Storage facilities for goods

Abstract

To provide an article storage facility in which a worker can take out an article housed in one article storage part through only one frontage part which is opened correspondingly to the one article storage part in which the article to be taken out by the worker is housed, among a plurality of article storage parts vertically and horizontally arranged.SOLUTION: An article storage facility 1 comprises: an article storage shelf 10 in which a plurality of article storage parts 11 is vertically and horizontally arranged; an opening and closing apparatus 20 which is prepared close to the front side of the article storage shelf 10, and configured such that opening and closing only an opening part corresponding to one article storage part 11 in which the article to be taken out manually is housed are changed one after another; a control unit 40 which controls the opening and closing apparatus 20 so as to open and close only an opening part corresponding to the one article storage part 11 which becomes an object from which the article is taken out this time, of the article storage shelf 10; and trigger means 41 which outputs a trigger means signal to the control unit 40 so that the control unit 40 starts output of a control signal to the opening and closing apparatus 20 at the start of taking out the article this time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an article storage facility in which one article storage section containing an article to be taken out by an operator is designated among a plurality of article storage sections arranged vertically and horizontally, and the operator can take out the article from this article storage section.

Background Art

[0002] In a logistics system, there is an article storage facility having a plurality of article storage sections arranged vertically and horizontally and an article storage shelf in which a plurality of different types of articles are stored for each article storage section. And a designation means (for example, an LED) is attached to a rectangular frame portion defining each article storage section. When one article storage section containing the article to be taken out this time is designated by lighting the LED (designation means), the operator takes out the article stored in the article storage section and stores it in a collection box or the like. This picking operation is a manual operation by the operator of taking out an article from the designated article storage section and storing the taken-out article in a collection box or the like, and is an operation of designating different article storage sections one after another by the LED (designation means), taking out articles one after another, and storing the taken-out articles in a collection box or the like.

[0003] When performing the article taking-out operation for a long time, even though one article storage section is designated, the operator may take out an article from an article storage section that is not designated due to fatigue and mistakes.

[0004] Therefore, in addition to the designation means, a picking system has been proposed that further attaches a work error detection means and a work error notification means to the above article storage shelf, detects the point data of the wrist position inserted into the article storage section, judges whether the wrist position is correctly inserted into the article storage section designated based on the point data, and gives an opportunity to correct the work error by notifying the work error when it is incorrect, thereby preventing work errors (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] The inventors of this invention have diligently investigated the occurrence of errors when an item is retrieved from a designated item storage compartment, and have concluded that, aside from worker fatigue and error, the fundamental cause is that the openings of all item storage compartments are open, allowing the worker to reach into any of them.

[0006] Therefore, the inventors considered that if it were possible to provide an environment in which only one of the article storage sections has its opening opened, while the openings of the other article storage sections remain closed, it would be possible to fundamentally prevent work errors, and it would also eliminate the need to provide the wrist position detection means, correct / incorrect judgment means, and work error notification means described in Patent Document 1. However, no such inventive idea has been proposed to date.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of these points, and aims to provide an article storage device that allows an employee to retrieve an article stored in one article storage compartment, which is located among a plurality of article storage compartments arranged vertically and horizontally, through a single opening that is open to correspond to the article the employee needs to retrieve. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A first aspect of the present invention comprises an article storage shelf, an opening and closing device, a control unit, and a trigger means.

[0009] The aforementioned item storage rack has a configuration in which multiple item storage sections, each capable of holding multiple items, are arranged vertically and horizontally.

[0010] The opening and closing device is provided close to the front of the item storage shelf and is configured to successively open and close only the opening corresponding to one of the item storage compartments among the multiple item storage compartments that contains an item to be removed by hand.

[0011] The control unit is configured to control the opening and closing device so as to open and close only the opening of the one item storage section in the item storage shelf that is the target of the item retrieval in this instance.

[0012] The trigger means is configured to output a trigger signal to the control unit when the removal of the item in question begins, so that the control unit can start outputting a control signal to the opening / closing device.

[0013] The article storage equipment according to the second embodiment of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment of the present invention, is configured such that one of the articles stored in the storage station is moved to the picking station by an unmanned vehicle that travels between two points based on instructions from a central control unit. Here, "unmanned vehicle" includes at least one of the following: an automatically guided vehicle (AGV) such as a transport trolley that travels unmanned guided by the magnetism emitted by magnetic tape or magnetic rods laid on the floor surface, and an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) that can travel without guidance, makes its own decisions, and automatically avoids people and obstacles.

[0014] The article storage equipment according to the third embodiment of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first or second embodiment of the invention, is configured as a double cross-slide curtain slit type opening and closing device in which the opening and closing device has a vertically moving curtain and a horizontally moving curtain that slide perpendicularly to each other in the vertical and horizontal directions and are close to each other, and the vertically moving curtain and the horizontally moving curtain slide according to a control command of the control unit, and a rectangular opening is opened at the intersection of a horizontally elongated opening provided in the vertically moving curtain and a vertically elongated opening provided in the horizontally moving curtain, and the article is removed when the opening is positioned to correspond to one article storage section from which the article is to be removed.

[0015] The article storage equipment according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first or second embodiment of the present invention, is configured as an individual gate flap type opening and closing device, wherein the opening and closing device is provided corresponding to each of the article storage sections and comprises a plurality of gate flaps that close the opening side of the article storage section, and the control command of the control unit opens the gate flap corresponding to any one of the article storage sections from which the article should be removed.

[0016] The article storage equipment according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the fourth embodiment of the present invention, comprises a plurality of gate flaps provided from the frame to correspond to all of the article storage sections of the article storage shelf and to close each of the article storage sections, with their upper ends pivotally supported and their lower ends opening forward to open the opening side of each of the article storage sections, and gate driving means provided from the frame to correspond to each of the gate flaps and to move the gate flaps up and down. The control unit's control command causes a gate driving means corresponding to one of the article storage sections from which an article should be removed to rotate the corresponding gate flap upward to open the gate and allow the article to be removed from there. After the article has been removed, the gate flap is rotated downward to close the gate. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, an article storage facility can be provided that includes an opening that can be opened and closed corresponding to each of all the article storage sections arranged vertically and horizontally, and by opening the opening corresponding to one article storage section in which an article to be taken out by an operator is stored, the operator can insert a hand through this opening into the article storage section to take out the article, thereby preventing operation errors.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018] [Figure 1] It is a front view showing an article storage facility according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a side view showing an article storage facility according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a plan view showing an article storage facility according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a front view showing an article storage shelf according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a front view showing an opening / closing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a view showing a modification example of a horizontally long opening of a vertically moving curtain of an opening / closing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a view showing a modification example of a vertically long opening of a horizontally moving curtain of an opening / closing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] It is a front view showing an article storage facility according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] It is a side view showing an article storage facility according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] It is a partially enlarged front view showing an opening / closing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] An article storage facility according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0020] [First Embodiment] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the article storage equipment 1 according to the first embodiment of the present application comprises an article storage shelf 10, an opening / closing device 20, a control unit 40, and a trigger means 41, which will be described in detail below. The article storage shelf 10 is erected in front of the worker M located at the article retrieval station, and the opening / closing device 20 is moved to be close to the rear side of the article storage shelf 10.

[0021] [Storage shelf 10] As shown in Figures 4 and 6, the item storage rack 10 is configured such that multiple item storage sections 11, each having a storage space for multiple identical items, are arranged vertically and horizontally, with different types of items stored in each item storage section 11.

[0022] Preferably, the autonomous vehicle 80 has, for example, a lifting top plate 81, and can move by sliding under the bottom plate of the rectangular frame of the item storage shelf 10, raising the lifting top plate 81 to lock the bottom plate of the rectangular frame, and lifting the item storage shelf 10 by, for example, 20 mm.

[0023] The item storage rack 10 is moved in front of a worker M at the item retrieval station by an automated vehicle 80 that travels between two points based on instructions from a central control unit (not shown), and one of several (e.g., several hundred) stored in the storage area is brought in front of a worker M at the item retrieval station.

[0024] The item storage rack 10 has different types of items pre-stored in the storage area for each item storage section 11. The central control unit manages the data of the AGV ID, the item storage rack 10 ID, the item storage section 11 ID, the item ID, and the quantity, and items are retrieved by workers at the item retrieval station. Here, "items" refers to tangible objects handled in a logistics warehouse.

[0025] In the illustrated example, the item storage shelf 10 consists of a rectangular frame, partition plates for each row and partition plates for each tier, and is arranged in a regular row with four item storage sections 11 each in the vertical and horizontal directions, but it may also be arranged in an oblique row. The item storage shelf 10 may also be configured by assembling multiple units, each with multiple item storage sections 11 arranged in a vertical row, side by side. Preferably, the item storage shelf 10 is mobile, with each item storage section 11 having an opening of 400 mm wide x 300 mm high, and four legs 12 with lockable casters 13, each 550 mm long, hanging down from the four corners of the bottom plate of the rectangular frame. The size of the item storage shelf 10 is set so that workers can work without having to move their standing position significantly, without having to stand on a step stool, stretch, or squat.

[0026] The item storage racks 10 are arranged in the storage area in quantities of several hundred, depending on the scale and content of the logistics system. Each item storage section 11 of one item storage rack 10 stores (replenishes) multiple different items (indicated as G1-G4 in Figure 2). Then, the item storage rack 10 that requires item retrieval is moved by the automated vehicle 80 to approach the opening / closing device 20 erected in front of the worker at the item retrieval station. Once the item retrieval is complete, it is moved back to the storage area or to another worker.

[0027] Multiple (for example, 5) item storage shelves 10 wait in a line at the item retrieval station, and items are retrieved from the first item storage shelf 10. The movement of these multiple item storage shelves 10 in the line is performed by an automated vehicle 80 or by human hands.

[0028] The item storage shelf 10 may be fixedly installed, but in this case, the item storage section 11 is configured to be replenished with items from the rear of the item storage shelf 10.

[0029] The items are placed and stored on a floor plate that defines the item storage section 11. The floor plate defining the item storage section 11 may be a roller table that slopes downward towards the front, in which case a stopper is attached to the front end. The items may be stored in each item storage section 11 from either the front or the rear, or both.

[0030] Each item storage compartment 11 is assigned a unique address (item storage compartment ID). For example, the four item storage compartments 11 on the top row are numbered "01", "02", "03", and "04" from left to right; the four item storage compartments 11 on the second row from the top are numbered "05", "06", "07", and "08" from left to right; the four item storage compartments 11 on the third row from the top are numbered "09", "10", "11", and "12" from left to right; and the four item storage compartments 11 on the bottom row are numbered "13", "14", "15", and "16" from left to right.

[0031] Each of the item storage compartments 11 with addresses "01", "02", "03", ... "14", "15", and "16" can store multiple items with item IDs "A01", "A02", "A03", ... "A14", "A15", and "A16".

[0032] [Switching device 20] As shown in Figures 1-3, the opening and closing device 20 is attached to a rectangular frame-shaped frame 21 that is separated and provided on the front side of the item storage shelf 10, and is configured to open and close only the opening of one of the item storage sections 11 when an item is to be taken out from one of the item storage sections 11 by hand in succession.

[0033] As shown in Figure 5, the opening and closing device 20 is configured as a double cross-slide curtain slit type opening and closing device equipped with a vertically moving curtain device 22 and a horizontally moving curtain device 28.

[0034] The vertically moving curtain device 22 has an upper and lower end of the vertically moving curtain 23 wound around an upper shaft winding roll 24 and a lower shaft winding roll 25, which are supported by a frame 21. The vertically moving curtain 23 has horizontally elongated openings 23a corresponding to all the item storage compartments 11 in a horizontal row of the item storage shelf 10 at positions corresponding to the upper shaft winding roll 24 and the lower shaft winding roll 25. An endless chain 27c is wound around a sprocket 27a provided on the upper shaft winding roll 24 and a sprocket 27b provided on the lower shaft winding roll 25. The vertically moving curtain 23 slides vertically when the upper shaft winding roll 24 and the lower shaft winding roll 25 rotate integrally in the same direction by a first reversible control motor 26.

[0035] The horizontal moving curtain device 28 is configured as a double cross-slide curtain slit type opening and closing device in which the horizontal moving curtain 29 is located close to the front or rear of the vertical moving curtain 23, and the left and right ends of the horizontal moving curtain 29 are wound around a left-axis winding roll 30 and a right-axis winding roll 31 which are supported by a frame 21, and the vertical moving curtain 23 has vertically elongated openings 29a corresponding to all of the article storage sections 11 in a vertical row of the article storage rack 10 at positions corresponding to the left-axis winding roll 30 and the right-axis winding roll 31, and an endless chain 33c is wound around a sprocket 33a provided on the left-axis winding roll 30 and a sprocket 33b provided on the right-axis winding roll 31, and the left-axis winding roll 30 and the right-axis winding roll 31 rotate integrally in the same direction by a second reversible control motor 32, causing the vertical moving curtain 23 to slide in the left-right direction.

[0036] The upper shaft winding roll 24, the lower shaft winding roll 25, the left shaft winding roll 30, and the right shaft winding roll 31 are each supported at both ends by four brackets 21a-21d attached to the frame 21. The horizontally elongated opening 23a may be divided in accordance with the horizontal arrangement of the article storage section 11, as shown in Figure 6, and the vertically elongated opening 29a may be divided in accordance with the vertical arrangement of the article storage section 11, as shown in Figure 7. The first reversible control motor 26 and the second reversible control motor 32 can be, for example, servo motors.

[0037] Then, based on the control commands of the control unit 40, the vertically moving curtain device 22 and the horizontally moving curtain device 28 operate, and the horizontally elongated opening 23a and the vertically elongated opening 29a are positioned to correspond to one of the item storage sections 11 of the item storage shelf 10 from which an item should be taken out. As a result, the intersection of the horizontally elongated opening 23a and the vertically elongated opening 29a becomes a rectangular opening 34, and items can be taken out from this opening 34.

[0038] In short, the opening and closing device 20 has a vertically moving curtain 23 and a horizontally moving curtain 29 that slide perpendicularly to each other in the vertical and horizontal directions, close together. The vertically moving curtain 23 and the horizontally moving curtain 29 slide according to a control command from the control unit 40, and a rectangular opening 34 is opened at the intersection of the horizontally elongated opening 23a in the vertically moving curtain 23 and the vertically elongated opening 29a in the horizontally moving curtain 29, so that an item can be retrieved when it is positioned to correspond to one of the item storage sections 11 from which the item is to be retrieved.

[0039] [Control unit 40 and trigger means 41] The control unit 40 receives a data set from the overall control unit regarding the item storage rack 10 that is moved in front of the worker at the item retrieval station, containing the item storage unit ID and the number of items to be retrieved, which are necessary for the retrieval operation.

[0040] The control unit 40 is configured to control the opening / closing device 20 so that it opens and closes only the opening of one item storage section 11 within the item storage shelf 10 that is the target item to be retrieved. The trigger means is configured to output a trigger signal to the control unit 40 to start outputting a control signal to the opening / closing device 20 when the item retrieval is initiated.

[0041] Control over the movement of the item storage shelves 10 by the autonomous vehicle 80 is performed by a central control unit (not shown), and the control unit 40 is not involved. The central control unit transmits information about the item storage unit ID and item ID for the item storage shelf 10 from which an item is to be retrieved to the individual control units 40.

[0042] The trigger means 41 includes at least one of the following: a foot switch, a push switch, a switch that senses a specific sound or vibration, or a switch that turns on when an item is placed on an external weighing scale and passes the weight pass, a switch that turns on when it detects that a palm has crossed between a light-emitting means and a light-receiving means, a timer switch that has a variable time between output signals and turns on when the time has elapsed, or a switch that turns on when it visually detects, for example, when the palm is made into a "scissors" shape. The trigger means 41 moves an up-and-down curtain 23 to the position corresponding to the item storage section 11 from which the item to be retrieved is to be retrieved each time the item retrieval is initiated. of The control unit 40 is configured to output a trigger signal (switch-on signal) to the first reversible control motor 26 and the second reversible control motor 32 to output control signals, so that the horizontally elongated opening 23a and the vertically elongated opening 29a of the horizontally moving curtain 29 move.

[0043] When the control unit 40 has finished retrieving all the items and, for example, inputs a trigger signal three times in a row, it will perform the item retrieval operation from the item storage shelf 10. end The system recognizes this as input from a worker indicating the completion of work and notifies the central control unit that the work is finished. As a result, the central control unit is configured to instruct the autonomous vehicle 80 to move the item storage rack 10.

[0044] [Effects of the First Embodiment] According to the first embodiment of the article storage equipment 1, when the article retrieval operation (picking operation) of an article stored in one of the article storage sections 11 from which an article is to be retrieved is successively performed, the opening and closing device 20 operates the vertically moving curtain 23 and the horizontally moving curtain 29 that are closing the openings corresponding to the article storage section 11, and opens and closes only the intersection opening 34 relative to the article storage section 11, aligning the horizontally elongated opening 23a of the vertically moving curtain 23 and the vertically elongated opening 29a of the horizontally moving curtain 29 with the opening corresponding to the article storage section 11 from which the article is to be retrieved.

[0045] According to the article storage equipment 1 of the first embodiment, the intersection opening 34 is provided to be movable, thereby creating an openable and closable opening that can correspond to each of the article storage sections 11 arranged vertically and horizontally. department By opening the intersection opening 34 corresponding to one of the item storage compartments 11 containing the item that the worker needs to retrieve, the worker can reach their hand into the item storage compartment 11 through this opening to retrieve the item, thus preventing work errors.

[0046] [Second Embodiment] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the article storage equipment 2 according to the second embodiment of the present application comprises an article storage shelf 50, an opening / closing device 60, a control unit 70, and a trigger means 71, which will be described in detail below. The article storage shelf 50 is erected in front of the worker M located at the article retrieval station, and the opening / closing device 60 is moved to be close to the rear side of the article storage shelf 50.

[0047] [Storage shelves 50] As shown in Figure 8, the item storage shelf 50 has the same configuration as the item storage shelf 10 shown in Figure 4 according to the first embodiment. The item storage shelf 50 is configured so that multiple item storage sections 51, each having a storage space for multiple items, are arranged vertically and horizontally. Multiple items of different types are stored in each different item storage section 51. The item storage shelf 50 is a mobile configuration in which four legs 52 equipped with lockable casters 53 are suspended from the four corners of the bottom plate of the rectangular frame. The automated vehicle 80 can move by crawling under the bottom plate of the rectangular frame of the item storage shelf 50, raising the lifting top plate 81 to lock the bottom plate of the rectangular frame, and lifting the item storage shelf 50 by, for example, 20 mm.

[0048] [Opening / closing device 60] The opening and closing device 60 is configured as an individual gate flap type opening and closing device, comprising a frame 61 formed in a gate-shaped rectangle and erected in front of the worker at the item retrieval station, a plurality of gate flaps 62 provided on the frame 61 corresponding to each opening of all item storage sections 51 of the item storage rack 50, and a plurality of gate flap driving means 67 for opening and closing each gate flap 62.

[0049] As shown in Figures 8 and 10, the configuration includes gate flaps 62 that close the openings of each item storage section 51, and comprises a plurality of horizontal bars 63 supported at both ends by the left and right columns of the frame 61 so as to be at a height corresponding to the top of the item storage section 51 of each level of the item storage shelf 50, a cylindrical rotating shaft 65 supported at both ends by a pair of bearings 64, 64 provided on the horizontal bars 63, and a pair of brackets 66, 66 that support the gate flaps 62 attached to the cylindrical rotating shaft 65 in a hanging state.

[0050] The gate flap driving means 67 uses a linear actuator and is housed inside the cylindrical rotating shaft 65. It is configured to directly cause the cylindrical rotating shaft 65 to reciprocate, thereby raising and lowering the gate flap 62.

[0051] A specific example of a linear actuator is one in which the power source for moving the reciprocating body (piston rod) is hydraulic, pneumatic, or motor, the guide for the reciprocating body (piston rod) is a cylinder, and a bracket 68 attached to the base end of the cylinder is fixed to a bearing 64. The cylinder is also installed in a fixed position (not rotating).

[0052] The gate flap driving means 67 is provided with a cylinder that is fixed in rotation and a reciprocating body (piston rod) that is also fixed in rotation, and a cam mechanism 69 is provided at the tip of the reciprocating body (piston rod), thereby enabling the cylindrical rotating shaft 65 to reciprocate.

[0053] The cam mechanism 69 includes a pin (cam) 69a provided at the tip of a reciprocating body (piston rod), and a slit (cam follower) 69b provided on a cylindrical rotating shaft 65 and engaged with the pin (cam) 69a, which is bent as required.

[0054] With the above configuration, when the reciprocating body (piston rod) of the gate flap driving means 67 extends, it causes the cylindrical rotating shaft 65 to rotate back and forth, raising the gate flap 62 and opening the opening of the article storage section 51. Conversely, when the reciprocating body (piston rod) retracts, it causes the cylindrical rotating shaft 65 to rotate back and forth, lowering the gate flap 62 and closing the opening of the article storage section 51.

[0055] The opening and closing device 60 is configured as an individual gate flap type opening and closing device, comprising a plurality of gate flaps 62 that correspond to all the article storage sections 51 of the article storage rack 50 and are provided from the frame 61 to close each article storage section 51, with their upper ends pivotally supported and their lower ends opening forward to open the opening of each article storage section 51, and a gate flap driving means 67 provided from the frame 61 to correspond to each gate flap 62 and to move the gate flaps 62 up and down.

[0056] A control command from the control unit 70 causes a gate flap driving means 67 corresponding to one of the item storage sections 51 from which an item should be removed to rotate the corresponding gate flap 62 upward to open the gate flap, allowing the item to be removed from there. After the item has been removed, the gate flap 62 is rotated downward to close the gate flap.

[0057] [Control unit 70 and trigger means 71] The control unit 70 controls the gate flap drive means 67 to open and close the gate flap 62 corresponding to one of the item storage sections 51 from which an item should be removed.

[0058] The trigger means 71 is configured in the same way as in the first embodiment, and is configured to output a trigger signal (switch-on signal) to the control unit 70 in order to output a control signal to the gate flap driving means 67 in order to open the gate flap 62 corresponding to the item storage section 51 from which the item to be retrieved is to be retrieved each time an item is started.

[0059] When the control unit 70 has finished retrieving all the items and, for example, inputs a trigger signal three times in a row, it will perform the item retrieval operation from the item storage shelf 50. end The system recognizes this as input from a worker indicating the completion of work and notifies the central control unit that the work has been completed. As a result, the central control unit is configured to instruct the automated vehicle 80 to move the item storage rack 50.

[0060] [Effects of the second embodiment] According to the article storage equipment 2 of the second embodiment, when the article retrieval operation (picking operation) of an article stored in any one of the article storage sections 51 of the article storage shelf 50 from which an article is to be retrieved is successively performed, the opening and closing device 60 opens and closes only the gate flap 62 that is closing the opening corresponding to the article storage section 51 from which the article is to be retrieved, while the other gate flaps 62 remain closed.

[0061] According to the article storage equipment 2 of the second embodiment, each of the article storage sections 51 arranged vertically and horizontally is equipped with an openable and closable opening (gate flap 62) that corresponds to one of the article storage sections 51 in which the article to be retrieved is stored. By opening the gate flap 62 that corresponds to one of the article storage sections 51 in which the article to be retrieved is stored, the worker can reach their hand into the article storage section 51 through this opening and retrieve the article, thereby preventing work errors. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1…Storage facilities for goods 2…Storage facilities for goods 10…Storage shelves for items 11…Storage section 12...legs 13… Casters with locks 20…Opening and closing device 21...frame 21a-21d...bracket 22… Up and down curtain device 23... Up and down moving curtain 23a... Horizontal opening 24… Upper shaft winding roll 25...Lower shaft winding roll 26…First reversible motor for control 27a, 27b... sprockets 27c...chain 28... Horizontal moving curtain device 29... Horizontal moving curtain 29a... Vertically elongated opening 30…Left-axis winding roll 31... Right-axis winding roll 32…Second reversible motor for control 33a, 33b... sprockets 33c...chain 34...Intersection opening 40... Control Unit 41…Triggering method 50...Storage shelves for items 51…Storage section for goods 52...legs 53... Casters with locks 60…Opening and closing device 61...frame 62…Gate flap 63... horizontal bar 64... Bearings 65...Cylindrical rotating shaft 66...bracket 67...Gate flap opening and closing mechanism 68…Bracket 69... Cam mechanism 69a... Pin (cam) 69b... Slit (cam follower) 70... Control Unit 71…Triggering method 80…Autonomous vehicles 81...Lifting top plate G1-G4…Goods M…Worker

Claims

1. A single item storage rack having multiple single item storage compartments arranged vertically and horizontally, each containing multiple items, An opening / closing device is provided adjacent to the front of the aforementioned item storage shelf and is configured to successively open and close only the opening corresponding to one of the item storage compartments, among the multiple item storage compartments arranged in the vertical and horizontal directions, that contains an item to be removed by a worker. A control unit controls the opening and closing device to open and close only the opening of the one item storage section in the item storage shelf that is the target of the item retrieval in this instance, The control unit is equipped with a trigger means that outputs a trigger signal to the control unit for initiating the output of a control signal to the opening / closing device when the item removal process begins. An unmanned vehicle, traveling between two points based on instructions from the central control unit, moves multiple item storage racks stored in the storage station to the item retrieval station. When multiple item storage shelves are lined up in order at the item retrieval station, the item is retrieved using the opening / closing device, which is moved to a position close to the rear of the leading item storage shelf. A feature-rich article storage facility.

2. The aforementioned switching device is This device has a double cross-slide curtain slit type opening and closing mechanism, comprising a vertically moving curtain and a horizontally moving curtain that slide perpendicularly to each other in the vertical and horizontal directions, respectively, and the vertically moving curtain and the horizontally moving curtain slide according to a control command from the control unit, and a rectangular opening is opened at the intersection of a horizontally elongated opening in the vertically moving curtain and a vertically elongated opening in the horizontally moving curtain, which is positioned to correspond to one of the item storage compartments from which an item is to be retrieved, thereby enabling the retrieval of an item. The article storage facility according to feature 1.

3. The aforementioned switching device is The device is configured as an individual gate flap type opening and closing device, comprising a plurality of gate flaps provided corresponding to each of the article storage sections and closing the opening side of the article storage section, and opening the gate flap corresponding to any one of the article storage sections from which an article should be removed by a control command from the control unit. The article storage facility according to feature 1.

4. The aforementioned switching device is A frame erected in front of the worker, Multiple gate flaps are attached to a cylindrical rotating shaft provided by multiple horizontal bars supported at both ends on the left and right column portions of the frame, and are provided to correspond to all of the item storage compartments of the item storage shelf and to close each of the item storage compartments, with their upper ends pivotally supported and their lower ends opening forward to open the opening side of each of the item storage compartments. The system includes gate driving means provided on the frame to correspond to each of the gate flaps and for raising and lowering the gate flaps, The control unit's control command causes one of the item storage sections from which an item should be removed to rotate its corresponding gate flap upward to open the gate and allow the item to be removed from there. After the item has been removed, the gate flap is rotated downward to close the gate. The article storage facility according to feature 3.

Images