Conveyor system and method for controlling the conveyor system

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a conveyor system, and a method for controlling a conveyor system, with which it is possible to suppress any reduction in object transport efficiency. [Solution] The present invention comprises: a turning conveyor 50 that is capable of turning about a vertical axis, the turning conveyor 50 receiving an object F from a first conveyor line 10 or from a second conveyor line 20 and delivering the object F to a third conveyor line 30; and a controller 60 that causes the turning conveyor 50 to turn about the vertical axis, the controller 60 switching the turning conveyor 50 between a first state in which the object F can be received from the first conveyor line 10 and a second state in which the object F can be received from the second conveyor line 20. After the turning conveyor 50 has delivered the object F to the third conveyor line 30, the controller 60 causes the turning conveyor 50 to stand by in either the first state or the second state on the basis of actual result data D that indicates whether the turning conveyor 50 received the object F from the first conveyor line 10 or the second conveyor line 20.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveyor system and a method for controlling a conveyor system. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a conveyor system having a first conveyor line, a second conveyor line, and a third conveyor line for transporting articles, a swivel conveyor that receives articles from the first conveyor line or the second conveyor line and hands the articles over to the third conveyor line, and a controller that controls the swivel conveyor (see, for example, Patent Document 1). When the swivel conveyor receives an article to be transported from the first conveyor line or the second conveyor line, the controller operates the swivel conveyor to rotate about a vertical axis and hand the article over to the third conveyor line.

[0003] After receiving an article from one of the first and second conveyor lines, the swivel conveyor must rotate to receive the next article from the other conveyor line. Each of the first and second conveyor lines is provided with a sensor that detects the article being transported. Based on the result of the detection of the article by the sensor, the controller rotates the swivel conveyor to a state where the swivel conveyor can receive the article from the first or second conveyor line. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2020 / 090323 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the conveyor system of Patent Document 1, as described above, after a sensor detects an item being transported on the first or second conveyor line, the swivel conveyor is rotated to a state where the item can be received from the first or second conveyor line. Therefore, for example, if the distance from the position where the sensor detects the item to the swivel conveyor is short, or if the transport speed of the items on the first or second conveyor line is fast, waiting for the sensor to detect the item before starting to rotate the swivel conveyor may temporarily stop the item on the first or second conveyor line until the swivel conveyor is ready to receive the item. As a result, the item may be retained on the first or second conveyor line, which may reduce the efficiency of transporting the item.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a conveyor system and a method for controlling a conveyor system that can prevent a decrease in the efficiency of transporting articles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A conveyor system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a first conveyor line, a second conveyor line, and a third conveyor line for transporting articles; a swivel conveyor that is rotatable about a vertical axis and receives articles from the first conveyor line or the second conveyor line and passes the articles to the third conveyor line; and a controller that rotates the swivel conveyor about the vertical axis and switches between a first state in which the swivel conveyor can receive articles from the first conveyor line and a second state in which the swivel conveyor can receive articles from the second conveyor line, and the controller causes the swivel conveyor to wait in the first state or the second state based on performance data that indicates whether the swivel conveyor received an article from the first conveyor line or the second conveyor line after the swivel conveyor has passed the article to the third conveyor line.

[0008] A method for controlling a conveyor system according to an embodiment of the present invention is a method for controlling a conveyor system including a first conveyor line, a second conveyor line, and a third conveyor line for transporting articles, and a swivel conveyor that is rotatable about a vertical axis and receives articles from the first conveyor line or the second conveyor line and delivers the articles to the third conveyor line, the method including, after the swivel conveyor delivers the articles to the third conveyor line, making the swivel conveyor wait in a first state in which it can receive articles from the first conveyor line, or in a second state in which it can receive articles from the second conveyor line, based on performance data indicating whether the swivel conveyor received articles from the first conveyor line or the second conveyor line. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the conveyor system and the conveyor system control method of the above aspects, the swivel conveyor waits facing the conveyor line that is likely to be the next recipient of the article, so that the article does not stagnate on the conveyor line and the conveying time is likely to be shortened by the amount of the swivel time, thereby preventing a decrease in the conveying efficiency of the conveyor system.

[0010] In the conveyor system according to the above aspect, the controller may compare the number of times the swivel conveyor has received articles from the first conveyor line with the number of times the swivel conveyor has received articles from the second conveyor line based on performance data, identify the conveyor line with the highest number of times from the first conveyor line or the second conveyor line, and have the swivel conveyor wait in a state corresponding to the identified conveyor line. According to this aspect, it is possible to accurately predict the conveyor line that is likely to be the next recipient of the article, thereby preventing a decrease in the conveying efficiency of the conveyor system.

[0011] In the conveyor system according to the above aspect, the controller may compare the number of times the swivel conveyor received articles from the first conveyor line with the number of times the swivel conveyor received articles from the second conveyor line among the most recent predetermined number of times the swivel conveyor received articles or the number of times the swivel conveyor received articles during a predetermined period. According to this aspect, the standby state of the swivel conveyor can be changed in response to changes in the transport situation.

[0012] In the conveyor system according to the above aspect, when the swivel conveyor receives articles from either the first conveyor line or the second conveyor line a predetermined number of times or more in succession, the controller may identify the first conveyor line or the second conveyor line from which the swivel conveyor has received articles a predetermined number of times or more in succession, regardless of whether the number of times the swivel conveyor has received articles in a predetermined number of times or in a predetermined period is large. According to this aspect, it is possible to accurately predict the conveyor line that is likely to be the next recipient of the article, thereby further suppressing a decrease in the conveying efficiency of the conveyor system.

[0013] In the conveyor system according to the above aspect, the predetermined number of times or the predetermined period may be changeable, making it possible to adjust sensitivity to changes in the conveyance situation.

[0014] In the conveyor system according to the above aspect, the controller may include a memory unit for storing performance data, and when the swivel conveyor receives an article from the first conveyor line or the second conveyor line, information indicating whether the article was received from the first conveyor line or the second conveyor line may be stored in the memory unit as performance data for each article in chronological order. According to this aspect, performance data can be collected during actual operation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a conveyor system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a first state of the turning conveyor. [Figure 2B] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a second state of the turning conveyor. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a standby process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a first number of times of receiving and a second number of times of receiving according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 4 is a flowchart of a standby process in the control method for the conveyor system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6A] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the operation of a turning conveyor according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6B] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the operation of a turning conveyor according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7A] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the operation of a turning conveyor according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7B] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the operation of a turning conveyor according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a conveyor system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a standby process according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart of a standby process in a control method for a conveyor system according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The present invention will be described below through embodiments, but the following embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention. Furthermore, not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the solution of the invention. In the drawings, identical or similar parts may be designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations may be omitted. Furthermore, the shapes, dimensions, etc. of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity, and may differ in size, shape, etc. from the actual product.

[0017] [First embodiment] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a conveyor system 1 according to a first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the conveyor system 1 transports containers (hereinafter referred to as "items F") that store objects to be transported. For example, the conveyor system 1 transports the items F into a stocker, or transports the items F from the stocker to a processing device. The items F may be, for example, front-opening unified pods (FOUPs) that store wafers to be processed in semiconductor manufacturing equipment, liquid crystal manufacturing equipment, or the like, or reticle pods that store reticles used in semiconductor manufacturing equipment, liquid crystal manufacturing equipment, or the like. The processing devices include, for example, devices that perform various processes on wafers, such as cleaning, ion implantation, heat treatment, lithography, etching, film formation, and planarization.

[0018] The conveyor system 1 is, for example, a High Throughput Conveyor (HTC). The conveyor system 1 includes a first conveyor line 10, a second conveyor line 20, a third conveyor line 30, a detection unit 40, a turning conveyor 50, and a controller 60.

[0019] The first conveyor line 10 transports the articles F in a first direction. The first conveyor line 10 is arranged parallel to the first direction, which is the transport direction, with its longitudinal direction being the transport direction. A turning conveyor 50 is connected to the downstream end of the first conveyor line 10. That is, the first conveyor line 10 transports the articles F in the first direction, and finally transports the articles F to the turning conveyor 50. Note that the transport of the articles F by the first conveyor line 10 may be controlled by the controller 60, or may be controlled by a device other than the controller 60.

[0020] The second conveyor line 20 transports the articles F in the second direction. The second conveyor line 20 is arranged parallel to the second direction, which is the transport direction, with its longitudinal direction being the transport direction. A turning conveyor 50 is connected to the downstream end of the second conveyor line 20. That is, the second conveyor line 20 transports the articles F in the second direction, and finally transports the articles F to the turning conveyor 50. Note that the transport of the articles F by the second conveyor line 20 may be controlled by the controller 60 or by a device other than the controller 60.

[0021] The third conveyor line 30 transports the articles F in the second direction. The third conveyor line 30 is arranged parallel to the second direction, which is the transport direction, with its longitudinal direction being the transport direction. A turning conveyor 50 is connected to the upstream end of the third conveyor line 30. That is, the third conveyor line 30 receives the articles F from the turning conveyor 50 and transports the received articles F in the second direction. Note that the transport of the articles F by the third conveyor line 30 may be controlled by the controller 60 or by a device other than the controller 60.

[0022] As described above, the first conveyor line 10 and the second conveyor line 20 convey articles F to the turning conveyor 50 from different conveying directions. The third conveyor line 30 conveys articles F from the turning conveyor 50 in a third direction. Each of the first conveyor line 10, the second conveyor line 20, and the third conveyor line 30 is, for example, composed of a plurality of unit conveyor units arranged in series. A unit conveyor unit may be, for example, a belt conveyor having an endless belt for conveying articles, a roller unit around which the endless belt is wound, and a drive unit for driving the roller unit. A unit conveyor unit may be, for example, a roller conveyor having a plurality of drive rollers arranged in a row. When the first conveyor line 10, the second conveyor line 20, and the third conveyor line 30 are composed of a plurality of unit conveyor units, articles F are conveyed by transferring to the unit conveyor units in sequence.

[0023] A detection unit 40 is provided on at least each of the first conveyor line 10 and the second conveyor line 20. The detection unit 40 provided on the first conveyor line 10 may be referred to as the "detection unit 40A," and the detection unit 40 provided on the second conveyor line 20 may be referred to as the "detection unit 40B." The detection unit 40A detects an article F flowing on the first conveyor line 10. The detection unit 40A is connected to the controller 60 and outputs the detection result to the controller 60. The detection unit 40B detects an article F flowing on the second conveyor line 20. The detection unit 40B is connected to the controller 60 and outputs the detection result to the controller 60.

[0024] For example, the detection unit 40 has a first sensor 41 and a second sensor 42. The first sensor 41 is provided upstream of the second sensor 42. The first sensor 41 detects, for example, that an article F is being transported onto the turning conveyor 50. The second sensor 42 is provided at a position corresponding to a waiting position for the article F entering the turning conveyor 50.

[0025] The swivel conveyor 50 is capable of rotating around a vertical axis. The swivel conveyor 50 receives articles F from the first conveyor line 10 or the second conveyor line 20 and delivers the articles F to the third conveyor line 30. The swivel conveyor 50 may be, for example, a belt conveyor having an endless belt for transporting articles, a roller unit around which the endless belt is wound, and a drive unit for driving the roller unit. The swivel conveyor 50 may also be a roller conveyor having a plurality of drive rollers arranged side by side. FIG. 2A is a diagram showing a first state of the swivel conveyor 50. FIG. 2B is a diagram showing a second state of the swivel conveyor 50. When in the first state, the swivel conveyor 50 is capable of receiving articles F from the first conveyor line 10. When in the second state, the swivel conveyor 50 is capable of receiving articles F from the second conveyor line 20.

[0026] The first state is a state of the turning conveyor 50 in which it can receive an article F from the first conveyor line 10. In the first state, the orientation of the turning conveyor 50 is a state in which it faces a first direction. The orientation of the turning conveyor 50 is the direction in which the article F flows on the turning conveyor 50. The second state is a state of the turning conveyor 50 in which it can receive an article F from the second conveyor line 20. In the second state, the orientation of the turning conveyor 50 is a state in which it faces a second direction. The turning conveyor 50 can transport an article F that has flowed on the first conveyor line 10 or the second conveyor line 20 to the third conveyor line 30.

[0027] The controller 60 may include, for example, an information processing device such as a computer. The controller 60 controls the operation of the turning conveyor 50. The controller 60 may also control the operation of the first conveyor line 10, the second conveyor line 20, and the third conveyor line 30. The functional units of the controller 60 according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0028] The controller 60 includes a storage unit 61 and a control unit 62. The control unit 62 is realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). Furthermore, part or all of the control unit 62 may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integrated circuit), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware.

[0029] The storage unit 61 is configured by, for example, a HDD, a flash memory, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The above programs may be stored in the storage unit 61.

[0030] The control unit 62 rotates the swivel conveyor 50 around a vertical axis to switch between a first state in which the swivel conveyor 50 can receive an article F from the first conveyor line 10 and a second state in which the swivel conveyor 50 can receive an article F from the second conveyor line 20. That is, after transferring the article F to the third conveyor line 30, the control unit 62 causes the swivel conveyor 50 to wait in either the first state or the second state. At that time, the control unit 62 determines which of the first and second states the swivel conveyor 50 will wait in based on the performance data D. In other words, the control unit 62 predicts which conveyor line (the first conveyor line 10 or the second conveyor line 20) will transport the article F to the swivel conveyor 50 next time based on the performance data D, and causes the swivel conveyor 50 to wait in a state in which it can receive an article F from the predicted conveyor line. Note that predicting the conveyor line that will transport the article F to the turning conveyor 50 includes predicting the direction in which the article F will be transported.

[0031] The performance data D is time-series data indicating from which of the first conveyor line 10 and the second conveyor line 20 the swivel conveyor 50 has received an article F in the past. The performance data D is stored in the memory unit 61. For example, when the swivel conveyor 50 receives an article F from the first conveyor line 10 or the second conveyor line 20, the control unit 62 stores information indicating from which of the first conveyor line 10 and the second conveyor line 20 the article F was received as performance data D in the memory unit 61 in time series for each article F. The performance data D may be all past data, data from a predetermined period of time from the present, or data from only the most recent predetermined number of times.

[0032] An example of a standby process for determining the standby state of the swivel conveyor 50 based on the performance data D will be described below with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a diagram for explaining the standby process according to the first embodiment. Figure 4 is a diagram showing the first number of receptions and the second number of receptions according to the first embodiment. In the example of performance data D shown in Figures 3 and 4, information indicating the direction from which the article F was transported relative to the swivel conveyor 50 (hereinafter referred to as "direction information") is stored in the memory unit 61 as information indicating from which of the first conveyor line 10 and the second conveyor line 20 the article F was received.

[0033] For example, when the direction information is "3", it indicates that an article F was transported to the turning conveyor 50 from the third direction. In other words, when the direction information is "3", it indicates that an article F was transported from the first conveyor line 10 to the turning conveyor 50. For example, when the direction information is "4", it indicates that an article F was transported to the turning conveyor 50 from the fourth direction. In other words, when the direction information is "4", it indicates that an article F was transported from the second conveyor line 20 to the turning conveyor 50.

[0034] Based on the performance data D, the control unit 62 calculates the number of times C1 that the swivel conveyor 50 received an article F from the first conveyor line 10 (hereinafter referred to as the "first number of times of receiving") and the number C2 that the swivel conveyor 50 received an article F from the second conveyor line 20 (hereinafter referred to as the "second number of times of receiving") out of the most recent predetermined number N that the swivel conveyor 50 received an article F. Figures 3 and 4 illustrate a case where the predetermined number N is "10". Note that the predetermined number N may be changeable.

[0035] Here, when the swivel conveyor 50 receives an item F, the control unit 62 stores directional information of the received item F in the memory unit 61 as performance data D. Therefore, in the example shown in FIG. 3, when new directional information is added to the performance data D for the most recent predetermined number of times N, the oldest directional information is erased. Note that the first reception count C1 and the second reception count C2 may not be the number of times within the most recent predetermined number of times N, but may be the number of times the swivel conveyor 50 received an item F during a period of time a predetermined time in the past (predetermined period) from the present. This predetermined period may be configurable.

[0036] The control unit 62 identifies the conveyor line with the greater number of receptions, either the first reception count C1 or the second reception count C2, and causes the swivel conveyor 50 to wait in a state corresponding to the identified conveyor line with the greater number of receptions, i.e., in a state where it is able to receive articles F from the conveyor line with the greater number of receptions. For example, when the first conveyor line 10 has a greater number of receptions, the control unit 62 causes the swivel conveyor 50 to wait in the first state, and when the second conveyor line 20 has a greater number of receptions, the control unit 62 causes the swivel conveyor 50 to wait in the second state.

[0037] FIG. 4 illustrates the first number of times C1 and the second number of times C2 of receiving items calculated from the performance data D shown in FIG. 3. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the first number of times C1 of receiving items is 7, and the second number of times C2 of receiving items is 3. Therefore, in the examples shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the first number of times C1 of receiving items is greater than the second number of times C2 of receiving items. Therefore, the control unit 62 identifies the first conveyor line 10, which has the greater number of times of receiving items, between the first conveyor line 10 and the second conveyor line 20. The control unit 62 then causes the swivel conveyor 50 to wait in a state in which it can receive items F from the first conveyor line 10, i.e., in the first state. In other words, the control unit 62 identifies the third direction, which is the direction with the greater number of times of receiving items, among multiple directions (e.g., the third direction and the fourth direction) from which the items F flow onto the swivel conveyor 50, and switches the direction of the swivel conveyor 50 to wait so that it can receive items F from the third direction.

[0038] The flow of the standby process in the control method for the conveyor system according to the first embodiment will be described below. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the standby process in the control method for the conveyor system according to the first embodiment. FIGS. 6 and 7 are diagrams showing the operating states of the swivel conveyor 50 in the conveyor system 1. When the swivel conveyor 50 waiting in the first state or the second state receives an article F (step S101), the swivel conveyor 50 passes the article F to the third conveyor line 30. For example, when the swivel conveyor 50 receives an article F from the first conveyor line 10 (FIG. 6A), the control unit 62 rotates the swivel conveyor 50 around the vertical axis (FIG. 6B). Then, the control unit 62 causes the third conveyor line 30 to transport the article F (FIG. 7A). Furthermore, although not shown, when the swivel conveyor 50 receives an article F from the second conveyor line 20, the control unit 62 causes the swivel conveyor 50 to transport the article F to the third conveyor line 30 without rotating the swivel conveyor 50. In other words, as shown in Fig. 7A, the fourth direction 4, which is the direction of the second conveyor line 20, and the second direction 2, which is the direction of the third conveyor line 30, are aligned, so the swivel conveyor 50 can transport the article F received from the second conveyor line 20 to the third conveyor line 30 without rotating.

[0039] Here, when the rotating conveyor 50 receives the item F in step S101, the control unit 62 identifies the conveyor line that transported the item F (step S102). For example, the control unit 62 identifies the conveyor line that transported the item F based on the detection result of the detection unit 40. As an example, if the detection unit 40A detects the item F, the control unit 62 may determine that the first conveyor line 10 transported the item F. Alternatively, if the detection unit 40B detects the item F, the control unit 62 may determine that the second conveyor line 20 transported the item F. Note that identifying the conveyor line that transported the item F includes identifying the direction in which the item F was transported.

[0040] After identifying the conveyor line that transported the article F, the control unit 62 stores information indicating whether the article F was received from the identified conveyor line as performance data D in the memory unit 61 in chronological order for each article (step S103). The control unit 62 calculates the first number of times C1 the first conveyor line 10 receives the article F and the second number of times C2 the second conveyor line 20 receives the article F based on the performance data D stored in the memory unit 61 (step S104). The control unit 62 determines whether the first number of times C1 the first conveyor line 10 receives the article F or the second number of times C2 the second conveyor line 20 receives the article F (step S105). If the control unit 62 determines that the first number of times C1 the first conveyor line 10 receives the article F is greater than the second number of times C2 the second conveyor line 20 receives the article F, the control unit 62 rotates the swivel conveyor 50 around the vertical axis from the state shown in FIG. 7A and places the swivel conveyor 50 in a standby state as shown in FIG. 7B (step S106). On the other hand, when the control unit 62 determines that the second number of times of receiving C2 is greater than the first number of times of receiving C1, it causes the turning conveyor 50 to wait in the second state (step S107).

[0041] In the conveyor system 1 according to the first embodiment, after the turning conveyor 50 delivers the article F to the third conveyor line 30, the turning conveyor 50 waits in the first state or the second state based on the performance data D indicating whether the turning conveyor 50 received the article F from the first conveyor line 10 or the second conveyor line 20. This configuration reduces the number of times the turning conveyor 50 waits for the detection of the article F by a sensor such as the detection unit 40 before starting to turn, reduces the accumulation of the article F on the first conveyor line 10 or the second conveyor line 20, and prevents a decrease in the efficiency of transporting articles.

[0042] [Second embodiment] A conveyor system 1A according to a second embodiment will be described. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the conveyor system 1A according to the second embodiment. In Fig. 8, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted or simplified.

[0043] The conveyor system 1A includes a first conveyor line 10, a second conveyor line 20, a third conveyor line 30, a detection unit 40, a rotating conveyor 50, and a controller 60A. The controller 60A includes a storage unit 61 and a control unit 62A. The control unit 62A is realized, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software). In addition, part or all of the control unit 62A may be realized by hardware such as an LSI, ASIC, FPGA, or GPU, or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware.

[0044] The control unit 62A has the functions of the control unit 62 of the first embodiment. The control unit 62A can execute the standby process of the first embodiment. Here, when the turning conveyor 50 receives articles F from either the first conveyor line 10 or the second conveyor line 20 consecutively for a specified number of times M or more, the control unit 62A causes the turning conveyor 50 to wait in a state in which it can receive articles F from the conveyor line that has transported the articles F consecutively for the specified number of times M or more, regardless of the first receiving number C1 and the second receiving number C2. That is, the standby process of the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that when the turning conveyor 50 receives articles F consecutively for the specified number of times M or more, the turning conveyor 50 is caused to wait in a state in which it can receive articles F from the conveyor line that has transported the articles F consecutively for the specified number of times M or more. The remaining processes are the same as those of the first embodiment. Note that the specified number M may be configurable.

[0045] An example of the standby process according to the second embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating the standby process according to the second embodiment. In the example of performance data D shown in Fig. 9, direction information is stored in the memory unit 61 as information indicating from which of the first conveyor line 10 and the second conveyor line 20 the article F was received. Fig. 9 illustrates an example in which the specified number of times M is "4".

[0046] The control unit 62A determines, based on the performance data D, whether the turning conveyor 50 has received an article F consecutively a specified number of times M or more from either the first conveyor line 10 or the second conveyor line 20. FIG. 9 shows that the turning conveyor 50 has most recently received an article F four times consecutively from the fourth direction (second conveyor line 20). Therefore, the control unit 62A causes the turning conveyor 50 to wait in the second state, regardless of the magnitude relationship between the first receiving number C1 and the second receiving number C2. In other words, if the turning conveyor 50 has received an article F consecutively a specified number of times M or more from either the first conveyor line 10 or the second conveyor line 20, the control unit 62A determines that there is a high probability that the turning conveyor 50 will receive an article F from the same conveyor line next time, and causes the turning conveyor 50 to wait in the second state.

[0047] If the rotating conveyor 50 has not received an item F consecutively for a specified number of times M or more on either the first conveyor line 10 or the second conveyor line 20, the control unit 62A compares the first receiving number C1 with the second receiving number C2, as in the standby processing of the first embodiment, to determine the standby state of the rotating conveyor 50.

[0048] The flow of the standby process in the control method for a conveyor system according to the second embodiment will be described below. FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the standby process in the control method for a conveyor system according to the second embodiment. When the swivel conveyor 50, which is waiting in the first or second state, receives an item F (step S201), the swivel conveyor 50 passes the item F to the third conveyor line 30. Here, when the swivel conveyor 50 receives the item F in step S201, the control unit 62A identifies the conveyor line that transported the item F (step S202). Then, the control unit 62A stores information indicating whether the item F was received from the identified conveyor line as performance data D in the memory unit 61 in chronological order for each item F (step S203).

[0049] The control unit 62A determines whether the turning conveyor 50 has received articles F from the first conveyor line 10 a specified number of times M or more in succession based on the performance data D stored in the memory unit 61 (step S204). In step S204, the control unit 62A refers to the performance data D for the specified number of consecutive times M (i.e., the performance data D for the most recent specified number of times M), including the performance data D related to the article F received this time, and determines whether all of the articles F have been received from the first conveyor line 10. If the control unit 62A determines that the turning conveyor 50 has received articles F from the first conveyor line 10 a specified number of times M or more in succession, the control unit 62A turns the turning conveyor 50 about the vertical axis and puts the turning conveyor 50 on standby in the first state (step S205).

[0050] If the control unit 62A determines in step S204 that the turning conveyor 50 has not received articles F from the first conveyor line 10 consecutively for the specified number of times M or more, it determines whether the turning conveyor 50 has received articles F from the second conveyor line 20 consecutively for the specified number of times M or more based on the performance data D stored in the memory unit 61 (step S206). In step S206, the control unit 62A refers to the performance data D for the consecutive specified number of times M (i.e., the performance data D for the most recent specified number of times M), including the performance data D related to the currently received article F, and determines whether all of the articles F have been received from the second conveyor line 20. If the control unit 62A determines that the turning conveyor 50 has received articles F from the second conveyor line 20 consecutively for the specified number of times M or more, it causes the turning conveyor 50 to wait in the second state (step S207).

[0051] If the control unit 62A determines in step S206 that the swivel conveyor 50 has not received articles F from the second conveyor line 20 consecutively for a specified number of times M or more, it calculates the first number of times C1 of receiving articles from the first conveyor line 10 and the second number of times C2 of receiving articles from the second conveyor line 20 based on the performance data D stored in the memory unit 61 (step S208). The control unit 62A determines which of the first number of times C1 of receiving articles and the second number of times C2 of receiving articles is greater within a predetermined number of times or a predetermined period (step S209). If the control unit 62A determines that the first number of times C1 of receiving articles is greater than the second number of times C2 of receiving articles, it rotates the swivel conveyor 50 about the vertical axis and places the swivel conveyor 50 on standby in the first state (step S210). On the other hand, when the control unit 62A determines that the second number of times of receiving C2 is greater than the first number of times of receiving C1, it causes the turning conveyor 50 to wait in the second state (step S211).

[0052] In the conveyor system 1A of the second embodiment, when an item F is received from a certain conveyor line a specified number of times M or more in succession, the rotating conveyor is placed in a standby state in which it can receive the item F from that conveyor line, thereby improving conveying efficiency.

[0053] In the first or second embodiment, when the first receiving count C1 and the second receiving count C2 are the same, the swivel conveyor 50 may be put on standby in either the first state or the second state. When the first receiving count C1 and the second receiving count C2 are the same, the state in which the swivel conveyor 50 is put on standby may be set in advance. For example, when the first receiving count C1 and the second receiving count C2 are the same, the swivel conveyor 50 may be put on standby in a state facing either the first conveyor line 10 or the second conveyor line 20, whichever conveyor line has a smaller turning angle from the direction of the third conveyor line 30. This configuration can reduce unnecessary turning operations.

[0054] For example, when transitioning from FIG. 7A to the first state, the turning angle of the turning conveyor 50 is 90°. However, when transitioning from FIG. 7A to the second state, the turning angle of the turning conveyor 50 is 0°. Therefore, in step S105, the control unit 62 may cause the turning conveyor 50 to wait in the second state if the first receiving number C1 and the second receiving number C2 are the same. Also, in step S209, the control unit 62A may cause the turning conveyor 50 to wait in the second state if the first receiving number C1 and the second receiving number C2 are the same.

[0055] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications or improvements can be made to the above-described embodiments. Furthermore, forms incorporating such modifications or improvements are also included within the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, one or more of the requirements described in the above-described embodiments may be omitted. Furthermore, the requirements described in the above-described embodiments may be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, the execution order of each procedure shown in this embodiment can be realized in any order as long as the results of a previous procedure are not used in a subsequent procedure. Furthermore, even if the operations in the above-described embodiments are described using terms such as "first," "next," and "continuously" for convenience, it is not necessary to perform the procedures in this order. Furthermore, to the extent permitted by law, the disclosures of Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-107880 and all documents cited in the above-described embodiments are incorporated herein by reference.

[0056] The present embodiment also includes the following configuration. [Configuration 1] a first conveyor line (10), a second conveyor line (20), and a third conveyor line (30) for transporting articles (F); a swivel conveyor (50) that is rotatable around a vertical axis and receives an article (F) from the first conveyor line (10) or the second conveyor line (20) and delivers the article (F) to the third conveyor line (30); a controller (60) that rotates the rotating conveyor (50) around a vertical axis to switch between a first state in which the rotating conveyor (50) can receive an article (F) from the first conveyor line (10) and a second state in which the rotating conveyor (50) can receive an article (F) from the second conveyor line (20); Equipped with the controller (60) makes the turning conveyor (50) wait in the first state or the second state based on the performance data (D) indicating whether the turning conveyor (50) received the article (F) from the first conveyor line (10) or the second conveyor line (20) after the turning conveyor (50) has handed over the article (F) to the third conveyor line (30); Conveyor system. [Configuration 2] The controller (60) compares the number of times the turning conveyor (50) has received the article (F) from the first conveyor line (10) with the number of times the turning conveyor (50) has received the article (F) from the second conveyor line (20) based on the performance data (D), identifies the conveyor line having the greater number of times from the first conveyor line (10) or the second conveyor line (20), and makes the turning conveyor (50) wait in the first state or the second state corresponding to the identified conveyor line. 2. The conveyor system according to claim 1. [Configuration 3] The controller (60) compares the number of times the turning conveyor (50) has received the article (F) from the first conveyor line (10) with the number of times the turning conveyor (50) has received the article (F) from the second conveyor line (20) among the most recent predetermined number of times the turning conveyor (50) has received the article (F) or among the number of times the turning conveyor (50) has received the article (F) during a predetermined period; 3. The conveyor system according to claim 2. [Configuration 4] When the turning conveyor (50) receives the article (F) from either the first conveyor line (10) or the second conveyor line (20) a predetermined number of times or more in succession, the controller (60) identifies the first conveyor line (10) or the second conveyor line (20) from which the turning conveyor (50) has received the article (F) a predetermined number of times or more in succession, regardless of whether the number of times the turning conveyor (50) has received the article (F) in a predetermined number of times or in a predetermined period is large or small. 4. The conveyor system according to claim 3. [Configuration 5] The predetermined number of times can be changed. 5. The conveyor system according to any one of the above configurations 3 and 4. [Configuration 6] The setting can be changed for a predetermined period of time. 5. The conveyor system according to any one of the above configurations 3 and 4. [Configuration 7] The controller (60) includes a memory unit for storing performance data (D), and when the turning conveyor (50) receives an article (F) from the first conveyor line (10) or the second conveyor line (20), the controller (60) stores information indicating from which of the first conveyor line (10) and the second conveyor line (20) the article (F) was received as performance data (D) in the memory unit (61) in chronological order for each article (F). 7. The conveyor system according to any one of the first to sixth aspects. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] F...Goods D... Performance data 1. 1A···Conveyor system 10. First conveyor line 20. Second conveyor line 30···Third conveyor line 40 Detection unit 50···Swivel conveyor 60, 60A controller 61...Storage section

Claims

1. a first conveyor line, a second conveyor line, and a third conveyor line for transporting articles; a swivel conveyor swivelable about a vertical axis to receive the article from the first conveyor line or the second conveyor line and to pass the article to the third conveyor line; a controller that rotates the rotating conveyor about a vertical axis to switch between a first state in which the rotating conveyor can receive the article from the first conveyor line and a second state in which the rotating conveyor can receive the article from the second conveyor line; Equipped with the controller causes the turning conveyor to wait in the first state or the second state based on performance data indicating whether the turning conveyor has received the article from the first conveyor line or the second conveyor line after the turning conveyor has handed over the article to the third conveyor line. Conveyor system.

2. The controller compares the number of times the turning conveyor has received the article from the first conveyor line with the number of times the turning conveyor has received the article from the second conveyor line based on the performance data, identifies the conveyor line with the greater number of times from the first conveyor line or the second conveyor line, and makes the turning conveyor wait in the first state or the second state corresponding to the identified conveyor line.

10. The conveyor system of claim 1.

3. the controller compares the number of times the turning conveyor has received the item from the first conveyor line with the number of times the turning conveyor has received the item from the second conveyor line among a predetermined number of times in the last few years that the turning conveyor has received the item, or among a predetermined number of times that the turning conveyor has received the item during a predetermined period of time; 3. The conveyor system of claim 2.

4. When the turning conveyor receives the article from either the first conveyor line or the second conveyor line a predetermined number of times or more in succession, the controller identifies the first conveyor line or the second conveyor line from which the turning conveyor has received the article a predetermined number of times or more in succession, regardless of whether the number of times the turning conveyor has received the article in the predetermined number of times or the predetermined period is greater.

4. The conveyor system of claim 3.

5. The predetermined number of times can be changed.

4. The conveyor system of claim 3.

6. The predetermined period can be changed.

4. The conveyor system of claim 3.

7. the controller includes a storage unit that stores the performance data, and when the turning conveyor receives the article from the first conveyor line or the second conveyor line, information indicating whether the article was received from the first conveyor line or the second conveyor line is stored in the storage unit as the performance data for each article in chronological order.

10. The conveyor system of claim 1.

8. 1. A method for controlling a conveyor system including a first conveyor line, a second conveyor line, and a third conveyor line for transporting articles, and a swivel conveyor that is rotatable about a vertical axis and receives the articles from the first conveyor line or the second conveyor line and passes the articles to the third conveyor line, the method comprising: after the turning conveyor has handed over the article to the third conveyor line, making the turning conveyor wait in a first state in which it can receive the article from the first conveyor line or in a second state in which it can receive the article from the second conveyor line, based on performance data indicating whether the turning conveyor has received the article from the first conveyor line or the second conveyor line; A method for controlling a conveyor system, comprising:

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