comb teeth of the lifting means are slid laterally to release the support of the cardboard box by the comb teeth of the lifting means, and the protruding portion is lowered to below the tray to lower the cardboard box and place it inside the tray. The device according to (12), characterized in that.

Advantages of the Invention

[0009] The method of the present invention allows the corrugated box to be transported in the state of a tray by placing the corrugated box on the tray. Therefore, the force during transportation is not directly applied to the corrugated box, and the corrugated box can be transported safely and stably. Thus, even when handling a corrugated box with a cut or open top surface that is vulnerable to deformation, "container conversion" of the product is unnecessary, and the man-hours for storing the products in the incoming corrugated boxes in the warehouse can be significantly reduced. Further, the device of the present invention can safely and efficiently automate the process of placing the corrugated box on the tray, so that labor saving and personnel reduction in the goods receiving operation can be surely achieved. Furthermore, since the device of the present invention can perform both the lifting of the corrugated box and the lowering of the corrugated box onto the tray with support from below, even a corrugated box with a cut or open top surface is less likely to be deformed and can be safely and stably placed on the tray.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

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Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0011] Typical embodiments of the method and apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0012] The method of the present invention can safely and efficiently store the corrugated box containing the goods received at a logistics facility or the like in a warehouse by placing the corrugated box directly on a tray without converting the container to a bucket, an Oricon, or the like from the corrugated box. The apparatus of the present invention aims to reduce the number of personnel and labor by mechanically automating this method of the present invention.

[0013] In the method of the present invention, first, (i) a corrugated box containing goods is prepared. The shape of the corrugated box is not particularly limited, but is generally a hexahedron such as a rectangular parallelepiped or a cube. Further, the size of the corrugated box is generally about 20 cm to about 120 cm on one side at the time of packing if it is a rectangular parallelepiped or a cube. It is preferable that the top surface of the corrugated box is cut or opened so that the goods can be taken out or confirmed. The cutting or opening of the top surface of the corrugated box can be easily performed by a conventionally known apparatus.

[0014] Next, (ii) the cardboard box prepared in (i) above is conveyed by a conveying means from upstream to the loading zone and stopped. As the conveying means, various conventionally known conveyors can be used, but a roller conveyor is preferred. The conveying means preferably has a conveying path from, for example, upstream near the place where the cardboard box is received, through the loading zone where the cardboard box is placed on the tray, to, for example, downstream near the warehouse location. The cardboard box conveyed to the loading zone is temporarily stopped there for the operation of loading it onto the tray.

[0015] The stopping of the above-mentioned cardboard box can be performed by stopping the conveying means itself. However, when the conveying means is a roller conveyor, it is preferably performed by the protrusion of the movable stopper upward from between the adjacent rollers of the roller conveyor. Thereby, it is possible to achieve the stopping of the cardboard box at a more accurate position in the traveling direction. Further, it is preferable to provide a conventionally known offsetting means on the roller conveyor to offset and convey the cardboard box to the offset guide on one side. Thereby, it is possible to achieve the stopping of the cardboard box at a more accurate position in the width direction (the direction perpendicular to the traveling direction).

[0016] Next, (iii) the cardboard box that has stopped in the above loading zone is lifted by a lifting means. The reason for lifting the cardboard box is to secure a space where the tray can be stationary directly below the cardboard box. As the lifting means, conventionally known means can be adopted. For example, a robot that can grip (support) the cardboard box from both sides and lift it, or a lifting means that supports and lifts the cardboard box from the lower side or the lower part can be adopted. Regarding the latter lifting means, when the conveying means is a roller conveyor, for example, there is a lifting means having comb teeth composed of a plurality of teeth extending laterally between adjacent rollers of the roller conveyor in the loading zone. The cardboard box can be lifted upward by supporting the cardboard box from below by the comb teeth of this lifting means and raising the comb teeth. Since such a lifting means supports and lifts the cardboard box from below, even if the top surface of the cardboard box is cut or open, it can be safely lifted without being deformed.

[0017] After the step of (iii) described above, it is preferable that the cardboard box lifted in the loading zone is position-adjusted so that the cardboard box fits within the tray that comes directly below the cardboard box in the width direction. Specifically, the cardboard box that has been offset to one side by the offset means of the conveying means is pushed by the movable guide provided on the offset side toward the fixed guide provided on the other side so that the bottom of the cardboard box in the width direction fits inside the tray that comes directly below. Thereby, the position where the cardboard box is placed on the tray can be appropriately adjusted not only in the traveling direction but also in the width direction inside the tray.

[0018] Next, (iv) prepare a tray with a rim on which the above cardboard box can be placed. The rim is provided to prevent the cardboard box from protruding outside the tray or falling off during the conveyance of the tray with the cardboard box placed thereon. The tray needs to have a bottom surface inside (the bottom surface inside the rim) where the bottom of the cardboard box fits in a plan view. To meet this condition, the shape and size of the tray may be appropriately set according to the bottom surface of the target cardboard box. Generally, the tray is square or rectangular, and in that case, one side is about 50 to about 150 cm, particularly about 60 to about 120 cm. The rim is preferably provided over the entire circumference of the tray, and the height of the rim is about 2 to about 15 cm, particularly preferably about 3 to about 12 cm. In addition, when the tray supports or lowers the cardboard box by the protruding portion of the support means through the through-holes provided at the bottom inside the tray as described later, as shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), it is preferable to provide a plurality of through-holes through which the protruding portion of the support means passes at the bottom inside the tray. In FIG. 5, the positions of the through-holes are indicated by crosses, but in order to uniformly support the entire bottom of the cardboard box from below, the through-holes are preferably provided substantially uniformly over the entire bottom of the tray.

[0019] Next, (v) convey the tray prepared in the above (iv) by the conveying means from the upstream to the loading zone and stop it. There is a cardboard box directly above the stopped tray. It is preferable to directly use the above-described conveying means for the cardboard box as the conveying means for the tray. The tray conveyed to the loading zone is stopped there once because the bottom surface of the cardboard box is to be placed inside it.

[0020] The above-mentioned tray can be stopped by stopping the conveying means itself in the same way as the cardboard box. However, when the conveying means is a roller conveyor, it is preferable to stop the tray by protruding a movable stopper upward from between adjacent rollers of the roller conveyor. This makes it possible to achieve stopping at a more accurate position in the advancing direction of the tray. This movable stopper (second movable stopper) for stopping the tray has the same function as the movable stopper (first movable stopper) for stopping the cardboard box described above, but it is preferably provided separately, especially when both stoppers protrude upward from positions between different rollers. In this case, it is preferable that the protruding position of the second movable stopper is downstream of the protruding position of the first movable stopper. This enables the edge of the cardboard box to stop in front of the edge of the tray in the advancing direction, and when the cardboard box is lowered directly below, the cardboard box can be safely placed inside the tray without getting caught on the edge of the tray.

[0021] Also, it is preferable to provide a known offset means on the roller conveyor to offset the tray to the offset guide on one side and convey it. This makes it possible to achieve stopping at a more accurate position in the width direction of the tray. The offset means and the offset guide may use the offset means and the offset guide of the cardboard box described above as they are. However, as described above, in order to prevent the edge of the tray on the offset side in the width direction from overlapping with the edge of the cardboard box in the loading zone, it is preferable to push the cardboard box toward the fixed guide in the direction opposite to the offset side by the movable guide of the cardboard box described above. The pushing distance of the movable guide and the position of the fixed guide are set so that the range of the cardboard box in the width direction falls inside the range of the tray in the width direction (inside the edge of the tray). This enables the cardboard box to be safely placed inside the tray without getting caught on the edge of the tray in the width direction when the cardboard box is lowered directly below.

[0022] Next, (vi) the cardboard box that has been raised in the step (iii) described above is lowered, and the bottom of the cardboard box is placed inside the tray. The lowering of the cardboard box is carried out by (a) lowering the lifting means, or (b) releasing the support of the cardboard box by the lifting means, or (c) after supporting the cardboard box with a support means different from the lifting means or bringing it into a state where it can be supported, releasing the support of the cardboard box by the lifting means and lowering the support means. Regarding (a), this is carried out when the lifting means, for example, supports (grips) the cardboard box from both sides and raises or lowers it, and it is difficult for interference with the tray or the device to occur, or when the cardboard box can withstand deformation even when supported from both sides. Regarding (b), this is carried out when it is expected that the cardboard box or the goods inside it can withstand the impact caused by such a drop to a certain extent because the cardboard box will fall due to gravity from a certain height when the support is released. Regarding (c), this is carried out when it is expected that the cardboard box is easily deformed by a small force or the goods inside it cannot withstand the impact. In (c), the state where it can be supported by a support means different from the lifting means means a state where the other support means does not directly support the cardboard box, but can support the cardboard box from below at a close distance with almost no impact after the support of the cardboard box by the lifting means is released. This method (c) is effective for safely lowering the cardboard box with the top surface cut or opened into the tray from the raised position without applying an impact or deforming it.

[0023] Next, (vii) the tray with the cardboard box placed thereon in (vi) above is conveyed toward the warehouse downstream from the loading zone. The tray with the cardboard box on it may be directly stored in the downstream warehouse in this state, or may be stored in the warehouse using another conveying means downstream. In any case, the cardboard box containing the goods can be safely stored in the warehouse in the state of being placed on the tray without changing the container of the goods.

[0024] Although the method of the present invention has been described in detail above, a typical example of the device of the present invention capable of implementing it will be described below with reference to the drawings together with the method steps.

[0025] First, an example of an apparatus that can be used in the method of the present invention is shown in the schematic plan view of FIG. 3 and the schematic cross-sectional view in the width direction of FIG. 4. In the figures, 1 is a conveying means, which has a conveying path from the upstream through the loading zone 2 to the downstream. Here, the conveying means 1 is a roller conveyor. The loading zone 2 is an area where the step of placing the cardboard box on the tray is performed. 3 is a first stationary means. The first stationary means 3 includes a first movable stopper that can protrude upward from between adjacent rollers of the roller conveyor. By the upward protrusion of this first movable stopper, the cardboard box can hit there and its movement in the traveling direction can be completely stopped. 4 is a second stationary means. The second stationary means 4 also includes a second movable stopper that can protrude upward from between adjacent rollers of the roller conveyor. By the upward protrusion of this second movable stopper, the tray can hit there and its movement in the traveling direction can be completely stopped. Both the first movable stopper and the second movable stopper have an upright wall surface in the longitudinal direction in the width direction when protruding, and can follow the side surface in the width direction on the front side of the cardboard box or the tray. The second movable stopper of the second stationary means 4 is set so that its protruding position is downstream of the first movable stopper of the first stationary means 3. Thereby, as will be described later, when the cardboard box is lowered directly below, the end portion of the cardboard box in the traveling direction becomes closer to the upstream than the tray, and it can be ensured that the cardboard box fits well inside the tray in the traveling direction.

[0026] 5 is the lifting means. The lifting means 5 is configured to support the cardboard box stationary in the loading zone 2 and lift it upward. Here, the lifting means 5 has a comb tooth 6 composed of a plurality of teeth extending laterally between adjacent rollers of the roller conveyor in the loading zone 2. By supporting the cardboard box from below with this comb tooth 6 and raising the comb tooth 6, the cardboard box can be lifted upward. It is preferable to provide about 3 to 10 teeth continuously between adjacent rollers in order to uniformly support the bottom of the cardboard box from below (8 teeth in Fig. 3). After the lifting means 5 raises the cardboard box by raising the comb tooth 6, the support of the cardboard box can be released by retracting the comb tooth 6 laterally (to the right side in Figs. 3 and 4), and in order to prepare for the lifting of the next conveyed cardboard box, it can be returned between adjacent rollers, lowered, and returned to its original position again.

[0027] 7 is the offset guide. While the conveying means 1 conveys the cardboard box or tray while offsetting it toward the offset guide 7 side, it stops the cardboard box or tray in the loading zone 2 with the end in the width direction of the cardboard box or tray along this offset guide 7. Actually, the conveying means 1 offsets the cardboard box or tray little by little from the upstream of the loading zone 2 toward the offset guide 7 side by a conventionally known offsetting means to align the orientation of the cardboard box or tray and convey it, and stops the cardboard box or tray with the end in the width direction along the offset guide 7 side.

[0028] 8 is a movable guide, and 9 is a fixed guide. Both guides 8 and 9 have longitudinally upright wall surfaces in the traveling direction and can be along the side surface in the traveling direction of the cardboard box. The movable guide 8 is provided on one side in the width direction of the loading zone 2 (the left side in FIGS. 3 and 4), and the fixed guide 9 is provided on the other side in the width direction of the loading zone 2 (the right side in FIGS. 3 and 4). The movable guide 8 can move so as to push the cardboard box lifted in the loading zone 2 toward the fixed guide 9 at a fixed position in the width direction. The position of the fixed guide 9 is set such that when the cardboard box is pushed until it hits the fixed guide 9 and then lowered straight down, the cardboard box fits inside the tray directly below in the width direction. Thereby, when the lifted cardboard box is lowered straight down, the cardboard box can be safely placed inside the edge of the tray in the width direction.

[0029] Reference numeral 10 is a supporting means for the cardboard box and is a supporting means different from the lifting means 5. The supporting means 10 can support the cardboard box from below and can lower the cardboard box after supporting it. Specifically, the supporting means 10 has a protruding portion 11 that can protrude upward through a through-hole (see FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b)) provided at the bottom inside the tray from below the tray. The cardboard box is supported from below by this protruding portion 11, and after supporting, the cardboard box supported by the lowering of the protruding portion 11 can be lowered and placed inside the tray. Actually, in the loading zone 2, when the cardboard box is lifted by the lifting means 5 and the tray is stationary directly below it, the cardboard box lifted by this protruding portion 11 is supported from below or made to be in a state where it can be supported, and then the comb teeth 6 composed of a plurality of teeth of the lifting means 5 are slid laterally to release the support of the cardboard box by the comb teeth 6 of the lifting means 5. The cardboard box is placed on the protruding portion 11, and the protruding portion 11 is lowered to below the tray to lower the cardboard box and place it inside the tray. As shown in FIG. 4, the protruding portions 11 are preferably composed of a plurality, preferably 10 or more, and each is preferably configured to protrude uniformly over substantially the entire surface through a through-hole provided at the bottom of the tray from below so as to be able to support. Thereby, the entire bottom surface of the cardboard box can be uniformly supported, and as a result, the force applied to the bottom of the cardboard box is made uniform and deformation of the cardboard box is less likely to occur. Also, by providing a large number of the protruding portions 11 densely, even a cardboard box with a small bottom area can be safely supported from below and lowered.

[0030] The movement of the device of the present invention described above will be described in the order of method steps based on the drawings. The device of the present invention has a conveyance path from the upstream side of the unloading area to the downstream side of the warehouse through a loading zone for placing the corrugated boxes on the tray in order to store the incoming corrugated boxes in the warehouse, and is configured to be able to place the corrugated boxes in which the products are stored on the tray and convey them through these paths. First, the corrugated box is conveyed from the upstream to the loading zone 2 by the conveying means 1 and is stationary there. The device in that state is shown in the schematic plan view (a) and the schematic cross-sectional view (b) of FIG. 6. In this state, the corrugated box conveyed to the loading zone 2 hits the first movable stopper protruding above the first stationary means 3 in the traveling direction and stops as the roller conveyor of the conveying means 1 stops, and is stationary along the offset guide 7 in the width direction. In the device of FIG. 6, the roller conveyor of the conveying means 1 has already stopped, and the lifting means 5, the movable guide 8, and the support means 10 have not yet moved.

[0031] Next, the corrugated box in the loading zone 2 is lifted by the lifting means 5. The device in that state is shown in the schematic plan view (a) and the schematic cross-sectional view (b) of FIG. 7. In this state, the corrugated box in the loading zone 2 is placed on the comb teeth 6 of the lifting means 5, and is lifted directly above the roller conveyor as the comb teeth 6 are lifted. A space is created below the lifted corrugated box where the tray can be conveyed and stationary. In the device of FIG. 7, a plurality of teeth of the comb teeth 6 of the lifting means 5 are each lifted directly above the adjacent rollers and support and lift the corrugated box from below.

[0032] Next, the tray is conveyed by the conveying means 1 from the upstream to the loading zone 2 and then stopped. The apparatus in this state is shown in the schematic plan view (a) and the schematic cross-sectional view (b) of FIG. 8. In this state, the tray conveyed to the loading zone 2 hits the second movable stopper protruding above the second stationary means 4 in the traveling direction along with the stop of the roller conveyor of the conveying means 1 and stops, and in the width direction, it stops along the offset guide 7, and there is a corrugated box raised directly above the tray. As a result, when the corrugated box is lowered directly below, it can be placed inside the tray without protruding from the tray in the traveling direction. In the apparatus of FIG. 8, the roller conveyor of the conveying means 1 has already stopped, and the lifting means 5 is in a state where it supports and raises the corrugated box from below by its comb teeth 6, but the movable guide 8 and the supporting means 10 have not yet moved.

[0033] Next, the raised corrugated box is pushed in the width direction (to the right in FIG. 9) by the movable guide 8 toward the fixed guide 9. As a result, when the corrugated box is lowered directly below, it can be placed inside the tray without protruding from the tray in the width direction. Further, after the widthwise pushing of the movable guide 8, the corrugated box pushed toward the fixed guide 9 is uniformly supported from below by the plurality of protruding portions 11 of the supporting means 10 protruding upward through the through-hole provided at the bottom inside the tray from below the tray. The apparatus in this state is shown in the schematic plan view (a) and the schematic cross-sectional view (b) of FIG. 9. This support from below may be such that the protruding portion 11 of the supporting means 10 does not directly support the corrugated box, or it may be in a state where it can be supported after the release of the support by the lifting means 5. In the state of FIG. 9, the bottom of the raised corrugated box is completely contained inside the tray directly below in both the traveling direction and the width direction, and the corrugated box is in a state where its bottom is supported from below by the supporting means 10 or can be supported at a close distance. In the apparatus of FIG. 9, the widthwise pushing of the corrugated box by the movable guide 8, the support from below by the supporting means 10 or the preparation for support has already been completed.

[0034] Next, by releasing the support of the cardboard box by the lifting means 5, the cardboard box is supported from below by the support means 10. The apparatus in this state is shown in the schematic plan view (a) and the schematic cross-sectional view (b) of FIG. 10. In this state, the cardboard box is completely supported from below by the support means 10, and the support by the lifting means 5 no longer exists. In the apparatus of FIG. 10, the comb teeth 6 of the lifting means 5 have moved from below the cardboard box to the side to release the support of the cardboard box. As a result, the cardboard box has its bottom placed on the protrusion 11 of the support means 10 and is supported from below only by the protrusion 11. After transporting the tray on which the cardboard box is placed in the traveling direction, the comb teeth 6 of the lifting means 5 can descend and move under the transport surface between the rollers.

[0035] Next, the cardboard box supported at the bottom by the protrusion 11 of the support means 10 is received inside the tray by the lowering of the protrusion 11 of the support means 10. The apparatus in this state is shown in the schematic plan view (a) and the schematic cross-sectional view (b) of FIG. 11. In this state, the tray is on the transport surface of the roller conveyor in the loading zone 2 with the cardboard box placed inside it. In the apparatus of FIG. 11, the protrusion 11 of the support means 10 has descended below the transport surface of the roller conveyor and no longer supports the cardboard box from below. Therefore, by operating the roller conveyor in the traveling direction, the tray with the cardboard box placed on it can be transported toward the upstream warehouse. At this time, the first movable stopper of the first stationary means 3 and the second movable stopper of the second stationary means 4 are located below the transport surface of the roller conveyor and can transport the tray with the cardboard box placed on it in the traveling direction.

[0036] As described above, the method and apparatus of the present invention have been described in detail. However, as long as the object of the present invention is not impaired, each of the means and steps described above can be appropriately changed or added to conventionally known means other than those described above within the requirements of the claims. In particular, the lifting means for the cardboard box, the stationary means in the traveling direction for the cardboard box or the tray, the movable guide or the fixed guide for moving the cardboard box in the width direction, and the support means for the cardboard box can appropriately employ various conventionally known means other than those described above as long as the object of the present invention is not impaired.

Industrial Applicability

[0037] The present invention can provide a method and an apparatus capable of safely and efficiently storing the goods stored in the incoming cardboard boxes in a warehouse without converting the containers, and thus is extremely useful in the logistics industry.

Explanation of Signs

[0038] 1 Conveying means 2 Loading zone 3 First stationary means 4 Second stationary means 5 Lifting means 6 Comb teeth 7 Offset guide 8 Movable guide 9 Fixed guide 10 Support means 11 Protrusion

Claims

Claim 1 A method for storing goods in a warehouse, characterized by including the following steps (i) to (vii): (i) Prepare a cardboard box that stores goods and has its top surface cut or opened; (ii) Use a conveying means to convey the cardboard box from upstream to the loading zone and stop it; (iii) Use a lifting means to support the cardboard box stationary in the loading zone and lift it upward; (iv) Prepare a tray with an edge that can place the bottom surface of the cardboard box inside; (v) Use the conveying means to convey the tray from upstream to the loading zone and stop it directly below the lifted cardboard box; (vi) By lowering the lifting means, or by releasing the support of the cardboard box by the lifting means, or after supporting the cardboard box with a support means different from the lifting means or making it in a supportable state, then releasing the support of the cardboard box by the lifting means and lowering the support means to lower the lifted cardboard box and place it inside the tray; (vii) Use the conveying means to convey the tray with the cardboard box placed on it towards the warehouse downstream from the loading zone. Claim 2 The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the conveying means is a roller conveyor. Claim 3 The stationary of the cardboard box in step (ii) is achieved by the upward protrusion of a first movable stopper from between adjacent rollers of the roller conveyor, and the stationary of the tray in step (v) is achieved by the upward protrusion of a second movable stopper from between adjacent rollers of the roller conveyor. The protruding position of the second movable stopper is downstream of the protruding position of the first movable stopper. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that. Claim 4 The method according to claim 2, characterized in that the lifting means has a comb tooth composed of a plurality of teeth extending laterally between adjacent rollers of the roller conveyor in the loading zone, and the cardboard box is supported from below by the comb tooth and the comb tooth is lifted to lift the cardboard box upward. Claim 5 In the step (ii), the roller conveyor conveys the cardboard box while shifting it to one side, and in the step (v), the roller conveyor conveys the tray while shifting it to one side. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that.

6. After the step (iii), the raised cardboard box in the loading zone is pushed by a movable guide provided on one side toward a fixed guide provided on the other side so that the bottom of the cardboard box is received inside the tray directly below in the width direction. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that.

7. In the step (vi), the support means has a protruding portion that can protrude upward through a through portion provided at the bottom inside the tray from below the tray, supports the raised cardboard box from below by the protruding portion, and then slides the comb teeth of the lifting means laterally to release the support of the cardboard box by the comb teeth of the lifting means, and lowers the protruding portion below the tray to lower the cardboard box and place it inside the tray. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that.

8. An apparatus for storing goods in a warehouse, The apparatus has a conveyance path from upstream through a loading zone to downstream, and includes a conveyance means capable of conveying a cardboard box in which goods are stored and a tray with a rim along these paths. The conveyance means includes a first stationary means for conveying the cardboard box from upstream to the loading zone and then stationary there, a lifting means for supporting and lifting the stationary cardboard box upward, and a second stationary means for conveying the tray from upstream to the loading zone and then stationary directly below the lifted cardboard box. The conveyance means is configured to lower the lifted cardboard box and place it inside the tray by lowering the lifting means, or by releasing the support of the cardboard box by the lifting means, or after supporting the cardboard box by a support means different from the lifting means or making it in a state where it can be supported and then releasing the support of the cardboard box by the lifting means and lowering the support means. Furthermore, the conveyance means is configured to convey the tray with the cardboard box placed thereon toward a warehouse downstream of the loading zone. An apparatus characterized by that.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the top surface of the cardboard box is cut or open.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the conveying means is a roller conveyor.

11. The first stationary means includes a first movable stopper that can protrude upward from between adjacent rollers of the roller conveyor, and is configured such that the cardboard box is stationary when the first movable stopper protrudes upward. The second stationary means includes a second movable stopper that can protrude upward from between adjacent rollers of the roller conveyor, and the tray is stationary when the second movable stopper protrudes upward. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the protruding position of the second movable stopper is downstream of the protruding position of the first movable stopper.

12. The lifting means has comb teeth composed of a plurality of teeth extending laterally between adjacent rollers of the roller conveyor in the loading zone, and is configured to support the cardboard box from below by the comb teeth and lift the comb teeth to lift the cardboard box upward. The apparatus according to claim 10.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the roller conveyor is configured to convey the cardboard box while offsetting it to one side, and the roller conveyor is configured to convey the tray while offsetting it to one side.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the raised cardboard box in the loading zone is pushed by a movable guide provided on one side toward a fixed guide provided on the other side so that the bottom of the cardboard box fits inside the tray directly below in the width direction.

15. The supporting means has a protruding portion that can protrude upward through a through portion provided at the bottom inside the tray from below the tray, supports the raised cardboard box from below by the protruding portion, and then slides the comb teeth of the lifting means laterally to release the support of the cardboard box by the comb teeth of the lifting means, and the protruding portion is lowered to below the tray to lower the cardboard box and place it inside the tray. The apparatus according to claim 12.

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