Sorting system and computer program

Abstract

To perform stable sorting in accordance with articles.SOLUTION: A sorting system includes: a conveying path that conveys an article W; an extrusion part 33 that guides the article on a conveying path to chute parts 131, 132, 141, 142; and a control unit 105 that performs control for projecting the extrusion part onto the conveying path and moving it. The control unit executes first control for operating the extrusion unit to below a conveying surface 1302 of the conveying path to push the article into the chute parts and second control for guiding the article into the chute parts by stopping the extrusion unit on the conveying surface of the conveying path.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sorting system and a computer program for sorting articles during transportation. [Background technology]

[0002] In a logistics system, items are sorted according to the size of the item, the delivery destination, the delivery company in charge of delivery, and the like. In this regard, an article sorting device is known that, for example, elastically grips an article with a gripping member while it is being transported on a transport line, and then releases the grip at the sorting location by the article sending-out action of a sorting mechanism, sending the article toward the sorting line (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5797501 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Conventionally, item sorting systems have performed sorting using uniform control, which means that thin packages and bag-like items could get caught in the equipment during the sorting process.

[0005] Therefore, one of the objects of the present invention is to perform stable sorting according to the type of article. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the sorting system of the present invention comprises a conveying path for conveying items, a push-out section for guiding the items on the conveying path to a chute section, and a control section for controlling the push-out section to protrude onto the conveying path and move, wherein the control section executes a first control for operating the push-out section below the conveying surface of the conveying path to push the items into the chute section, and a second control for stopping the push-out section on the conveying surface of the conveying path to guide the items to the chute section. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is an external perspective view showing an overall image of a sorting system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a side view showing a measuring and weighing unit of a sorting system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a measuring and weighing unit of a sorting system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is an external perspective view showing a branching unit of a sorting system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is a cross-sectional perspective view showing a branching section of a sorting system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a branching section of a sorting system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a sorting system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of how a sorting system of the related art conveys articles. [Figure 9] 10 is a diagram showing an example of how the sorting system according to the embodiment of the present invention transports articles using second control. FIG. [Figure 10] 1 is a process flow diagram showing the flow of processing from acquisition of item information to execution of sorting in a sorting system according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Overview A sorting system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a sorting system 1 according to this embodiment. The sorting system 1 measures and weighs the items W during the transport process, and sorts the items W into chute sections 131, 132, 141, and 142.

[0009] This sorting system 1 is a system that selectively executes different sorting controls depending on information about the items W when sorting the items W into chute sections 131, 132, 141, and 142. As shown in Fig. 4, the sorting system 1 sends the items W to chute section 131 (132, 141, and 142) by push-out section 33. In this embodiment, a first control is executed as a first control to sort relatively heavy items W, and a second control is executed as a second control to sort relatively light items W.

[0010] Overview of Sorting System 1 1 and 4, the sorting system 1 according to this embodiment is made up of a measuring and weighing unit 1a that measures and weighs the items W, and a sorting unit 1b that sorts the items W. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, the sorting system 1 includes a belt conveyor 10, a sensor group 20, sorting mechanisms 30 and 40, and chute units 131, 132, 141, and 142, and sorts the items W into predetermined chute units 131, 132, 141, and 142.

[0011] Note that belt conveyor 10 is a general term for belt conveyors 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and branch sections 130, 140, and sensor group 20 is a general term for item detection sensors 21a, 21b, 21c, 21d, 21e, 21f, 21g, 21h and gate sensor 23. 1 shows four chute sections 131, 132, 141, and 142, but more chute sections may be provided depending on the appropriate specifications. For example, a discharge chute section for sorting defective items may be provided at the end of the line. This also applies to branch sections 130, 140, etc., and more branch sections may be provided depending on the appropriate specifications. Furthermore, the multiple chute sections 131, 141 are not necessarily configured to have the same length, and may be configured to have different lengths for the convenience of sorting. The example in Figure 1 shows such an example, where chute section 141 is configured to be longer than chute section 131. In addition, in Figure 1, the chute sections 131, 132, 141, and 142 are provided on both the left and right sides of the branch sections 130 and 140 in the conveying direction, but they may be provided only on the right or left side, or they may be provided on a side different from the right or left side for each branch section 130 and 140.

[0012] ●Measurement and weighing section 1a The belt conveyor 10 constitutes a conveying path for the article W and is a conveying means for conveying the article W. The belt conveyor 10 is composed of a plurality of belt conveyors 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 arranged in series and adjacent to each other in a straight line, and branch sections 130 and 140 provided between the belt conveyors 13 and 14 and between the belt conveyors 14 and 15, respectively. Of these, the belt conveyors 11 and 12 constitute a part of the measuring and weighing section 1a, and the belt conveyors 11 and 12 are provided with a group of sensors 20 that detect the passage of the article W being conveyed.

[0013] The sensor group 20 constitutes an article information acquisition means for acquiring article information from the article W transported on the belt conveyor 10. The article information includes information relating to the outer dimensions of the article W, as well as the height of the article W above the transport surface and the position of the article W above the transport surface. In practice, the data acquired by the sensor group 20 is so-called raw data, and the article information is formed by appropriate calculations and editing.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2, the sensor group 20 is made up of article detection sensors 21a, 21b, 21c, 21d, 21e, 21f, 21g, and 21h and a gate sensor 23.

[0015] Of the sensor group 20, the article detection sensors 21a to 21h are successively provided at regular intervals along the conveying direction of the belt conveyors 11 and 12, and detect the movement of the conveyed article W. Each of the article detection sensors 21a to 21h is configured by a photosensor consisting of a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element that are provided opposite each other in the width direction of the belt conveyors 11 and 12, and detects the movement of the article W at a predetermined position by detecting the interruption of the optical path formed between the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element.

[0016] 3, the gate sensor 23 is a sensor for detecting the dimensions and edges of articles W transported on the belt conveyors 11 and 12, and is provided between the belt conveyors 11 and 12. The gate sensor 23 is composed of a gate-shaped frame 231 that straddles the transport surfaces of the belt conveyors 11 and 12, a photosensor provided on the frame 231 and consisting of a plurality of light-emitting elements 23a and light-receiving elements 23b that are arranged opposite each other above and below the transport surface of the belt conveyors 11 and 12, and a photosensor consisting of a plurality of light-emitting elements 23c and light-receiving elements 23d that are arranged opposite each other in the width direction of the transport path. The photosensor receives light from the light-emitting element 23a (23c) and the light-receiving element 23b (23d) to generate a signal. When an item W conveyed on the belt conveyors 11 and 12 interrupts the optical path formed between the light-emitting element 23a (23c) and the light-receiving element 23b (23d), the photosensor reads the change in the signal generated and can detect the item W. Furthermore, by sampling the signal and detecting large changes in successive sample values, the end (leading or trailing end along the conveying direction) of the item W can be determined. Furthermore, since the light-emitting element 23c and the light-receiving element 23d are positioned on the conveying surface at their lowest position and are arranged successively in the vertical direction, the end of the item W in the height direction can be detected. The height and position of the article W on the conveying surface can be determined based on the information acquired by the sensor group 20 configured as described above.

[0017] As mentioned above, the light-emitting unit 23a and the light-receiving unit 23b that make up the gate sensor 23 are arranged opposite each other above and below the conveying surface 111 of the belt conveyors 11 and 12, so that the movement of the item W can be detected regardless of its thickness or shape.

[0018] The light-emitting unit 23c and the light-receiving unit 23d are arranged continuously in the vertical direction, and therefore can detect the height-wise end of the article W. The information detected by the light-emitting unit 23c and the light-receiving unit 23d is used to calculate or measure the size and shape of the article W, such as its height.

[0019] At their lowest positions, the light-emitting unit 23c and the light-receiving unit 23d are disposed below the conveying surface 111 of the article W. Because the light-emitting unit 23c and the light-receiving unit 23d are disposed between the belt conveyor 11 and the belt conveyor 12, the detection light emitted from the light-emitting unit 23c can be received by the light-receiving unit 23d through the gap S even below the conveying surface 111, thereby enabling even thin articles W to be reliably detected.

[0020] In addition, although not shown in the figure, the belt conveyors 11 and 12 are equipped with a weighing unit that measures the weight of the item W being transported as an item information acquisition means, and are appropriately equipped with cameras that capture information such as barcodes affixed or printed on the item W and the shape of the item W.

[0021] In addition to the article detection sensors 21a to 21h, sensors 133, 143 are provided to measure the timing at which the article W reaches the branching sections 130, 140. The sensors 133 (143) can be configured, for example, by photosensors each consisting of a light-emitting section 133a (143a) and a light-receiving section 133b (143b) that are arranged opposite each other in the width direction of the belt conveyors 13, 14, and are provided, for example, slightly before the branching sections 130, 140.

[0022] The sensor 133 (143) detects the item W while the conveying roller 1301 is operating, thereby measuring the length of the item W in the conveying direction of the conveying roller 1301. The conveying roller 1301 stops according to the length of the item measured by the sensor 133 (143), and places the item W in the push-out area of ​​the push-out unit 33. The push-out area is an area defined between both ends of the width direction of multiple push-out units 33 arranged side by side in the width direction. With this configuration, the item W placed in the push-out area is reliably pressed by the push-out unit 33, and can move parallel in the x direction on the conveying roller 1301. Note that the timing at which the conveying roller 1301 stops may be determined taking into account the amount of slippage of the item W from the weight of the item W and the conveying speed of the conveying roller 1301. ●Sorting section 1b

[0023] The belt conveyors 13, 14, 15 and the branching sections 130, 140 constitute part of the sorting section 1b, and at the branching sections 130, 140, the articles W are sent to the chute sections 131, 132, 141, 142, whereby the articles W are sorted. In the following explanation of branching sections 130 and 140, branching section 130 will be used as an example, but branching section 140 has the same configuration as branching section 130, and branching section 140 is provided with a sorting mechanism 40 corresponding to the sorting mechanism 30 provided in branching section 130.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 5, the branching section 130 is provided with a plurality of conveying rollers 1301 for conveying the article W downstream in the conveying direction. Each conveying roller 1301 has a length in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the item W, and is arranged along the conveying direction with a constant gap G1 therebetween. The multiple conveying rollers 1301 form a conveying path for conveying the item W, and their upper surfaces form a conveying surface 1302 for the item W. When the multiple conveying rollers 1301 are driven to rotate in the conveying direction, the item W on the conveying surface 1302 is conveyed in the conveying direction (+y direction).

[0025] The branching section 130 is provided with a belt 31, a drive roller 32, and a pusher 33 as a sorting mechanism 30 that sorts the articles W by sending the articles W that have reached the branching section 130 to a chute section 131. The sorting mechanisms 30 are provided between the plurality of conveying rollers 1301, i.e., in the plurality of gaps G1, and all of them have the same configuration. The number of sorting mechanisms 30 provided in the branching section 130 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to provide multiple sorting mechanisms.

[0026] In this embodiment, the belt 31 is an endless belt that is wound around a pair of drive rollers 32 and rotates in response to the rotation of the drive rollers 32. The belt 31 rotates in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the article W by the conveying rollers 1301, in a direction in which the chute section 131 or the chute section 132 is connected to the branch section 130, i.e., in the +x direction or the −x direction. The width of the belt 31 is at least smaller than the width of the gap G1 formed between adjacent conveying rollers 1301. This prevents the belt 31 provided between adjacent conveying rollers 1301 from contacting the conveying rollers 1301, and allows the extrusion portion 33 to protrude onto the conveying surface 1302 from the gap G1.

[0027] The belt 31 may be made of a chain, a cord, or the like, as long as it can rotate with the push-out portion 33 attached, and is not limited to an endless belt as in this embodiment.

[0028] The drive rollers 32 are a driving unit for rotating the belt 31, and are provided as a pair spaced apart from each other below the conveying surface 1302, and are driven to rotate in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. The endless belt 31 is wound around the pair of drive rollers 32, and the belt 31 can be rotated by the drive rollers 32 being driven to rotate. The pair of drive rollers 32 may both be actively driven rollers, or only one may be a driven roller and the other may be a driven roller.

[0029] The pushers 33 constitute push-out means for pushing out the articles W on the conveying path of the branching section 130 to the chute section 131, and four of them are provided on the outer circumferential surface of the belt 31 in this embodiment. In the following description, when the four extrusion portions 33 need to be distinguished from one another, they will be referred to as extrusion portions 33a, 33b, 33c, and 33d.

[0030] The extrusion section 33 has a triangular prism shape with a right-angled triangular bottom. The extrusion section 33 having such a shape is attached to the belt 31 so that one side of the triangular prism abuts against the outer peripheral surface of the belt 31, and the bottom surface of the triangular prism adjacent to the side across the right angle is arranged at a right angle to the conveyance direction. Note that the shape of the extrusion section is not limited to the triangular prism described above, and any appropriate shape can be adopted. The method for attaching the extrusion portion 33 to the belt 31 is not limited, but for example, it can be attached by adhering it to the belt 31 with an adhesive or the like.

[0031] The four extrusion portions 33a, 33b, 33c, and 33d are arranged in pairs, and one set of extrusion portions 33a and 33b and the other set of extrusion portions 33c and 33d are positioned point-symmetrically on the outer circumferential surface of the belt 31. That is, as shown in Fig. 5, when one set of extrusion portions 33a and 33b is on the right side of the figure, the other set of extrusion portions 33c and 33d is on the left side of the figure. In this embodiment, when one set of extrusion portions 33a and 33b and the other set of extrusion portions 33c and 33d are positioned symmetrically as shown in Fig. 5, all of the extrusion portions 33a, 33b, 33c, and 33d are hidden below the conveying surface 1302.

[0032] The extrusion sections 33a, 33b constituting a set are arranged close to each other and are arranged so that the right-angled portions of their triangular prism shapes are spaced apart from each other. By arranging the extrusion sections 33a, 33b constituting a set in this manner, the outer sides of the extrusion sections 33a, 33b in a set are arranged to stand at right angles to the belt 31. The outer parts of the extrusion sections 33a, 33b in a set form extrusion surfaces that come into contact with and extrude the articles W. The other pair of extrusion sections 33c and 33d are also provided on the belt 31 in the same manner as the extrusion sections 33a and 33b.

[0033] The extrusion section 33 is configured to have a width narrower than the gap G1 between adjacent conveying rollers 1301, and when the drive roller 32 is rotated and the belt 31 rotates around the pair of drive rollers 32, the extrusion section 33 protrudes above the conveying surface 1302 from the gap G1 or is hidden below the conveying surface 1302.

[0034] The pusher 33 is normally hidden below the conveying surface as shown in Fig. 5, but as shown in Fig. 6, when the drive roller 32 rotates, it protrudes above the conveying surface in response and slides toward the chute section 131 along the gap G1 between adjacent conveying rollers 1301. Then, by sliding toward the chute section 131, it abuts against an article W on the conveying surface 1302 and guides the article W into the chute section 131. After guiding the article W to the chute section 131, the pusher 33 again retreats below the conveying surface 1302 and stops when the drive roller 32 stops driving, waiting to execute sorting control to sort the next item W.

[0035] Here, one set of pushers 33a, 33b and another set of pushers 33c, 33d are provided at point-symmetric positions on the belt 31, so when the belt 31 rotates half a turn from the state shown in Fig. 6 and the article W is pushed into the chute section 131 by the pusher 33a, the positions of the one set of pushers 33a, 33b and the other set of pushers 33c, 33d are exactly swapped. Then, when the next article W is pushed into the chute section 131, the article W is pushed out by the pusher 33c. When articles are pushed out continuously in this way, the pushers 33a and 33c alternately push the article W into the chute section 131, and the load on the pushers 33a and 33c is shared.

[0036] Furthermore, pushers 33a and 33c are used when pushing out article W into chute section 131, and pushers 33b and 33d are used when pushing out article W into chute section 132. As a result, the load on pusher 33 when pushing out article W is distributed among the four pushers 33a, 33b, 33c, and 33d, improving the durability of pusher 33.

[0037] Chute sections 131, 132, 141, and 142 are outlets of the belt conveyor 10 for sending out the articles W according to sorting information, and multiple chutes are provided so that the articles W can be sorted to multiple shipping destinations or pallet warehouses. In the industry, chute sections 131, 132, 141, and 142 refer to equipment that drops (puts) the articles W sorted by destination using a sorter or other device into a container to retain or temporarily store the articles W, and are composed of various parts such as an inclined free roller conveyor and a drive conveyor, or these various parts themselves are sometimes referred to as such.

[0038] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the term "sorting destination" may be used synonymously with "chute (chute section)." Generally, when sorting is performed by a delivery company, "sorting destination" refers to the delivery company. However, in this embodiment, the term is used synonymously with the location where the items W are sorted according to the sorting conditions and transported, i.e., the chute sections 131, 132, 141, and 142, and when simply referring to "sorting destination according to the sorting conditions," it refers to the chute sections 131, 132, 141, and 142.

[0039] 1, sensors 1411, 1412, and 1413 are provided at predetermined intervals on the chute section 141. As will be described later regarding control types, these sensors 1411, 1412, and 1413 detect articles W on the conveying surface of the chute section 141, thereby making it possible to determine the retention state of articles W in the chute section 141.

[0040] ● Functional section As shown in Figure 7(a), the sorting system 1 includes, as hardware resources, an arithmetic unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) for executing information processing, and memory devices such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory), and is connected to a belt conveyor 10, a sensor group 20, and a sorting mechanism 30 (40) via an interface circuit. As a result, the software resources include at least a sorting condition storage unit 101, a control type information storage unit 102, a sorting information generation unit 103, a decision processing unit 104, and a control unit 105, as shown in FIG. 7(b).

[0041] The sorting condition storage unit 101 is a storage unit that stores sorting conditions. The sorting conditions are conditions that are applied to the item W when sorting the item W. Specifically, the sorting conditions are composed of information such as threshold values ​​for the dimensions and weight of the item W, the delivery company, freight rates by size of the item W, delivery conditions, cut-off time, and item handling conditions. By applying the sorting conditions to the dimensions and weight of each item W and other information required when applying the sorting conditions, the sorting destination of the item W, i.e., the chute sections 131, 132, 141, and 142, is determined.

[0042] The control type information storage unit 102 is a storage unit that stores the contents of sorting control of the item W by classifying them into predetermined types (control types). The contents of the sorting control differ for each control type, and the determination processing unit 104 determines the control type according to the item W. In this embodiment, there are two types of control: one that corresponds to when the weight of the item W is heavier than a predetermined value, and one that corresponds to when the weight of the item W is lighter than a predetermined value.As mentioned above, the former is referred to as the first control, and the latter is referred to as the second control.

[0043] The sorting information generation unit 103 applies sorting conditions based on the dimensions and weight of the item W and other information necessary to apply the sorting conditions, thereby determining the sorting destination of the item W, i.e., one of the chute sections 131, 132, 141, 142, and generating sorting information for sorting the item W. This sorting information includes at least information regarding the sorting destination of the item W, i.e., information regarding the chute sections 131, 132, 141, and 142 to which the item W should be sent, and may also include information regarding the item W itself, such as the dimensions and weight of the item W, as appropriate.

[0044] The determination processing unit 104 determines a predetermined control type as the content of sorting control to be applied to the item W on the conveying path based on the item information, with reference to the control type information storage unit 102. More specifically, the determination processing unit 104 selectively determines one of two control types depending on the information of the item W. In addition to determining the type of control, the determination processing unit 104 can also determine additional control contents, such as the rotation speed of the belt 31 and the start position of the slide operation of the extrusion unit 33, based on information regarding the height and position of the item W and in accordance with a predetermined calculation formula.

[0045] The determination processing unit 104 selectively executes the first control or the second control depending on the weight information of the item W. Additionally or alternatively, the first control or the second control may be executed depending on the dimensions of the item W or information related to the characteristics of the item W. The information related to the characteristics of the item W may be, for example, information related to the handling of the item based on the contents of the item, such as whether the item is fragile, and may be stored in a predetermined memory unit. The determination processing unit 104 may acquire the shape of the item W using an imaging unit such as a camera and determine whether the item W is box-shaped or bag-shaped. The imaging unit may be provided on the belt conveyors 11 and 12, for example, or may be disposed at an appropriate position on the belt conveyors 11 and 12 within its imaging range. Alternatively, the imaging unit may be a camera disposed at a distance from the belt conveyors 11 and 12, etc., that captures images of the belt conveyors 11 and 12 from above. For example, the determination processing unit 104 acquires the shape of the item W by performing image analysis of the image acquired by the imaging unit using an appropriate method. The determination processing unit 104 may, for example, measure the angle of the end of the article W and determine that the article W is box-shaped if the corner meets a predetermined condition, or that the article W is bag-shaped if the condition is not met. The predetermined condition may, for example, be that the corner is approximately right-angled or that the corner is sharp. Whether or not a corner is sharp is determined, for example, by extracting points on the end edge and calculating the curvature of an interpolated approximation curve. The determination processing unit 104 may also determine whether the article W is box-shaped or bag-shaped by analyzing the image and referring to information other than the shape. Specifically, for example, it may determine whether or not the article W is packaged in a bag based on the reflectance, degree of unevenness, transmittance, or the like of the surface of the article W. The decision processing unit 104 executes the first control when the item W is box-shaped, and executes the second control when the item W is bag-shaped. As will be described in detail later, bag-shaped items have particularly thin edges, and if they are transported using the first control, there is a risk that they will be pinched between the push-out unit 33 and the transport rollers 1301. Furthermore, an imaging unit such as a camera attached to the belt conveyors 11, 12 can read a barcode attached or printed on the item W to identify the item W, which can then be used to acquire information related to the characteristics of the item W by referring to a predetermined storage unit. The barcode may be linked to data related to the shape of the item W. The decision processing unit 104 determines whether to execute the first control or the second control based on the data related to the shape. The data related to the shape may be, for example, information indicating whether the item is box-shaped or bag-shaped.

[0046] When the decision processing unit 104 determines the type of control based on the dimensions of the item W instead of the weight of the item W, it compares the dimensions of the item W included in the item information with a predetermined threshold, and decides to execute the first control if the dimensions of the item W exceed the predetermined threshold. On the other hand, if the comparison results in the dimensions of the item W not meeting the predetermined threshold, it decides to execute the second control. The decision processing unit 104 may vary the type of control depending on the height direction size of the item W, i.e., its thickness. In this case, the decision processing unit 104 decides to execute the first control if the thickness of the item W exceeds the predetermined threshold, and decides to execute the second control if the thickness is not meeting the predetermined threshold. The condition that the dimensions of the item W are not meeting the predetermined threshold is one example of a condition for identifying the predetermined shape of the item W.

[0047] Furthermore, when the decision processing unit 104 determines the type of control based on both the dimensions and weight of the item W, for example, it decides to execute the first control if the dimensions of the item W exceed a predetermined threshold and the weight of the item W also exceeds a predetermined threshold, and decides to execute the second control if the dimensions of the item W do not meet the predetermined threshold and the weight of the item W also does not meet the predetermined threshold. Note that if the dimensions of the item W do not meet the predetermined threshold but the weight of the item W exceeds the predetermined threshold, or if the dimensions of the item W exceed the predetermined threshold but the weight of the item W does not meet the predetermined threshold, it decides to execute the first control or the second control according to a predetermined condition, such as prioritizing either the dimensions or the weight.

[0048] When the type of control is determined based on the characteristics of the item W instead of the weight or dimensions of the item W, the determination processing unit 104 determines to execute a predetermined type of control based on the characteristics of the item W. The type of control can also be determined by a composite judgment that includes information related to the characteristics of item W, as well as information on the dimensions and weight of item W. For example, if either first control or second control is acceptable based on the characteristics of item W, the type of control is determined based on the dimensions and weight of item W, and if only first control or second control is acceptable due to the characteristics of item W, the type of control is determined by prioritizing a judgment based on the characteristics of item W over a judgment based on the dimensions and weight of item W.

[0049] The control unit 105 outputs a control signal based on the sorting information and the control type determined by the determination processing unit 104 to the sorting mechanism 30 (40), thereby performing the sorting work. The control unit 105 moves the pusher unit 33 by protruding it onto the conveying path. More specifically, in accordance with information about the item W, the control unit 105 executes a first control in which the pusher unit 33 operates to below the conveying surface 1302 of the conveying path to push the item W into the chute unit 131 (132, 141, 142), and a second control in which the pusher unit 33 stops on the conveying surface 1302 of the conveying path to guide the item into the chute unit 131 (132, 141, 142). In the first control, the position to which the pusher unit 33 operates and reaches is at least below the conveying surface 1302, but it may also operate to, for example, a standby position. As a result, the pushing section 33 comes into contact with the article W and conveys the article W in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveying rollers 1301.

[0050] The sorting mechanism 30 (40) sends out each article W to a predetermined chute section 131 (141) based on a control signal input from the control section 105.

[0051] ●Processing flow Next, the operations of the first control executed when the weight of the item W is heavier than a predetermined value and the second control executed when the weight of the item W is lighter than a predetermined value will be described in detail along with the processing flow. In the following explanation of the first control and the second control, an example will be taken of the case where the item W is sorted into the chute section 131 at the branching section 130, but the same control is performed when the item W is sorted into the chute section 132, except that the belt 31 rotates in the opposite direction. The same control is also performed at the branching section 140.

[0052] In the sorting system 1, the decision processing unit 104 decides whether to execute the first control or the second control for each conveyed item W. Meanwhile, the sorting mechanism 30 is in a predetermined standby state until it starts operating according to the sorting control decided by the decision processing unit 104, and starts operating when the control unit 105 executes the decided sorting control. After the sorting control is executed, the sorting mechanism 30 returns to the predetermined standby state again. Here, the standby state in this embodiment is the state shown in Fig. 5, in which the extrusion unit 33 does not protrude above the conveying surface but is hidden below the conveying surface. In the following description, this state may be simply referred to as the "standby state." Furthermore, the position of the extrusion unit 33 in this standby state may be referred to as the "standby position."

[0053] The first control is a control for operating the pusher 33 below the conveying surface 1302 of the conveying path to push the article W into the chute sections 131, 141. In the first control, the pusher 33 does not stop after contacting the article W until it moves below the conveying surface 1302, but instead moves downward while operating at a constant speed, for example. The pusher 33 descends in an arc along the outer edge of the drive roller 32 at the end of the conveying surface 1302, and separates from the article W as the contact surface with the article W faces downward. At this time, the article W is in contact with the inclined free rollers that make up the conveying surface of the chute section 131, and slides down the surface of the free rollers according to the momentum given by the pusher 33 and gravity.

[0054] The second control is a control for guiding the article W to the chute sections 131, 141 by stopping the pusher 33 on the conveying surface 1302 of the conveying path. In the second control, the pusher 33 stops in a state in which it abuts the article W at the end of the conveying surface 1302. More specifically, the pusher 33 should stop before the abutment surface with the article W sinks below the conveying surface 1302. In the shape of this embodiment, the abutment surface is approximately perpendicular to the conveying surface 1302 on the conveying surface 1302, but it is preferable for the pusher 33 to stop once the abutment surface is inclined at approximately 45 degrees along the drive roller 32. As a result, the article W is pushed off the conveying surface 1302 according to the momentum given by the pusher 33 and moves to the chute sections 131, 141. The ejected article W reaches the inclined free rollers that form the conveying surfaces of the chute sections 131, 141, and slides down the chute sections 131, 141 according to momentum and gravity.

[0055] In the second control, the pusher 33 is stopped temporarily while protruding above the conveying surface 1302, and then operated below the conveying surface 1302. The item W is ejected from the conveying surface 1302 while the pusher 33 is stopped, and moves to the chute sections 131 and 141. The stop time in the second control is specified, for example, to be sufficiently longer than the time required for the item W to reach the chute sections 131 and 141, and the pusher 33 moves below the conveying surface 1302 after the item W is ejected. Furthermore, the stop time in the second control may be shorter than the time required for the item W to reach the chute sections 131 and 141, and in this case, the stop time is long enough so that the pusher 33, which operates after the stop, does not come into contact with the item W again.

[0056] In the first control and the second control, the time from when the pusher 33 starts operating from the standby position until when it returns to the standby position again, i.e., the operating cycle, is substantially the same. Because the second control has a stop time, the movement speed of the pusher 33 in the second control is faster than the movement speed in the first control. With this configuration, the pusher 33 presses the article W more quickly in the second control, so that the article W can be pushed out with momentum. Furthermore, in both the first control and the second control, the pusher 33 can return to the standby position at substantially the same time, so that the overall processing capacity can be maintained.

[0057] Here, the manner in which items are conveyed by a sorting system in the related art will be described using Figure 8. This sorting system conveys thin items W, such as bag-shaped items, using the first control of this embodiment. The same components as those in the sorting system of this embodiment are given the same reference numerals. In the first control, the pusher 33 presses the item W as far as its trajectory on the belt 31, so that the item W can be reliably guided to the chute 131. On the other hand, as a result of the gap G3 between the pusher 33 and the conveying roller 1301 gradually becoming smaller, there is a risk that the end of the item W may become pinched in the gap G3 if the item W is bag-shaped, particularly if the end is thin. Therefore, when information about the item W satisfies certain conditions, the second control described below is performed.

[0058] 9 is a schematic diagram showing how an item W is conveyed under the second control in the sorting system of this embodiment. The figure shows the state in which the pusher 33 is stopped in a state where it protrudes above the conveying surface 1302. Under this control, the pusher 33 stops in a state where the gap G3 between the pusher 33 and the conveying roller 1301 is maintained at a predetermined size. As a result, the item W is ejected into the chute sections 131 and 141 while the pusher 33 is stopped. Therefore, under the second control, even if the end of the item W is thin, such as a bag-shaped item, the item W can be reliably guided to the chute sections 131 and 141 without being pinched in the gap G3.

[0059] Here, if the article W has a thin shape, it is highly likely to be light in weight. In this regard, in this device, the weight of the article W can be measured accurately and quickly by the weighing units arranged on the belt conveyors 11 and 12. Therefore, by using the weight to vary the control type, articles W of various shapes can be reliably transported.

[0060] FIG. 10 shows the overall flow of the sorting process for the items W. The measuring and weighing unit 1a acquires item information of the item W using the sensor group 20 (S1). Based on this item information, the dimensions, weight, etc. of the item W are determined.

[0061] The sorting information generation unit 103 refers to the item information and sorting condition memory unit 101, and applies sorting conditions based on the dimensions and weight of the item W and other information necessary to apply the sorting conditions, thereby determining a predetermined chute section 131, 132, 141, 142 as the sorting destination for the item W, and generates sorting information including information related to the sorting destination.

[0062] The decision processing unit 104 refers to the control type information storage unit 102 based on the weight of the item W, and decides to execute either the first control or the second control as the control type according to the weight of the item W (S2).

[0063] The control unit 105 executes sorting control according to the control type determined by the determination processing unit 104, and when the sorting information and a control signal according to the control type are output to the sorting mechanism 30, the sorting mechanism 30 sorts the items W accordingly (S3).

[0064] The timing at which the sorting mechanism 30 starts operating in accordance with the predetermined sorting control is determined, for example, by detecting the approach of the item W to the branching section 130, 140 using sensors 133, 143 provided upstream of the branching section 130, 140 where the sorting of the item W is performed. Alternatively, the timing may be determined by calculating the time from the time at which the sensor 133, 143 detects the approach of the item W to the time at which the item W arrives at the branching section 130, 140 where the sorting is performed, based on the conveying speed and distance to the branching section 130, 140 where the sorting is performed.

[0065] According to the sorting system 1 of this embodiment described above, stable sorting can be performed according to the article W. Specifically, stable and accurate sorting can be performed according to the weight of the article W on the conveying surface 1302. With only the first control, there is a risk that a thin article W may be pinched between the push-out section 33 and the conveying roller 1301. In contrast, the sorting system 1 of this embodiment can perform two types of control, the first control and the second control, and can thereby handle any type of article W.

[0066] In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, a gap G1 is provided between adjacent conveying rollers 1301 to allow the belt 31 and the extrusion section 33 to protrude, and as shown in FIG. 1, a gap G2 is also provided between the branch section 130 and the chute section 131. Since the item W is transported across these gaps G1, G2, if an item W having a width smaller than the width of these gaps G1, G2 is transported, the item W may get stuck in the gaps G1, G2 or fall through the gaps G1, G2. To avoid this, when an item W having a width smaller than the width of the gaps G1, G2 is detected as a result of measuring and weighing the item W by the measuring and weighing unit 1a, a notification may be given that such an item W has been detected.

[0067] In this embodiment, a sensor may be provided to detect the position of the pusher 33 on the rotating belt 31 and to detect whether the pusher 33 itself has come off the belt 31. The sensor detects whether the pusher 33 is in the standby position. For example, a transmission-type photoelectric sensor including a light emitter and a light receiver may be used as the sensor. For example, after pushing out the item W, i.e., after the first control or the second control is executed, the sensor determines whether the item W has reached the standby position. If the item W has not reached the standby position, an error is issued. If the item W has not reached the standby position, there is a risk that the item W may be pinched between the pusher 33 and the conveying roller 1301. Therefore, the error notification may include information indicating that the item W is pinched. Furthermore, if it is determined that the item W has not reached the standby position at a predetermined point after the first control or the second control is executed, the drive roller 31 may be rotated in the opposite direction from the previous first control or the second control, causing the pusher 33 to retreat. This configuration allows the pinched item W to be released. This process may be performed only when the previously performed control is the second control, and not when the first control is performed. Furthermore, when the above-mentioned reverse rotation process is performed, the shape, etc. of the article W on which the process was performed may be stored, and the determination processing unit 104 may perform the second control on articles W having similar conditions. This configuration makes it possible to more appropriately apply the second control, thereby further reducing pinching by the pushing unit 33. As long as the pusher 33 in the standby position can be detected, the type and arrangement of the sensor are not particularly limited, and other modes may be used.

[0068] As mentioned above about the chute section 141, sensors 1411, 1412, and 1413 are provided at predetermined intervals in the chute section 141, which allows the retention state of the item W to be determined. Furthermore, the measuring and weighing section 1a can acquire item information such as the dimensions, weight, and characteristics of the item W. Therefore, the correlation between the information related to the retention state of the item W, the item information, and the information related to the type of control applied to the item W may be machine-learned, and the type of control to be applied to the transported item W may be determined or switched.

[0069] That is, when machine learning is used to execute the first control or the second control on an item W having predetermined item information, or when the type of control to be applied to the item W is determined according to predetermined conditions, it is possible to determine whether or not a backlog of the item W has occurred as a result. When such a determination is made, under certain conditions, the type of control to be applied to the item W is switched from the first control to the second control, or conversely, from the second control to the first control. This makes it possible to prevent or eliminate backlog of the items W in the chute section 141, and to perform efficient sorting.

[0070] In addition, in the sorting system 1 of this embodiment, a label issuing device that prints item information and shipping slips of the item W as printed information on label paper and issues a label, and a label attaching device that attaches the label to the item W, etc. can also be provided between the measuring and weighing unit 1a and the sorting unit 1b. Furthermore, by disposing a label issuing device in each chute section 131, 132, 141, 142, for example, if sorting by carrier is selected as a sorting condition, it is possible to issue labels for that carrier to chute sections 131, 132, 141, 142 (sorting destination, sorting destination carrier). Since the format and printed content of slips differ for each carrier, systemization and production line integration are achieved by outputting the sorting information including the printed information. Note that if slips can be standardized, there is no need to dispose them in each chute section 131, 132, 141, 142, and a label issuing device can be disposed between the measuring and weighing section 1a and the sorting section 1b.

[0071] In addition, as functions for smooth sorting of items W, for example, a function for changing the conveying speed according to the weight of items W when items W are conveyed continuously, or a function for adjusting the sending speed and pressure amount for sending items W to each chute section 131, 132, 141, 142 may be appropriately provided. This makes it possible to avoid damage or tipping over of items W that require careful handling or items W that are difficult to handle or are tall, thereby eliminating damage caused by such damage or tipping over and also preventing the generation of unnecessary man-hours such as the man-hours required to report such damage or to give instructions for additional work.

[0072] Furthermore, the above-mentioned software resources can be distributed or consolidated into any hardware resources by appropriate design, and the hardware resources can also be configured as physically integrated devices or separate devices. For example, some or all of the software resources can be configured to be held in a centralized upper device or controller, or they can be held in an external server connected via a predetermined network.

[0073] ● Overview of implementation The present invention relates to a sorting system and a computer program for sorting articles during transportation.

[0074] In a logistics system, items are sorted according to the size of the item, the delivery destination, the delivery company in charge of delivery, and the like.

[0075] In this regard, an article sorting device known in the art is one that elastically grips an article with a gripping member while it is being transported on a transport line, and then releases the grip at the sorting location by the article-feeding action of a sorting mechanism, thereby sending the article toward the sorting line (see Japanese Patent Publication No. 5797501).

[0076] Conventionally, item sorting systems have performed sorting using uniform control, which means that thin packages and bag-like items could get caught in the equipment during the sorting process.

[0077] Therefore, one of the objects of the present invention is to perform stable sorting according to the type of article.

[0078] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the sorting system of the present invention comprises a conveying path for conveying items, a push-out section for guiding the items on the conveying path to a chute section, and a control section for controlling the push-out section to protrude onto the conveying path and move, wherein the control section executes a first control for operating the push-out section below the conveying surface of the conveying path to push the items into the chute section, and a second control for stopping the push-out section on the conveying surface of the conveying path to guide the items to the chute section.

[0079] The second control may be to stop the pusher once in a state where it protrudes above the conveying surface, and then move the pusher to below the conveying surface.

[0080] The control unit may perform the first control when the weight of the item exceeds a predetermined weight, and may perform the second control when the weight is equal to or less than the predetermined weight.

[0081] The control unit may perform the second control when the article has a predetermined shape, and may perform the first control when the article has a shape other than the predetermined shape.

[0082] In addition, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the computer program of the present invention executes a control command for a sorting system having a conveying path for conveying items and an extrusion section for pushing the items on the conveying path into a chute section, to control the extrusion section to protrude onto the conveying path and move, and the control command executes a first control for operating the extrusion section below the conveying surface of the conveying path to push the items into the chute section, and a second control for stopping the extrusion section on the conveying surface of the conveying path to guide the items into the chute section. In addition, if the invention is configured as a computer program, the computer program can be provided by being stored on various computer-readable recording media, or by being provided so that it can be downloaded via a network such as the Internet.

[0083] According to the present invention, stable sorting can be performed according to the type of article. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1: Sorting system 101: Sorting condition memory unit 102: Control type information storage unit 103: Sorting information generation unit 104: Decision processing unit 105: Control unit 1a: Measurement and weighing section 1b: Sorting section 10-15: Belt conveyor 20: Sensor group 21a-21h: Item detection sensor 23: Gate sensor 30, 40: Sorting mechanism 31: Belt 32: Drive roller 33 (33a-33d): extrusion section 130, 140: Branch section 1301: Transport roller 131, 132, 141, 142: Chute section G1, G2, G3, S: Gap W:Goods

Claims

1. a conveyance path for conveying an article; a push-out section that guides the articles on the conveying path to a chute section; a control unit that controls the extrusion unit to protrude and move onto the conveying path, The control unit executes a first control to operate the push-out unit below the conveying surface of the conveying path to push the item into the chute section when the weight of the item exceeds a predetermined weight, and executes a second control to stop the push-out unit on the conveying surface of the conveying path to guide the item into the chute section when the weight of the item is equal to or less than the predetermined weight. A sorting system characterized by:

2. A conveying path for conveying an article; a push-out section that guides the articles on the conveying path to a chute section; a control unit that controls the extrusion unit to protrude and move onto the conveying path, The control unit executes a first control to operate the push-out unit below the conveying surface of the conveying path to push the object into the chute section when the object has a predetermined shape, and executes a second control to stop the push-out unit on the conveying surface of the conveying path to guide the object into the chute section when the object has a shape other than the predetermined shape. A sorting system characterized by:

3. a conveyance path for conveying an article; a push-out unit that pushes the articles on the conveying path into a chute unit, Execute a control command to control the extrusion unit to move in a protruding manner onto the conveying path; The control command executes a first control in which, when the weight of the item exceeds a predetermined weight, the push-out unit is operated to below the conveying surface of the conveying path to push the item into the chute unit, and, when the weight is equal to or less than the predetermined weight, the control command executes a second control in which the push-out unit is stopped on the conveying surface of the conveying path to guide the item into the chute unit. Computer program.

4. A conveying path for conveying an article; a push-out unit that pushes the articles on the conveying path into a chute unit, Execute a control command to control the extrusion unit to move in a protruding manner onto the conveying path; The control command executes a first control in which, if the object has a predetermined shape, the push-out unit is operated to below the conveying surface of the conveying path to push the object into the chute unit, and, if the object has a shape other than the predetermined shape, executes a second control in which the push-out unit is stopped on the conveying surface of the conveying path to guide the object into the chute unit. Computer program.

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