Goods handling equipment

Abstract

To provide an article conveyance facility capable of increasing receiving destinations of an article conveyed by a conveyance vehicle while suppressing planar expansion of the article conveyance facility.SOLUTION: An article conveyance facility 100 comprises an article supplying part 2 for supplying an article to a conveyance vehicle and an article receiving part 3 for receiving an article conveyed by the conveyance vehicle. Each of a first traveling floor F1 and a second traveling floor F2 has an inter-lifter path Rb for connecting a first lifter L1 and a second lifter L2. In each of the first traveling floor F1 and the second traveling floor F2, the article receiving part 3 is disposed so as to be adjacent to the inter-lifter path Rb. The article supplying part 2 is disposed on at least one of the first traveling floor F1 and the second traveling floor F2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an article conveying facility including a conveyance vehicle for conveying articles and a multi-level travel floor on which a travel surface for the conveyance vehicle to travel is formed respectively.

Background Art

[0002] Such an article conveying facility is often used in a logistics system. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-113291 (Patent Document 1) discloses a sorting device for sorting articles in a logistics system. Hereinafter, the reference numerals shown in parentheses in the description of the background art are those of Patent Document 1.

[0003] The sorting device (10) described in Patent Document 1 includes an upper area (A) and a lower area (B). In the upper area (A), a traveling path (4) that spreads out planarly, a conveyance vehicle (12) that automatically travels on the traveling path (4), an article supply unit (6), and a plurality of openings (8a) are provided. In the upper area (A), the conveyance vehicle (12) conveys the articles supplied from the article supply unit (6) to a designated opening (8a) and drops them. The articles dropped into the opening (8a) are housed in a shipping container (20) arranged in the lower area (B) and sorted.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Incidentally, modern logistics systems require an increase in the number of items that can be handled per unit of time. One way to meet this requirement is to increase the number of receiving points (referred to as "openings 8a" in the invention of Patent Document 1) for items transported by the transport vehicle. However, in the invention described in Patent Document 1, in order to increase the number of openings (8a) that serve as receiving points for items transported by the transport vehicle (12), it is necessary to expand the upper area (A) and the lower area (B) in a planar manner in order to secure space for the additional openings (8a).

[0006] In light of the above circumstances, there is a need for technology that can increase the number of receiving locations for goods transported by transport vehicles while suppressing the planar expansion of goods transport facilities. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An article transporting system comprising a transport vehicle for transporting articles, and multiple levels of travel floors, each having a travel surface on which the transport vehicle travels, The transport vehicle is raised and lowered between the first travel floor, which is the first level of the travel floor, and the second travel floor, which is the second level of the travel floor, and the first lifter and the second lifter are arranged horizontally apart from each other, An article supply unit that supplies the articles to the transport vehicle, The vehicle comprises an article receiving section for receiving the articles transported by the transport vehicle, A lifter-to-lifter path is provided in each of the first and second travel floors, connecting the first lifter and the second lifter. In each of the first and second travel floors, the article receiving section is arranged adjacent to the lifter inter-path, The article supply unit is located on at least one of the first travel floor and the second travel floor.

[0008] In this configuration, an item receiving section is located on both the first and second travel floors. Therefore, items transported by the transport vehicle can be received on both the first and second travel floors, which are on different levels. Thus, the number of receiving locations for items transported by the transport vehicle can be increased without expanding the item transport equipment in a planar manner.

[0009] Further features and advantages of the technology relating to this disclosure will become clearer from the following description of exemplary and non-limiting embodiments, with reference to the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Plan view showing the first and second travel floors of the goods transport equipment. [Figure 2] Schematic plan of the goods handling equipment [Figure 3] Schematic side view of the goods handling equipment [Figure 4] Side view showing the area around the sorting area. [Figure 5] Plan view showing an example of a limited operating unit mode. [Figure 6] Plan view showing an example of an acceptance-only mode. [Figure 7] Plan view showing the article conveying equipment according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] Side view showing the area around the sorting area according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] Plan view showing the article conveying equipment according to the third embodiment. [Figure 10] Schematic side view of the article conveying equipment according to the third embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The goods transport system comprises transport vehicles for transporting goods and multiple levels of travel floors, each with a travel surface on which the transport vehicles travel. Embodiments of the goods transport system will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0012] 〔First Embodiment〕 As shown in FIG. 1, the article conveying facility 100 raises and lowers a carrier 1 (see FIG. 2) between a first traveling floor F1 which is a traveling floor F of the first layer and a second traveling floor F2 which is a traveling floor F of the second layer, and includes first lifters L1 and second lifters L2 which are arranged apart from each other in the horizontal direction. In the example shown in FIG. 1, "the first floor" corresponds to the first layer, and "the second floor" corresponds to the second layer.

[0013] In the present embodiment, the first layer and the second layer are adjacent to each other in the vertical direction. The second layer is arranged above the first layer.

[0014] The article conveying facility 100 includes an article supply unit 2 that supplies an article G (see FIG. 2) to the carrier 1, and an article receiving unit 3 that receives the article G conveyed by the carrier 1. In the present embodiment, the article conveying facility 100 is provided with a work area WA where an operation of delivering the article G supplied from the article supply unit 2 to the carrier 1 is performed. The article supply unit 2 is arranged adjacent to the work area WA. Further, the article conveying facility 100 is provided with a sorting area SA where a sorting operation of the article G received by the article receiving unit 3 is performed. The article receiving unit 3 is arranged adjacent to the sorting area SA.

[0015] In the present embodiment, the work area WA is arranged only on the first layer. And a sorting area SA is provided on each of the first layer and the second layer. That is, in this example, the article supply unit 2 is provided only on the first layer, and the article receiving unit 3 is provided on each of the first layer and the second layer.

[0016] Lifter - to - lifter paths Rb connecting the first lifters L1 and the second lifters L2 are provided on each of the first traveling floor F1 and the second traveling floor F2. The carrier 1 can move between the first lifter L1 and the second lifter L2 by traveling on the lifter - to - lifter path Rb.

[0017] In the following, the direction in which the inter-lifter path Rb extends will be referred to as the "path extension direction X," and the direction perpendicular to the path extension direction X in a vertical view will be referred to as the "path width direction Y." Furthermore, one side in the path extension direction X will be referred to as the "first side of the path extension direction X1," and the other side as the "second side of the path extension direction X2."

[0018] In this embodiment, a first lifter L1 is positioned at the end of the first side X1 in the path extension direction of the lifter-to-lifter path Rb. A second lifter L2 is positioned at the end of the second side X2 in the path extension direction of the lifter-to-lifter path Rb.

[0019] In this embodiment, the first lifter L1, the second lifter L2, the lifter-to-lifter path Rb on the first travel floor F1, and the lifter-to-lifter path Rb on the second travel floor F2 constitute a transport unit U. That is, the first lifter L1 and the second lifter L2, and the lifter-to-lifter path Rb connecting these lifters (L1, L2) on each travel floor F, constitute a transport unit U.

[0020] In this embodiment, multiple transport units U are arranged in a line along the path width direction Y. In the example shown in Figure 1, three transport units U are arranged in a line along the path width direction Y. However, the number of transport units U may be two or four or more.

[0021] A connecting path Rc is provided on at least one of the first travel floor F1 and the second travel floor F2, connecting the inter-lifter paths Rb of multiple transport units U in the path width direction Y. In this embodiment, the connecting path Rc is provided on both the first travel floor F1 and the second travel floor F2. On both the first travel floor F1 and the second travel floor F2, the connecting path Rc connects each inter-lifter path Rb. The transport vehicle 1 can move back and forth between each inter-lifter path Rb via the connecting path Rc.

[0022] Next, the general configuration of the goods transport equipment 100 will be explained, mainly with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figures 2 and 3 show one transport unit U. Figures 2 and 3 are diagrams intended to briefly explain the general configuration of the goods transport equipment 100. Therefore, in Figures 2 and 3, elements that are not necessary for explaining the general configuration of the goods transport equipment 100 have been omitted, or elements that are necessary for the explanation have been simplified.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the goods transport equipment 100 comprises a first travel floor F1 on the first level, a second travel floor F2 on the second level, and transport vehicles 1 that travel on the travel surfaces Ff formed on the first travel floor F1 and the second travel floor F2, respectively. Multiple transport vehicles 1 travel on the travel surfaces Ff on each level's travel floor F.

[0024] The goods transport equipment 100 includes a floor surface 90 and a support frame 8. The floor surface 90 is located below the first travel floor F1. Workers W can stand on the floor surface 90 and perform work and maintenance on the first travel floor F1. The support frame 8 includes a platform 80 for workers W. The platform 80 is located above the first travel floor F1 and below the second travel floor F2. Workers W can stand on the platform 80 of the support frame 8 and perform work and maintenance on the second travel floor F2.

[0025] In this embodiment, the scaffolding 80 of the frame 8 is arranged over the entire transport unit U when viewed from above. In the example shown in Figure 1, the scaffolding 80 of the frame 8 is arranged over the entire entire transport unit U when viewed from above. In other words, one frame 8 is provided for multiple transport units U.

[0026] In this embodiment, the goods transport equipment 100 is equipped with a control device M that controls the transport of goods G throughout the entire equipment. The control device M is configured to control a plurality of transport vehicles 1. The control device M issues transport commands and standby commands to each transport vehicle 1. In a transport command, the source and destination of the goods G are specified. A transport vehicle 1 that receives a transport command receives the goods G at the specified source and transports the goods G to the specified destination. In a standby command, a standby location is specified. A transport vehicle 1 that receives a standby command travels to the specified standby location and waits there until it receives the next command or command.

[0027] The transport vehicle 1 is configured to operate unmanned. In this embodiment, the transport vehicle 1 is equipped with a battery and is configured to operate using the power stored in the battery as a power source. The goods transport equipment 100 is provided with a charging station 6 (see Figure 1). When the battery charge of the transport vehicle 1 becomes low, it can be charged at the charging station 6.

[0028] Although detailed illustrations are omitted, in this embodiment, multiple location information holding units are provided at several locations on the travel floor F, each holding location information. Each location information holding unit contains address information indicating the location where the unit is located. The transport vehicle 1 is equipped with a detection unit (not shown) for detecting the location information holding units, and by detecting the location information holding units with this detection unit, it is possible to determine the vehicle's current position at the time of detection. The transport vehicle 1 travels toward the destination while sequentially reading the multiple location information holding units. For example, a one-dimensional code or a two-dimensional code holding identification information can be used as the location information holding unit. Alternatively, an RFID tag (Radio Frequency Identification Tag) holding identification information can be used as the location information holding unit.

[0029] As described above, the goods transport equipment 100 includes a goods supply unit 2 that supplies goods G to the transport vehicle 1, and a goods receiving unit 3 that receives the goods G transported by the transport vehicle 1. A work area WA is located adjacent to the goods supply unit 2. In the work area WA, the goods G supplied from the goods supply unit 2 are handed over to the transport vehicle 1. A sorting area SA is located adjacent to the goods receiving unit 3. In the sorting area SA, the goods G received by the goods receiving unit 3 are sorted.

[0030] An article supply unit 2 is located on at least one of the first travel floor F1 and the second travel floor F2. In this embodiment, the article supply unit 2 is located only on the first travel floor F1. In other words, the work area WA is located only on the first travel floor F1. An article receiving unit 3 is located on each of the first travel floor F1 and the second travel floor F2, adjacent to the lifter inter-path Rb. That is, in this embodiment, the number of travel floors F (first travel floor F1 and second travel floor F2) on which the article receiving unit 3 is located is greater than the number of travel floors F (first travel floor F1) on which the article supply unit 2 is located.

[0031] The work area WA is positioned adjacent to each of the multiple lifter paths Rb on the first travel floor F1. In other words, there are the same number of work areas WA as there are multiple lifter paths Rb on the first travel floor F1 (three lifter paths Rb in the example shown in Figure 1).

[0032] The item G from the item supply unit 2 is supplied to the transport vehicle 1 either as the item G itself or in a container C. In this embodiment, the item supply unit 2 supplies the item G to the work area WA in a supply container Cp. In the work area WA, the item G contained in the supply container Cp is taken out and handed over to the transport vehicle 1 waiting in the lifter path Rb. That is, in this embodiment, the handover of the item G to the transport vehicle 1 may be performed with the item G contained in a container C other than the supply container Cp, or the item G may be handed over as is without being contained in a container C. Through this handover operation, the item G is supplied from the item supply unit 2 to the transport vehicle 1. In this embodiment, the above work in the work area WA is performed by a worker W. However, the above work may be performed by a robot instead of a worker W, or by both a worker W and a robot.

[0033] The transport vehicle 1 is configured to transport goods G or containers C containing goods G. The transport vehicle 1 transports goods G supplied from the goods supply unit 2, or in this example, goods G or containers C containing goods G received in the work area WA, to the goods receiving unit 3.

[0034] The item receiving section 3 is located away from the work area WA and is adjacent to the lifter-to-lift path Rb in the path width direction Y. In this example, the item receiving section 3 is provided on both sides of the lifter-to-lift path Rb in the path width direction Y.

[0035] In this embodiment, the article receiving section 3 includes a plurality of transport mechanisms 30 arranged in a line along the path extension direction X. Each of the plurality of transport mechanisms 30 is configured to transport the article G or the container C containing the article G received from the transport vehicle 1 along the path width direction Y. In this example, the transport mechanism 30 is configured using a conveyor (see also Figure 4). However, the transport mechanism 30 may be configured using, for example, a chute that slopes downward toward the outside in the path width direction Y. When a chute is used as the transport mechanism 30, the article G or the container C containing the article G is transported toward the outside in the path width direction Y by its own weight.

[0036] As described above, a sorting area SA is located adjacent to the item receiving section 3. Items G or containers C containing items G, which have been transported outward in the path width direction Y by the transport mechanism 30 in the item receiving section 3, are transported to the sorting area SA. In other words, the transport vehicle 1 is configured to transport items G or containers C containing items G, which have been received at the item supply section 2, to the sorting area SA. In this example, the transport vehicle 1 transports items G or containers C containing items G, which have been received at the item supply section 2, to the sorting area SA via the transport mechanism 30 of the item receiving section 3.

[0037] In the sorting area SA, sorting work is carried out on goods G transported by transport vehicle 1. The sorting work is performed based on predetermined order information. For example, the order information includes various types of information such as customer information, shipping destination information, and item type information.

[0038] In this embodiment, when the transport vehicle 1 transports the goods G contained in container C to the sorting area SA, an extraction operation is performed in the sorting area SA to remove the goods G from container C. That is, the sorting operation includes the extraction operation to remove the goods G from container C transported by the transport vehicle 1. In this embodiment, the sorting operation in the sorting area SA (including the above extraction operation) is performed by worker W. However, the sorting operation may be performed by a robot instead of worker W, or by both worker W and a robot.

[0039] As shown in Figure 4, in this embodiment, the sorting area SA is provided with a collection container Cc for containing one or more items G collected according to order information through sorting work, and a discharge conveyor 5 (see also Figure 1) for discharging the collection container Cc from the sorting area SA. The collection container Cc containing the items G is discharged outside the sorting area SA by the discharge conveyor 5 and transported, for example, to a location where the next process is carried out.

[0040] As described above, the retrieval operation in the sorting area SA separates the container C from the goods G, resulting in the creation of an empty container C. As shown in Figure 2, in this embodiment, an empty container recovery device 4 for recovering the empty container C generated by the retrieval operation in the sorting area SA is provided on the traveling floor F (in this example, the first traveling floor F1 and the second traveling floor F2) where the goods receiving unit 3 is located. As described above, in this example, the goods receiving unit 3 is located on both the first traveling floor F1 and the second traveling floor F2. Therefore, the empty container recovery device 4 is provided on both the first traveling floor F1 and the second traveling floor F2. In this embodiment, the empty container recovery device 4 provided on the first traveling floor F1 is located above the traveling surface Ff formed on the first traveling floor F1, and the empty container recovery device 4 provided on the second traveling floor F2 is located above the traveling surface Ff formed on the second traveling floor F2.

[0041] In this embodiment, the collection path R4, which is the path through which empty containers C are transported by the empty container collection device 4, extends to a position adjacent to the work area WA. In this example, the collection path R4 extends into the interior of the work area WA. The empty containers C collected by the empty container collection device 4 are transported along the collection path R4 to the work area WA and reused for work in the work area WA. The empty container collection device 4 is configured, for example, using a conveyor. The empty container collection device 4, configured using a conveyor, extends along the collection path R4.

[0042] After the transport vehicle 1 delivers item G to the sorting area SA (item receiving section 3) on the first travel floor F1, it gets on the second lifter L2 and heads to the second travel floor F2. Then, the transport vehicle 1 travels on the second travel floor F2, gets on the first lifter L1 and returns to the first travel floor F1. Upon returning, the transport vehicle 1 receives item G in the work area WA (item supply section 2) in the same manner as above and transports item G to the sorting area SA (item receiving section 3).

[0043] Furthermore, the transport vehicle 1 can also transport the goods G supplied in the work area WA (goods supply area 2) on the first travel floor F1 to the sorting area SA (goods receiving area 3) on the second travel floor F2, instead of to the first travel floor F1. In this case, the transport vehicle 1, while holding the goods G, gets onto the second lifter L2, gets off onto the second travel floor F2, and then transports the goods G to the sorting area SA (goods receiving area 3) on the second travel floor F2. After that, it travels along the second travel floor F2, gets onto the first lifter L1, and returns to the first travel floor F1 again, as described above.

[0044] Figure 3 shows how the transport vehicle 1 moves between each level of a single transport unit U. As shown in Figure 3, the lifter paths Rb of the first travel floor F1 and the lifter paths Rb of the second travel floor F2 are parallel to each other, and the directions in which the transport vehicle 1 is allowed to travel are set to face opposite directions in the path extension direction X.

[0045] In this embodiment, the transport vehicle 1 is configured to travel along the lifter-to-lift path Rb of the first travel floor F1 toward the first side X1 in the path extension direction. The transport vehicle 1 is also configured to travel along the lifter-to-lift path Rb of the second travel floor F2 toward the second side X2 in the path extension direction.

[0046] The first lifter L1 is configured to connect the end of the first side X1 in the path extension direction of the lifter path Rb on the first travel floor F1 and the end of the first side X1 in the path extension direction of the lifter path Rb on the second travel floor F2. The first lifter L1 is configured to raise and lower the transport vehicle 1 between the end of the first side X1 in the path extension direction of the lifter path Rb on the first travel floor F1 and the end of the first side X1 in the path extension direction of the lifter path Rb on the second travel floor F2.

[0047] The second lifter L2 is configured to connect the end of the second side X2 in the path extension direction of the lifter path Rb of the first travel floor F1 with the end of the second side X2 in the path extension direction of the lifter path Rb of the second travel floor F2. The second lifter L2 is configured to raise and lower the transport vehicle 1 between the end of the second side X2 in the path extension direction of the lifter path Rb of the first travel floor F1 and the end of the second side X2 in the path extension direction of the lifter path Rb of the second travel floor F2.

[0048] Each of the first lifter L1 and the second lifter L2 is equipped with a lifting platform La on which a transport vehicle 1 can be placed. Each of the first lifter L1 and the second lifter L2 raises and lowers the transport vehicle 1 over multiple levels while the transport vehicle 1 is placed on its lifting platform La. Each of the first lifter L1 and the second lifter L2 is configured to raise and lower the lifting platform La while maintaining the position of the lifting platform La in a position along the horizontal plane (for example, a position parallel to the horizontal plane).

[0049] In this embodiment, each of the first lifter L1 and the second lifter L2 is equipped with a plurality of lifting platforms La. Each of the first lifter L1 and the second lifter L2 is configured to circulate the plurality of lifting platforms La along a predetermined annular path.

[0050] In this embodiment, the first lifter L1 is set up for raising the transport vehicle 1. That is, the first lifter L1 is a lifter for moving the transport vehicle 1 from the first travel floor F1 to the second travel floor F2.

[0051] In this embodiment, the second lifter L2 is set for lowering the transport vehicle 1. That is, the second lifter L2 is a lifter for moving the transport vehicle 1 from the second travel floor F2 to the first travel floor F1.

[0052] As described above, in this embodiment, the first travel floor F1 is provided with a work area WA (item supply section 2) where the transport vehicle 1 receives the item G, and a sorting area SA (item receiving section 3) where the transport vehicle 1 hands over the item G. In this example, the transport vehicle 1 exits the first travel floor F1 from the exit of the second lifter L2 for lowering and receives the item G in the work area WA. Thereafter, the transport vehicle 1, while holding the item G, travels along the lifter-to-lift path Rb on the first travel floor F1 toward the first side X1 in the path extension direction, and hands over the item G in the sorting area SA. After that, the transport vehicle 1 enters the first lifter L1 for raising from the first travel floor F1 and heads toward the second travel floor F2. The transport vehicle 1 exits the second travel floor F2 from the exit of the first lifter L1 for raising and travels along the lifter-to-lift path Rb on the second travel floor F2 toward the second side X2 in the path extension direction. Then, the transport vehicle 1 enters the second lifter L2 for lowering and proceeds to the first travel floor F1. In this way, the transport vehicle 1 circulates between the first travel floor F1 and the second travel floor F2. Note that a sorting area SA (item receiving area 3) is also provided on the second travel floor F2. Therefore, after the transport vehicle 1 receives the item G in the work area WA (item supply area 2) on the first travel floor F1, it may hand over the item G in the sorting area SA (item receiving area 3) on the second travel floor F2, rather than in the sorting area SA (item receiving area 3) on the first travel floor F1.

[0053] In the goods transport equipment 100 described herein, the sorting area SA (goods receiving section 3) is provided not only on the first travel floor F1 but also on the second travel floor F2. Therefore, goods G transported by the transport vehicle 1 can be received on both the first travel floor F1 and the second travel floor F2, which are on different floor levels. Thus, it is possible to increase the number of receiving locations (goods receiving sections 3) for goods G transported by the transport vehicle 1 without expanding the goods transport equipment 100 in a planar manner.

[0054] As shown in Figure 4, the goods transport equipment 100 is provided with a floor surface 90 on which a worker W can stand while working on the first travel floor F1, and a platform 8 on which a worker W can stand while working on the second travel floor F2. In this example, the scaffolding 80 formed on the platform 8 is positioned above the first travel floor F1. The worker W can stand on the scaffolding 80 and perform work on the second travel floor F2.

[0055] In this embodiment, the item receiving section 3 on the first travel floor F1 and the item receiving section 3 on the second travel floor F2 are arranged to overlap when viewed in the vertical direction. Furthermore, in this example, the distance D1 in the path width direction Y between the lifter path Rb on the first travel floor F1 and the sorting area SA on the first level (hereinafter referred to as "first distance D1") is equivalent to the distance D2 in the path width direction Y between the lifter path Rb on the second travel floor F2 and the sorting area SA on the second level (hereinafter referred to as "second distance D2"). In other words, the arrangement area in the path width direction Y of the item receiving section 3 on the first travel floor F1 is equivalent to the arrangement area in the path width direction Y of the item receiving section 3 on the second travel floor F2. In further terms, the transport distance of the item G along the path width direction Y by the transport mechanism 30 is equivalent on the first travel floor F1 and the second travel floor F2. As a result, the sorting area SA at the first level and the sorting area SA at the second level are arranged to overlap when viewed from above.

[0056] In this embodiment, each of the pair of sorting areas SA, which are located on both sides of the path width direction Y with respect to the lifter-to-lift path Rb of the first traveling floor F1, is spaced at an equal distance in the path width direction Y with respect to the lifter-to-lift path Rb. That is, one sorting area SA located on one side of the path width direction Y with respect to the lifter-to-lift path Rb is spaced at a first distance D1 with respect to the lifter-to-lift path Rb. The other sorting area SA located on the other side of the path width direction Y with respect to the lifter-to-lift path Rb is also spaced at a first distance D1 with respect to the lifter-to-lift path Rb.

[0057] Furthermore, in this embodiment, each of the pair of sorting areas SA located on both sides of the path width direction Y with respect to the lifter-to-lift path Rb of the second traveling floor F2 is spaced at an equivalent distance in the path width direction Y with respect to the lifter-to-lift path Rb. That is, one sorting area SA located on one side of the path width direction Y with respect to the lifter-to-lift path Rb is spaced at a second distance D2 away from the lifter-to-lift path Rb. The other sorting area SA located on the other side of the path width direction Y with respect to the lifter-to-lift path Rb is also spaced at a second distance D2 away from the lifter-to-lift path Rb.

[0058] In this case, the total number of items G to be transported by the item transporting equipment 100 may fluctuate depending on customer needs, etc. In this case, the transport load in the item transporting equipment 100 will fluctuate. In this embodiment, the item transporting equipment 100 has a control device M (see Figure 2) that is configured to execute multiple modes according to the transport load. This makes it possible to flexibly respond to fluctuations in the transport load in the item transporting equipment 100.

[0059] As shown in Figure 5, in this embodiment, the control device M is configured to execute an operational unit limitation mode, which limits the operational units U to a subset of the multiple transport units U. In the operational unit limitation mode, some of the multiple transport units U are kept inactive, while the rest are kept operational. In Figure 5, the hatched transport units U (the topmost and center transport units U in the figure) are the transport units U that are inactive due to the operational unit limitation mode.

[0060] As described above, one transport unit U includes a first lifter L1, a second lifter L2, a lifter-to-lifter path Rb on the first travel floor F1, and a lifter-to-lifter path Rb on the second travel floor F2 as its components. In the operational unit limited mode according to this embodiment, the operation of the first lifter L1 and the second lifter L2, which are components of the transport unit U that are in a non-operational state, is stopped, and the transport vehicle 1 is prohibited from traveling on the lifter-to-lifter path Rb on the first travel floor F1 and the lifter-to-lifter path Rb on the second travel floor F2.

[0061] By executing the limited-operating-unit mode, the number of transport units U operating in the goods transport equipment 100 can be reduced during off-peak seasons when the total number of items G to be transported is small and the transport load is low. Consequently, energy consumption in the goods transport equipment 100 can be reduced.

[0062] As shown in Figure 6, in this embodiment, the control device M is configured to execute an acceptance limiting mode that limits the number of items G accepted by the item receiving unit 3. In the acceptance limiting mode, a portion of the item receiving unit 3 is kept inactive, while the rest is kept inactive. In the acceptance limiting mode according to this embodiment, a large number of transport units U are kept operational while a portion of the item receiving unit 3 is kept inactive. In Figure 6, the hatched portion of the item receiving unit 3 is the portion that is inactive due to the acceptance limiting mode.

[0063] As described above, the item receiving unit 3 is equipped with a plurality of transport mechanisms 30 arranged in a line along the path extension direction X. Each of the plurality of transport mechanisms 30 is configured to transport the item G received from the transport vehicle 1 or the container C containing the item G along the path width direction Y. In the receiving-only mode according to this embodiment, some of the plurality of transport mechanisms 30 are kept in a non-operational state. The control device M designates the transport vehicle 1 to use the remaining operational transport mechanisms 30 as the destination for the item G.

[0064] By executing the acceptance-only mode, during off-peak seasons when the total number of items G to be transported is small and the transport load is low, energy consumption in the item transport equipment 100 can be suppressed while sorting of items G can be performed in a short period of time. In other words, in acceptance-only mode, a portion of the item receiving section 3 is kept inactive, but a large number of transport units U are kept operational, so that the number of operational transport units U can be increased relative to the total number of items G to be transported. As a result, the transport vehicle 1 can transport items G using any of the operational transport units U. Therefore, the destinations of multiple transport vehicles 1 can be distributed among multiple transport units U, and congestion of multiple transport vehicles 1 at a single transport unit U can be suppressed.

[0065] [Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment of the goods transport equipment 100 will be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8. In the second embodiment, the configuration of the goods receiving section 3 and the frame 8 differs mainly from that of the first embodiment. The following description will mainly focus on the differences between the second embodiment and the first embodiment. Points that are not specifically described are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0066] As shown in Figure 7, in this embodiment, the goods transport equipment 100 is equipped with a plurality of racks 8. Each rack 8 is positioned corresponding to each of the plurality of goods receiving sections 3 on the second travel floor F2.

[0067] The scaffolding 80 of the frame 8 is positioned in a vertical view to extend over a portion of the corresponding item receiving section 3 and the sorting area SA adjacent to the item receiving section 3. The scaffolding 80 of the frame 8 is positioned in a vertical view so as not to overlap with the respective lifter paths Rb of the first travel floor F1 and the second travel floor F2.

[0068] In this embodiment, one support frame 8 is shared by two adjacent transport units U. To elaborate, the item receiving section 3 of the second travel floor F2 in one transport unit U and the item receiving section 3 of the second travel floor F2 in another transport unit U located adjacent to the first transport unit U are arranged adjacent to each other in the path width direction Y. One support frame 8 is provided for these two item receiving sections 3. In other words, a scaffolding 80 of one support frame 8 is provided across these two item receiving sections 3.

[0069] Figure 8 shows one transport unit U. As shown in Figure 8, in this embodiment, the distance in the path width direction Y between the lifter path Rb on the first travel floor F1 and the sorting area SA on the first level (first distance D1) is different from the distance in the path width direction Y between the lifter path Rb on the second travel floor F2 and the sorting area SA on the second level (second distance D2). In other words, the arrangement area in the path width direction Y of the item receiving section 3 on the first travel floor F1 is different from the arrangement area in the path width direction Y of the item receiving section 3 on the second travel floor F2. In other words, the transport distance of the item G along the path width direction Y by the transport mechanism 30 is different between the first travel floor F1 and the second travel floor F2.

[0070] In this embodiment, the second distance D2 is longer than the first distance D1. Therefore, in the same transport unit U, the sorting area SA of the second level is located outside the sorting area SA of the first level in the path width direction Y. This makes it possible to arrange the sorting area SA of the first level and the sorting area SA of the second level so that they do not overlap when viewed from above. As a result, it becomes easier to arrange the first and second levels closer together, making it possible to reduce the overall size of the equipment in the vertical direction. In the example shown in Figure 8, the first and second levels are arranged close together to such an extent that the height of the scaffolding 80 is lower than the height of the worker W standing on the floor surface 90 (for example, the average height of the worker W, or the assumed maximum height of the worker W).

[0071] [Third Embodiment] Next, a third embodiment of the goods transport equipment 100 will be described with reference to Figures 9 and 10. In the third embodiment, the configuration of the second travel floor F2 is the main difference compared to the first embodiment. The following description will mainly focus on the differences between the third embodiment and the first embodiment. Points that are not specifically described are the same as in the first embodiment.

[0072] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the goods supply unit 2 and the goods receiving unit 3 are located on the same level of the traveling floor F. Specifically, the goods supply unit 2 (work area WA) and the goods receiving unit 3 (sorting area SA) are located on the first traveling floor F1, while the goods supply unit 2 (work area WA) and the goods receiving unit 3 (sorting area SA) are located on the second traveling floor F2.

[0073] In this embodiment, in both the first travel floor F1 and the second travel floor F2, the goods supply unit 2 (work area WA) is located upstream of the travel direction of the transport vehicle 1, and the goods receiving unit 3 (sorting area SA) is located downstream of the goods supply unit 2 in the travel direction. In this example, on the first travel floor F1, the goods supply unit 2 (work area WA) is located second X2 in the path extension direction relative to the goods receiving unit 3 (sorting area SA). On the other hand, on the second travel floor F2, the goods supply unit 2 (work area WA) is located first X1 in the path extension direction relative to the goods receiving unit 3 (sorting area SA).

[0074] For example, in this embodiment, the transport vehicle 1 transports the items G supplied by the item supply unit 2 (work area WA) to the item receiving unit 3 (sorting area SA) on the first travel floor F1. After transporting the items G and with nothing in its possession, the transport vehicle 1 rides on the first lifter L1 and heads to the second travel floor F2. On the second travel floor F2, the transport vehicle 1 transports the items G supplied by the item supply unit 2 (work area WA) to the item receiving unit 3 (sorting area SA).

[0075] According to this embodiment, the transport vehicle 1 can transport the articles G supplied from the article supply unit 2 to the article receiving unit 3, which is located on the same floor as the article supply unit 2. Therefore, the entire process from supplying to receiving the articles G can be completed on a single floor. Consequently, the transport distance of the articles G by the transport vehicle 1 can be kept short.

[0076] The above configuration makes it easy to keep the transport distance of the item G by the transport vehicle 1 short, making it suitable for transporting items G that should not be subjected to vibration during transport, i.e., items G that are sensitive to vibration. "Items G that are sensitive to vibration" include those that tend to have an unstable posture during transport, such as those that are prone to rolling. In addition, depending on the lifter configuration, relatively large vibrations may occur when the transport vehicle 1 is raised and lowered by the lifter, but in this embodiment, the process from supplying to receiving the item G can be completed in a single level without going through the lifter. From this point of view as well, the above configuration is suitable for transporting items G that are sensitive to vibration.

[0077] [Other Embodiments] Next, other embodiments of the goods conveying equipment will be described.

[0078] (1) In the first and second embodiments described above, examples were given in which the number of travel floors F on which the article receiving unit 3 is located is greater than the number of travel floors F on which the article supply unit 2 is located. However, the invention is not limited to such examples, and the number of travel floors F on which the article receiving unit 3 is located may be the same as the number of travel floors F on which the article supply unit 2 is located, as in the third embodiment. Alternatively, the number of travel floors F on which the article receiving unit 3 is located may be less than the number of travel floors F on which the article supply unit 2 is located.

[0079] (2) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the article receiving section 3 is provided on both sides of the path width direction Y with respect to the lifter-to-lifter path Rb. However, the example is not limited to this example, and the article receiving section 3 may be provided on only one side of the path width direction Y with respect to the lifter-to-lifter path Rb.

[0080] (3) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which each of the pair of sorting areas SA arranged on both sides in the path width direction Y with respect to the lifter path Rb of the first traveling floor F1 is spaced at an equivalent distance in the path width direction Y with respect to the lifter path Rb. However, the example is not limited to this example, and the separation distance of the first traveling floor F1 with respect to the lifter path Rb may differ between one sorting area SA and the other sorting area SA. The same may apply to the relationship between the lifter path Rb and the pair of sorting areas SA on the second traveling floor F2.

[0081] (4) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which an empty container recovery device 4 is provided to recover empty containers C generated by the removal work in the sorting area SA. However, the invention is not limited to such an example, and the empty container recovery device 4 may not be provided. In this case, the empty containers C generated by the removal work in the sorting area SA may be recovered by, for example, a transport vehicle 1.

[0082] (5) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which multiple transport units U are arranged in the path width direction Y. However, the article transport equipment 100 may be configured with a single transport unit U, without being limited to such an example.

[0083] (6) In the above embodiments, examples have been described in which the first lifter L1 and the second lifter L2 are configured to circulate a plurality of lifting platforms La along a predetermined annular path. However, the invention is not limited to such examples, and at least one of the first lifter L1 and the second lifter L2 may be configured to move the lifting platform La back and forth along a single path in the vertical direction.

[0084] (7) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the article conveying equipment 100 includes a first travel floor F1 of the first level and a second travel floor F2 of the second level. This means that the article conveying equipment 100 includes at least a first travel floor F1 and a second travel floor F2, and may also have travel floors F on other levels. This "other level" may be a level between the first and second levels, or a level above or below the first and second levels. Also, unlike the above embodiment, the second level may be a level below the first level.

[0085] (8) In the second embodiment described above, an example was given in which the second distance D2 is longer than the first distance D1. However, the invention is not limited to such an example, and the second distance D2 may be shorter than the first distance D1. In this case, in the same transport unit U, the sorting area SA of the second level is located further inward in the path width direction Y than the sorting area SA of the first level. Even in this case, the sorting area SA of the first level and the sorting area SA of the second level can be arranged so as not to overlap in a vertical view. Therefore, it becomes easier to arrange the first and second levels closer together, and it becomes possible to reduce the vertical size of the entire facility.

[0086] (9) The configurations disclosed in the embodiments described above can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, as long as no inconsistencies arise. With regard to other configurations, the embodiments disclosed herein are merely illustrative in all respects. Therefore, various modifications can be made as appropriate without departing from the spirit of this disclosure.

[0087] [Summary of the above embodiment] The following describes the goods handling equipment mentioned above.

[0088] An article transporting system comprising a transport vehicle for transporting articles, and multiple levels of travel floors, each having a travel surface on which the transport vehicle travels, The transport vehicle is raised and lowered between the first travel floor, which is the first level of the travel floor, and the second travel floor, which is the second level of the travel floor, and the first lifter and the second lifter are arranged horizontally apart from each other, An article supply unit that supplies the articles to the transport vehicle, The vehicle comprises an article receiving section for receiving the articles transported by the transport vehicle, A lifter-to-lifter path is provided in each of the first and second travel floors, connecting the first lifter and the second lifter. In each of the first and second travel floors, the article receiving section is arranged adjacent to the lifter inter-path, The article supply unit is located on at least one of the first travel floor and the second travel floor.

[0089] In this configuration, an item receiving section is located on both the first and second travel floors. Therefore, items transported by the transport vehicle can be received on both the first and second travel floors, which are on different levels. Thus, the number of receiving locations for items transported by the transport vehicle can be increased without expanding the item transport equipment in a planar manner.

[0090] Preferably, the number of travel floors on which the article receiving unit is located is greater than the number of travel floors on which the article supply unit is located.

[0091] This configuration allows for a large number of receiving locations for goods relative to the number of goods supply units. Therefore, it is easy to create a goods transport system suitable for applications that require sorting goods into multiple receiving locations.

[0092] It is preferable that the article supply unit and the article receiving unit are located on the same floor level as the travel floor.

[0093] According to this configuration, the transport vehicle can carry goods supplied from the goods supply unit to the goods receiving unit located on the same floor as the goods supply unit. Therefore, the entire process from goods supply to goods receiving can be completed on a single floor. Consequently, the distance goods need to be transported can be kept short.

[0094] A sorting area is provided where sorting work is carried out on the items received at the item receiving section. The articles from the article supply unit are supplied to the transport vehicle either as articles or in containers. The transport vehicle transports the goods or the containers containing the goods received at the goods supply unit to the sorting area. The sorting operation includes the removal of the items from the containers transported by the transport vehicle. It is preferable that an empty container recovery device for recovering the empty containers generated by the aforementioned removal operation is provided on the traveling floor where the article receiving section is located.

[0095] In this configuration, containers used in the goods supply section become empty through sorting (removal) in the sorting area. These empty containers are collected by an empty container collection device. For example, by providing the empty containers collected by the empty container collection device to the goods supply section, the containers can be reused in the goods supply section.

[0096] The direction in which the path between the lifters extends is defined as the path extension direction, and the direction perpendicular to the path extension direction in a vertical view is defined as the path width direction. The first and second layers are adjacent to each other in the vertical direction. The sorting area is provided in both the first and second levels. It is preferable that the distance in the path width direction between the lifter-to-lift path on the first travel floor and the sorting area on the first floor is different from the distance in the path width direction between the lifter-to-lift path on the second travel floor and the sorting area on the second floor.

[0097] This configuration allows the sorting area on the first level and the sorting area on the second level to be arranged so that they do not overlap when viewed from above. This makes it easier to place the first and second levels close together, and enables the overall equipment to be made smaller in the vertical direction.

[0098] The direction in which the path between the lifters extends is defined as the path extension direction, and the direction perpendicular to the path extension direction in a vertical view is defined as the path width direction. The first lifter, the second lifter, the inter-lifter path on the first travel floor, and the inter-lifter path on the second travel floor constitute a transport unit. Multiple of the aforementioned transport units are arranged in a line in the direction of the path width, It is preferable that at least one of the first travel floor and the second travel floor is provided with a connecting path that connects the paths between the lifters of the multiple transport units in the path width direction.

[0099] With this configuration, the transport vehicle can move between multiple transport units via a connecting path. Therefore, even if there are variations in the transport load among multiple transport units, the transport vehicle can be moved appropriately to each transport unit according to the transport load to transport the goods. As a result, it is easier to improve the overall efficiency of goods transport for the entire system.

[0100] A control device is provided to control the transport of the aforementioned articles throughout the entire facility. The control device is preferably configured to execute an operating unit limiting mode, which limits the number of transport units to be operated among the plurality of transport units.

[0101] This configuration allows for flexible response to fluctuations in the transport load of the goods transport equipment. For example, during off-peak seasons when the total number of goods to be transported is small and the transport load is low, the number of transport units operating in the goods transport equipment can be reduced by executing the limited-operating-unit mode. This makes it possible to keep energy consumption in the goods transport equipment low. [Industrial applicability]

[0102] The technology relating to this disclosure can be used in an article transport system comprising an article transport vehicle and multiple layers of travel floors, each having a travel surface on which the article transport vehicle travels. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0103] 100: Goods handling equipment F: Running floor F1: First Running Floor F2: Second running floor Ff: Running surface L1: First Lifter L2: Second Lifter Rb: Inter-lifter path Rc: Connection path 1: Transport vehicle 2: Goods supply department 3: Goods Receiving Department 4: Empty container collection device G:Goods C: Container M: Control device SA: Sorting Area U: Conveyor unit D1: First distance D2: 2nd distance X: Path extension direction Y: Path width direction

Claims

1. An article transporting system comprising a transport vehicle for transporting articles, and multiple levels of travel floors, each having a travel surface on which the transport vehicle travels, The transport vehicle is raised and lowered between the first travel floor, which is the travel floor of the first level, and the second travel floor, which is the travel floor of the second level, and the first lifter and the second lifter are arranged horizontally apart from each other, An article supply unit that supplies the articles to the transport vehicle, The vehicle comprises an article receiving section for receiving the articles transported by the transport vehicle, A lifter-to-lifter path connecting the first lifter and the second lifter is provided on each of the first and second travel floors. In each of the first and second travel floors, the article receiving section is arranged adjacent to the lifter inter-path, Article transport equipment wherein the article supply unit is located on at least one of the first travel floor and the second travel floor.

2. The article conveying equipment according to claim 1, wherein the number of travel floors on which the article receiving section is located is greater than the number of travel floors on which the article supply section is located.

3. The article transport equipment according to claim 1, wherein the article supply unit and the article receiving unit are located on the same floor as the travel floor.

4. A sorting area is provided where sorting work is carried out on the items received at the item receiving section. The articles from the article supply unit are supplied to the transport vehicle either as articles or in containers. The transport vehicle transports the goods or the containers containing the goods received at the goods supply unit to the sorting area. The sorting operation includes the removal of the items from the containers transported by the transport vehicle. The article transport equipment according to claim 1, wherein an empty container recovery device for recovering the empty containers generated by the aforementioned removal operation is provided on the traveling floor where the article receiving section is located.

5. The direction in which the path between the lifters extends is defined as the path extension direction, and the direction perpendicular to the path extension direction in a vertical view is defined as the path width direction. The first and second layers are adjacent to each other in the vertical direction. The sorting area is provided in both the first and second layers. The article conveying equipment according to claim 4, wherein the distance in the path width direction between the lifter-to-lift path on the first travel floor and the sorting area on the first floor is different from the distance in the path width direction between the lifter-to-lift path on the second travel floor and the sorting area on the second floor.

6. The direction in which the path between the lifters extends is defined as the path extension direction, and the direction perpendicular to the path extension direction in a vertical view is defined as the path width direction. The first lifter, the second lifter, the lifter-to-lifter path on the first travel floor, and the lifter-to-lifter path on the second travel floor constitute a transport unit. Multiple of the aforementioned transport units are arranged in a line in the direction of the path width, The article conveying equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein at least one of the first travel floor and the second travel floor is provided with a connecting path that connects the paths between the lifters of a plurality of conveying units in the path width direction.

7. A control device is provided to control the transport of the aforementioned articles throughout the entire facility. The article conveying equipment according to claim 6, wherein the control device is configured to execute an operating unit limiting mode that limits the number of conveying units to be operated to a portion of the plurality of conveying units.

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